Learn about the top breeds of tortoiseshell cats, including their unique personalities and care requirements. Find the perfect one for your home here.

Much like calico cats, tortoiseshell cats are the result of interesting genetics, and they've become mainstays in folklore all over the world. Thanks to several genetic mutations, their coats develop with almost marbled patterns.

The tortoiseshell cat isn’t a breed, but a description of a color combination. And it’s a heck of a cute one! Tortoiseshell cats are almost always female, although you can find the occasional male tortie he will normally be sterile and unable to have kittens of his own.

A short-haired black tortoiseshell cat Tortoiseshell is a cat coat coloring named for its similarity to tortoiseshell pattern. Like tortoiseshell-and-white or calico cats, tortoiseshell cats are almost exclusively female.