Cats, especially those of the European or common breed, can have hair in a wide variety of colors. One of the most striking is the one known by the name of calico, which we will see more in females than in males.
In fact, if a hairy man of the male gender presents this coloration, he usually has a health problem, in addition to the fact that in all probability he will be sterile (only one in 10 will be fertile). Find out more about this peculiar coloring.
What are the characteristics of the calico color?
The calico cat is an animal that have white hair and brownish-orange and blue spots on any part of the body. In general, they tend to have a spot on the back - which is why they are also called turtles - and on the head.
As we said, color is determined by genes. In the case of the tricolor, the orange gene is X, and its allele for the color black, for this reason females are more likely to have it when they are XX; male cats, being XY, they have it more difficult, because to be tricolor, any of these situations should occur:
- Genetic abnormality: when the cat has more than two sex chromosomes; that is, he would have to have XXY, which is the cause of Klinefelter's syndrome (a disease whose symptoms are infertility and problems learning at a normal pace, among others).
- Somatic mutation: produces black spots in orange cats.
- Chimeras: they occur when cats, in their fetal period, developed into different ovules that merged.
- Hermaphroditism: they are cats that are genetically female, but externally appear male due to hormonal imbalances produced during their fetal development.
What is the difference between calico and tortoiseshell cats?
The truth is that there can be many doubts about it, since both have the same colors. But the tortoiseshell have them interspersed throughout the body; while the others only by part of the body. Anyway, to make it easier for you to recognize it, here are some photos of calico and tortoiseshell cats:
And you, do you live with a cat or calico cat?