why are tortoiseshell calico cats so feisty

Genes that are located close together on a chromosome are more likely to be passed on together. The reason that there can sometimes be a link between a cat’s temperament or health and its appearance is to do with the way that genes are passed on. There is even a term ‘tortitude’ to describe this trait!Īnd while not all the available research supports their view, some serious studies have come to the same conclusion.

Many tortoiseshell and calico cat owners are convinced that torties and calicos have higher levels of aggression and general feistiness than cats with different coat patterns. And calico cats can also have torby patches in their fur These cats are sometimes referred to as torbies. There are also different types of tortoiseshell in that some torties have tabby markings in their black patches of fur. And other breeds, such as the Burmese, where it is not. There are a number of different pedigree cat breeds, the American Shorthair for example, where the tortoiseshell variety (with or without white patches) is recognized. A tortie is a cat with a very specific coat, but it isn’t a specific breed. The tortoiseshell coat variation is not breed specific. In dilutes, black fur become a blue grey, chocolate becomes lilac, and red fur becomes fawn or cream Calico Vs Tortie Types Torties and calicos are no exception and come in both dilute and full color varieties. Genes also decide whether or not a cat’s colors are expressed at maximum intensity like a full saturation color photo, or ‘washed out’ to a paler version in the dilute tortie, by the dilute gene. This is why calico cats vary in the amount of white fur that is generated.

The spotting gene cleverly slows down the movement of pigment and the rate at which it does this varies depending on the combination of genes inherited by the cat. And it is these genes that separate the calico cat from the tortoiseshell. The spotting genes found in the tri-colored calico cat ensures that the main coat pattern or color is broken up with white patches. But in a tortoiseshell or calico, the colors are distributed in little blocks or patches of either one color or the other. In some types of fur the black and red colors are distributed together along each hair shaft in bands. Yet the different combinations of genes a cat inherits are responsible for a myriad of different color effects and patterns. Like most mammals, cats actually have only two basic pigments for their genes to work with, black and red. And other genes that decide how those colors are arranged. Then there are genes that determine whether that base color is solid, or broken up with white patches. There are specific genes for the base colors of your cat’s fur. How The Tortoiseshell Vs Calico Pattern Is Created

Females have two x chromosomes but males have only one, and so rarely have the pairs of tortoiseshell genes required for the pattern to be expressed. This is because the genes that causes the tortoiseshell and calico patterns are carried on the x chromosome. And the rare males that do occur are usually infertile. And the tortoiseshell and calico patterns have some unusual features.Ĭalico cats and tortoiseshells, also known as torties, are usually female. How tortie and calico coat patterns are createdĬoat color genes in animals are fascinating.In some parts of the world calicos are referred to as tri-colored cats. And the spotting gene breaks up the tortoiseshell pattern and intersperses it with patches of white fur. Where calico and tortoiseshell cats differ, is that calico cats have an additional gene we call the spotting gene. They both have the genes that create the distinctive tortoiseshell coat pattern with blotches of red fur mingled with black. Tortoiseshell and calico cats have a great deal in common.

Why are tortoiseshell calico cats so feisty