Are there calico cats or only cats?
The female X chromosome of cats contains genes responsible for red or black color. Another chromosome is responsible for the white coat color. Each of the cat's X chromosomes has 2 options: the presence of pigment or its absence. White color also has 2 options, in which it can appear or be absent.
Therefore, females have 4 color options:
- 0 0—no color, white;
- 0 1 - red;
- 1 0 - black;
- 1 1 - black and red.
The white color of a non-sex-linked chromosome can also have two variants.
When white color appears, the following colors appear:
- 0 0 + - white;
- 0 1 + - white-red;
- 1 0 + — black and white;
- 1 1 + - tricolor, tortoiseshell.
If different versions coincide by chance, the probability of tortoiseshell coloration in females is estimated at 1:8. For this same reason, cats cannot be not only tortoiseshell, but also black and red.
Why cats aren't tricolor
The absence of a tricolor color in this breed is explained by the X chromosome, which determines the color of the coat. Unlike females, who have two X chromosomes, males have one X and Y chromosome each, so the simultaneous combination of black and orange pigments practically does not occur. The only exception is the presence of a set of sex chromosomes XXY, in which cats have a tricolor or tortoiseshell color.
Most often, calico cats are completely sterile, since the presence of two X chromosomes is an anomaly that causes infertility.
The orange gene, which affects coat color and is gender-linked, is found only in Syrian hamsters. All melanocytes descended from a cell with its active “o” allele color the fur red, regardless of genotype. Melanocytes with the active “o” allele give a black color. If they have the agouti gene, the fur will be covered with islands of black or red pigment. Today this gene is very poorly studied, but it is known that it is it that neutralizes the effect of the mutant allele, which uniformly stains the fur with melanin of one type. As a result, spots or stripes appear on the background of tricolor cats, regardless of the genotype of the agouti gene.
ARE THERE ANY CALRI-COLORED CATS? Those who love fluffy creatures called “cats” probably know this sign that owners of three colors bring happiness and luck to the house. It is believed that the happiest of them are murkas with coat colors of white, black and red. What does this mean? Perhaps it is this combination that explains the sign. If we look at all the colors according to their meanings, then: - white symbolizes purity and innocence; - a red cat saves from illness (such a cat brings wealth to the owner’s house); -black protects against evil spirits. When they are all combined in one representative, it turns out that calico cats should be valued by people more than their other companions. What does the world think about them? In Japan, the “Maneki Neko” figurine is placed near the front door so that it attracts wealth and good fortune into the house. This is a tricolor cat that holds one paw near its ear, as if welcoming a guest. According to Japanese belief, it is believed that a greeting from the owners means prosperity for their home. In countries of the Muslim religion, tricolor cats protect the house from a possible fire. In England it is a living symbol of warmth and protection. Sailors always keep such a cat on their ship as a sign of protection against possible troubles. And fishermen consider the tricolored murka to be able to sense better than others the likelihood of imminent bad weather. Only girls, by the way, when we say “tricolored cats,” this does not mean males at all. Just the opposite. A male cat with a similar coloration among his furry relatives is a very rare occurrence. Statistics show that for every three thousand cats with three coat colors, only one male is born, for which fate “punishes” him with infertility. What is the reason for this “injustice of nature” in relation to males? The genome of the main pigments is located on the X chromosome. Each of them can contain 2 of 3 basic pigments. The female chromosome set implies the presence of 2 X chromosomes. Thanks to this, they can be combined in such a way that one of the pigments will be predominant, and options for a successful combination of three colors in an animal are possible. As for males, their set implies the presence of X and Y chromosomes, while the Y gene does not have color. In this regard, it cannot impart additional pigmentation to the animal. Thus, only females can have three basic colors at the same time, but a cat’s “fur coat” cannot be colored dark and red at once. By tri-color coat color we mean the presence of three basic tones - black, white, red. The degree of their brightness and severity may vary. So, red can be light orange or fiery red, black can be dark gray, dark smoky, blue, etc. White usually remains white, but it can have a creamy or grayish tint. However, nature never tires of presenting surprises, so the question of whether cats are three-colored or whether nature has endowed only cats with such a prerogative cannot be answered positively. If a malfunction occurs in an animal’s body (as a rule, this happens during intrauterine development) and another X chromosome is added to the set of XY chromosomes, it has every chance of becoming a “turtle.” Such cases are unique, and such “instances” were submitted to research. Unfortunately, they cannot pass on their “zest” to their offspring - no matter what breed a unique tricolor cat has, he is infertile in any case. The conclusion suggests itself - the “turtle” boy is an anomaly, and the price of uniqueness for them is the loss of the opportunity to continue their kind. There are other observations. Many owners of such unique animals claim that their pets have poor health, which affects their life expectancy. This has not been scientifically proven, and tri-colored cats are a phenomenon that happens so rarely that there is simply not enough information to draw conclusions about whether they are telling the truth. It is a fact that tri-colored cats do exist, but they are very rare.
