Are calico and tortoiseshell the same?
![Are calico and tortoiseshell the same?](/_next/image?url=https%3A%2F%2Fimages.ctfassets.net%2Fscac5p2hkp4h%2F2WZdywl60HTck8Q1Vk77tr%2Ffaa64a9dd569ab4f0f82b8b06b3eab5b%2FCalico2x.jpg&w=1200&q=75)
No, although calico and tortoiseshell cats share similarities, they are not the same. Calico cats have distinctive tricolor patterns with patches of white, black, and orange. Tortoiseshell cats, often referred to as “torties,” feature mixes of black and orange (or their diluted versions) without the prominent white patches seen in calicos.