Cats can come in a variety of colors and patterns. While most cats have a solid coat or tabby stripes, some cats exhibit coloration with white, black, red, and brown patches. These multi-colored cats are often referred to as “calico” or “tortoiseshell” cats. But what do you call a cat that has four distinct colors in its coat? Let’s take a closer look at cats with four color variations and what they are called.
Four Colored Cat Breeds
There are a few specific cat breeds that commonly exhibit four distinct colors in their fur. These include:
Calico
The calico cat has a coat containing white, black, and red/orange patches. The calico pattern is found almost exclusively in female cats. This is because the gene responsible for the calico coloring is sex-linked and requires two X chromosomes to express. Since male cats have only one X chromosome, they rarely exhibit the calico pattern.
Tortoiseshell
The tortoiseshell cat has black, red, and golden/yellow/cream markings. Like calicos, tortoiseshell cats are also nearly always female due to the genetics behind this coloring. The tortoiseshell pattern consists of larger patches of color as compared to the calico’s speckled appearance.
Dilute Tortoiseshell
This is a variation of the tortoiseshell pattern but with muted or “diluted” coloration. Instead of black, red, and cream, the dilute tortoiseshell will have gray, peach, and pale yellow patching. The dilute gene causes this faded version of the tortoiseshell pattern.
Torbie
A torbie is a tortoiseshell cat that also has tabby pattern markings within the red/cream patches. This results in a tortoiseshell cat with additional tiger stripes on some of its fur. The name “torbie” is a blend of “tortoiseshell” and “tabby.”
Genetics Behind Four Colored Cats
So why do these cats exhibit four distinct color variations? The genetics involved stem from two main factors:
Sex-Linked Coloring
The gene responsible for black and red/orange coloring is carried on the X chromosome. Since female cats have two X’s, they can express both black and red/orange if they inherit one of each. Male cats only have one X and cannot exhibit this range of color.
White Spotting Gene
The gene for white spotting adds random patches of white into the cat’s coat. When combined with the sex-linked black and red, white spotting produces the calico and tortoiseshell patterns. The amount of white determines whether a cat is a calico, tortoiseshell, or has larger white patches categorized as a different pattern.
Do Four Colored Cats Have Special Names?
While they don’t have completely unique names, cats with four distinct colors are generally grouped into the following categories:
Calico
As described above, a calico cat has distinct white, black, and red patches. They may also have some tabby striping within the red areas. “Calico” can be used as the catch-all term for a three (or more) colored cat.
Tortoiseshell
A tortoiseshell has black, red, and golden/cream/yellow patches. The patches are larger than those of a calico and don’t have the same speckled look.
Dilute Tortoiseshell
This is a tortoiseshell cat with muted colors – gray, peach, and pale yellow instead of black, red, and cream. The dilute gene modifies the intensity of the colors.
Torbie
A torbie is a tortoiseshell cat that also exhibits tabby markings in the red/cream areas, resulting in a tortoiseshell-tabby pattern.
How Rare Are Four Colored Cats?
It’s estimated that only about 1 in 3000 cats will be born male calico or tortoiseshell cats. This shows just how rare it is for a cat with only one X chromosome to inherit and express the two color genes necessary.
Female calicos, tortoiseshells, and torbies are more common, at approximately 1 in 100 cats.
So while not completely unheard of, cats with four distinct coat colors are still relatively uncommon. Their unique appearances are prized by many cat fanciers.
Famous Examples of Four Colored Cats
Some famous real and fictional felines have sported the calico, tortoiseshell, or torbie pattern:
Callie – Former First Cat of the US
Callie was a female tortoiseshell cat who lived with former President George W. Bush and First Lady Laura Bush during their time in the White House. She was named after former First Lady Claudia “Lady Bird” Johnson.
Bowser and Lanolin – Pusheen Comic
These calico characters were added as friends of the internet-famous gray tabby cartoon cat Pusheen. Bowser is a female calico while Lanolin is a male calico.
Heather and Shadow – Homeward Bound
In this classic animal adventure movie, Heather was a brown, orange, and cream tortoiseshell cat. Shadow was the wise old golden retriever.
Crookshanks – Harry Potter
The cat belonging to Hermione Granger in the Harry Potter series is described as a “bandy-legged ginger cat with a squashed face.” So likely a red torbie rather than calico.
Personality and Health of Four Colored Cats
There are some commonly cited traits and health concerns associated with calico, tortoiseshell, and torbie cats:
Feisty Reputation
These cats have a reputation for being strong-willed and sassy. Some of this likely stems from the fact that nearly all are female.
No Link to Deafness
There is a myth that many calico and tortoiseshell cats are prone to deafness, but this has not been substantiated. Deafness in white cats is linked to blue eyes, which is not relevant in a calico/tortie.
Increased Cancer Risk
Studies have shown a slight increase in mammary cancer rates for calico/tortoiseshell cats. However, spaying at a young age greatly reduces this risk, as in any female cat.
Overall there is no major difference in the expected lifespan or common health problems of four colored cats compared to other domestic cats. Their unique coats make them stand out, but they share most traits with other cats.
Conclusion
Cats exhibiting four distinct colors in their fur are primarily calicos, tortoiseshells, torbies, and dilute variations of these patterns. This is made possible through sex-linked coloring genes and white spotting genes interacting in female cats. While rare in males, the occasional male calico or tortoiseshell also appears. These colorful cats go by names indicating their specific color combination, but otherwise share many traits with other domestic cats. Their one-of-a-kind patched coats make them prized by cat lovers around the world.
| Breed | Coat Description |
|---|---|
| Calico | White, black & red/orange patches |
| Tortoiseshell | Black, red & golden/cream patches |
| Dilute Tortoiseshell | Gray, peach & pale yellow patches |
| Torbie | Tortoiseshell with tabby markings in red patches |