Calico Cat Registry International

In the American world of “Catdom” the breeding standards are set up with emphasis on body formation. The cats are first recognized as a breed by their particular form, then classified by color. Due to concentration on breeding for specific bone structure and body form, much has been lost on color breeding.

The Tortoiseshell and Tricolors, including both the Tortoiseshell and White and the Calico with the dilutes of each, as color breeds are not recognized for themselves and are becoming rare and a very unstable color condition to breed for. The registries do acknowledge these colors, but only within the particular breeds. The purpose of this registry is to allow full recognition of the Tortoiseshells and Tricolors by color alone, and to re-educate people about the rarities which occur within them. We will also include a special classification for the brindled and the striped colors. Although this brindling and striping effect is much discouraged, for color perfection, it is almost a “genetic must” for the male of these color breeds.

A conflict between the sex and color determination factors has caused both the color breeds of the Tortoiseshell and the Tricolors to be usually all female. The male is very rare, but not nonexistent, as I have personally raised two. The males, when born, are such a genetic rarity that they tend to have extreme weaknesses and do not usually survive kittenhood. Those males who do survive are invariably sterile. This sterility apparently has something to do with the presence of the orange gene with that of the black gene. Even if the cat does test out to be actively fertile, the possibility of him fathering males like himself is no greater than that of a black or orange (solid or bicolor) tom, when bred with the Tortoiseshell or Tricolor queens.

The Tortoiseshell–Calico male sex phenomenon is the most known rarity, but there are other ones specifically within these colors, and it is of scientific interest to keep a record of these color breeds. Therefore, the birth of the Calico Cat Registry International.

Calico Cat Registry International was founded by Judith Lindley in 1979 to document and preserve the unique genetics of calico, tortoiseshell, and tricolored cats.

– Judith Lindley

Qualifying Colors

If your cat falls into one of the color categories below, it is eligible for registration.

• Tortoiseshell – A black and orange mottled-coated cat.
• Blue Tortoiseshell – A gray and tan (or blue and cream) mottled-coated cat.
• Tortoiseshell & White – A black and orange mottled-coated cat with white, usually on the lower third of the body, as in paws, legs, underbelly and chest – sometimes a white blaze on the face.
• Blue-Cream Tortoiseshell & White – A gray and tan (blue and cream) mottled-coated cat with white distributed, as above, on the lower third of the body.
• Calico – A mostly white-coated cat with orange and black patches. The white covers two-thirds or more of the body.
• Blue-Cream Calico – A white-coated cat with gray and tan (blue and cream) patches. The white covers two-thirds or more of the body.

Striping (tabby markings) in the colors also qualifies, as it is the color itself we’re interested in. Other qualifying colors are the tortie-points, as in the Siamese or Himalayans.

Registry fee: $2.00 – includes lifetime membership.