Why Are Calico Cats Always Female?
Why are most calicos female? And why are they called "money cats"?
Why Are They Called Money Cats?
A long time ago, when I was just a wee child, I spotted a cat running feral on a farm. It was a white cat with big orange and black cow spots.
I was told that they were called money cats because males were so rare that they could be worth thousands. I forgot about this old wives' tale until many, many years later when I started to learn about cat color genetics on my own.
Read on to learn more about calico cats, including information about their temperament and other characteristics.
Why Are Calico Cats Usually Female?
The answer is pretty simple if you know color genetics. Supposing you don't, I've written it as simply as possible.
Most males have XY chromosomes. That's not an abbreviation for something—the chromosomes actually make up the shape of an X and a Y.
On the other hand, females have XX chromosomes, meaning they have an extra "leg" to store information.
In female cats, part of their color genes is found on the extra leg of the second X.
This means that a male cat with the same colorway will either be black or orange—but he cannot be both, as the second color gene cannot be located on an extra "leg" that doesn't exist.
These Maine Coons show that calico coloration can be found in many pure breeds.
Can Calicos Ever Be Male?
Yes. It is extremely rare, but it can happen. That being said, they are unusual in more than just color. The fact that they are calico means something strange must have happened involving their DNA. They are mutations of an extreme, but usually benign, sort.
Some may have the appearance of a male but have the extra chromosome of a female. These can be hermaphroditic cats, sharing the qualities of both sexes, either at a base level with the chromosomes or at a visible level to the average cat owner.
Calico males of the XXY variety are always sterile. However, there are other conditions that may cause a male cat to be a calico.
Are Male Calicos Worth a Lot of Money?
This depends if there's someone looking for a male calico cat.
Generally speaking, what makes an animal extremely valuable is its rarity and its ability to breed and create more of itself, however, male calicoes are worthless as breeders. Most are sterile, probably due to the fact they are not truly male.
There have been at least three cases of male calico cats who were able to breed, however, they never produced more male calicoes. Instead, they produced the same kittens a regular orange male would. The reason for this sounds like it comes out of a science fiction novel but it's actually something that happens in real life in very rare cases.
These cats were chimeras—in that is when their mother was pregnant with them two fetuses merged in the very early developmental stages. This created a perfect cat with two types of DNA. One set of DNA gave the cat its calico color while the other set gave it its reproductive parts. In essence, the cat may have been calico, but his sex was not.
This explains why he produced the same kittens as an orange tom—as one of the merging chimera fetuses must have been meant as an orange tom should it have developed independently of its sibling.
What’s the Difference Between Calico and Tortoiseshell?
I get asked this a lot and it's really simple. Calico cats are essentially white cats with big orange and black spots on them.
Tortoiseshell cats, on the other hand, have black and orange hairs that are dispersed much like a brindle dog's coloration. Occasionally you'll see a dilute tortoiseshell who has blue and cream hair instead of black and orange, but the pattern stays the same.
At other times tortoiseshells will sometimes have white patches on them, called appropriately "tortoiseshell and white," but again, they will not display the calico's trademark cow spots.
Are There Different Kinds of Calico?
Yes. Here is a simple list.
- Classic Calico: A white cat with big black and orange spots.
- Classic Tortoiseshell: A cat with orange and black hairs intermingled like the brindle of a dog.
- Dilute Calico: A calico with an additional gene diluting the original colors. Black will become blue (gray) and orange will instead be tan.
- Dilute Tortoiseshell: A cat with intermixed blue and tan hairs.
- Tortoiseshell and White: A tortoiseshell cat who also displays white patches.
- Dilute Tortoiseshell: A cat with gray and tan hairs intermingled.
- Dilute Tortoiseshell and White: A cat with intermixed gray and tan hairs which also displays at least one white patch.
- Calico Tabby: A calico cat who has stripes over its colored spots.
- Dilute Calico Tabby: A gray and tan calico with stripes over their colored patches.
