![]() They usually have a brindle-style coat, and the Tortoiseshell coloring can appear in purebred, crossbreed, and other cat types. The most common colors of a Tortoiseshell cat are black and orange, with a shifting range of these colors blending throughout their coat. This means that the cat is mostly black, with mottled or particolored shell colors that look like they’ve come straight off a tortoise. Tortoiseshell cats are any cat breed with tortoise-shell markings. A British Shorthair with Calico markings is still a British Shorthair, they just have a Calico-style coat and the genetics to be a tri-color cat. In the cat world, a British Shorthair is a British Shorthair. “Calico” and “Tortoiseshell” refer to the cat’s coat, not their breed. ![]() A British Shorthair can be a Calico or a Tortoiseshell cat, as long as they have the correct coloring for either variation and genetic markers. A Tortoiseshell and a Calico are breed variations based on a cat’s coat colors and patterns. The issue with starting to identify Tortoiseshell cats and Calico cats is that they are often seen as individual breeds. To learn more about Torties and Calicos and understand ways to identify each breed variation, keep on reading! Tortoiseshell vs. That’s the simple explanation behind the link, anyway. Having a truly tri-colored male cat is highly unusual, but a genetic mutation could make it possible. For a cat to be tri-colored or black and orange, they need to have two X chromosomes, which means they’ll also be female. This is because the unique coloring of both breed variations is related to the X chromosome. You’ll never know what color your Tortie or Calico tabby cat will truly turn out until they’re grown, but they are always extremely pretty and unique.Īn interesting fact is that Tortoiseshell cats and Calico cats are almost always females. These XXY guys are called Klinefelter males, after endocrinologist Harry Klinefelter who first identified the condition in the 1940s.Tortoiseshell and Calico cats are both breed variations that display beautiful coat coloring, mixing several colors and tones to create something eye-catching. So a male with XXY has the two required X’s to possibly make him a rare and beautiful kitty indeed. ![]() It’s a genetic anomaly! Rarely, a cat-or even a person-has three chromosomes. So How is There Ever a Male Calico or Tortoiseshell Cat? (This has led to the misconception that only male cats are orange tabbies actually, most are simply because girls have more chance to be other variations with orange.) This is because only a cat with XX chromosomes can be calico or tortie. The girls, though, are commonly calico, tortie, or orange tabby whereas the vast majority of males are only orange tabby. ![]() So, it stands to reason that either a male or female cat can be or have orange coloring. High school biology refresher: females have XX chromosomes. Orange coloring in cats comes from a gene in X chromosomes. There are some rare exceptions! According to a study by the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, only about 1 in 3,000 calico cats are male! It’s All About Chromosomes The actual, scientific fact of the matter is that most calicos and torties are female. Or do they? After all, it certainly wouldn’t be the first time something resembling an old wives tale is taken as fact with few questions asked and shoulders shrugged in reply. It’s an interesting example of how genetics dictate some pretty predictable results. Are All Calico & Tortoiseshell Cats Female?Īre all calico cats female? Are all tortoiseshell cats girls? You’ve probably heard before that they are. ![]()
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