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One of our favourite little felines – the Calico cat. These patchwork beauties have such pretty patterned coats of white, orange and black. And you may have heard the tale that all cats with calico coats are female. But is this fact or fiction, let’s find out!
Female Calico Genetics
Well, when it comes down to the science, it is indeed true that most calico cats are in fact female. With rare exceptions only, it all comes down to the chromosomes. Genetics carried by the X chromosome in cats has been linked to the orange fur colour. So commonly both male and female cats can carry the ginger gene. However, it’s been found that only female cats with XX chromosomes can be calico or tortoiseshell. They saved the fabulous fur for the females it seems!
Male Calico Exceptions
In super rare instances, cats can be born with three chromosomes – just like some humans! If a male cat is born with the genetic makeup XXY, the double X chromosomes give him the possibility of inheriting the colourful calico exterior. A rare beauty, with only 0.03% of calico cats being male. And maybe even more interestingly, male cats with these chromosomes are almost always born sterile. This means you won’t be able to breed the trait over time and keeps the coat super rare in male cats. If you have a multi-coloured male, be sure to celebrate his fabulousness. Though we’re pretty certain he’ll already know how special he is, he’s a cat after all.
Calico’s are all beauties, no matter the gender. If you have a patchwork puss, we’d love to see! Tag us in your photos or submit them to our Cats Cats Cats page. We can’t get enough!
