Long hair calico cats are special! They are special because they are so distinctive yet incredibly rare. The Japanese would claim they are special because calico cats bring great luck! We will leave you to decide how you feel about that, but the reality is that, due to genetics, 99% of calico cats are female, and it is believed that only 10% of all cats are long-haired because the long hair gene is recessive – just do the math…..long hair calico cats are not something you see every day!
If these stunning cats really take your fancy, what breed might be able to offer such a combination of amazing characteristics?
We have found five for you. Check them out…
Persian Calico
The Persian cat breed has been around for a long time and has enduring popularity. Persians are unusual-looking cats with flat faces and masses of long hair. They are known to be low-energy, loyal family cats with a gentle, relaxed temperament – they won’t run off with strangers; they know who their family is! These interesting features and characteristics are what captivate their adoring fans!
Persians are available in a multitude of coat colors and patterns from solid colors through to tabby and color point coats in colors from red through to blue – but calico cats are one of the rarest options!
Maine Coon
Some might say the Maine Coon is one of the most popular cat breeds on the planet – and they would be right! These cats are truly distinctive due to their amazing size, their masses of shaggy fur, amazing lion-like ruff, ear tufts, and distinctive, friendly personality – imagine a friendly, dog-sized cat that looks like a lion and likes to swim – that is your Maine coon!
The most common color and coat pattern of the Maine coon is the tabby variant with black and chocolate coloring. But, you can get some real stand-out variants, one of which is the calico.
British Longhair Calico Cat
These cats are rare – essentially, they are the long hair version of the British Shorthair cat. They appear when the recessive gene is inherited from both parents – and then to get a calico requires a female kitten with the correct black and red coat color genes AND the piebald gene! The odds are stacked against you finding one of these unusual cats! But why would you want one?
This cat breed is always smiling! It has a short nose with big cheeks and wide round eyes that give the cheeky impression it has a smile on its face – and a smile makes us all feel good! They have a loyal but aloof disposition, love family life, and like to ensure they are always watching and on top of the action – but don’t grab them – they decide the who, what, and when!
Japanese Bobtail
The Japanese love their cats! Calico’s are their favorite, and a calico, represented by Maneki-Neko, the waving cat, is considered to bring good fortune and prosperity.
The Japanese Bobtail is a short-tailed cat known for its intelligence, loving personality, playfulness, and strong family orientation. They constantly want to play and are great for large families with other pets. They have a great ability to get on with dogs and rule the roost in large households!
They are available in a wide range of colors and patterns, but those with a white base coat are particularly favored and more common. Their coat length is usually short and dense or long-haired – but the long hair is really not a true long hair, more of a medium hair. They are recognized to be low-shedding cats, so may be suitable for people who are put off by cat hairs everywhere!
LaPerm
If you want a truly unique cat, the LaPerm could be the cat for you! Recognized for their curly fur, this breed is relatively modern, having only really been recognized since the 1980s. They are not the result of endless cross-breeding, simply a lucky, naturally occurring mutation that has occurred between a group of otherwise everyday cats used for pest control!
They have athletic bodies and distinctive soft, curly fur! They are a member of the Rex family of cats but are unique within that family. Known to be affectionate and outgoing, they are believed to be less likely to create allergic reactions than other cat breeds.
Available in many color and pattern variations and with coats of different lengths, the long hair is instantly recognizable by its tail plume and curly, textured fur.
Final Thoughts
A long hair calico cat is not easy to find, especially if you want a purebred cat! But, if you are after a visually distinctive, instantly recognizable cat a long hair calico cat could be the lady for you! Find out more fun facts about calico cats are kittyinsight.com
About the Author
Anthony Duggan is a cat guardian to an oriental shorthair cat called Cleo and writes for kittyinsight.com in his spare time.”
