also: さびねこ · サビネコ
noun
tortoiseshell cat
A cat with a mottled coat of black, brown, and orange, similar to a tortoiseshell pattern. The term サビ (sabi) comes from 錆 (rust), referring to the rusty orange patches.
うちのサビ猫はとても人懐っこい。
Our tortoiseshell cat is very friendly.
サビ猫はほとんどがメスだと言われている。
It is said that most tortoiseshell cats are female.
三毛猫 (calico cat) has distinct patches of white, black, and orange, while サビ猫 (tortoiseshell cat) has a blended mix of black and orange with little to no white.
サビ (sabi) is from 錆 (rust), referring to the rusty orange color in the coat. 猫 (neko) means cat. The term is a straightforward compound describing the cat's coloring.