When it comes to tortoiseshell cats, many people say that they are the most “unsold” cats in the history of adoption. In fact, the attitude towards this color is similar to that of some people towards durian. Those who like it flock to it, while those who don’t like it avoid it. But in fact, hawksbill turtles are beautiful women in the cat world, known for their “naturally good temper”. Only after raising them do you realize how good they are!
Tortoiseshell is a color, not a species
Except for the one commonly seen in Chinese countryside cats, almost all breeds of cats also have hawksbill color. For example, common American shorts, English shorts, plush toys, Maine Coons, etc. all have tortoiseshell colors.
The coat color of hawksbill cats is mixed, mainly consisting of three colors: black, white, and yellow. There are also those with only black and yellow colors, and the colors are generally mixed without clear boundaries. The coat color is generally uniform, and it looks more fluffy and soft than that of single color cats.
Why is it called a tortoiseshell cat?
The hawksbill turtle itself is one of the oldest surviving reptiles and a national key first-class protected animal – the sea turtle. Because the color of the hawksbill cat is very similar to that of the hawksbill turtle, it is named the hawksbill cat.
In ancient China, due to limitations in technology and rulers, marine products were extremely rare and precious. Naming it “hawksbill turtle” not only reflects its similar appearance, but also highlights its importance among the nobility. Nowadays, the sea turtle “hawksbill” is a first-class protected animal in the country, while the cat “hawksbill” has become the world’s most abandoned and “worst performing” cat due to its mixed fur color
Classification of hawksbill turtles
Hair: long hair, short hair
Hawksbill, hawksbill with white, tiger spotted hawksbill (based on hawksbill, with any tiger markings added, such as classic markings, fishbone patterns, dot patterns, hemp patterns, etc.), hawksbill chimera (double faced cat, with a pair of mandarin duck eyes)
The difference between Sanhua and hawksbill turtle
Many people confuse three flowers with tortoiseshell, but in some breeds, there is no distinction between the current meaning, such as plush toys, where the unity of the three colors is called tortoiseshell plush toys.
The hawksbill and Sanhua are actually the same species, although they differ greatly in appearance, their genetic essence is hawksbill. Sanhua is a hawksbill with white spots added, simply put, Sanhua=hawksbill+white.
Or you can look at it this way,
Sanhua is a color combination (black, orange, and white) with clear boundaries;
And hawksbill turtles are mixed colors, with mixed boundaries~
Different reproductive abilities:
Most tortoiseshell cats and calico cats are female, while male calico cats have very low fertility; And male hawksbill cats still have fertility and strong genetic inheritance.
How much do tortoiseshell cats know?
- Gentle and clingy, with a good temper
Most tortoiseshell cats, like calico cats, are female cats. In terms of personality, the tortoiseshell is loved by many people who have raised it. It is gentle, clingy, has a good temper, loves to act spoiled, and is definitely a beloved treasure~
- There are no two identical tortoiseshell cats in the world
Due to their unique colors, each tortoiseshell cat has its own unique pattern, which is out of print!
- Auspicious Signs
The tortoiseshell cat and the calico cat are still auspicious signs. Many business owners display the lucky cat outside their stores or companies, and its prototype is this seemingly ordinary tricolor cat;
In Japan, tortoiseshell cats are regarded as a symbol of good luck, and people take pride in owning them;
In the United States, hawksbill cats are also known as “money cats”;
In ancient China, hawksbill cats also had their own place.
A three colored cat with a yellow, white, and black lid, also known as a tortoiseshell cat. “- Chinese folk book” Xiangmao Jing “
And the tortoiseshell spots hide in the sight of all the beasts. “- The Qing Dynasty series” Secretary of Longwei “
Long haired hawksbill, also known as “rolling ground brocade”.
Why has everything changed its flavor despite such a good beginning
In fact, not all hawksbill cats are ugly cats. Keeping a hawksbill cat is like opening a blind box. It is possible that they were born ugly, but they become more attractive after being raised. Although their appearance is not enough to impress the audience, there are still many advantages waiting for the poop shoveler to discover~
The tortoiseshell cat is almost a female cat
Cats have 19 pairs of chromosomes in their somatic cells (18 pairs of autosomes+1 pair of sex chromosomes), and their sex determination is similar to that of humans, with male cats XY and female cats XX. Only the X chromosome can control one color, Y cannot.
If a female cat has a sex chromosome XX with one containing chromophilic melanin and the other containing true melanin, these two pigments will be mixed in the cat’s body to form hawksbill color; If the gene that produces white also works, then white patches will appear on the cat’s body, or there will be large white hawksbill turtles, white cats, and tricolor cats.
Simply put, if a cat has three different colors on its body, it is most likely a female cat. If it is a male cat, it has no reproductive ability.
In Japan, male tricolor cats and tortoiseshell cats are considered symbols of luck and wealth due to their rarity~
Why is it said that tortoiseshell cats are the beauties of the cat world?
Firstly, most tortoiseshell cats are female cats, and male cats are notorious for being scumbags. They are only responsible for sowing seeds and do not raise offspring. In order to continue the family line, male cats have a tight schedule and heavy tasks. During the estrus period, they need to find female cats to show mercy everywhere, while directly finding tortoiseshell calico cats can save a lot of time in distinguishing gender. Therefore, tortoiseshell and calico cats are more in line with the reproductive philosophy of male cats;
In addition, hawksbill cats have a variety of colors and good genetic diversity, resulting in healthy and disease-free offspring with higher survival rates;
Moreover, hawksbill cats come in a variety of colors, representing strong survival abilities in the wild, giving them an advantage in both hunting and escaping. The color that looks like a white cat is too eye-catching and difficult to hide, and the heart of the English short cloth doll cat is also prone to problems. Therefore, in the eyes of male cats, tortoiseshell cats and calico cats are basically perfect, naturally becoming goddesses in the cat world~