Every person has ever heard that tri-colored cats bring good luck. This belief has come to us since time immemorial, and modern owners of tricolor animals claim that with the advent of a pet, happiness and good luck come to their home, and life becomes much better. In this article, we would like to tell you about what tricolor cats are, how they get this color, and how such pets influence the lives of their owners.
Zoologists have found that in the world, as a rule, there are two types of colors of tricolor cats. The first of them is called "Calico". Cats with the Calico color have white spots that are located on the black and red color. White spots, as a rule, do not have clearly defined outlines and are located absolutely chaotically. It seems that we are looking at a cat in the so-called “camouflage”, so called because she does not have any admixtures of other colors in her color. This color looks quite unusual and even exotic.
The second type of tricolor color is called “Harlequin”. A characteristic feature of this coloring is that almost the entire body is painted in the same color background. Such cats, as a rule, have a unique, very beautiful tricolor tail, “socks” and “caps” of different colors. The “Harlequin” color is not inferior in beauty to the color called “Calico”. Both of these colors are quite popular in Europe, in eastern countries, and are often found here in Russia. Breeds of calico cats can be very diverse. Most often, representatives of short-haired cats, as well as the most ordinary cats without a breed, become tricolored.
But what does luck have to do with color? After all, a tricolor cat is an ordinary cat like others, which can be found even on the street. But the point is not in the essence of the animal, but in the meaning given to the color of the coat. The Calico color has the highest price. These three colors have their own definition, their own symbolism, energy, which have evolved over centuries. According to tradition, the color black means victory over illnesses, misfortunes, and also protects against ill-wishers, enemies, and intruders. White color has the meaning of pristine purity. And the red color means health, the ability to earn huge money, happiness, security and wealth throughout life’s journey. The British believe that tricolored cats bring chastity, tranquility, peace into the home, and protect against illnesses. Residents of eastern countries are confident that there will never be a fire in the house where the tricolor animal lives.
An interesting fact is that for two and a half thousand of these cats there is only one male, which, as a rule, is infertile. And the reason is that color is transmitted genetically, most often through the female line. It’s hard to imagine the happiness of those who have a tricolor cat at home, and if it’s also a boy, then this is truly real luck! The Japanese treat such cats with great trepidation; they even place figurines symbolizing the tricolor animal throughout the house. Such figurines serve as amulets. Not all people can afford to keep a cat in their apartment, so figurines are one of the easiest ways to attract happiness and good luck into your home. By the way, such amulets perform their function quite well, no worse than real cats. Sailors are sure that the presence of a tricolor cat on a ship will protect them from troubles and bring happiness. Fishermen believe that the tricolor cat anticipates bad weather and bad weather.
Tricolor cats are very playful, sociable, friendly, energetic, but at the same time they have a rather flexible character. They agree to play even in old age. Such unusual animals are perfect for a variety of families: for the elderly, for newlyweds, and for families with children. But there is the main and only disadvantage, which is often noted by the owners of these animals. As a rule, these cats choose the place for the tray on their own. It is very difficult to train them to go to the place that you would like to designate in the house for the cat's litter box. But you can still come to terms with this, because if a cat chooses a place for its toilet, then it will go there and nowhere else.
Many people keep a wide variety of cats at home: hairless, white, black, red and bicolor. Therefore, if you are the owner of a one-color or two-color cat, then there is no need to be upset and worry that you have not tamed a three-color animal. Any cat brings happiness, peace, harmony and peace to the house, so love your pet, no matter what it is, take care of it, enjoy the moments you spend together and remember that “we are responsible for those we have tamed.”
A cat is a combination of unique grace and playfulness, an original character and a unique appearance. They are credited with pride, independence, and sometimes even connection with the other world. The behavior of a cat largely depends on its age, breed, character, habitat and state of health. Some people believe that colors can also say a lot about an animal. There is no reliable data about this. But many lovers of only red or exclusively gray cats claim that there are common features in the character of pets of this particular color.
The most common question about this coloring is: are there calico cats or only cats? Cats with this color are found, but extremely rarely, about one copy per three thousand animals.
And this indicates a genetic anomaly, because a similar coloring is transmitted through the female line. So a cat that simultaneously has black, red and white areas of fur is very rare. Moreover, he is infertile. But the tricolor cat is a fairly common phenomenon, and their reproductive function is fine. In general, the connection between the sex of an animal and its color is a very interesting and rare phenomenon.
A similar gene, which causes the appearance of a certain color only in individuals of one sex, except for cats, was found only in Syrian hamsters.
It is still poorly studied; it is only known that this color owes its origin to a mutation. In addition, this coloring cannot be repeated when cloning a cat.
What breeds of cats are characterized by a tricolor color?
