Yes, what is a tortie with white, and what is a calico, is a fluid difference.I’m so glad you mentioned the term Calibby as I was getting more confused again about the difference between Torbie and Caliiby. I had to remind myself that a Torbie is a Tortoiseshell Tabby and a Calibby is a Calico Tabby. What confused me is: Can a Tortoiseshell have white? Someone at a rescue once told me that Torties don’t have any white otherwise it’s a Calico. But to be a Calico, isn’t a certain percentage supposed to be white? Otherwise the cat would look like a Tortoiseshell with some white…
My kitten, Athena Mariposa, is what I would call a marble coat Calibby. She has white paws, white on nose, white bib and stomach.
Genetically its the same. but lookawise, not necessarily so.
Most agree a calico has clear fields of color; the colors well separated.
While a tortie has the colors more intermingled....
So far, so good. But there are many inbetweens... So often its just to decide and take your pick in such cases...