What is a Tricolor?
Calicos, tortoiseshells, and torbies all belong to a category of cat colors called tricolor. So that answers the breed question. No, they are only a color pattern that is found in many breeds. Tricolor refers to a coat color that is the combination of 2 colors plus white. Sometimes there is a lot of white, which is referred to as a Calico. Other times there is very little white, almost to the point where you don’t know it’s there, and that’s a tortoiseshell (or commonly known as tortie). The two colors along with the white are most commonly orange and black. One thing you may have heard about tricolors is they are always female, and that’s true. The reason for this is all in the genetics, which we’re about to get into, so you might want to grab a snack.
- See more at: http://www.delightibles.com/calicos-torties-and-torbies-need-to-know-about-tricolor-cats/#sthash.y3wyCm4A.dpuf