3 colored kitten. Tricolor cats and cats. Scaly or tortie

Many people are surprised to learn that the vast majority of calico cats are female. Why is that? Are there calico cats or only cats have this color? Can a calico cat be male? Learn about the genetics of coat color in this article.

The first question that needs to be answered is what types of calico cats there are. Calico cats come in spotted or colored coats in which white is predominant, with spots of two other colors (red and black). Often this color in the world is called Calico, tortoiseshell, tricolor, spotted.

The Calico calico cat is not a breed, but a coat color. A cat is called tricolor if it has three colors in its coat.:

• black
• white
• orange

Variations of these colors are also possible: gray, cream and ginger.

A calico cat has large blocks of the three colors, while a tortoiseshell cat has a mixture of the three colors (more mixed together than the individual color blocks). In the world, cats with tri-colored fur are called by different names.:

• Europeans and Americans - Calico,
• Canadians - Chatte d'Espagne,
• Japanese - tobi mi-ke (literally translated as “triple fur”)
• Dutch - lapjeskat (literally translated as “cat in patches”)

If the color of a tricolor cat is not too bright, as if diluted, it is called calimanco or “cloud tiger”. Sometimes the tri-color coloring is combined with a tabby (striped) pattern. A kitten covered with such spots is called a caliby.

The name Calico refers only to the color and fur, not to the breed or the two-colored eyes the cat has. Breeds whose standards allow tricolor are Manx, American Shorthair, British Shorthair, Persian, Japanese Bobtail, Exotic Shorthair, Siberian, Turkish Van, Turkish Angora, Hemingway cats, Sphynxes, Devon Rex, Maine Coon, Scottish Fold, Munchkins , Norwegian forest.

Gender and Genetics Calico

Tricolored animals are usually female. Why is that? Are there tricolor cats? The answer is genetics. The genetics of Calico cats are quite fascinating and have been the subject of considerable scientific research since the 1940s. The black and orange spots that characterize these cats are the result of a genetic phenomenon called dosage compensation. A cat's color is a physical characteristic associated with gender.

Females have two X chromosomes (XX), males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome (XY). The genetic coding to display the color black or orange is on the X chromosome. Coding white is an entirely separate gene.

In female mammals, one of the X chromosomes is randomly deactivated (called X-inactivation) in each cell. In calico cats, a random combination of color genes that are either “on” or “off” produces the mottled orange and black colors.

How do you get a tricolor color in other words?

Because female calico cats have two X chromosomes, they can "display" two different colors (orange or black) and white, creating a tricolor mottled coat.

Since males have only one X chromosome, they have only one black or orange gene and can only display orange or black, plus or minus white, controlled by another gene.

Coat color is a complex process of interaction between dominant and non-dominant genes operating on the X chromosomes. This is the basis for the formation of coat color in tricolor cats.

Calico cats are not always female

Are there calico cats or not? An amazing fact, but they do exist, although they are very rare. Since males only have one X chromosome, a male must have a rare condition where they have three sex chromosomes (two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome) to acquire the tricolor coloration.

Tricolor males usually have a chromosomal aberration of two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome (XXY). Cats with this chromosomal configuration are usually sterile (unable to reproduce). This is similar to a condition in humans called Klinefelter syndrome, or XXY syndrome. These can be hermaphroditic cats, sharing qualities of both sexes. There are very few tricolor cats in nature.

What types of Calico are there in the world? Here's a simple list:

• The classic Calico is a white cat with large black and orange spots.
• The classic tortoiseshell is a cat with mixed orange and black hair.
• Dilute Calico - Calico with an additional gene that dilutes the original colors. Black will turn gray and orange will turn cream.
• Dilute Tortoisehell is a cat with mixed gray and brown hairs.
• Dilute Tortoisehell and White is a cat with mixed gray-brown hair that has at least one white spot.
• Calico Tabby is a Calico cat that has stripes over colored spots.
• Dilute Calico Tabby - gray and cream with stripes.
• Tortie Point is a tortoiseshell cat that also has the Siamese marking gene. Tortoiseshell coloring is only on the face or tail of the animal.
• Dilute Tortie Point. These cats will only have gray and brown fur on their face, tail, and possibly their paws.

5 interesting facts about calico cats

1. 99.9% of calico cats end up being female due to their unique chromosomal makeup.
2. Because of its color, it was declared the Official State Cat of Maryland in the United States on October 1, 2001.
3. Given their rarity, calico cats are known to bring happiness throughout the world. People believe that Calico brings good luck to the families in whose houses they live. In the United States they are called "money cats." In the 1870s, they were declared an official symbol of good luck in Japan.
4. A calico cat once saved a train station in Japan from being closed. This happened back in 2007, when Kinokawa Station wanted to close due to financial problems. But the city administration made the local spotted cat the station manager. She began to greet passengers passing by. The charming creature became a celebrity, and passenger traffic at the station increased by 17%.
5. It is impossible to breed these animals because the spotted coloring of three colors is formed by chance. They are not a genetically modified breed, so they are rare and considered a lucky break. They are also considered a bit magical due to the three colors.

We have all heard about the amazing and sometimes simply mystical abilities of cats. These animals are credited with clairvoyance and the ability to get along with gravity. It is believed that cats can sense ghosts. And not the least role in the mystical power of a cat is played by its color.

So, redhead cats symbolize gold and attract wealth, black famous for its interaction with the other world and protects against negative phenomena, white It brings light, peace and harmony to the house.

And only in calico cats all these abilities merge together and only become stronger from this.

Calico cat

Tricolor (three-haired) - yes cat with white fur with orange and black spots called in our country, Calico cat - in England (after a type of fabric invented in Calicut), mike-neko - in Japan, lapjeskat ("patchwork cat") - in Holland. Also, a color of three colors is called tricolor or tortoiseshell and white.

“Tri-color” only refers to the color of the coat and has nothing to do with the breed.. Here are the cat breeds whose standard allows for a tricolor color: Manx, American Shorthair, British Shorthair, Persian, Exotic, Japanese Bobtail and Turkish Van.

Based on statistical data on the number of cats with the “orange gene”, the possible origin of tricolor cats was determined - the port cities of the Mediterranean Sea in France and Italy, where they came from Egypt.

What a gene!

Animals of this amazing color have their own secret: there are three-colored cats, but there are almost no... three-colored cats (for every 3 thousand cats with this color, there is only one cat, which, alas, is infertile). Only this is not a mystery at all, but a genetic feature associated with the fact that the tricolor color of cats is transmitted precisely through the “female” line.

A little genetics. Of all the mammals studied, only cats and Syrian hamsters have the gene orange- a sex-linked gene that affects coat color. Color is determined only by the X chromosome and only females have two X chromosomes. Typically, cats have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome, so it is almost impossible for a cat to be both orange and dark. And only in very rare cases, when cats have a set of sex chromosomes XXY, can they have a tortoiseshell or tri-color color. Such cats are sterile due to an anomaly associated with the presence of two X chromosomes.

Current research in the field of cloning suggests that it is impossible to maintain the same coloration when cloning calico cats.

Cats with character

Another distinctive feature of tri-colored cats is their friendly nature. As a rule, they are always affectionate, playful and adore their owner.

But there are complaints from owners that their tri-colored pets are not toilet friendly: it is not easy to train them to use the litter box, they stubbornly do not want to go where they are supposed to. And if such a cat has chosen its own place in the house for the toilet, then it will only visit it, no matter what you do. (And, unfortunately, I, as the owner of a tricolor cat, have to agree with this statement).

A little mysticism

In the culture of many countries, there are beliefs that cats with a tricolor color bring good luck, which cannot be a coincidence!

In America they are called "money cats." Muslims believe that a calico cat can protect a house from fire. In England they are considered to bring warmth and security into the home.

Due to the special rarity of calico cats, there is a belief among fishermen that a ship with a calico cat on board will never be wrecked. And today, as in the old days, it is possible to sell such a cat on a ship at a very attractive price.

In Japan, a tricolor cat is a talisman that brings good luck, and if its Maneki-neko figurine is placed at the entrance to the house, then happiness and material well-being will definitely come to it. The cat is depicted with its paw raised in greeting, because it is with greeting that prosperity comes to the house.

So you can be happy if you have a red, black and white kitten. And if the tricolor cat came to your house on its own... Hurry up, let her in, and

You will be happy!

