How Many Colors of Tortoiseshell Cats are There?

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Tortoiseshell cats are unique among all cats. They come in a range of markings that distinguish their coats from other cats. Most of them appear to be calico cats that didn’t get the genetic orders to include white. There are dozens of combinations of colors for tortoiseshell cats. Here is everything that we currently know about the various kinds of tortoiseshell cats, how they get their unique markings, and which are the rarest.

What is a tortoiseshell cat?

A tortoiseshell cat, also called a tortie, is a combination of colors that includes at least two, including black and ginger, but often a mixture of different colors. Tortoiseshell cats are not a specific breed. The name refers to the coat color and pattern. These cats are similar to a calico cat, but with an absence of large patches of white. The coat patterns are often smaller spots that are intermingled with various colors versus the large patches with ample white on the coat of a calico. it’s easy to tell them apart when you place these cats side by side.

How many colors of tortoiseshell cats are there?

The estimated number of different tortoiseshell cat colors depends on who you talk to. Some purists claim that there are only two colors, but most experts agree that there several different color combinations that qualify a cat’s coat as tortoiseshell. The most common torties have intermingled patches of red and black but may also have some white spots in limited amounts, combined with orange, red, cream, grey, browns, blondes, tans, and peach colors. It’s difficult to estimate the number of colors of tortoiseshell cats in the world today as unique examples continue to be born. It was previously believed that a tortoiseshell cat was just black and orange, but this is no longer the case. While these are common predominant colors, in some sense it is correct to say that there is one predominant type with multiple variants.

Coat patterns and colors of tortoiseshell cats

Rawz Natural Pet Food experts, list the known coat colors and patterns of tortoiseshell cats. They confirm that most are ginger and black with some traces of white, but the colors are usually mixed instead of patchy. Some are more black and others are more ginger. They may also have many other colors interspersed throughout the coat, including gold, gray, or peach coloring.

Coat patterns

Some stories are born with patched colors while others have brindle coloring which mixes them. Some tortoiseshell cats are born with tabby stripes. This coat type is called a torbie. They’re uniquely colored tabbies with striped patterns emerging. A type of tortie with a different appearance is a chimera. Chimera cats are torbies with different colors on either side of their bodies. This is when you see a cat with half of his face black and the other half ginger. Some cats are one color on half their bodies with other colors on the other side. Some chimeras have an even split down the middle which gives them a strange yet intriguing appearance. Torties can have coat colors of almost any combination of blacks and gingers with all known colors thrown in the mix. The shades can range from dark to light colors. Some coat patterns are mottled and others contain stripes, spots, and smaller patches. The eye colors of tortoiseshells can vary from different shades of green, amber, or hazel. These cats can be born with almost any eye color. Coat color is not a genetic determinant of the eye color of a tortoiseshell cat.

Tortoiseshell cats share genetic similarities with calico cats

According to The Spruce Pets, although Tortoiseshell and calico cats are completely different coat types, these cats do share some genetic similarities. Nearly all tortoiseshell and calico cats born are female. It’s rare to have a male of either coat type born. The reason for this anomaly is the developmental processes within cat embryos. Most of the time, the sex-determining chromosomes are also determinants of coat color and patterns. The genetic code for black or orange colors is X in females and the male sex chromosome which is Y does not carry coat color information. Females have two X chromosomes with a higher likelihood of producing multicolored coats. Only one in 3,000 males are born with two X chromosomes and one Y which is necessary for being born with a calico or tortoiseshell coat. Most of the males born with this genetic makeup are sterile or have complex health issues. This is why you rarely see a male of either coat type and if they are born, they don’t usually live a full lifespan.

Tortoiseshell cats have distinct personalities

The temperament of a tortoiseshell cat is distinct, according to The Spruce Pets. While it’s not a specific breed, studies conducted have shown that strongly suggests that coat colors affect temperament. The UC Davis Veterinary Medical Teaching Hospital investigated cat behaviors and possible links to coat colors. They concluded that torties tend to be sassy with higher levels of energy and slight aggression. Although it’s not been proven through scientific evidence, the anecdotal information led some to believe that “tortitude” is a real thing among tortoiseshell cats. Their findings were supported by owners of tortoiseshell cats who chimed in to agree about the differences in temperament from other cats. Not all researchers agree, however.

