Among the most beautiful colors of the coat of the domestic feline, probably that of the rare one tortoiseshell cat (also called Tortie) is the most unique. What are the characteristics of him?
Today let’s find out together from which genetic components this unique coat is the result, but also other curiosities of these “turtle-cats”.
Why is it called “tortoiseshell cat”?
The term “turtleneck” refers to a cat with a very particular fur, characterized by different colors. It is usually a mix between red and black, sometimes with white. This mix can then be composed of different motifs: spots, swirls, patches, etc.
The fancifully arranged and more or less intermingled reddish-black patches on the coat of cats have been associated with the characteristic tortoiseshell; this is the reason why the term tortoiseshell is used.
What character does the tortoiseshell cat have?
In addition to their unique coat, tortoiseshell cats often have strong, independent, and loyal dispositions. They can be reserved and calm, but that doesn’t mean they aren’t fond of family, on the contrary!
The particular temperament of tortoiseshell cats is perhaps mainly due to the fact that they are females and therefore tend to be more independent than males and often less demonstrative. More discreet, they are also specimens that prefer exclusivity in the relationship, so they are often the cat of only one owner.
As with all cats, exceptions to this rule are not uncommon and behavior depends (obviously) on the individual and not on the coat! Since the tortoiseshell cat is not a breed in the strict sense, but only an specimen characterized by a specific type of coat, it is wrong to generalize.
Tortie cat owners describe them as cuddly and mischievous, and sometimes shy, especially around strangers and people outside the family. They are above all devoted companions for those who know how to tame them with tact and patience.
Characteristics of tortoiseshell cats
Every tortoiseshell cat is different: no two specimens have the same coat.
Among the cat breeds with tortoiseshell coloring, the FIFe (International Feline Federation) recognizes all of the following color variants:
- Black – that is, a mixture of red and black;
- Chocolate – the spots are milk chocolate and red;
- Cinnamon – the patches are cinnamon brown and red;
- Lilac – the spots are lilac and cream;
- Blue and cream – as the name itself says;
- Tortie fulvo – beige-fawn and cream spots.
The mentioned varieties are also available in the basic white version, but if this is the case we will be talking about a calico cat.
In this case, however, the single colors always form clearly demarcated patches – in contrast to two-colored cats, in which there can be both patches and red and black hairs mixed together.
The tortoiseshell coat is not only characteristic of purebred cats.
How rare is a tortoiseshell cat?
Of the 19 pairs of chromosomes present in the cat, only one pair is not autosomal and is linked to sex: these are the gonosomi (sex chromosomes). The two alleles of the gonosomes, called X and Y, determine the sex of the cat, as in all mammals: each parent contributes only one allele. Thus, the female cat has two X alleles (denoted XX) and the male cat has one allele of each (denoted XY).
When two cats mate, the female is obliged to bring an X to future kittens, while the male will decide the sex of the latter, bringing an X or a Y to each.
The characteristics of the domestic cat is that the gene that determines the basic color, the “orange” gene marked with the letter O, is found on the X allele, that of the mother.
Therefore, the kitten may have:
- Or only one allele of the O gene (if it is an XY male)
- Or two alleles of the O gene (if it is an XX female).
The last step of the explanation is that the O gene also has a particularity because it carries two versions called codominants, which can be expressed simultaneously at the phenotypic level:
- The version marked O, which gives the basic orange color (which gives red cloaks and its variants).
- The version marked O+, which gives basic black (which gives black fur, with all its variants, including brown and tan, when coupled with the other color genes in the cat).
Since the female is the only one capable of carrying two O genes, it is therefore probable that, unlike the male specimen, she is red and black: this is what makes the tortoiseshell color in cats so unique!
The tortoiseshell coat is not only characteristic of purebred cats.
Are tortoiseshell cats all female?
The answer to this question is no. Almost all tortoiseshell cats are female, as tortoiseshell coloration is caused by sex-linked genes located on the X (female) chromosome. There is, however, the possibility (one case out of 3000) that the specimen is male.
In this situation, it is an anomaly, which is not lethal, but which causes the specimen to be often sterile. From a genetic point of view, this is expressed with a simple trisomy of the gonosomes, called Klinefelter’s syndrome: turtle males are therefore carriers of three sexual alleles: XXY.
Does the tortoiseshell cat bring good luck?
In some cultures, the uniqueness of the tortoiseshell cat is treated with special respect. In Japan, for example, tortoiseshell cats are believed to bring good luck. The cat figurines Maneki neko (the cat that welcomes with its front paw raised) are actually tortoiseshell in color – usually with spots on the head, back and small tail.
The tortoiseshell Japanese Bobtail would have the power to drive away evil spirits and protect the family from both “earthly” and afterlife misfortunes.
Such beliefs have also been circulating in Europe and for a long time. Already the Celts believed that a tortoiseshell cat would bring well-being to the house and its inhabitants. These ancient beliefs have survived in some regions to the present day: the Irish and Scottish regard these unusual cats as good luck charms, while in the United States the Tortoiseshell Puss is sometimes called the “money cat”.