Would this be Van Coloration or Torbie and White?

[redcat57]

This is a cat my friend is fostering. Would ths be considered Van coloration or Torbie and White with lots of white? Her sister is a patchy Torbie and White.

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• redcat57
• Dec 14, 2013

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• redcat57
• Dec 14, 2013

The Torbie is exclusively on the head and tail. The body is entirely white.

 

[maewkaew]

It would be both.

.    It's talking about  2 aspects of her color & pattern.
  Tortie and White or Torbie  and White would be talking about which colors are present -- meaning there's black-based color + red-based color + white

.  and in the case of Torbie , it  also means that there's a tabby pattern in the black.

  "Van patterned"   refers to the arrangement of the white and the colored patches.    She has a bit more color on the head than  many van patterns  but it's still a van pattern.

To get more specific about which exact colors are in this , one would say Black Tortie and White   or Brown (Black) Torbie and White .  or in CFA a Torbie is called a Patched Tabby .  

If you say Black Tortie,   it implies the other color is Red.   Those are both dense colors.   If you said Blue Torbie it implies the other color is Cream,  since those are both dilute. 

 For more info about  why tabbies and torbies with a black base color get called "brown",  see  my post here   http://www.thecatsite.com/t/269144/can-anyone-help-with-the-name-of-this-color#post_3455283     

Different associations have different ways to describe it.   like 'black tortie van'  or 'van patterned calico"  ( Calico = Tortie & White with a lot of white,  and withe red & black in fairly large distinct patches, rather than mottled / brindled . )

It actually looks to me like she might be  Tortie and White.  but it may just be the lighting in the photos that I'm not seeing it right.  The whole question depends on whether there is a distinct tabby pattern in the black-based patches .  The red patches don't count because they will show a tabby pattern whether or not a cat has the Agouti gene that makes a tabby pattern show up clearly in black-based pigment,  and makes the cat considered a "true tabby".

  To me it looks like it might be solid black patches rather than brown (black) tabby patches,  but I do see that it looks like the black might be making  a sort of tabby M on the forehead,  so it may just be dark and lack of contrast that makes me not see the pattern in those patches.

 

[redcat57]

Thanks!

I have the difference now.

I was wondering if there was too much coverage on the head to be considered van.

I don't actually remember if the head was torti or torbi.

He sister is totally torbie and white, with very dramatic tabbing in her black spots.

We had a previous cat with the van pattern. Very fluffy long hair with dilute calico tail and head spots. She was the only cat i've had that didn't mind baths. I doubt that she was really a Turkish van, I think she just a little dim.

The information on coloring is very interesting. It is complicated, so thanks for helping to sort it out.

It might be easier if everyone could agree on the designations.