Surely you've heard that three-colored cats are always female. It's true? Are they always female? In this AnimalWised article we will explain why it occurs in detail so that you can discover if it is a characteristic of females or, on the contrary, males can also have three-colored fur.
Keep reading to answer the question why tricolor cats are female and find out if it doesn't really happen in male felines.
The tricolor cats
Tricolor cats are also known as calicó or tortoiseshell cats and are characterized by a peculiar color pattern on their fur. His hair contains orange, black and white. The proportions of each color are variable.
There are three basic colors in cats: black, orange and white. The rest of the colors are the result of degradations and mixtures of the previous ones. The genes of the animal are responsible for the patterns of the coat, striped or smooth, dotted… Also the color and combination of colors in the coat.
What determines coat color?
Coat color in cats is a sex-linked characteristic. This means that the information for hair color is found on both sex chromosomes.
Chromosomes are structures found in the nucleus of cells and contain all of the animal's genes. Cats have 38 chromosomes: 19 from the mother and 19 from the father. The sexual ones are those chromosomes that determine the sex and each one is contributed by a parent.
Cats, like all mammals, have two sex chromosomes: X and Y. The mother gives the X chromosome and the father can give X or Y.
- XX: Female
- XY: Male
The colors black and orange are on the X chromosome. That is, the X chromosome must be present for them to be expressed. The male it only has one X, so it will only be black or orange. Females having two X's can have genes for black and orange.
The color white on the other hand, is not linked to sex. It expresses itself independently of him. For this reason a cat can present all three colors. Because they have two X chromosomes and the white one has also been expressed.
Combinations
Depending on the chromosomal endowment that the individual receives, one color or another will be expressed. Black and orange are encoded on the same chromosome, if the X0 allele is present the cat will be orange if it is Xo it will be black. It is in the X0Xo case when one of the genes is inactivated and is responsible for the tricolor appearance.
Females can inherit three combinations:
- X0X0: orange cat
- X0Xo: tricolor cat
- XoXo: black cat
The males only two:
- X0Y: orange cat
- XoY: black cat
White is determined by the W (white) gene and is expressed independently. That is why you can make combinations with the other colors. There are cats black and white, orange and white and only white.
Types of tricolor cats
Within tricolor cats there are several types. They only differ in the proportion of white or in the type of pattern on the fur:
- Calico cat or Spanish cats: In these cats the white color predominates on the abdomen, legs, chest and chin. They have black and orange spots on their skin. Black can be greyish. In the image we see a Spanish cat.
- Tortoiseshell or tortoiseshell cat: The colors are mixed asymmetrically. White is rare. The colors are usually diluted in lighter shades. Black predominates.
- Tricolor tabby cat: It is a division between the previous ones. The pattern is tabby with all three colors.
Are there tricolor male cats?
Yes. The tricolor cats exist, although it is very rare to see them. It is due to a chromosomal abnormality. These cats instead of having two sex chromosomes (XY) have three (XXY). Since two X chromosomes are present, they can express black and orange like females.
It is known as Klinefelter Syndrome and usually causes infertility. It is a rare disease that banishes the myth that all tricolor cats are female. But since it is an anomaly, we can say that in normal situations all tricolor cats are usually female.
Continue browsing our site to discover what the basic care of cats is, how is heat in felines and what plants are toxic to them.
