What color could dad cat have been?

[bugmankeith]

These are strays.
Mom is shorthair white with black patches and greenish yellow eyes.
all kittens are shorthair.
male kitten is solid blue/gray with white on belly and paws and greenish yellow eyes, another female kitten is black with white on belly and paws and yellow green eyes, final kitten is female calico with emerald green eyes.

Mom cat had either a sister or mom that was an orange mackerel tabby which is rare.

 

[Maurey]

Red girls aren’t rare — they’re just as common as black girls.

Are you sure the black and white kitten is a girl? Given the father would have to be red/cream, either that kitten is a boy, or the mum or the kitten have to be tortie and white. A black and white girl isn’t possible from a red dad and a black mum — all female kittens would be tortie.

In any case, dad is either red carrying dilute, or cream (red dilute). He may or may not have white on him. He could be shorthair or longhair. He would most likely be solid, not carrying the agouti gene.

 

[Willowy]

If the mama doesn't have any orange on her, there had to be 2 daddies. Or she has some orange that's hidden by the white patching. That could be true since she had an orange relative.

If the mama isn't a hidden calico: the calico's daddy had to be orange---she got the not-orange gene from the mama and the orange gene from the dad. The black female's dad had to be dark colored, probably solid black or blue---one not-orange gene from each parent. Who knows what the boy's dad looked like, but he had to carry dilute, as does the mom.

If the mama is a hidden calico: the dad could be the same for all of them. He was dark, probably solid, not a lot of white. Carried dilute.

 

[bugmankeith]

The black and white kitten was definitely female.
Mom cat was more white than black, but I did not see any orange at all on her. Unless there was a tiny speck hidden I couldn’t see from afar.

The orange female had a male offspring that was peach/orange colored with white. He could have mated with my mom cat. There was also a blue/gray with white paws male (moms first older son) that could have mated with her. Also had a longhair black and white Maine coon mix male around.