What Would You Call This?

[karen.balch72]

This beauty is a stray/semi-feral I feed in our back yard. I'm struggling with how to explain that magnificent coloring. I thought maybe tortie -- but there's no clear patterning -- or a bit of Maine Coon in her blood -- no adorable ear tufts so not the predominant breed. The way the fur is separating at her belly makes me think a fairly thick short-hair or a long-hair. All opinions appreciated and all adoration heartily agreed to!

 

[lutece]

From the looks of her tail, she's a shorthair, just with a very bushy coat. In color I think you are correct that she's a tortie. Torties without white tend to have more blended colors, rather than large distinct patches.

 

[StefanZ]

Maybe even torbie. Torbies are often difficult to analyse. Which by itself become to a de facto give away...

 

[cataholic07]

Id say shorthair dilute tortie. She just has the thick outdoor coat. Hope she is spayed Thank you for taking care of her.

 

[karen.balch72]

I'm working towards it. Ideally, she'll become a pet of mine and I'm not keen on some assembly-line clinic to do it where it can be her new (maybe first) doctor starting a file with her. I'm asking pet guardians I know about their opinions but ultimately her safety is what will seal it. Some who's seen the pictures as well are speculating that she may already be pregnant and based on the age of the pics, it may need to be decided MUCH sooner rather than later.

 

[lutece]

Maybe even torbie. Torbies are often difficult to analyse. Which by itself become to a de facto give away...

I don't think she is likely to be torbie, because her ears are so dark. Tabbies / torbies have a light edge to the ear and are also lighter inside the ear than solid cats.

Id say shorthair dilute tortie. She just has the thick outdoor coat. Hope she is spayed Thank you for taking care of her.

Since she has black on her, she isn't dilute. Some torties have more red than black, and consequently have a lighter appearance, maybe that's why she appears dilute to you.

 

[cataholic07]

To me she looks like she has dark grey in her, not black. A black tortie would be super black. Like these two torties, I fostered the younger black one, she actually has a ton of orange in her to but she's still much darker then the other tortie. Of course she could be black but lightened cause of the sunlight but on her face it seems more grey to me.

 

[lutece]

To me she looks like she has dark grey in her, not black. A black tortie would be super black. Like these two torties, I fostered the younger black one, she actually has a ton of orange in her to but she's still much darker then the other tortie. Of course she could be black but lightened cause of the sunlight but on her face it seems more grey to me.

Sure, that's possible! To me the brownish appearance of the darkest areas reads as "black" or "black brindled with red" rather than "gray," but it could be dark gray, as the pictures are not very clear.

Black based torties are not always "super black" They can be very brindled without any solid black patches. They can also have more red than black, sometimes much more!