But Im sure youll agree all cats are special no matter what color they might be. The required red color for a calico cat is passed only on a female X chromosome.
Male calico cats are rare however they do not attract a higher price tag than female calico cats.
Why are male calico cats so rare. What Makes Male Calicos So Uncommon. Genetics are the reason calico tomcats are so rare. Coat color in cats is typically a sex-linked trait in other words color is coded into certain.
The only way for a male to have both orange and black colors is through a genetic mishap that gives him three chromosomes XoXb Y instead of two XoY or Xb Y. This is called Klinefelter Syndrome in humans and generally results in feminization and sterility. So now you know why male calico cats are so rare.
But Im sure youll agree all cats are special no matter what color they might be. Because of the presence of the two X chromosomes Klinefelter males can appear calico. Klinefelter syndrome is named after the doctor who first described it in humans.
It a rare genetic defect in human beings only occurring at a rate of 02 1 but it is likely even less common for cats. If you have a calico male cat he is very rare indeed. But sadly these cats are usually sterile so this trait cannot be.
Male calico cats are rare because like human males with Kleinfelters Syndrome they suffer from a chromosomal abnormality in which they have 2 X chromosomes along with the Y instead of one. Color in cats is carried on the X chromosome. When the calico pattern exists in a male its because the cat has the unusual circumstance of three sex chromosomes.
Two X one Y male. If both X chromosomes carry the calico blueprint youre looking at one rare cat. These unusual XXY animals typically the result of faulty cell division are called Klinefelter males after the doctor who first described the condition.
Males can be calico or tortoiseshell only if they are born with 2 X-chromosomes and a Y XXY allowing one X to be inactivated. This genetic defect XXY is very rare. It is difficult to breed specifically for calico or tortoiseshell cats.
Breeding an orange cat to a black cat may increase the chances but it all depends on whether the kitten is female and at what stage during development the. Why Is a Male Calico Cat Rare. Male calicos are a genetic anomaly.
Cats like humans have two sex chromosomes. Chromosomes carry genes and determine an animals traits. The required red color for a calico cat is passed only on a female X chromosome.
How then can a male cat inherit the red colored required for a calico cat. One thing that a Cat with Calico markings cannot be called is rare This is because all cats can be classified under this name whether they have only one or two different colors or if they have numerous variations of the same color. If you do not already.
The reason for the male Calico cats are quite rare. As male Calico cats are born among other 3000 cases of female and the ratio of a male calico is equal 0 0003 percent. Each Calico cat is born with three chromosomes deciding the fur color which are two X chromosomes from their mothers and one Y from their fathers.
Calico cats are born fortuitously by a combination of X and Y. As you seem to know calico cats are usually female. The males are extremely rare almost always sterile and sick.
The usual basic genetics applies to cats of course. Females are XX males XY. Due to cats complicated sex linked color system calico males are XXY.
No the calico is no more expensive than any other cat. Male calico cats are rare however they do not attract a higher price tag than female calico cats. In most cases a purebred calico cat will cost more than a mixed-breed domestic cat or moggy calico.
But all purebred cats cost more than mixed-breed cats. Male cats have an XY chromosome pair so they can rarely be Calicos If you are fortunate enough to have a male calico then it is critical you take very good care of him. Male calico cats are prone to health issues.
If he is a senior cat then all of the senior cat protocol should be followed. But male calicos are rare. Only one out of every 3000 calico cats is male according to a study by the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri.
The gene that governs how the orange color in cats displays is on the X chromosome. Nearly all calico cats are female so they have two X chromosomes. The rare male calico cats have one X and one Y chromosome.
In addition to determining a cats coat color X chromosomes have numerous genes that code for proteins that are necessary for survival. With females having two X chromosomes this double dose of survival genes could be toxic. To compensate for this double dose.
In the rare instance of a male calico kitten being born there is a 1 in 3000 chance of it being sterile due to an abnormality in a male calicos genes which causes him to have an extra X chromosome. This is similar to the human condition Klinefelters syndrome. Calico cats are thought to bring good luck in Japan.
In past years Japanese sailors would travel with Calicos onboard their ships for protection. And UK male Calico cats have been thought to be especially lucky because they are so rare. Male calico cats are susceptible to health problems.
They are kittens with parental genetic abnormalities that represent many possible cat breeds. While calico female cats are very common male calico cats are rare and of particular interest for the mixture of their unique coloration and gender. Male Calico cats are rarer and cost significantly more than females.
Can a calico cat be a boy. Calico cats are predominantly female because theyre coloring is related to the X chromosome. If a cat has an XX pair she will be female.
Male cats have an XY chromosome pair so they cant be Calicos. Why are orange cats male. Why is it super-rare to see a male calico cat.
Because in order for a male to be a calico he must have the feline equivalent of Kleinfelter Syndrome and he is an XXY male. Because a calico male has an extra X chromosome he is most likely sterile cannot father kittens.