They are also affectionate and adorable due to their rareness. They are known for being stronger-willed and temperamental than any other cats. In Ireland, there is a remarkable legend, stating that calico cats will cure your warts.Most of the calico cats in the world are females. Even the toughest Japanese sailors often had a calico cat on their ship to protect them against misfortune at sea. These adorable calico-colored statues, as well as their real-life counterparts, are believed to bring money, fortune and good luck. In Japan, they are often seen in shop windows, encouraging consumers to enter. Maneki-neko figures are those famous beckoning cat figurines that often have a solar-powered movable paw. In Japan, the Maneki-neko figures usually are calico cats. Did you know that they even are the official state cat of Maryland? The calico was chosen ad their colors match those of the state bird, the Baltimore oriole, and the state insect, the Baltimore checkerspot butterfly. In the United States, calicos are sometimes referred to as money cats. In many cultures, calico-colored cats are believed to bring good luck! However, in contrast to the superstitions about black cats, the ones about calico cats are all positive! There are many superstitions surrounding the calico cat. Apart from this small inconvenience, they can however live happy, healthy lives! So, if you are the proud parent of a male calico cat, know that he’s a real treasure! Your personal good luck charm These rare male cats can have calico colors, but will unfortunately almost always be sterile. Some male cats have one Y chromosome and two X chromosomes (XXY), which is a rare condition that’s called Klinefelter’s syndrome. Calico cats should therefore always be female. Female cats, however, can be both orange and black, as they can have orange in one X chromosome and black in the other.

Since male cats typically only have 1 X chromosome, they can never have both black and orange fur. However, although many colors can be combined, black and orange can never be combined within the same X chromosome. It is the X chromosome that determines which color your cat has. Like humans, female cats have two X chromosomes (XX) and male cats have an X and a Y chromosome (XY). Well, this is one of those rumors that actually turn out to be (almost) true! 99.9% of all calico cats are indeed female, and here’s why: You might already have heard the rumor that all calico cats are female. Calico cats are also called brindle, tricolor, tobi mi-ke (Japanese for “triple fur”) and lapjeskat (Dutch for “patches cat”). As a calico cat’s patches almost seem to be printed on their white fur, the connection was made and the term “calico cat” was born. The calico fabric originated in Calicut, India, (hence its name) but after it was imported into the USA in the 1780s, Americans started to use the term calico to refer to printed fabric designs in general. What’s in a name?Ĭalico cats get their name from a specific type of cotton fabric. These stunning felines are referred to as ‘diluted calico’ or ‘calimanco’, the latter meaning ‘clouded tiger’. Finally, some calico’s spots are blue and cream rather than black and orange. When a cat’s calico coloration is combined with a tabby patterning, they are called ‘caliby’ rather than calico. There’s the traditional calico, whose patches are solid black and orange. In total, 3 different types of calico pattern exist. You can find calico cats in many cat breeds such as the Domestic Shorthair, British Shorthair and Longhair, Maine Coon, and many more breeds. The white part typically takes up 25% to 80% of the body, while the rest is filled in with colorful patches. Any cat that is white with black and orange patches on their fur is referred to as being a calico.

The calico cat is not a specific breed, but simply the name of a coat color type.

Calico cats female