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Male tortie and calico cats are extremely rare. Here's a little feline genetics lesson: The reason is that black and orange hair can only occur together in the hair coat if that cat has two X chromosomes. Calico cats (white cats with patches of black and orange) and tortoiseshell cats (black and orange swirled together), therefore, have to have two X chromosomes, and two X's means that you're a girl.
In order to be a boy, you need a Y chromosome. Boys are XY; girls are XX. Very rarely, a mutation occurs that leads to a calico or tortie male. Genetically, these cats are XXY. The two X's allows for the color; the Y allows for the maleness.
The incidence is reported to be 1 in 3,000.
In other words, out of every 3,000 cats with black and orange together in the hair coat, on average, 2,999 will be girls, and only one will be a boy. The XXY mutation leads to sterility. They can't reproduce. Your orange tabby girl is not sterile. Get her spayed.
Fun Fact:
Orange female cats are a little uncommon; only about 1 in 5 orange tabbies are female.
Wiki User
∙ 13y ago
Wiki User
∙ 14y agoThere is no easy way to explain this one but give you a very basic answer the reason is in the genetics of having a tortoiseshell or calico coat. If you want a more detailed answer I would direct you to Wikipedia under tortoiseshell cats. Also, on a side note, most male tortoiseshell or calico cats are sterile as in they are unable to reproduce.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoBecause the thing that produces the third colour is the X (female) gene.
All female animals(including humans) have double X.
All males have XY.
If a male cat is tortoiseshell, it means he has an extra X gene.
this means he is not completely male.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoNo. Tortoise shell rabbits are male and female. That variety is found in many breeds of rabbits. You are probably thinking of cats with that question.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoBecause the gene that is responsible for giving a cat the calico (tortoiseshell is a type of calico) color pattern is carried only in the females.
Wiki User
∙ 13y agoCalico cats, those with three colors, are going to be female. There are rarely males and if there are, they cannot have children.
Wiki User
∙ 9y agoAll tortoiseshell and tortoiseshell and white (Calico) cats are female. But not all gingers are male, though most are.
Wiki User
∙ 12y agoThere actually black and mahogany
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What do tortoiseshell cats eat?
Cat food!!!! Tortoiseshell cats eat just the same as all other cats.
How are the fur patterns of tortoiseshell cats and tabby cats different?
Well, tortoiseshell cats' fur are in dappling patterns, sort of all blended together, and tabby cats' are usually in stripes.
Why are tortoiseshell toms so rare?
b/c all Tortoiseshell cats are born as females. It is just part of the breed.
What RiverClan cats are tortoiseshell?
Willowbreeze and Heathershine are RiverClan cats that are tortoiseshell in coloration.
Do Tortoiseshell cats have a tendency to gain weight?
Tortoiseshell cats are not predisposed to gain weight more than any other breed of domesticated cat. All cats will gain weight if fed too much food and not are inactive.
Are tortoiseshell cats friendly?
I have a tortoiseshell cat, and she is fairly friendly... well, she doesn't scratch me or bite me unless she is really freaked out, although she also tends not to like my younger sibling and her friends, but they're all really loud. I, however, can't speak for everyone, I'm sure there are some tortoiseshell cats that aren't friendly at all. 'Tortoiseshell' is just the color of their fur, I think there can be friendly and not so friendly tortoiseshell cats, but I know mine isn't mean.
Are tortoiseshell cats female or male?
A tortoiseshell cat is a coat color where the cat is a molted brown cat with black, reddish, or orange patches. They can also have white paws. Tortoiseshell cats have unique genetics. The vast majority of tortoiseshell cats are female, because two X chromosomes are required to produce black, gold and orange coloring. Male cats only have one X and one Y chromosome, so technically it's genetically almost impossible for a male to inherit the tortoiseshell coloring. A male tortoiseshell has an extra X chromosome, making it an XXY. According to a study by the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri, only 1 in 3000 tortoiseshell cats is male.
Are tortoiseshell cats aggressive?
No by what I am aware tortoiseshell cats are not aggressive.
What country are tortoiseshell cats from?
Tortoiseshell is a specific coat pattern and color. Some breeds of cats may naturally have this, but it tends to show up in mixed breed or "barn" cats. They can be found in any country that has a feral population of cats.
Was Redtail a tortoiseshell?
No, Redtail was a ginger tomcat with a distinctive red tail. Tortoiseshell cats have a coat pattern with a mix of black and orange colors.
Can tortoiseshell cats eat human food?
human food
Do you get male tortoiseshell cats?
First, you should understand that tortoiseshell is not a breed in and of itself. It can occur across breeds. Second, the majority of tortoiseshell cats, like calicos, are female. One source I checked claimed that only 1 in 3,000 tortoiseshell cats were male. This has to do with what chromosome this color variation is linked to (X). When you have a male tortoiseshell cat it is quite often sterile - can't make babies - because it has an extra X chromosome which messes with their sex characteristics. Most boys are XY, girls XX, male tortoiseshell & calicos XXY - that extra X causes a male tortoiseshell and messes with its ability to breed. A pretty scientificy answer, the long and short of which is - such a mating is highly unlikely to produce any kittens. It's rare "luck" when you get a boy.
