CALICO CAT DEBATE
Q: Dear Dr Jo, I’ve heard that all Calico cats are female — is that a myth, or true?
Lia, via email
A: Hi Lia, Calico cats, also called tortoiseshell and white cats, are white with patches of two other colours, frequently ginger/orange and black. Calico is a colour and not a breed, and the colouring can be present in many breeds and crosses, including Turkish Van, Persian and Manx breeds. Coat colour in cats is X chromosome linked (girls are XX and boys are XY), so having the X chromosome determines what colour the cat is. This means that you are correct, Lia; nearly all Calico cats are female (99.9 per cent), and the very, very occasional male that is Calico (tortoiseshell) has an extra chromosome…
