Patches was a male calico cat that Jeremy Aster kept as a pet on Earth.
When the Aster family was still living on Earth, young Jeremy used to play "Captain Patches" with the cat, pretending Patches was a Captain flying through space.
Patches, was recreated by the Koinonians trying to help Jeremy with his mother's death. The recreation was accurate as Patches recognized Jeremy right away. (TNG: "The Bonding")
The name of the animal who portrayed Patches is unknown.
Patches was one of the very rare examples of a calico cat who is also male.