Calicoes are not a breed but are a type, defined by black, orange and white colored fur patches which are random and scattered in their distribution over a cat’s coat. Also known as tricolor or tortoiseshell-and-white cats, calicoes are easily identified as cats which have three different colors swashed and splattered all over their body.
They can be found just about anywhere where domestic cats can be found, and for sure, you’ve seen one or two or three walking around, here or there.
They are very common, and their occurrence is known to prevail in different breeds.
But as common as they are, one type of calico has proven itself to be extremely rare, with many cat breeders even deeming them as one of the rarest types of cat in the world. This elusive specimen would be the male calico, a really hard man to find.
Because of the sex chromosome and coat color connection which defines the overall gender and color patterns of cats, the prevalence of male calicoes is very rare, with estimates at one male calico born from every 3000 female calicoes.
Last year, the Atlantic County Animal Shelter had a male calico kitten (approximately 8 months old during the time of announcement) for adoption, and it found a spot in many animal and pet-related online news outfits, including short features in AOL News and Yahoo News.
Male calicoes are often dubbed as “genetic anomalies”, given that they are sterile, a condition which results from having one Y chromosome and two X chromosomes in their genetic makeup. For humans, this condition is known as Klinefelter’s Syndrome.
As rare as male calicoes are, they truly put new dimension in the whole “hard to find a man” aspect. Don't you think?
More Male Calicoes Pictures:
