Tortie/Torbie?

[Jessika]

I am in absolute LOVE with tortoise-shell calicos (and I am very well aware that calico is NOT a breed of cat, but rather a coat pattern :P). But I read once that tortie and torbie mean two different things? I go back and forth between the two because I can never remember which means what...

I own two, Nicole and Allie. Allie has no white on her at all, just cream (her toe), orange and black all mixed up.

Nicole on the other hand has no definable "spots" like a calico should, but does have a white underbelly and part of her legs, and her toes.

Now, they are BOTH tortoiseshell calicos, correct? Or is Nicole different from Allie? I've heard that Nicole is considered just a regular Calico (but she has no... spots!) because she has white on her, and Allie is a tortoise-shell because she has no white.

Allie:


Nicole:


Not a very good pic of Nicole, my apologies. BUT I THOUGHT I knew what I was talking about as far as my cats when, but apparently I don't.

Oh, and IF there IS a difference between slang for "tortie" versus "torbie", please explain. I've heard that (can't remember which meant what) but one meant that it was just colors all mixed up, whereas the other meant you were tortoiseshell with stripes. Or something. idk haha

[jenluckenbach]

Tortie..............orange and black intermingled. Can be with or without white.

Calico..........black and orange patches on a white background.

Torbie......A brown and black tabby that also has patches of orange.

your cats are both torties.....(Nicole is a tortie with white) and they are beautiful.

[Jessika]

THANK YOU. That is EXACTLY what I thought, but I had people telling me otherwise... and after doing research I thought I knew what I was talking about and just blah it was confusing. Thanks for clearing that up... I was right all along (just had torbie/tortie mixed up haha).

[lvpets2002]

Your babies are just adorable..

The dictionary states == Calico is printed cotton cloth of multi colors from India

I myself have a Torti & a Dilute Calico & like you just love their colors..

[catnapper]

AH, coming to this late, but I love torbies! I have two torbie girls... here's a picture so you can see the difference

see her stripes, and her orange and brown mottling?

[Jessika]

AH, coming to this late, but I love torbies! I have two torbie girls... here's a picture so you can see the difference

Oh THANKS for those pictures, that's actually a really good comparison and there is a HUGE difference between the two now that I see pictures. Thanks <3

[rpcathouse]

Now I will post what I have learned in the cat world. Torties, Patches, and Calico.
Tabby or Patched Tabby? - If a cat has patches of red and/or cream or has two different colors on its nose leather and/or paw pads, the cat is probably a patched tabby (silver, blue or brown).

Tortoiseshell or Black? - Even just a small patch of red and/or cream on the cat, or if the cat has mottled black and cream paw pads, will make the cat a tortoiseshsell, not a black.

Now how to tell if it is a patch. All tabby have a light smoke ring around the eyes. Look at any tabby and you will see what I mean. So with a patch tabby you will see a smoke ring under the eyes. With or without white. Patch will have red or cream in the coat, which is brown, silver or blue.

Now a tortie is a solid color black, black smoke and blue. One thing you will see is no smoke ring under or around the eye. No shading difference. A tortie will have red/cream coloring in the fur. These can be with or with out white, also.

Calico is a solid also. Can be with or without white. They have very distinct red/cream, black/blue/smoke shapes. Not intertwinded with the each other.

I don't know if this helps or not but in cat show rules this is how it is put. (well in simple working.) You look like you do have one patch and one tortie. But I would love to see pictures of their faces to be sure.
Both girls are very stunning.

[Felicia's Mom]

My Felicia is a Torbie. She looks like a tabby.

[nursejan]

do you know what kind of cat we just adopted? Or mix of what? He is thin, affectionate, white with Siamese like points but they are orange and he is white all over body. Has light blue almond shaped sorta crossed looking eyes and his meow sounds like a baby. Thanks, Nursejan in SC

[jenluckenbach]

Originally posted by nursejan
do you know what kind of cat we just adopted? Or mix of what? He is thin, affectionate, white with Siamese like points but they are orange and he is white all over body. Has light blue almond shaped sorta crossed looking eyes and his meow sounds like a baby. Thanks, Nursejan in SC

Sounds like a red point Siamese to me.