Fun Facts About Calico Cats

Although almost all cats have an air of beauty and dignity to them, for sheer charming prettiness, none surpasses the calico cat. This three-toned (black, orange, and white) feline inspires awe in some, terror in others, but indifference in none. This article offers some interesting info about the elusive calico cat.

What it takes to be a calico?

Calico cats, by definition, have patches of orange, white, and black fur. In the calico, these patches are distinct. Tortoise shell cats are similar to calicoes in terms of their colors.  

Yes, We Have No Boy Calicoes

First for a quick lesson in basic biology: Female cats are formed when each parent donates an X chromosome. Male cats are formed when the mother donates an X chromosome and the father donates a Y chromosome.

Part of the genetic anomaly that gives calicoes their unique coloring is linked to the X chromosomes. In calicoes, one X chromosome carries the gene for black fur and the other X chromosome carries the gene for orange fur.

Since males only have one X chromosome, they rarely become calico cats. The few available males of the calicoes breed generally carry genetic abnormalities like XXY chromosome patterns. In most of the cases cats are sterile and easily suffer from other allied health problems. 

Calico Cats Are The Bane Of Breeders

Calico cats are not a species unto themselves, and there's no such thing as a "purebred" calico cat. They're usually part domestic shorthair (e.g., alley cat), part Manx, part Persian, and part kitchen sink. For this reason, it's very difficult to breed a calico cat. Breeders can increase the odds of getting a calico (say by breeding a black cat with an orange cat) but the results depend largely on gender and luck. There are no guarantees.

The Price Is Right

Given that the genetic combination must be just right to get a calico, you'd think they might be expensive cats, but most often, they're not. Most of the pet owners who end up with calicoes are not specialized at cat breeding but ordinary pet owners who were not expecting litter. You can always find classified ads in the newspaper during spring season, in all probabilities it will not be difficult to locate a calico cat."

The only time calico cats can get pricey is if they're also bred for another trait. A calico Munchkin, for instance, will cost upwards of $500, not because it's a calico but because it's a Munchkin.  

Devil's Plaything?

Former Attorney General John Ashcroft was afraid of calico cats. He believed them to be signs of the devil.

And The State Cat Is…

In 2001, calico cats were voted the state cat of Maryland, because their colors match the state bird (the Baltimore oriole) and the state insect (Baltimore Checkerspot Butterfly).