Forum:The Difference between Calicos and Tortoiseshells

I see people making this mistake a lot, and it's quite irritating. I have also seen quite a bit of confusion on the two. Let me state my main point: Calicos and Tortoiseshells are NOT the same. A Calico has a significant amount of white splotching in their fur. Also, each of their colors (varying form Reds, Browns, blacks, and whites) are broken up into seperate, distinct patches. A Tortoiseshell, however, do not have distinct patches, and their fur colors tend to jumble together. The fur is also often times duller. Now, you have seen Erins say "tortoiseshell and white" several times, I'm sure. A tortoiseshell may have significant portions of white as well, but the remaining colors are blended, so this is the explanation of that term. Another question I heard floating around, is "Aren't male Torties/Calicos nonexistant?"/"Aren't male torties/calicos impossible to get?". Well, it's true that Males of this type are more rare, but the answer is Genetic Misfire. I won't go into all of the specific chromosomes and junk, because it's all very confusing... Basically, the cat would be getting three sex chromosomes instead of two (hence result in being sterile, or unable to produce baby kitties). Spare chromosomes in cats cause for negative effects. Most times, the toes are awkwardly turned inward, making walking complicated, plus the tom's bones are VERY fragile. A cat such as this would never survive in the wild. I'm not sure if Erins made a mistake, but hey, it's a fantasy book. Anywho, I hope I cleared up some questions on the two. If not, then I'm sorry for wasting your time. --Sandiwolf 03:18, 10 July 2009 (UTC)