Tortoiseshell cats might bring good luck

Experts in animal genetics can explain how and why tortoiseshell cats come in various coat patterns and colors. It’s in the genetic information that each kitten receives from its parents. Sometimes the inherited genes produce tortoiseshells. there is more to the tortoiseshell than what can be scientifically proven. In some cultures, the tortoiseshell cat is legendary. Some countries have ancient texts that go back centuries, asserting that a cat with this type of coat brings good luck to its owners. In Southeast Asia, the legend of the tortoiseshell insists that the blood of a young goddess formed the genetic makeup of these cats. In England, old folklore believes that a tortoiseshell cat’s tail can cure a wart if you rub it across the growth. The Japanese believed that tortoiseshell cats could drive away ghosts and bad spirits. In the United States, torties are seen as good luck and ownership invites good luck in the form of money that will begin to flow into the home.

Tortoiseshell cats were named after a turtle

The term tortoiseshell was first coined to describe a type of expensive material that can only be obtained from the shell of a tortoise. This material became in vogue during the 1970s era and was used to make multicolored items such as home decor, eyeglasses, jewelry, and other products. These cats are named after the shells of turtles because their coats feature similar patterns and color variations. This is a fact that the younger generation may not be aware of. The use of turtle shells has since been banned for use in making commercial products because of the decline in the number of tortoises throughout the world. The products are no longer made with this material. It’s a practice that has faded into history, leaving the tortoiseshell cat to become the major association with the term.

Dilute torties

There is a beautiful and unusual type of tortoiseshell cat that has recently become the new attraction for cat lovers. it is called a Dilute tortoiseshell. According to the Happy Cat Site, Dilute torties are perhaps the most unique of all tortoiseshells. The coat patterns lack the striking contrast of dark colors with oranges and blacks. Instead, the colors are muted, yet present in a diluted form. The colors come across as blue or grey and yellow colors. This is the second type we referred to when discussing the variant tortie.

How do dilute torties develop?

You might be wondering how a dilute tortie gets its unique coloring. There is no great mystery associated with the process. It’s all about genetics. In the same way that calicos and tortoiseshells get their genetic instruction codes from their parents, the same is true for dilute tories. Since it takes 19 pairs of uniquely arranged genes to form a healthy and unique at, the sex chromosomes also determine the coat color for dilute torties. The color is determined by the genetic information shared during embryonic development. A process called lyonization occurs which includes the deactivation of certain cells, a complex mix of genetics code causes the kittens to be born with diluted coat colors. The kittens receive the same information but the process includes instructions to produce a dilution in the pigmentation that turns the colors to lighter versions. The odds of a male dilute tortie being born are about the same as for the calico or standard tortie. They’re exceptionally rare.

A tortoiseshell cat can be born from any breeds

According to Cat Town Oakland, Almost any cat breed that is mixed with another can produce kittens with tortoiseshell coats. While you’re not likely to see a tortie born from two purebred Siamese or other distinct breeds, crossing the lines with parents that have genes capable of producing tortie colors can produce kittens with these coats. The distinct markings of a tortie can come from crossbreeding with Maine Coons, nearly any tabby cat coat pattern, and several other breeds.

The most common breeds that produce torties

In addition to Maine Coons, several other breeds are the most likely to produce tortoiseshell kittens. Raws Natural Pet Food asserts that tortoiseshell cats are most likely to have at least some mixture of one or more of the following cat breeds. The Cornish Rex, Persian, British Shorthair, or American Shorthair. Researchers have it down to a science and they’re fairly sure that these are the most common ancestors that contribute to the genetics of a cat born with a tortie coat pattern and colors.

Other facts to know about a tortie

Tortoiseshell cats are the subject of intense scrutiny by some researchers and even entire cultures. Their unique appearance, in part, makes them fascinating and unusual creatures. The truth of the matter is that they’re simply cats of all breeds that have distinct coats. They have the same basic needs and concerns as any other cat. They require love, affection, food, shelter, and medical attention. The requirements of torties do not differ from other kinds of cats.

Final thoughts

Tortoiseshell cats are some of the most uniquely marked felines in the domestic cat category. There is one dominant type of tortoiseshell. These cats are black and ginger colors with little to no white. Other variants include mixtures of all the colors you can imagine. These amazing creatures can be born with hundreds of different coat patterns and color combinations, with the absence of white and the size of the patches distinguishing them from calico cats. Like calico’s, it’s rare for a male tortoiseshell to be born, and if one emerges, it’s likely to be sterile, or it may exhibit signs of other health complications. Therefore, most torties are female. Most males born rarely live long. Tortoiseshell cats develop from just the right genetics supplied by their parents. Cats with these coat colors and markings have been around for hundreds of years. They’re becoming even more common as cat breeds cross, producing several varieties of kitten colors. Although most torties are not rare, some of them are born with chimera markings that split the colors evenly down the middle of their faces or their bodies, giving them an attractive appearance. Now you know everything there is to know about how tortoiseshell cats come to have their magnificent coats.