How to Adopt a Calico Cat in the United States | PetzLover

Why are there calico cats in so many shelters?

The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) describes calico as a sex-linked pattern of distinct patches, found almost only in females and in many breeds as well as in ordinary house cats. Shelters fill up every year: ASPCA figures from Shelter Animals Count show about 3 million cats entering US shelters and rescues in 2025, about 2.2 million adopted and about 277,000 euthanized. Kitten season, typically March through October according to the ASPCA, brings the most kittens.

A shelter profile may say calico, dilute calico (gray, cream and white) or tortoiseshell (black and orange with little or no white). All are patched patterns, and all but a very rare few of these cats are female. A calico described as a Persian or Maine Coon mix rarely has papers, and for a pet you do not need them.

Shelter, rescue or owner listing: where should you adopt a calico?

You can search calico cats for adoption on PetzLover, filter by location and save the search for alerts when new cats are listed. Owners also place cats directly; taking in a rehomed calico cat covers the history questions to ask.

Is "tortitude" real, and how do you choose the right calico?

Owners often joke that calicos and tortoiseshells have attitude. In a UC Davis online survey of more than 1,200 cat owners (Stelow, Bain and Kass, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 2016), owners reported calico and tortoiseshell cats as more likely to hiss, chase, bite, swat or scratch with people, but not as less friendly. The cats were never observed, and co-author Melissa Bain said a higher incidence does not mean they are a problem. An earlier survey study by a UC Berkeley researcher (2012) found people already expect tortoiseshells to be intolerant, yet she said there was little evidence such differences exist.

So choose the individual cat:

• Kittens are playful and adaptable but need time, supervision and kitten-proofing.
• Adults have known personalities: you can see whether she likes being held, tolerates children or lives happily with a dog.
• Seniors are often calm and affectionate; ask about ongoing medical needs.
• Shy cats may hide in a shelter cage; ask the staff or foster how she behaves once settled.

How does adopting a calico cat work?

1. Read each cat's profile: age, health, spay status, personality and the home she needs.
2. Apply or message. Expect questions about your home, other pets, children, landlord, work hours and past pets.
3. Meet her; sit quietly and let her come to you.
4. Some rescues do a home visit or video tour and call your landlord or vet as a reference.
5. Read and sign the adoption contract; many require indoor living, no declawing and returning the cat to the group if you cannot keep her.
6. Pay the fee and collect the records: vaccines, test results, spay certificate and microchip number.

What does it cost to adopt a calico?

Fees vary by group, area and age, and kittens often cost more than adults. Petful's 2026 guide puts shelter adoption at about $50 to $200, and Cats.com reports rescue fees of about $100 to $300. The fee usually bundles vet work the ASPCA estimates at about $150 for spay or neuter, $175 for initial medical costs and $20 for a microchip; after adoption, plan on about $1,149 a year for food, litter and routine care.

Ask whether she has been tested for FeLV and FIV. In a study of 62,301 cats in the United States and Canada (Burling and colleagues, 2017), 3.1% were positive for feline leukemia virus and 3.6% for feline immunodeficiency virus. A positive cat can still be adopted into the right home, but you need to know before she meets other cats.

How do you help an adopted calico settle in?

• Prepare one quiet room with food, water, a litter box, a scratching post, a hiding place and a bed.
• Let her come to you; many cats hide for the first days. Learn her signals, such as a twitching tail, before you pick her up.
• See a vet in the first week or two with the adoption records; the American Association of Feline Practitioners (AAFP) advises testing newly acquired cats for FeLV and FIV as soon as possible if not done.
• Update the microchip registration and photograph both sides; her patches are hers alone and help if she is ever lost.
• Introduce other pets slowly, scent first, then short supervised meetings.
• Keep her indoors; the AAFP favors indoor living or controlled outdoor access such as an enclosure or harness.

If you are placing a cat yourself, see how to list a calico cat for adoption. If an owner is giving kittens away, getting a free calico cat safely covers the extra checks.