The Difference Between Calico and Tortoise Cats

While a calico cat and a tortoiseshell cat look differently, they are not different breeds. Even though the two types of cats offer different variations, the base colors of the cats are the same. These cats will always exhibit white, a form of red and one other color, typically black or blue.

  1. Color Presentation

    • The biggest difference between a calico cat and a tortoiseshell cat is the way the colors represent themselves. In a calico cat, the three colors present themselves in solid patches. The three colors exist independent of each other, with white being the typical primary color. For a tortoiseshell cat, the colors are mixed together so you cannot tell where one begins and the other ends. Therefore, these cats tend to appear darker in color overall.

    Amount of White

    • In general, a calico cat will have a large portion of one color of fur on its body. In fact, some people use this distinction to determine the difference between the two kinds of cats. However, a tortoiseshell cat may also have larger patches of one color. As long as the other two colors on the cat are blended together and not presented in solid patches, the cat is classified as a tortoiseshell. Most tortoiseshell cats also have their dominant-colored fur blended with the other colors rather than being solid.

    Dominant Color

    • Calico and tortoiseshell cats have three different colors of fur on their bodies. However, one of these colors is typically the dominant color, meaning it appears on a larger portion of the cat's body. For calico cats, the typical dominant color is white. For some calico cats, up to half of its body may be covered by the dominant color only. For tortoiseshell cats, the dominant color is more commonly black. Since their other colors typically blend together with the dominant color, it can be a little more difficult to pick out the dominant color of a tortoiseshell cat.

    Genetics

    • The genetics for a calico cat and a tortoiseshell cat are pretty much the same. The gene for these color combinations is carried on the female chromosome, which means that most cats who carry these color markings are female cats. Genetic abnormalities do occur to create male calico and tortoiseshell cats, but these cats are usually infertile because of the abnormality. The dominant color gene for cats results in an orange cat if both genes are dominant. If both color genes are recessive, the cat will be another color. However, if the female cat gets a dominant and a recessive, she will most likely be calico or tortoiseshell.