Welcome to the Calico Cat Page

What is a Calico Cat?

A calico cat is a domestic cat of any breed with a tri-color coat. The calico cat is most commonly thought of as being typically 25% to 75% white with large orange and black patches (or sometimes cream and grey patches in "muted" calicoes).

Fun Facts

• Genetics: Because genetic determination of coat colors in calico cats is linked to the X chromosome, calicoes are nearly always female.
• State Cat: The calico cat became the official state cat of Maryland in 2001.
• Good Luck: In many cultures, calico cats are believed to bring good luck. The famous Japanese Maneki-neko (beckoning cat) is almost always a calico.
• Not a Breed: "Calico" refers only to a color pattern on the fur, from colorful patches of white, orange, and black, not to a cat breed or any reference to any other traits.

Calico vs. Tortoiseshell

While often confused, calico and tortoiseshell are different. Tortoiseshell cats have a mottled coat of two colors (usually black and orange) with very little to no white, whereas calico cats have significant white patches along with the black and orange.