AnnaZ said:Ok, cat people.............I know Grizabella is a calico, right? With the white/grey/tannish-orangey color. What is Button? The gal at the vet clinic called her a "dilute tortie"...........I looked up the definition of dilute tortie and that does not seem to describe her.

When the grey replaces the black in the calico or tortie patterns then they are simply dilute. So so yes a dilute tortie. I think very rare as I have only ever seen the normal tortie coloration.

Smokey made a mad dash to go out, sneaking fast behind me as I went to our sideyard. it has been raining, it just does not matter to him, he wants to go out! Oh well, letting him be, he will be one wet rug later.

Tikoy is smart enough to just hole up upstairs and sleeps it off, though he does want to go out.

Shadow the missing outdoor feral cat showed up finally today. Sitting on my back stoop meowing for his breakfast and warm slurry drink. This is the first time I have seen him since Wednesday. We had the snow all day Thursday and he did not visit on Thursday or any of the other days since.

Of course it has been excessively cold. He must have been holed up someplace dry were he could wait out the worst of the weather. Today it is finially above freezing for a change. well, not much above freezing but still.

I'm glad to hear Shadow reappeared. Cats are pretty good about taking care of themselves, at least for the short term.

Rita, so glad that Shadow made an appearance! The "not knowing" is really the worst thing... even worse than knowing that a pet was hit by a car or whatever. Shadow must have some spot to shelter in that you haven't discovered yet; I never did really find out where our Kinja was hanging out before we finally got her to come in and live a more civilized life.

By the way -- the vet records have Kinja described as "dilute tortie" ... I'd say she's about as dilute as a cat could get, she seems to have Siamese in her, but as she's gotten older some tan markings have also shown up.

Kinja sure is a beauty Sandy

luvsgrtdanes said:Kinja sure is a beauty Sandy

Ditto for me. What a sweet face.

Anna you know how female cats are referred to as queens and male cats are referred to as Tom's when a queen is in heat she will mate with several Toms. That's why she's part tortie- with the queens genetics mixed in with her other 'suitors', and whoever had the dominating gene, etc. 94% of torties are usually female, just like 94% orange tabbies are usually male. (learned that from Jackson Galaxy).

Cats are diploid organisms that are the result of 1 egg being fertilized by 1 sperm. A litter of kittens may have different fathers, but each individual kitten only has one father. (In theory, I guess a chimera could have two fathers but that would be extraordinarily rare.)

Here is a good explanation of tortoiseshell & calico cat genetics.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/...

Grizabella looks like a dilute calico. (tortoiseshell genes, piebald/white spotting genes, & dilution genes)

Based on that one photo, Button looks like a regular tortoiseshell to me. If she were "dilute" she'd have more of a blue (grey) and cream (pale orange) coloration.

Kinja looks like a colorpoint, either a tortoiseshell point or a lynx point. The photo is blurry so I can't really tell. She displays the temperature-dependent partial albinism that results from the Himalayan gene (C-locus) inherited from Siamese cat ancestors. See links for more info:
https://www.technology.org/201...
https://www.cat-world.com.au/s...
As Siamese & colorpoint cats get older their metabolism and temperature drop a bit and they usually get a little darker.

Now, I'm certainly no cat genetics expert, but I'm positive that all three have inherited the cuteness gene!

These past three months, a feral cat always come to my house and decided to stay with us, I think he was so lonely. Nothing is special about him, but he always manage to sit in my lap at night time...or folowing me when gardening.. Some how he has becoming family member now (or we are his family member..)
We named him "Bent" for his tail is bent perhaps traumatic... live must have been hard for him

Cool link @Danita!

Many years ago I inherited an all black female cat, mostly Siamese, quite pregnant, and probably dumped by someone who didn't want the responsibility. She delivered 6 kittens, all different in coloration and personality. I was fortunate to find homes for all of them.

