Tri-color cat? "Just" a brown tabby?

[Bratcat31]

I have a 5.5 week old kitten that I an curious to find out if he's a brown tabby or would be considered a tri-colored as he looks like he has, black, tan and white.

I ask because the kitten is a boy and I thought a tri-colored male kitten was about as close to impossible as you could get. He had a longhaired Orange sister which is also fairly uncommon. LOL

 

[lutece]

Your kitten appears to be brown tabby and white. He's cute! Mom is torbie (tortoiseshell tabby). Dad must have had white markings.

Warm brown areas are normal on a brown tabby, especially in front of the ears, behind the ears, and on the chest and belly (if there are no white areas there). These warm areas don't mean that a cat is tricolored.

It's not surprising to have a red (orange / ginger) female out of a torbie mother, it just tells you that her father is some sort of red cat.

 

[Bratcat31]

Your kitten appears to be brown tabby and white. He's cute! Mom is torbie (tortoiseshell tabby). Dad must have had white markings.

Warm brown areas are normal on a brown tabby, especially in front of the ears, behind the ears, and on the chest and belly (if there are no white areas there). These warm areas don't mean that a cat is tricolored.

It's not surprising to have a red (orange / ginger) female out of a torbie mother, it just tells you that her father is some sort of red cat.

Okay, thanks! Yeah, I know orange females only happen about 20% of the time but I think long hair is also prettt uncommon. Particulary with a short haired momma. And this little orange female is reaaally a long hair. Girl has got some locks!

 

[lutece]

Yes, this little girl has a red (orange) dad

With a torbie mom and red dad, female kittens have equal chance to be either red like this little one, or torbie / tortie.

When both parents are shorthaired and carry the longhair gene, each kitten has a 25% chance to be longhaired. If mom carries the longhair gene and dad is longhaired, each kitten has a 50% chance to be longhaired.

Of course, the dice still have to roll in your favor!

 

[cataholic07]

Dad would have been a black/white cat to get black kittens I believe. The girl is a ginger because mom is a torbie so she took the orange from her and the white from dad. I do hope you spay mom

 

[lutece]

Dad would have been a black/white cat to get black kittens I believe. The girl is a ginger because mom is a torbie so she took the orange from her and the white from dad. I do hope you spay mom

Red is sex-linked, meaning it is on the X chromosome.

• Girls get two X chromosomes, one from dad and one from mom. So a red girl needs to get red from both dad and mom. A tortie / torbie female bred to a red male can produce either red girls, or tortie / torbie girls. Bred to a black male, she would produce tortie / torbie girls, or black / brown tabby girls.
• Boys get one X from mom. A tortie / tortie mom can produce either red or black (or brown tabby) boys. It doesn't matter whether the father is red or black, boys do not inherit the father's X chromosome (unless they are XXY).

White spotting is autosomal (not on the sex chromosomes) so cats get one copy from mom and one from dad. It's inherited separately from red. In this case we know dad had white spotting, because mom doesn't.

 

[Bratcat31]

Dad would have been a black/white cat to get black kittens I believe. The girl is a ginger because mom is a torbie so she took the orange from her and the white from dad. I do hope you spay mom

She's a foster cat through a local shelter who was surrendered at 8 months old, injured and almost 9 weeks pregnant. She (and all 7 of her babies) will be altered prior to adoption as well as vaccinated, vet checked and microchipped.

 

[Bratcat31]

Red is sex-linked, meaning it is on the X chromosome.

• Girls get two X chromosomes, one from dad and one from mom. So a red girl needs to get red from both dad and mom. A tortie / torbie female bred to a red male can produce either red girls, or tortie / torbie girls. Bred to a black male, she would produce tortie / torbie girls, or black / brown tabby girls.
• Boys get one X from mom. A tortie / tortie mom can produce either red or black (or brown tabby) boys. It doesn't matter whether the father is red or black, boys do not inherit the father's X chromosome (unless they are XXY).

White spotting is autosomal (not on the sex chromosomes) so cats get one copy from mom and one from dad. It's inherited separately from red. In this case we know dad had white spotting, because mom doesn't.

She had 5 bio babies - 2 girls (torbie and orange) and 3 boys (black, black and white, and the brown tabby). Almost every one is FLOOOOFY except the torbie who is probably closer to a medium hair. The little orange female is easily the most long wavy haired though!

They are RIDICULOUSLY cute and Momma is an absolute Angel! Thank you again for replying. I always get the best info from you and find it absolutely fascinating!

 

[Hoslund0821]

I have a 5.5 week old kitten that I an curious to find out if he's a brown tabby or would be considered a tri-colored as he looks like he has, black, tan and white.

I ask because the kitten is a boy and I thought a tri-colored male kitten was about as close to impossible as you could get. He had a longhaired Orange sister which is also fairly uncommon. LOL

How cute! Tortoiseshell mama cats pass on such beautiful colors and markings to their babies. <3