Cats
instead, the tabby markings will be visible in all of the coloured patches. In a tortie cat, the
non-red colour will be a solid colour. In a torbie cat, the non-red colour will also have tabby
markings. More information can be found in Robinson's "Genetics for Cat Breeders".
TORTIE ABYSSINIANS AND TORTIE TICKED TABBIES
There is another gene which gives rise to the red colour. This is the non-sex-linked red
("sorrel") found in Abyssinian cats and other ticked breeds and it does not produce
tortoiseshells. Genetically, the Abyssinian pattern is not a solid colour, but is a form of tabby,
called ticked tabby, and is described in Striped and Spotted Cats. The ticked pattern changes
the visual appearance of the cat's colour. Although some registries call this colour "red"
("non-sex-linked red" in Australia), many registries prefer to call it "sorrel" to avoid
confusion with the sex-linked red gene described earlier. Genetically, Abyssinian "non-sex-
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