Why Are Male Calico Cats So Uncommon?

Male calicos are the unicorns of the cat world. Solely females carry the chromosomal mixture wanted for the calico sample, however from time to time, a male cat will develop an additional chromosome and are available out with the signature tricolored coat. The possibilities of this taking place are solely about one in 3,000.

These unusual felines are coveted by consumers, however unpopular amongst breeders. Discover out extra about calico cats and why male calicos are so uncommon.

What Is a Calico Cat?

“Calico” describes not a specific breed of cat, however reasonably a sure sample of cat together with any three colours—white, cream, and gray, or the extra well known white, orange, and black mixture. This coveted coloration scheme can present up in plenty of cat breeds: American shorthair, British shorthair, Manx, Japanese bobtail, Maine coon, Persian, and extra. Being calico does not have an effect on the cat’s persona or lifespan, though males are inclined to stay fewer years than females because of the chromosomal variations mentioned under.

What Makes Male Calicos So Unusual?

Genetics are the rationale calico tomcats are so uncommon. Coat coloration in cats is usually a sex-linked trait—in different phrases, coloration is coded into sure chromosomes. Each female and male cats might be orange (a mutant gene) or black as a result of the gene that controls these colours is on the X chromosome. And whereas females can have each colours, as a result of they’ve two X chromosomes, males, who’ve one X and one Y chromosome, can solely have one or the opposite except they’ve a genetic abnormality. In that case, three chromosomes—together with two Xs—are current.

An article by the American Council on Science and Well being explains how the gene that dictates fur coloration is positioned on the X chromosome, therefore the weird sample:

“If the X chromosome carrying the gene for black fur will get inactivated, that cell will as a substitute create orange fur. If the X chromosome carrying the gene for orange fur is inactivated, that cell will create black fur. As a result of the Xs which might be inactivated are chosen at random, the sample on every calico cat is distinct from one other.”

For this reason the overwhelming majority of calico, tortoiseshell, and tabby cats are feminine. The distinction between these three is that calico cats have giant, distinctive markings on white fur, whereas tortoiseshell cats have mottled tricolor coats, and tabby cats are streaked, with M-shaped markings on their foreheads. Typically, tortoiseshell cats (aka torties) have little or no white, and in the event that they do, it seems on the face, paws, or chest. They have an inclination to have two colours (marbled orange and black), whereas calicos have three. Tabbies might be recognized by stripes on their sides and usually black and ginger patches.

Chromosomal Abnormalities in Male Calicos

For a male cat to have a calico sample, the feline has to have three intercourse chromosomes: two Xs and a Y. This phenomenon can occur in each people and animals and is, in both case, generally known as Klinefelter syndrome. The XXY mixture can happen when there’s an incomplete division of the male’s XY chromosome pair on the time of fertilization.

This phenomenon is uncommon, though the chance of a male cat ending up with an additional X chromosome is unclear. Klinefelter syndrome impacts just one in each 500 to 1,000 people. Like people with this situation, cats with the XXY mixture have malformed sexual organs, which generally makes them sterile. This makes them an unpopular choose for breeders, regardless of their rarity.

Each cat is completely different, however usually male calico cats with Klinefelter syndrome expertise a spread of well being issues that shorten their lifespans. Some widespread issues related to the syndrome embody elevated physique fats, which ends up in diabetes, joint ache, and coronary heart illness. One pet insurance coverage web site says it is “doable for male Calico cats with Klinefelter’s Syndrome to guide full and joyful lives, however they could require particular care to assist take care of these points.”

Calico Cats in Folklore

Along with being an infinitely fascinating analysis topic—with the best way their genetics current by way of their bodily traits and the anomaly of the XXY variation—calicos have spawned many a delusion and superstition over time. In accordance with Irish folklore, a calico cat’s tail can remedy a wart. They have been an emblem of fortune in Japan because the nineteenth century, therefore the tricolor sample of maneki-neko, the beckoning feline figurine generally displayed in retailers and eating places. In 2015, 3,000 folks attended the funeral of a Calico stationmaster, which was thought to extend ridership at a Japanese practice station.

Even outdoors of Japan, calico and tortoiseshell cats are known as “cash cats” as a result of they’re thought to carry wealth and good luck to the households who undertake them.