Tortoiseshell Cat

Among cat lovers, a tortoiseshell cat or tortoise shell cat is a popular breed with interesting color combination of red, cream, chocolate, brown, black and cinnamon. So, if you love to have a colorful cat at home, it is the right choice for you. The coat colors may be present in speckles or large patches, and in the tips or whole of the hair length. And behind these intriguing tortoiseshell cat characteristics, there is a complex genetic factor responsible for expression of coat color.

Tortoiseshell Cat Information

Also referred to as tortie cats in short, they are one of the most sought after cat breeds for keeping as pets. Believe it or not, they are associated with folklore of several cultures and are thought to bring luck if you rear them. No wonder, they are known as 'money cats' in the United States. Whether you already have them as pets, or are planning to have one at home, refer to the following points for better understanding of these colorful cats:

Coat Color of Tortoiseshell Cat
The typical coat color of a tortoiseshell cat is bright orange mixed with black patches, though it resembles a combination of cream (dilute form of orange), orange and black. Strictly speaking, the term tortoiseshell is used to represent color pattern with a very few or no white blotches. Those cats having conspicuous white patches along with a color combination of torties are called tortoiseshell-white or calico cats. It is to be borne in mind that tortoiseshell cats and calico cats are not different cat breeds, but they are just a color pattern exhibited in several breeds of cats.

Genetics of Tortoiseshell Cat
One of the interesting tortoiseshell cat facts is that you will find mostly female tortie cats, but rarely as male tortoiseshell cats. This is with reference to the genetic makeup of these cats. As most of us are aware, coat color is a sex-linked character. The X chromosome, present in two copies in female (represented as XX) and one copy in male (represented as XY) codes for orange and black coat color. In females, the two X chromosomes express both orange and black colors, thus giving tortoiseshell color pattern. Whereas in case of males, the single X chromosome expresses either orange or black color, but never both.

In another case, a male cat will exhibit tortoiseshell color pattern, if it has two X chromosomes, which is possible only with XXY combination. Over here, the X chromosome is duplicated, which in turn gives the orange and black patches, necessary for classification as tortie cats. Since, XXY chromosomal combination is caused due to genetic aberration, male tortoiseshell cats are sterile. Considering all these genetic factors, tortoiseshell cats are almost females and hardly males.

Behavior of Tortoiseshell Cat
There is nothing much to say about tortoiseshell cat behavior. After all, they are just normal breeds, except for the striking coat color pattern. Nevertheless, some pet owners acknowledge unique personalities of tortoiseshell cats, which they called 'tortitude'. According to them, tortie cats are very possessive about their owner, strong-willed and very often, hot tempered. They are independent, active and unpredictable. Hence, you will have fun keeping them as companions at home.

Based on the coat color, you may come across different tortoiseshell patterns. Also, some may have pattern with equal distribution of the color patches; whereas others may have pattern with a predominant color throughout the body. Whichever pattern you have chosen, my personal note is to proceed with proper cat training and cat care tips to bring out the best tortoiseshell cat personality.