Are Calico cats always female?
You may be surprised to hear that the majority of calico cats are female. Is it possible for a calico cat to ever be a male? First off, you must understand what a calico cat is. Is not a cat breed but rather a color pattern. Three colors are always present, black, white and orange. Most are female because of genetics. Coat color in cats is a sex linked trait. Female animals have two X chromosomes (XX), males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome (XY). The coding for black or orange coloring is found in the X chromosome . White coloring is a separate gene. Since females have two X chromosomes, they can display two colors such as orange and black or variations. They can also display white creating a three color mix. Males have only one X chromosome and can display orange OR black. So can a calico cat ever be male. Yes in very rare cases where the male cat has two X chromosomes.
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