
Sleeping calico cat, Canton, Baltimore, Maryland, May 2002. Brown colors such as cinnamon and fawn are recessive to black, and consequently more unusual. The variations in color from red and black are caused by a gene which dilutes, or lightens up the basic color, and produces a dilute calico cat, most commonly with a coat of white, cream, and blue. To be a true tri-color, a calico cat's colors must be: white red or cream and black, blue, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, or fawn. "Buddy", calico cat with Maryland flag, Silver Spring, Maryland, 2015. Some breed standards specify what percentage of the body must be white others allow tabby striping in the color patches. Baker.Ī calico cat must be a tri-color, with its three colors in distinct patches, not mixed as in a tortoiseshell cat. Producing calico kittens through selective breeding also is nearly impossible due to unpredictable actions of genes and chromosomes when cells multiply in a feline fetus.Ĭalico cat, Annapolis, Maryland, September 2001. Virtually all calico cats are female a male calico is a genetic anomaly and usually sterile.

Its colors of orange, black, and white are shared with the Baltimore oriole (State bird) and the Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly (State insect).Ĭalico is not a breed of cat, but an unusual coloring occurring across many breeds, including Domestic Short-hair, Persian, and Manx.
Tabby calico cat with code#
However, there is no way to know for sure.Calico Cat, Maryland State Cat MARYLAND AT A GLANCE STATE SYMBOLS Maryland State Cat - Calico CatĮffective October 1, 2001, the calico cat became the official cat of Maryland (Chapter 194, Acts of 2001 Code General Provisions Article, sec. Some researchers speculate that the tabby pattern was originally camouflage in the wild. You can tell what color a tabby is by looking at their stripes’ color and the tip of their tail. Any color a cat comes in, you can find a tabby cat of that color (except white, of course). They can be shades of brown, grey, and red. Image Credit: alex_dorohov, Pixabay Tabby Cat Coat Colors The body is solidly colored, but small stripes are on the legs, tails, and face. This is a rarer pattern and is not seen in all species. The spotted tabby has a similar pattern to the classic tabby, but with spots – not stripes. They are usually reasonably small stripes. The mackerel tabby has continuous or broken stripes that run perpendicular to the spine. This pattern is likened to a marble cake. The classic tabby coat has blotched, broad stripes that curve over their whole body. Some breeds have all of these patterns, while others only have a few types available. There are a few types of tabby patterns out there today. It is seen all over the world and in many different breeds. It may also be French since it is similar to a French phrase that means “striped silk.”Įither way, it is a worldwide pattern today. It may have originated in the Middle East, as it is reminiscent of ancient patterned silk from the region. The tabby cat pattern has been around for a very long time. However, there are a lot of differences between one tabby cat and another. They appear in various breeds and are likely one of the most common patterns out there.

Tabby cats are one of the most common cat patterns.


Tabby Cat Pattern Overview Image Credit:Alexas_Fotos, Pixabay
