Calico cats are some of the most distinctive kitties out there, although no two calico coats look exactly the same due to a quirk of genetics. Their gorgeous orange, black, and white coats vary a lot in shade and patterning, and many cat breeds display calico coats. You may already know that nearly 100% of calicos are female, but did you know there are several different types of calicos out there? It’s true! Let’s take a closer look at the various types of calico kitties and how to tell them apart.
The 5 Types of Calico Cats
1. Traditional Calico
A traditional or standard calico coat is born tri-colored. Their coat has large patches of white with distinct patches of black and orange, with a bright and solid appearance. Traditional calicos might be confused with bicolored tortoiseshell kitties, especially if they have a lesser portion of white in their coat.
2. Dilute Calico
A dilute calico is produced when a calico inherits two copies of the recessive dilute gene, which is a lot like blue-colored dogs that inherit the merle gene. Together, the calico and dilute genes create a subtler calico coat. You’ll typically see the same amount of white as a traditional calico mixed with solid blue and cream. The exact shading can vary a lot, though. You may see darker smoke-colored fur instead of blue, or tan fur instead of cream, but the fur will invariably be more toned down than a traditional calico.
3. Male Calico
determines fur color in cats is located on the X chromosome. Since normal females have two X chromosomes, they can inherit both the black and orange coat color genes, one from each X, resulting in the distinctive calico pattern. The white patches are influenced by a separate gene.
Male cats in normal conditions have only one X and one Y chromosome, meaning they typically can’t express both black and orange coloring at the same time. In very rare cases, approximately 1 in 3,000, according to some sources, a male cat can be born with an extra X chromosome (XXY). These males can display a calico coat, but they’re almost always sterile and may be more prone to certain health issues not typically seen in female calicos.
This same genetic principle also applies to tortoiseshell cats, making male examples of both coat types highly uncommon.
4. Long-haired Calico
Just about every breed of cat can produce calico colors, but it looks different in long-haired kitties versus short-haired ones. Cats like the Maine Coon or Norwegian Forest Cat have some of the most visually stunning calico coats, but they’re just as high maintenance in the grooming department as you’d imagine. Expect weekly sessions with a sturdy double-sided slicker brush to remove mats and to keep your calico’s coat in the best possible shape.
5. Short-haired Calico
Short-haired Calicos come in a lot of breeds, but the most common is the Domestic Shorthair breed. That said, nearly any short-haired cat breed can produce a calico given the right genetic quirks—American Shorthair, British Shorthair, Japanese Bobtail, and the Devon Rex are just a few you might already know. Short-haired calicos are less likely to be purebred than long-haired cats because they’re simply more common. In some cases, short-haired calicos of uncertain heritage can even be entered into cat shows!
Conclusion
Calico cats are most commonly short-haired female kitties, but long-haired calicos are fairly common too. What’s rare are male calicos, who tend to be unhealthy and sterile, but every now and then the odd chimeric male calico can pop up too.
Featured Image Credit: Kristi Blokhin, Shutterstock
