What Breeds of Cats Can Have Calico Coloring?

Calico cats come in many different breeds, all with a tri-color pattern of white, black and orange. As the official cat of the state of Maryland, the calico shares its unique coloring with the state bird, the Baltimore oriole. Currently, the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 19 breeds that come in this color pattern.

  1. The Calico Cat

    • Traditional calico cats have a majority of white fur with distinct patches of orange and black. Certain breed standards allow for tabby stripes in the color patches and others require a certain percentage of white on the cat's body, according to the Maryland State Archives. Dilute calicos have a coat of white, cream and blue. Other possible color combinations include white with patches of either red or cream and black, blue, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, or fawn. Depending on the breed, these cats come in different sizes and coat lengths.

    Short-haired Breeds

    • Of the 40 pedigreed breeds recognized by the CFA, 13 of them have short hair or short-haired variations. Exclusively short-haired breeds that come in the calico pattern include the American Shorthair, British Shorthair, Sphynx, Cornish Rex, American Wirehair and Devon Rex. Those with a short-haired variations include the American Bobtail, American Curl, Laperm, Oriental, Scottish Fold, Manx and Selkirk Rex. Though the Sphynx is thought of as a hairless breed, it actually has a fine coat of down-like fur. It exhibits a color pattern, such as that of the calico, in the pigment of its skin and the small amount of hair it has.

    Long-haired Breeds

    • The CFA recognizes 13 long-haired breeds which exhibit the calico coloring and pattern. Those breeds with exclusively long hair include the Persian, Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest Cat, Exotic and Siberian. Other breeds that come in a long-haired variety which can exhibit calico coloring include the Turkish Angora, American Curl, Laperm, Manx, Oriental, Scottish Fold, Selkirk Rex and American Bobtail. Breeds such as the Maine Coon and Norwegian Forest Cat contain some of the largest calico cats, weighing between 9 to 20 pounds or more. A unique characteristic of the breed, Manx calico cats have no tails.

    Genetics

    • Because of the genetics involved in its coloring, the majority of calico cats of any type of breed or color combination are born female. Males born are usually sterile and cannot produce offspring. A cat from a breed with the "piebald" or white-spotting gene is born a calico if it has separate genes for both the orange and black color, according to author Wendy Christensen of the online magazine, PandEcats. Without the piebald gene, the cat winds up with a tortoiseshell pattern of random swirls of orange and black. Those breeds recognized by the CFA which produce calico cats carry this gene.