The calculations above show that the probability of a tricolor color occurring, regardless of breed, is 1:8. However, a hereditary predisposition still exists.
Be sure to read:
Black and white cat: features, classification, types, breeds, how to properly breed
Tortoiseshell is typical for the following breeds:
- Maine Coon;
- Persian;
- Siberian;
- Japanese Bobtail;
- Aegean;
- Norwegian forest;
- mongrel.
Among pets that are not susceptible to tortoiseshell coloration, the most famous are Britons.
Maine Coons are large cats, they are friendly, very smart, and well trained. Turtle pets look attractive and delight guests.
Luxurious Persian cats are often tri-colored. Evil tongues attribute particular evil to tortoiseshell Persian cats.
However, all representatives of the ancient breed are distinguished by their unique character. Cat lovers must study the characteristics of the breed before choosing a pet.
Siberian cats are particularly fluffy and good-natured. Undemanding to living conditions and food. They rival Maine Coons in size, weighing up to 10 kilograms or more. They are excellent hunters, do not get sick, but are not popular outside of Russia.
The Japanese Bobtail stands out for its gracefulness and funny short tail. An avid fisherman and tireless swimmer. Loves to learn various tricks.
Aegean Smooth-haired cats are not easy to acquire. Fans are ready to visit Greece to purchase a pet. An amazingly beautiful cat is in excellent health and is not predisposed to congenital diseases. She becomes attached to her owners, is an excellent hunter, loves fresh fish.
Norwegian forest cats walk on their own. They are inquisitive, love to look out the window, are interested in flying birds, respect the owner and do not accept guests. Stress-resistant, easily adapts to changing conditions of keeping and feeding.
Variety of tortoiseshell colors
Scaly or tortie
The color of the cake is very reminiscent of fish scales, but you just need to imagine that these small particles are placed one on top of the other and painted black and red. Kittens of this color look very funny, but the correct color ratio 5050 is extremely rare, and representatives with long hair mask this color. Torti's character is soft and calm. They love to play and cuddle in their owner's arms. This color is more common in Persian, Siberian, Maine Coon and other breeds.
Patchwork or calico
Calico or patchwork is called calico tortoiseshell. The main difference is the presence of solid sections of black and red fur. The spots are not symmetrically located, have clear boundaries or are located in small areas. Most often, this color can be found in breeds such as Scottish, British, Devon Rex, Persian. Moreover, it is considered a standard and is allowed in some other types.
It has long been known that Calico kittens are independent and never get bored, and as they grow up, they develop a very flexible character. The kitten becomes attached to its owner. At the same time, it protects the house from negativity and gives happiness.
In America, it is believed that only tricolor tortoiseshell kittens bring prosperity to the home, and they are also called money animals. Very often, photos of these cats can be found in advertisements for food or pet products. If your cat has given birth to kittens, and among them is a tricolor miracle, rejoice, good luck, happiness and prosperity will certainly settle in your home, and the fact that you will soon be lucky is indisputable.
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Probability of having a tricolor kitten
The calculations above showed that the probability of having a tortoiseshell kitten is 1:8. Statistics say that out of the number of cubs born, every three hundredth is a cat. In total, the probability of having a tortoiseshell cat is 1/300*1/8=1/2400. Not so little.
Genetics has posed another mystery: among tortoiseshell cats there are those that are capable of giving birth. It is unlikely that breeders will be interested in the birth of cubs from a problematic sire. But, from a scientific point of view, the phenomenon is of interest.
Be sure to read:
Colors of Scottish cats: description, features, rare colors of folds
Varieties of color
Among tricolor cats, there are several common types of color: tortoiseshell, tricolor, muted tricolor, torti (scaly), calico (patchwork).
Actually tricolor, they call a cat with clearly defined areas of black, red and white. The tortoiseshell color of a cat also suggests the presence of such spots, but there are few more dim, blurred, white areas or they are small in size. The tortoiseshell cat is the most common among representatives of different breeds. The muted tricolor is an animal with faintly expressed colors on its fur - white, gray and faded red.
The “scaly” color resembles fish scales in a reddish-black hue. Equal representation of both colors is rare; more often than not, one of them predominates. This coloring is often found in Maine Coons. “Patchwork” coloring is most often found in Persian, Scottish and British cats. It is characterized by solid areas of black or red fur that are not symmetrically located.
Signs about cats with a tricolor color
With such a creature as a tricolor cat in the house, signs are associated almost more often than with all other pets. They are believed to bring good luck and attract wealth. In England they are guardians of peace and comfort in the home, in Muslim countries they are a talisman against fires. But tricolor purrs are especially revered in Japan. The figures depicting them received a separate name there - maneki-neko. They are installed at the entrance to the house or simply given to loved ones. Several varieties of maneki-neko are made. Some of them attract guests and visitors, others give their owners wealth, and others - health.