- Tortie Point: A tortoiseshell cat who also has the Siamese marking gene. This will make the tortoiseshell colors only appear on the cat's face or tail, and they may or may not also have color on their paws.
- Dilute Tortie Point: These cats will have blue and tan hairs only on their face, tail, and possibly paws.
Is Calico Found in Other Animals?
Yes, calico can be seen in a variety of animals, from rabbits to chickens. However, they are distinct from calico cats in the sense that calico coloration in these animals is not sex-linked. They can be either male or female.
This is because their color genes do not reside on the extra leg of the XX chromosome. But there is another sex-linked calico animal, which is the yellow gene found in Syrian hamsters.
Just like cats, any animal showing this coloration will be either female or a male with a very rare and unusual mutation.
Are Calico Cats Meaner Than Other Colors?
I have had the luxury of dealing with a number of calico cats and save for two (one a purebred Persian) they were all within the range from aloof to downright nasty. That being said this might not be due to color so much as bad breeding (All of them were moggies—mixed breeds found in feral populations before being brought back into society.)
My mother insists orange cats are ill-natured but it's for the same reason—she had a succession of feral orange cats dropped off on her who were all downright mean.
Currently, however, I have an orange pointed Snowshoe who is the sweetest most lovable thing you could ask for, "Oh, he's white..." she'll say!
So it all depends. My own experience and that of my vet tech friend have been almost 100% negative, but we might just be unlucky! (I mean, most cats don't respond well to having an abscess drained, and perhaps it's not so much the color but the situation in her case!)
Some people think calico cats have a higher tendency to be ill-tempered.
Where Can I Find a Calico?
The calico colors are accepted in many purebred cats, including, but not limited to:
- Devon rexes
- Sphynxes
- Maine coons
- Munchkins
- Siberians
- Exotics
- Manx
- Turkish Van
- Scottish Fold
- Hemingway Cats
- Others
However, if breed is not something you care about, calico cats show up in shelters all the time as they are a pretty easily bred color for feral cats to reproduce.
Because most of these are not bred intentionally there will be a lot of diversity in color, fur length, temperament, etc so take your time in picking a new pet if this is the route you choose.
Calico cats are frequently easy to find at shelters if you are considering adoption.
Comments
Katniss Evermew on September 01, 2019:
I had a domestic shorthair tortie with white who was extremely timid around strangers but quite affectionate to her family. In fact, she loved to lie on her people and be petted. So, the stereotype about the antisocial tricolor cat certainly didn't apply to her. I handled her a lot from a young age, though, and I think getting a kitten acclimated to frequent contact can overcome a genetic predisposition to be aloof. On the other hand, I neglected to get her used to being carried when she was little, so she never did tolerate that. You could snuggle up with her and love on her all you wanted, but the minute you tried to pick her up, she'd panic. Just goes to show how much of a cat's personality is molded by their early experiences!
Also, just so you know, a tricolor tabby cat is called a torbie. ;)
Fay Favored from USA on August 19, 2019:
We have a rescue that looks like a Tortoiseshell, but I believe she's a Calico mix. Her feet are white and chest area that looks like she is wearing a vest. Plus she has one brown and white stripe leg. She's beautiful with a great personality. I think both breeds are extremely smart.
Faye Williams on May 10, 2019:
I have worked in Catteries for 6 yrs on both the East and West coast of Australia.
I have never seen a male Calico. I have seen many female gingers.
Heather F on April 20, 2019:
We took in a grey white tabby and her sister a calico with an oddly pointed face and different textured coat, like she was made up with the parts of 3 different cats. Also shes the real murdery one of the two
CalicoLuv on March 23, 2019:
What’s your favorite cat color? I love calicos! If I were to choose a breed,it would be a Manx. But I am not allowed to own a pet, except for fish.
Mea on November 02, 2018:
My baby girl is very attached to me to the point that she attacks me when i am leaving the house she is not kidding when she bites me she makes me bleed daily. Any suggestions would be welcome thanks.