what breed is a calico cat

A calico cat is not a specific breed of cat, but rather a domestic cat of any breed with a tri-color coat. The calico pattern refers to patches of white, black, and orange, but variations with cream, reddish-brown, and grey-blue colors also occur. Calico cats are predominantly female because their coloring is related to the X chromosome. The white can be 25-75% of their fur, and the cat should have a colored tail and one or more colored patches on the head and body. Some cat breeds are more likely to present with the calico pattern, including the American Shorthair, British Shorthair, Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Exotic Shorthair, Japanese Bobtail, Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest Cat, Persian, Scottish Fold, Turkish Angora, and Turkish Van. Calico cats are not hypoallergenic and can live up to 15 years. Calico cats are known for their distinctive coat pattern and are sometimes mistaken for tortoiseshell cats or torties, which are similar to calicos in that they have black and orange coloring, but torties are usually mostly brownish with streaks of colors and almost no white. Calico cats are friendly, outgoing, and considered "good luck" cats.