Two X chromosomes are needed for a cat to have that distinctive tri-color coat. If a cat has an XX pair, she will be female. Male cats have an XY chromosome pair, so they can't be Calicos.
Because the genetic determination of coat colors in calico cats is linked to the X chromosome, calicoes are nearly always female, with one color linked to the maternal X chromosome and a second color linked to the paternal X chromosome.
In cats, chromosomes determine their fur color. The X chromosome is linked to the colors black and orange. This gives female cats, who have two X chromosomes, the opportunity to have both black and orange coloring. While male cats only have the chance to be either black or orange since they only have one X chromosome.
The color of the kitten may suggest its gender. Almost all (but not ALL) kittens of calico (black, white and orange) or tortishell (black and orange) color are females. More orange kittens are male than female although the association between color and sex is not as strong as in the calico/tortishell colored kitten.
Male cats inherit the Y chromosome from the father and an X from the mother. Since the X chromosome has the orange coat color gene, and male cats only need one X chromosome from their mother to become orange, most orange cats are male. Calico cats are almost always female because of these same genetics.
Males normally carry only one X chromosome. Therefore, males can be black or orange (or other color variations based on other gene locations) but cannot have both black and orange hair colors on their body. The female's extra X chromosome allows the possibility of her receiving both a black and orange gene, says Bell.
Orange tabby cats are usually male.
In fact, up to 80 percent of orange tabbies are male, making orange female cats a bit of a rarity. According to the BBC's Focus Magazine, the ginger gene in cats works a little differently compared to humans; it is on the X chromosome.
Two X chromosomes are needed for a cat to have that distinctive tri-color coat. If a cat has an XX pair, she will be female. Male cats have an XY chromosome pair, so they can't be Calicos.
Black cats tend to be male.
While they can definitely be either male or female, due to some genetic mystery, there are more male black cats than females.
Only about 1 in 5 orange tabby cats is female.
Because females possess two Xs and males possess XY, male cats only need the orange gene from their mothers to become a ginger—making them much more likely to carry on the trait.
But when we talk about the grey tabby cat, we know the coat color will be grey. The tabby pattern can consist of: lines, spots, stripes, and swirls. What is this? The gray tabby cats can equally be male and female, while the orange tabby cats are almost always male.
Male kittens will always inherit their colour from their mother, whereas female kittens will be a combination of the colours of each parent.
The Genes Behind a Gray Tabby Cat
Male cats get their coloring from their mother's genes while female cats get a gene from each of their parents. Unlike orange tabby cats, gray tabbies can be found in both sexes equally.
A bicolor cat or tuxedo cat is a cat with white fur combined with fur of some other color, for example black or tabby. There are various patterns of bicolor cat. These range from Turkish Van pattern (color on the crown of the head and the tail only) through to solid color with a throat locket.
Tortoiseshell cats are named for their bi-colored coats that look like the shell of a tortoise. Affectionately referred to as "torties," these colorful kitties are favorite pets in many homes. They have such interesting and unique coats that it's often the first thing people comment on when they see your cat.
Like calicos and tortoiseshells, tuxedo cats are not a breed. Instead, they are defined by their distinct black and white bicolored (or piebald) coats that resemble traditional formal wear. However, while calico and tortoiseshell cats are predominantly female, tuxedo cats can be either male or female.
In many countries, a black cat is considered good luck. In Japan, if a single woman owns a black cat, it's believed to increase the number of her romantic interests. England and Scotland also view black cats as good luck. In Russia, all cats are considered good luck.
Orange cats were regarded as the friendliest by respondents, while white cats were labeled aloof, and tortoiseshell cats were thought to have too much "attitude."
One in 22. There are as many as 22 recognized breeds that can have solid black coloring but the only all-black feline is the Bombay cat. The breed was developed in the 1950s by crossing Sable Burmese with black American Shorthairs with the aim to create a cat that resembled a miniature black panther.
Their gender:
Ginger cats are more likely to be male than female. *This is because the “ginger gene” which produces the orange color is on the X chromosome. Females have two X chromosomes and so need two copies of this gene to become ginger, whereas males need only one.
A. Not true in either case. But male calicos are rare: Only one out of every 3,000 calico cats is male, according to a study by the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri. The gene that governs how the orange color in cats displays is on the X chromosome.
Whether you call them orange, red, ginger or marmalade tabbies, orange tabby cats are not a specific breed of cat, rather it is referring to their fur color. Orange tabbies can be many different breeds, from Persian and Maine Coon to your standard Domestic Short Hair!
Researchers found that only 17 to 22 percent of white cats with non-blue eyes are born deaf. The percentage rises to 40 percent if the cat has one blue eye, while upwards of 65 to 85 percent of all-white cats with both eyes blue are deaf.
This may arise through mosaicism – which is when a kitten's cells divide unusually while the kitten is a growing embryo. Such mosaicism may result in a cat with either male or female reproductive organs and genitalia, or a pair of mixed reproductive organs and genitalia.