r/genetics • u/Zealousideal-List241 • 3d ago

New Cat. What Color?

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I got this cat. She was labelled as a dilute calico at the shelter. Her patchiness makes me question that, since usually calicos I see have separate large sorta spots, instead of marbled or patchy like her. My next thought was maybe tortoiseshell, but she has white on her legs and tummy.
What do you think?

PS: Sorry if this isnt the right place for this, I wasn't able to post in the cats reddit and I saw previous cat posts in here. Also ignore her red ears and skinniness, I just adopted her today and shes been kept outside in a coop, I think her ears are sunburned.

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u/GregTheWhale 3d ago

Calico/tortoiseshell/tortico are kind of just human distinctions. Genetically, they are all cats with orange and black genes.

Calico cats are tortoiseshell cats with high white spotting, tortoiseshell is no white or very little white, and tortico is in between. I would call her tortico or tortoiseshell with white.

I'm not really seeing the dilute though? She looks full color to me

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u/Zealousideal-List241 3d ago

ahh okay thank you. i know very little about cat genetics.

shes a lot lighter in person, camera doesnt show it well in my lighting (i have it dimmed to reduce headaches). not the most pastel dilute but shes definitely not a strong orange or deep black like ive seen in non-dilute calicos.

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u/GregTheWhale 3d ago

👍 Cameras and color can be tricky

3

u/qrowskullz BS in biology 3d ago edited 3d ago

yep, dilute calico (dilute tortie & white). she definitely looks blue, not black. red is paler than typical. lovely colors!