Of all the cats in the world to choose from, wouldn't you want one that bears a stamp of approval from a reputable institution? An institution like - and I'm just brainstorming here - the Maryland General Assembly? Well, whaddya you know, these very legislators did in fact designate the Calico as the official state cat! Granted, that was mainly because the orange-white-black coloration matches the state bird (Baltimore Oriole) and state butterfly (Baltimore Checkerspot). What they didn't mention is that Calicos have other claims to Maryland fandom; ask any Calico Cat about their favorite sport, and they'll respond, "meow," which is cat for "The unofficially official Maryland sport of lacrosse!" How about that!