Happy Jake

This unique calico cat lives in the UK.
Richard Smith bought the kitten for £20, unaware of how rare it was. And his little son Harvey chose an unusual pet among several kittens. Neither father nor son knew what an amazing creature they got until Richard brought the furry pet to the veterinary clinic for examination and vaccinations.

Thanks to his rare color, Jake became known throughout the country. However, this does not affect his behavior. Now Jake is 11 months old and he behaves like an ordinary young healthy cat - he eats well, sleeps, runs and plays.
“You know, even though he is a walking rarity with a mystery of nature in tow, we don’t think much about it. We just love Jake because he’s our cat,” says Richard.

Can only cats be tri-colored or are there other tri-colored cats? Why does this happen, and are there exceptions?

What is a calico cat? This is not a specific breed - cats of many breeds can be tricolor. This is simply a feature of the color of the fur coat, in which there are three colors - black, white and red. Gradations of these colors are also possible - gray, cream and light red.

A “true” tricolor cat has clearly demarcated spots of all three colors on its coat. Tortoiseshell cats have all their colors mixed and usually no white.

Genetics and sex tricolor

Usually people are very surprised when they find out that a calico cat is almost always a girl. How are coat colors related to gender? It's all about genetics.

Firstly, White color. It is not gender-related and depends on a single gene, which, depending on many factors, can give a female cat more or less white color on her coat. Thus, white coloration occurs equally in both sexes.

Secondly, red and black colors. Now they are already encoded in the X sex chromosome. Girl cats have two X chromosomes (XX), and boy cats have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome (XY). The Y chromosome is not involved in coding coat color in any way. One X chromosome can only produce one color- either red or black. In cats, accordingly, their only X chromosome can “turn on” either red or black, so they have only five color options:

- white with black;
- white and red;
- white;
- ginger;
- black

The combination of red and black is impossible for them.

In a black cat, the allele responsible for black fur is active on the only X chromosome.

In a ginger cat, the allele responsible for red fur is active on the only X chromosome.

In cats, everything is more complicated, since one of the X chromosomes is always inactive. It would seem that in this situation, cats stand on a par with seals, because they both have only one X chromosome active. But the fact is that in cats, the fur coat is built not from one germ cell, but from many. And in each of these cells there may be one of the X chromosomes is “turned on”- this could be the one in which the allele that blocks the black pigment is active, and then it and all the huge number of cells that are formed from it will give a red color. Or it could be another X chromosome, in which the allele that blocks the red pigment is active, and then it and all the huge number of cells that are formed from it will give a black color.

In cats, accordingly, one more color option than cats:

- white with black;
- white and red;
- white, red and black
- white;
- ginger;
- black

In a black cat, the allele responsible for black fur is active on both X chromosomes

In a ginger cat, the allele responsible for red fur is active on both X chromosomes.

In a tricolor cat, the allele responsible for black fur is active on one X chromosome, and the allele responsible for red fur is active on the other chromosome.

Simply put

All cats have one X chromosome in all their cells, to which only one color is “attached” - either black or red. Cats have two X chromosomes, but in each cell of the body only one is active - either the one to which the red color is “attached”, or the one to which the black color is “attached”.

The result is great

Are there calico cats?

They happen, but quite rarely(1 boy per 3000 girls). In order for a cat to have a tricolor coat, he must be born a “mutant” - with two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome (XXY). Such animals are rare, and they are usually quite healthy, but sterile (cannot have offspring). However, not all cats carrying XXY chromosomes will be tricolor, since only one color allele can be active on both X chromosomes.

On average, 1 in 1000 cats carry XXY chromosomes, capable of producing offspring. Moreover, if he is crossed with a calico or tortoiseshell cat, then the probability of producing calico male kittens is at the same level as in ordinary pairs, since he will only pass on his Y chromosome. Because of this, as well as potential health problems, even if a cat is found to be non-sterile, it is not used for breeding.

Human males also have this anomaly (two X chromosomes, not tri-colored hair) called " Klinefelter's syndrome" Moreover, this anomaly is quite common - 1-2 men out of 1000 live with it, often without even knowing it.

A cat inherits one X chromosome from each parent, which means that they determine the color of her coat together. If her mother, for example, was red and her father was black, then there is a high probability that she will be born tricolored. The cat inherits the Y chromosome from the father and one of the X chromosomes from the mother. That is, the presence of a black or red male kitten on its fur coat completely determined by his mother. That is, if the cat was black and the female cat was red, then their male kittens will still be red.

