# What color is my cat? **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 15, 2015, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718 "2015-04-15T09:46:54Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 9:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/1 "2015-04-15T09:46:54Z")
[My cat Gecko](https://www.flickr.com/photos/7971087@N03/3095053658/) is a little of everything: at a quick glance she is a mackeral tabby, but she has the cream/orange/amber markings of a tortoiseshell as well. I recently found that cats that are both tortoise and tabby are called “torbies,” but that leaves out yet another part of her coloring, which is that she has the “dipped in milk” white underside (and a lovely white ruff) of a calico. The linked photo shows her coloring pretty well, although you can’t see that on her back the tabby markings have some tortoise-shell style orangy bits as well. So, how would you describe the color and markings of my cat? ---
**Author:** ![GuanoLad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guanolad/32/42_2.png) [@GuanoLad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GuanoLad)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 11:40am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/2 "2015-04-15T11:40:20Z")
Blue and black. ---
**Author:** ![sandra\_nz](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/eada6e/32.png) [@sandra\_nz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/sandra_nz)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 11:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/3 "2015-04-15T11:44:57Z")
Caliby. [https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=caliby&es\_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=J08uVZ3dLMSUatfkgcgC&ved=0CCEQsAQ&biw=1123&bih=533](https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=caliby&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=J08uVZ3dLMSUatfkgcgC&ved=0CCEQsAQ&biw=1123&bih=533) ---
**Author:** ![Leaper](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/4bbf92/32.png) [@Leaper](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Leaper)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 11:56am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/4 "2015-04-15T11:56:04Z")
> [@GuanoLad](#): > > Blue and black. Dammit!! ---
**Author:** ![Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a3d4f5/32.png) [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Springtime_for_Spacers)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 12:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/5 "2015-04-15T12:00:46Z")
Torbie and white. ---
**Author:** ![CairoCarol](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cairocarol/32/3825_2.png) [@CairoCarol](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CairoCarol)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 4:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/6 "2015-04-15T16:09:42Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > Torbie and white. Agreed. The problem with “caliby” is that it includes only calico and tabby - whereas she’s tabby + tortoise + the white of calico. “Torbie and white” covers everything. But thanks to **sandra\_nz** for the link - that was cool! ---
**Author:** ![Buck\_Godot](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/buck_godot/32/6573_2.png) [@Buck\_Godot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Buck_Godot)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 7:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/7 "2015-04-15T19:03:59Z")
She’s a cute little wubby snugglekins is what color she is. ---
**Author:** ![RivkahChaya](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rivkahchaya/32/8919_2.png) [@RivkahChaya](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RivkahChaya)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 7:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/8 "2015-04-15T19:17:40Z")
All I get is a page that says “Please join Flickr.” ---
**Author:** ![Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bosda_di_chi_of_tricor/32/16845_2.png) [@Bosda\_Di\_Chi\_of\_Tricor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bosda_Di_Chi_of_Tricor)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 9:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/9 "2015-04-15T21:25:17Z")
> [@](#): > > What color is my cat? Cat colored. ---
**Author:** ![tenacious\_j](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/439d5e/32.png) [@tenacious\_j](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tenacious_j)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/10 "2015-04-15T21:37:14Z")
> [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > She’s a cute little wubby snugglekins is what color she is. I’d run with this one. Any of the others will require explanation to all but the most hardcore cat people. ---
**Author:** ![Wile\_E](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c37758/32.png) [@Wile\_E](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Wile_E)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 11:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/11 "2015-04-15T23:06:53Z")
I would call her a Calico Tabby. ---
**Author:** ![kanicbird](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/5f8ce5/32.png) [@kanicbird](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kanicbird)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 11:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/12 "2015-04-15T23:25:55Z")
Sort of a new category for me however I have seen this type. I would say stripy type cat tortoiseshell with white belly. White belly seems to be somewhat independent on color and just a addition. A amazing cat, but all cats are amazing anyway. ---
**Author:** ![Lorene89095](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/a8b319/32.png) [@Lorene89095](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lorene89095)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2015, 11:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/13 "2015-04-15T23:48:04Z")
Is she as sweet as she looks? Beautiful kitty,appropriately adored. ---
**Author:** ![Hail\_Ants](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/dc4da7/32.png) [@Hail\_Ants](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hail_Ants)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 4:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/14 "2015-04-16T04:08:19Z")
Got a large format printer you might be able to [make use of this…](http://cdn.thecatsite.com/c/ce/ceaa93bc_catcoatcolor1.jpeg) ---
**Author:** ![SCAdian](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/scadian/32/3292_2.png) [@SCAdian](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCAdian)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/15 "2015-04-16T04:37:52Z")
> [@Springtime\_for\_Spacers](#): > > Torbie and white. A tortie with white markings is a “[tortie and white](https://www.google.com/search?q=tortie+and+white&rlz=1C1CHKZ_enUS434&espv=2&biw=1536&bih=772&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=FTsvVb_UB6y1sQS6loCAAQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg&dpr=1.25),” so obviously a torbie with white markings would be, as noted above, a “torbie and white.” ---
**Author:** ![Kaio](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/c68b51/32.png) [@Kaio](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kaio)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 6:30am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/16 "2015-04-16T06:30:31Z")
> [@sandra\_nz](#): > > Caliby. > > [caliby - Google Search](https://www.google.co.uk/search?q=caliby&es_sm=93&tbm=isch&tbo=u&source=univ&sa=X&ei=J08uVZ3dLMSUatfkgcgC&ved=0CCEQsAQ&biw=1123&bih=533) Wahey. I had no idea there was a specific name for this. My calico kitty has her tabby stripes in her orange patches. (Which reminds me I need to take some nice photos of her and get them up on Flikr…) We joke that she’s the only one who can combine stripes and spots and pull it off. ---
**Author:** ![PatrickLondon](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/patricklondon/32/4422_2.png) [@PatrickLondon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PatrickLondon)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2015, 6:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/17 "2015-04-16T06:32:59Z")
Bitso. Bits o’ this, bits o’ that ---
**Author:** ![foolsguinea](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/foolsguinea/32/14751_2.png) [@foolsguinea](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/foolsguinea)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/18 "2015-04-17T06:01:32Z")
> [@CairoCarol](#): > > So, how would you describe the color and markings of my cat? Yes. \_ I had a calico tabby once (black tabby/marmalade/white spots) but her tabby pattern was very different. Anyway, yeah, calico tabby is fair. The white spotting is just pretty standard white spotting, the other two parts make it calico. ---
**Author:** ![purplehorseshoe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/purplehorseshoe/32/2996_2.png) [@purplehorseshoe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/purplehorseshoe)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 6:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/19 "2015-04-17T18:10:10Z")
> [@SCAdian](#): > > A tortie with white markings is a “[tortie and white](https://www.google.com/search?q=tortie+and+white&rlz=1C1CHKZ_enUS434&espv=2&biw=1536&bih=772&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ei=FTsvVb_UB6y1sQS6loCAAQ&ved=0CAcQ_AUoAg&dpr=1.25),” so obviously a torbie with white markings would be, as noted above, a “torbie and white.” I thought tortoiseshell is black with orange markings, so black + orange + white = calico, no? ---
**Author:** ![Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/77aa72/32.png) [@Fluffy\_PickleSniffer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Fluffy_PickleSniffer)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2015, 7:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718/20 "2015-04-17T19:40:36Z")
Another vote for Torbie & White. Also this: > [@Buck\_Godot](#): > > She’s a cute little wubby snugglekins is what color she is. 🙂 [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-color-is-my-cat/717718.md?page=2)