Hello There, Cat Portrait of Kate by RD Riccoboni, A calico tabby. A calico cat is not a breed of cat, it is a color pattern. To be called calico, three colors must be present: black, white and orange. Variations of these colors include gray, cream and ginger. A true calico cat has large blocks of these three colors, a tortoise shell or tortie cat has a mix of these three colors (blended/swirled together more than distinct blocks of color).