

So what about “tortitude,” otherwise known as tortie-specific personality and attitude? Descriptors that likely come to mind with tortie cat parents include sassy, fiercely independent, and strong-willed. Even in super rare cases, a surprise litter can still happen. The only time a male might not be sterile is if he is born the rare chimera tortie, so get your cats neutered regardless. They face the same obstacles as male calicos: They are always sterile and, unfortunately, tend to have a host of health problems due to their genetic abnormalities. As such, he’ll only have black or orange fur, but not both-usually.ġ in 3,000 tortie cats is born male, called XXY Syndrome. Here’s why: Male cats have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome. This cat coat color is very rare for males, accounting for 1 out of 3,000. The chromosome linked to coloring in cats is the X sex chromosome therefore, female cats (XX) have two sets of genetic information that can determine their coat color. Like calicos, 99.9% of tortie cats are female. An extreme, well-known example of this is Venus the Two Face Cat. A chimera tortoiseshell cat features one color on one side of her body and a different color on the other side. Rarest of all is the chimera tortie, where two embryos merge in utero to form one animal. The torbie typically features patches of brown and orange tabby stripes patterns, with markings often more apparent on the legs and head. Looking for more? Look no further than the patched “torbie,” or when tortie meets tabby. If you’ve seen a tortie cat with lighter, pastel-like colors such as cream, lilac, or cinnamon, then you’ve seen a dilute tortoiseshell cat-and wow, are they something! Then there’s the dilute tortoiseshell coat that results from recessive genes that create “softened” fur colors. The more you become obsessed with tortie cats, the easier it will be to see all of these specific distinguishments. If the colors in a tortie’s coat appear to be woven together, it’s considered bridled. So, the general rule of thumb is that if you see a multi-colored cat that has white in their fur pattern, they are more likely to be a calico than a tortie.Īs if tortoiseshell cats weren’t mysterious enough, their coat patterns come with a whole host of sub-categories! These are in addition to the traditional color combination sometimes known as mosaic tortie. Usually, tortie cat colors are described as red and black-but the “red” patches can instead be orange, yellow, or cream, and the “black” can be chocolate, grey, or blue. Calico cats typically exhibit tri-color fur of white, black, and red/orange, while tortoiseshell cats combine two colors other than white. While these fur patterns are similar, one distinct color defines the difference between tortoiseshell and calico cats: white. You may have heard the term tortoiseshell calico cat, which is actually a misnomer. This fur pattern is unique enough to warrant a very specific kind of cat to wear it-one that is outgoing and makes for a lovely companion.ĭespite not being a breed itself, the tortoiseshell pattern more commonly arises among certain cat breeds, including the following: This pattern can pop up in purebred and mixed-breed felines. Tortie cats are named because their fur pattern has a similar look to the now-banned tortoiseshell material produced from the shells of larger species of tortoise and turtle (synthetic tortoiseshell is still popular). Like tabby and calico, “tortoiseshell” is not a specific breed of cat, though they have many specific attributes that make them seem like their own breed. a calico cat? And is tortitude a real thing? Keep reading to find out.


Let’s take a look at some of the fascinating facts and common questions about the multi-colored tortie.
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This female-dominated group takes no sass from anyone but sure knows how to hand some out! Torties are infamous for their vocal, exuberant attitudes and continuous energy. These cats are both eye-catching and exquisite, with a pattern that truly looks like no other (to cat lovers, at least!). The tortoiseshell cat, aka the tortie cat, is the mottled beauty of the feline world.
