Calico Cat Information
Contrary to popular belief, calico cats are not a breed or a color of cat. The term "calico" refers to the unique pattern formed on the cat's fur when a genetic "spotting factor" effectively turns off the switch on one of the two "X" chromosomes in every cell as the kitten grows.
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Features
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Calico cats, also known as "torties" due to their tortoise shell-colored markings, come in two common varieties--orange, white and black, or blue, white and cream. Because calico cats must have two "X" chromosomes to produce the unique markings on their fur, they are almost always female, although occasionally a male calico will be born with two "X" chromosomes instead of the usual one, so it is possible for a male cat to have tortie markings.
Breeding Calicos
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If you are interested in breeding your own calico cat, there are ways to increase the odds of producing one, but there is no sure-fire guarantee that your efforts will pay off. To produce a calico kitten, one or both of its parents must have an "O" gene, which is carried by the "X" chromosome and changes black pigment into reddish pigment. If you breed two red cats, they will produce a red cat. You must breed a non-red female cat with a red male cat to have a chance at producing a calico. Additionally, you can breed a calico female with a non-red or red male to possibly produce a calico. If the kittens produced are female, you may have a chance that one or several of them will be calico when the litter is born.
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History
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The name "calico" comes from a cloth imported to Britain from India in the 17th century. The cloth was called "Calicut," after its Indian origin, but the British changed the pronunciation to "calico" when referring to the tri-colored cats that resembled the imported, brightly printed cloth.
Personality
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Since calico cats are not a breed, but rather are identified by their unique color combination and pattern, they do not have specific predictable genetic character traits. In general, the personality and social attractiveness of any cat, including a calico, is determined by a number of factors, including genetic disposition and early contact with and training by humans. If you are adopting or purchasing a calico cat, you can find out about its genetic disposition by meeting its mother and father. Short of that, you can spend time with the kitten to get a sense of its unique personality before choosing it as a pet. Whatever kitten or cat you choose as a pet, proper training and loving care will help to ensure the cat grows up to be a social, well-behaved animal.
Trivia
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The state of Maryland has the calico cat as its state cat, since its colors are the same as the ones worn by the Baltimore Orioles.
If you clone a calico cat, you will not produce a calico, but either a red or black or gray cat.
In Japan, calico cats are considered lucky to have in the house. They are also thought to protect sailors on their ships.
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References
- Photo Credit morguefile.com
Comments
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I love kittens there so cute.
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I'm here for reading information))) That's very interesting.
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Why would you charge anyone that simply asks a question that you're offering to answer. It should be a courtesy. If my cat was sick, I'd take her to her own vet and get her taken care of. Don't worry, I won't bother you again.
