Definition

Calico cats are beautiful animals, but finding a true calico is uncommon. Finding a male calico is rare. A calico is not a breed of cat; it's the specific color and pattern of the cat's fur. The true calico has only three distinct colors. It also contains distinct patterns where the colors do not blend from one to the next. Cats having a coat with patterns that blend together with different shades of the same color are of the tortoiseshell variety, not a calico.