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Callie Calico Cat FAQ & Fun

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Some Calico Cat facts:

Calico is a color scheme, not a breed. Think of it as a white cat with patches. Black and orange are the patch colors we most commonly think of, but the patches may instead be cream or brown, or colors cat breeders identify as blue, lilac, cinnamon and fawn.

The colors should appear in big patches. If not, if the patches are small or there are stripes, it's not an official calico cat.

Calico cats can have long hair, or short. Their tails may be there, or not. And they can be any of 16 different breeds.

Unpredictable genetic factors make it nearly impossible to breed a calico cat. They are happy accidents.

Calico unlikely to be named Cal

Nearly all calico cats are female. In cats, coat color and gender are linked. The simple explanation is that orange and back coloring is triggered by an O gene on the X chromosome. Female cats have two X chromosomes and males have only one, so calico coloring is rare in male cats, 1 in 3,000, according to the Veterinary Medicine College in Missouri. Read Sarah Hartwell's lengthy discussions of cat coloring chromosomes. And another.

What's in a name - Callie or Calie?

Callie is a popular name for calico cats, and Callie is the preferred spelling. (There are 47,700 Google hits for sites with Callie+calico, and only 1,800 with Calie+calico.)

Among all cat breeds, Callie is the 40th most popular name.

Calico the Lucky Beckoning Cat Maneki-Neko

While some people associate calico cats with the devil and bad temperament, many others credit them with bringing good luck. A Japanese legend dating to around 1700 tells the story of a calico cat, Maneki-neko, who beckoned a

wealthy samurai Lord to an impoverished temple where he made a generous donation.

Today Maneki-neko cat figurines, one hand in the air , beckoning, bring luck to homes and businesses around the world.

It's said that in the Appalachian region of East Tennessee, some folks believe that petting a calico cat brings good luck.

Refrigerator magnet picturing a
Maneki-neko cat.

Club for Maneki-Neko enthusiasts.

Maneki Neko on Amazon

Calico Cat Refrigerator Magnets

Calico Cats in the Blogs

Cat considered for Plate mission: The John Smith's Northumberland Plate is a possible objective for Calico Cat, who has exceeded all...
Brutal cat killings in Maple Ridge raise alarm: Maple Ridge resident Erich Wernicke was shocked Sunday morning when he spotted the mutilated remains...
Ark Pets of the Week: Dottie and Molly: The Ark of San Juan seeks homes for a 3-year-old calico cat and an 18-month-old Chihuahua mix that recently...
Adopt This Shy Cat From The Atlanta Humane Society: Eden is a sweet, calico cat who was transferred to the Atlanta Humane Society from a shelter in Alabama...

Calico cat art on Ebay

State cat of Maryland

The calico is the official cat of Maryland. Maryland also has 17 other officially mandated state symbols, including a state dog, state shell, state reptile, state drink, state crustacean and state boat.

Photos of Calico Cats

Calico cat pictures on Wikipedia: --
Calico cat pictures on Google: --
Calico cat pictures on About.com: --
Great photos from Janipurr Japanese Bobtails: Nice photos, nice site.

Calico Cat Books and Treasures at Amazon

Links to interesting calico cat sites

Japanese Bobtails: Interesting discussion of cats in Japan
Wiki Calicos & Tortoisehell cats: As always, lots of of information on Wikipedia.
Diluted Beauty: Check out this photo of a gorgeous dilute (blue/cream) calico British Shorthair. The photo was taken by Chanan Photography and it's copyrighted so please don't steal.