My special Torbie; what type of tabby markings?

[BellaBlue82]

Hi all!
So I've always guessed Sadie was a Torbie. Mostly because of the classic tabby forehead M. But I never knew there were different patterns of tabby!

Just being ficescious, but what are your thoughts? Part of me wonders if this is classic, or ticked?
P.S. her coat is darker in some areas so it's hard to tell if there's tabby patterns all the way through.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Pretty kitty!!! I have heard some torbies referred to as having a patched, or perhaps a spotted, pattern when there are no discernable stripes. Otherwise, a lot of torbies will have a better identifying pattern on their legs or tails, and yours doesn't seem to have any such striping, just large patches or spots. Apparently, the spots can be of most any size - large or small.

 

[StefanZ]

One answer is, torbies are often very difficult to analyse exactly... Which is by itself a giveaway...

Next is, with black and red torties, we dont count them as tabbies, unless the tabby markings are visible on the black / blue parts...
Because all red spots have tabby markings, so counting on the red would be no sport.


OK a friend of order will perhaps ask; nice and swell, but some reds are true tabbies anyway although red... Shall we dont count them??
The answer is easy: IF they are true tabbies, these tabby markings will be visible also on black / blue parts...
So we are back on the starting point...

Your prettie is no tabby, and thus, no torbie either... She is a black red tortie with white. (not calico, even if some will say calico)

 

[FeebysOwner]

Your prettie is no tabby, and thus, no torbie either... She is a black red tortie with white. (not calico, even if some will say calico)

I agree she is no calico, but what about the 'M" marking on the forehead - does that not denote tabby? Or do some torties have it and still not have tabby in them?

Gracie (RIP) was a tortie with white, but she did not have the 'M" marking on her forehead.

 

[StefanZ]

I agree she is no calico, but what about the 'M" marking on the forehead - does that not denote tabby? Or do some torties have it and still not have tabby in them?

Gracie (RIP) was a tortie with white, but she did not have the 'M" marking on her forehead.

She is not true tabby, so count this M as the ghost tabby stripes almost all red have...

 

[BellaBlue82]

It's really hard to tell, but she does have some very light striping in some of her dark spots. The camera doesn't pick it up very well. She also has them in her tail. I'll have to see if I can get pictures of her closer up in better light.
So even if she has the classic M and shadowy striping, you'd still say she's just calico?

 

[FeebysOwner]

Not a calico. If not a torbie, she would be considered a tortie with white, as previously mentioned. Despite some patchy appearances here and there, her colors are too blended to be a calico, which really is more of a totally obvious patching pattern. Calicos also tend to have a lot of white, more so than your girl.

Some will say that a calico and tortie with white are the same thing. But I think the difference is the amount of white and the distinctness of patching.

 

[BellaBlue82]

Thanks so much!! I was just reading an article on Cole & Marmalade's site, and I do see in the pictures there that most Torties have some shadowy striping in their orange/red patches, and some even have the M on the forehead! You learn something new every day.