Tortoiseshell Cat Breed: Facts, Appearance, Health and More

Tortoiseshell is like a cat coat colour name for its similarity to tortoiseshell material. Like calicos, tortoiseshell cats are almost exclusively female. Male tortoiseshells are very rare and are usually sterile. Also call torties, in short, tortoiseshell cats actually combine two colours other than white, which are either closely mixed or in larger patches. The colours are often said to be red and black, but the red patches can instead be orange, yellow, or cream and the black can actually be chocolate, grey, blue or tabby. Get information about the tortoiseshell cat breed.

Tortoiseshell Cats with the tabby pattern as their colour are sometimes referred to as torbie. Tortoiseshell is typically reserved for the particoloured cats with relatively small or no white markings.

Those that are largely white in colour with tortoiseshell patches are described to be tricolour, tortoiseshell-and-white, or calico. Tortoiseshell markings may appear in many different breeds, as well as in non-purebred domestic cats. Today we will talk about the tortoiseshell cat breed.

Overview Of Tortoiseshell Cat Breed

Appearance and Temperament

Tortoiseshell cats have particular coats with patches of various shades of red and black, and sometimes some white in them. A tortoiseshell can also have some splotches of orange or gold, but these colours are somewhat rarer in the breed. The size of the patches can vary from a fine speckled pattern to a large area of colour.

Typically, the more white the cat has, the more solid the patches of colour. Dilution genes may modify a colouring, lightening the fur to the mix of cream and blue, lilac or fawn; and some markings on tortoiseshell cats are usually asymmetrical.

Occasionally tabby patterns of black and brown and red colours are seen. These patch tabbies are often calling as tortie-tabby, with large white areas, a city. Not uncommonly there will be a “split face” pattern with black on one of the sides of the face and orange on the other side, with a dividing line running down the bridge of the nose. Tortoiseshell colouring can also express in the point pattern, refer to as the tortie point

Tortoiseshell cats are often credited with having a strong-willed and hot-temper personality. Cat aficionados believe that these feisty personality traits are linked to the unique pattern of the cat’s fur coat. Folklore also attributes the “torties” to bringing their owners some luck. As a result, these brindle and patch cats are hence commonly referred to as “money cats.” Whether you believe the theories about the tortoiseshell cat’s personality or the ability to bestow some good luck, one thing is for sure: Torty owners are totally huge fans of their feline companions.

Health Concern

Some common health concerns for the tortoiseshell cat breeds are as follows :

• Osteosarcoma

If you are concerned about the health of the tortoiseshell cat, then you should know that since the torties are not actually their own breed, there are no health issues directly associated with the cats. However, one should be concerned about the various general health issues. According to an extensive study, the most common feline ailments involve the mouth, kidneys, and skin.

Some Quirky Facts About Tortoiseshell Cats

• The tortoiseshell calico and the tortoiseshell are actually two different types of cats.
• White is the predominant colour with the black and orange patches intertwining with it.
• The calico or white tortoiseshell cat is actually the official cat of Maryland. The state cat became the official cat on October 1, 2001.
• There is no specific tortoiseshell cat breed. The tortoiseshell colouring is actually a variation, which is in many different cat breeds. This variation caused by the x-link genes and is called the mosaic expression.
• Mostly all the tortoiseshell cats are females with some sterile males with an XX-Y chromosome defect. But 2 cats have been observed with XY and they are the only two fertile male tortoiseshell cats to have been ever observed.

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