Calico cats evoke a lot of positive emotions. In addition to their unusual appearance, charming creatures have many advantages. In the article I will describe the meaning of color. I’ll tell you about the characteristics of the owners of rare skins and what the varieties of colors are called. I will list the popular beliefs that exist about them and why these cats are so loved.

What does the tricolor color of cats mean?

The palette of true representatives of the three-coated multi-colored species may include the following tones:

• White, including milk, ivory, cream - peace, purity, youth and purity.
• Black, charcoal, slate– protection of unfavorable energy flows. Drives away the evil spirits. Destroys slander and curses.
• Ginger(all shades) – health, joy, material well-being.

United together, they increase their strength many times over. It is not for nothing that such persons are endowed with supernatural abilities, loved and appreciated.

There are 2 types of color:

• Calico. The colors are arranged in large continuous areas.
• Harlequin. Red and black spots are scattered on a white background, like patches, which occupy no more than 20% of the surface of the coat. As a rule, they are located on the head, body, and tail.

To a greater extent, the tricolor specimen in question is found in breeds and rootless simpletons.

The exception is the British, which have a smoky shade that dilutes all the others. They don't have calico kittens.

They love to play and be cuddled.

By nature, white-red-black creatures are friendly and docile. At the same time, it is difficult to toilet train. If you have chosen a certain place to go to, you will go there.

They do not tolerate strangers touching them. It has been observed that tricolor hooligans behave warily and aggressively at veterinary appointments.

Are there tricolor cats?

In the vast majority of cases, nature bestows unusual colors on the fair sex. So, for 3 thousand units, there is only one cat.

Representatives of the cat family have a sex-linked gene “orange”, which influences the formation of color.

It has been established that color is determined by the X chromosome. Females have the XX set. In males it is XY, which prevents the combination of orange and black at the same time. It happens that, due to a natural anomaly, male cats are endowed with an extra X chromosome, making them infertile.

Signs and superstitions

In Russia, attitudes towards Murkas and Murziks differ depending on their color. Black cattail is considered a companion of witches. According to many, meeting such a beast does not bode well. On the contrary, cats that combine black, white and red tones are regarded more than positively.

There are a huge number of superstitions and signs associated with owners of an elegant fur coat.

Let's look at some of them:

• Meeting with a cat before an important matter - guarantee of success.
• To see an animal angrily scratching the threshold in a dream is a warning against large purchases, financial investments and borrowing money for the coming week.
• Got lost to the house - for the wedding.
• Washing his face - there will be guests.
• Stretches in the direction of the person - towards the new thing.
• She sneezed next to the bride putting on her wedding dress - happy family life.
• The same thing next to an unmarried girl - to meet the betrothed.
• I got caught on my way to a good and comfortable family life on my wedding day.
• If a bachelor drank his last glass of alcohol at a holiday, and there is a tricolor cat under the table, this means marriage. In this case, it is necessary to put milk in front of the kitty, saying “You have milk, and (the guy’s name) is a good wife and a good housewife.”
• For the first time crossed the threshold - invitation of prosperity.
• Meeting before an important event means a successful outcome.
• I rubbed my feet on the street - good sign.
• Hissed - to future problems, including a warning about the induced evil eye and damage.
• Meeting several triflowers during the day is good luck for a long time.
• Notice the cat to your left - to luck.
• If you cross the road to the right for a woman and to the left for a man - there will be good luck. If it's the other way around, there's trouble.

Residents of other countries are also partial to tricolor cats.

Thus, in Japan, a figurine with a raised right paw is placed at the entrance to a house or apartment to attract happiness and financial well-being.

The raised left paw symbolizes status and wealth. Symbols are placed near public institutions (restaurants, cafes, shops) to attract clients from among noble people.

The British plant a triflower to ensure harmony in their home.

Sailors have long taken calico cats on board for calm sailing and protection from evil spirits and misfortune.

For some, it is fundamentally important to have a tri-colored beauty. They unconditionally believe in the extraordinary abilities of the animal. Others laugh skeptically at signs and beliefs when purchasing coal beasts. Be that as it may, I would like to hope that tricolor pets bring prosperity, joy and peace.