Bent is a good looking fellow, Tofi.

tofitropic said:These past three months, a feral cat always come to my house and decided to stay with us, I think he was so lonely. Nothing is special about him, but he always manage to sit in my lap at night time...or folowing me when gardening.. Some how he has becoming family member now (or we are his family member..)
We named him "Bent" for his tail is bent perhaps traumatic... live must have been hard for him

He is fortunate to have found you.

Danita said:Cats are diploid organisms that are the result of 1 egg being fertilized by 1 sperm. A litter of kittens may have different fathers, but each individual kitten only has one father. (In theory, I guess a chimera could have two fathers but that would be extraordinarily rare.)

Here is a good explanation of tortoiseshell & calico cat genetics.
http://www.bio.miami.edu/dana/...

Grizabella looks like a dilute calico. (tortoiseshell genes, piebald/white spotting genes, & dilution genes)

Based on that one photo, Button looks like a regular tortoiseshell to me. If she were "dilute" she'd have more of a blue (grey) and cream (pale orange) coloration.

Kinja looks like a colorpoint, either a tortoiseshell point or a lynx point. The photo is blurry so I can't really tell. She displays the temperature-dependent partial albinism that results from the Himalayan gene (C-locus) inherited from Siamese cat ancestors. See links for more info:
https://www.technology.org/201...
https://www.cat-world.com.au/s...
As Siamese & colorpoint cats get older their metabolism and temperature drop a bit and they usually get a little darker.

Now, I'm certainly no cat genetics expert, but I'm positive that all three have inherited the cuteness gene!

Excellent explanations!!

Sure is true about tortie and calico being almost always female. I did know that but I did not know that orange tabbies were mostly always male.

Danita ! Thank you ! The things I learn around here.

For the third (or maybe fourth) year in a row a bird has shown up and spent hours trying to come in the French doors in my bedroom. I don't know if it's the same bird or if the flock designates one member to flutter repeatedly and hopelessly against the glass. Maybe I'll put some rice out on the patio for it. Wonder if it is one of those who has been eating my little tomato plants.

Inky Dink has me trained as her masseuse. She gets on my lap and plants her front feet on my chest and looks off into space while I pet her. If I stop too soon she scratches at my chest. I'm quite well trained and proud of myself while she takes it all for granted.

Hey, katiebear, hope things are going better for you lately.

What! You told me to go to bed, I didn't think you would mind!

Great information, Danita!

Tofi, I love your photo of "Bent." My Ziggy (my avatar photo) also has a "bent tail" -- we've had him since he was about 4 months old, and it wasn't painful for him when we got him, so whatever happened to him must have been when he was really young. Like Bent, Ziggy got his name from the condition of his tail, too!

You would think I live in the country with all the wildlife, but I live in a urban area. A few days ago at dusk a coyote was going down my street right in front of my house, there have been several sightings in the past month. Now there are pictures of a fox a neighbor took. Then there are the neighbors on my Nextdoor Neighbor website complaining their cat has been missing for days, I would say about 2-3 cats a week, and one was declawed. Well, I can guess what may of happened to their cats. And when we let the dogs out for potty we are right there with them for safety, and I am very careful one of my cats do not dart out. We live about 200 feet from a park that has plenty of trees and there is a creek about a block down, so that is why we have these coyotes and fox in the area...which is fine, they have a life to live the best they can, so it is up to me that my pets live life the best they can.

Hillsepicacti said:Linda, do like Liberty belle.
Over the years we have had quite a few torties.
They have a reputation for being as mad as meat axes, which makes them very entertaining.
There is a theory that because they are a cross of many varieties they are more robust than more purebreds.
This seems to be borne out by yours being 16 yo!
They seem to be the last ones to be picked by people... which was another thing to like for us.

I had another tortie named Freedombelle (my handle name on here) and she was the sweetest calmest loving cat I ever had, not a spitfire at all, she was 16 when I had her put to sleep for cancer, she was the best cat I ever had, she was always tiny, never over 6 pounds, here is her picture.