Some calico cats, called "dilute calicoes", may be lighter in color overall. Male calicoes can happen when a male cat has two X chromosomes ( Klinefelter syndrome, with XXY sex chromosomes and generally they are sterile) the condition is a chimera, with two different cell types or, rarely, when some skin cells of the developing kitten spontaneously mutate. In most cases, males are only one color (for instance, black) as they have only one X chromosome. Formal standards set by professional and show animal breeders limit the breeds among which they permit registration of cats with calico coloration those breeds are the Manx cat, American Shorthair, Maine Coon, British Shorthair, Persian cat, Arabian Mau, Japanese Bobtail, Exotic Shorthair, Siberian, Turkish Van, Turkish Angora, and the Norwegian Forest cat.īecause the genetic determination of coat colors in calico cats is linked to the X chromosome, calicoes are nearly always female, with one color linked to the maternal X chromosome and a second color linked to the paternal X chromosome. This calico-patched tabby may be referred to as caliby or torbico.ĭerived from a colorful printed Calico fabric, when the term "calico" is applied to cats, it refers only to a color pattern of the fur, not to a cat breed or any reference to any other traits, such as their eyes. Occasionally, the tri-color calico coloration is combined with a tabby patterning, called tortoiseshell tabby with white. Calicoes with diluted coloration (blue tortoiseshell and white) have been called calimanco or clouded tiger. However, outside North America, the calico pattern is more commonly called tortoiseshell and white. Calicoes are almost exclusively female except under rare genetic conditions.Ī calico cat is not to be confused with a tortoiseshell, who has a black undercoat and a mostly mottled coat of black/red or blue/cream with relatively few to no white markings. The calico cat is most commonly thought of as being 25% to 75% white with large orange and black patches however, they may have other colors in their patterns. Unfortunately, male cats with XXY Syndrome are sterile and often have serious health issues, resulting in significantly shorter lifespans than female torties.A calico cat Calico cat with diluted coloration Calico cat with tabby markingsĪ calico cat ( US English) is a domestic cat of any breed with a tri-color coat. In 2014, a Scottish cat rescue welcomed tortoiseshell kitten Harry into the fold-a feat so rare it made the news. In very rare cases-about 1 in 3,000-a male tortoiseshell cat can be born with two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome. The embryo shuts off one X chromosome in each cell, resulting in orange and black color variations in their coats.īecause a male cat has one X chromosome and one Y chromosome, he'll only be orange or black-not both. The female sex chromosome (X) also carries the genetic code for orange or black coat colors the male sex chromosome (Y) does not carry information on coat color.īecause females have two X chromosomes, they have two sets of genetic information that can determine their coat color. That's because the same chromosomes that determine their sex also determine the colors in their coats. Like calico cats, you'll find most tortoiseshell cats are female.
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