What color is this street kitty?

[rosegold]

I recently saw a video of this street kitten and was so curious about its color, so I took some screenshots. Any ideas? I thought it looked like a torbie with the different colored toes, but I’ve never seen one this light before.

 

[di and bob]

Yes, she would be considered a dilute tortoiseshell and I do see the stripes on her legs, so a torbie. Her colors are not distinctively patched but kind of run into each other, so also bridled. Beautiful little girl!

 

[Willowy]

Might be a ticked torbie, I think, since she doesn't have defined stripes or spots. I don't think she's dilute because the tip of her tail is black, I think she just looks lighter because the ticking diffuses her color.

 

[The Goodbye Bird]

It's not very likely but it's not impossible that the cat is chocolate. The tip of the tail is very dark, but if you open this photo in Paint:

...and superimpose the tip of this cat's tail on the very obvious black tail in the background, it looks brown, not black.

However, this could be the lighting.

 

[lutece]

I agree that the base color might be chocolate, or the cat might be sepia. Where is the cat located? Both of these mutations originated in Southeast Asia.

I'm not sure it is a ticked tabby, to me it looks more like a mackerel / spotted / broken mackerel torbie with a lot of ticking. Random bred cats often have a lot of ticking which obscures their pattern, and torbie can obscure the pattern as well. If the cat is sepia, this would also lighten the body color slightly which would make the pattern on the body more difficult to see.

 

[rosegold]

Interesting! Thank you all so much! I enjoy learning about these different colors and trying to train my own eye.

Where is the cat located? Both of these mutations originated in Southeast Asia.

We are in South Korea.

Are chocolate and sepia colors linked to specific breeds, or just rare mutations in general?

There a lot of purebred (or “purebred”) kittens sold in pet shops here, so sadly it’s not uncommon to see cats of specific/recognizable breeds (Persians, Bengals with rosettes, Scottish Fold, etc) dumped on the street or in shelters. I guess the kitten could have some breed in its parentage...? or maybe she’s just special!

I think she’s so lovely. The person in my animal rescue group is trying to go about trapping her and her kitty friends since they are somewhat friendly. Wish I had room for one more baby.

 

[The Goodbye Bird]

Wish I had room for one more baby.

You do.

You know you do.

C'mon.

It is my expert opinion that you absolutely need that cat.

 

[lutece]

Are chocolate and sepia colors linked to specific breeds, or just rare mutations in general?

Sepia is the "Burmese" gene, and chocolate was first seen in Siamese cats (if I'm not mistaken).
You might enjoy this web site about native Thai cats.

http://www.timba.org/colors---patterns.html

 

[The Goodbye Bird]

You might enjoy this web site about native Thai cats.

They should add this to the list. They mention sable and (confusingly) this guy also calls what he has a sable, but it's totally different.

New Coat Color Mutation Discovered in Thai Cats

This is NOT a Tonkinese, which is a Burmese which is stacked with Siamese colourpoint. It's its own thing. Promise.

(I've been HEAVILY researching colourpoint variations.)

 

[lutece]

I believe that is "mocha" (cm). It's probably not listed on the TIMBA site because they just list cats they consider traditional Thai cats... not every possible mutation has to be listed there.

 

[The Goodbye Bird]

I believe that is "mocha" (cm). It's probably not listed on the TIMBA site because they just list cats they consider traditional Thai cats... not every possible mutation has to be listed there.

Yes, some people are definitely referring to it as mocha now.

It's definitely endemic though, and it's not well-known.

 

[StefanZ]

Sepia is the "Burmese" gene, and chocolate was first seen in Siamese cats (if I'm not mistaken).
You might enjoy this web site about native Thai cats.

http://www.timba.org/colors---patterns.html

Tx for the link.
I notice the Korat (si savat) on the first side, has orange eyes. Not the green eyes they are supposed to have...

What is happening? Is our westerness standard for Korats different than the original Thai standard?

I mean, they should know what is a korat and what is just some vague look alike... Especielly as presented as a type example.

 

[The Goodbye Bird]

I was happy with the Korat example despite the eyes. It's hard to find the "glass green" drop of water on a lotus leaf thing. It's also hard to find the darkest grey cats, and that is one of them. I believe Korat is supposed to be very dark.

Korat Article – The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc

They also got one with the white "lips" they're supposed to have.

The CFA article doesn't even show green or glass-green. It shows yellowish-green, albeit a glass-yellowish-green.

I'm forgiving on the eye thing because my breed of choice is supposed to have green too, and you see so many yellows. So many yellows that are otherwise so perfect it breaks your heart. And you think (or at least, I do) they should just accept yellows.

The article actually claims they get less yellow and more green as they get older, but IDK.

 

[lutece]

Tx for the link.
I notice the Korat (si savat) on the first side, has orange eyes. Not the green eyes they are supposed to have...
What is happening? Is our westerness standard for Korats different than the original Thai standard?
I mean, they should know what is a korat and what is just some vague look alike... Especielly as presented as a type example.

The TIMBA site shows native Thai cats. They are not necessarily selectively bred.
"When one sees a Thai Korat for the first time, the depth of the coat color is the first thing that catches the eye. The eyes are usually yellow or green, though both can be found in Thailand."

 

[cataholic07]

I'd say a torbie to because of the legs. And just a lighter colored torbie, so she has light brown and light orange. I think the stripes on her back is orange so that's why it looks like she's ticked. My girl has a mix of black stripes and orange stripes to. She probably is one of those torbies who looks super light in the sunlight, then looks darker when its dark. Love torbies they are all so unique. My first girl was a mackerel torbie to but looked nothing like Ceriah.

 

[hortusgirlii]

The Thai name for the mutation is Wilakrungthep, but the mutation has been named Mocha. It’s cmcm on the albino series. It’s now listed as a testable trait by genetics labs.