# calico sex **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [September 11, 2006, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250 "2006-09-11T04:51:36Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![parrot\_recipes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/439d5e/32.png) [@parrot\_recipes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/parrot_recipes)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 4:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/1 "2006-09-11T04:51:36Z")
What are the exact odds of a calico cat being born male? Since they are so rare, what do they sell for? ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 5:17am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/2 "2006-09-11T05:17:33Z")
My first hit on googling “male calico cat” yields [this link](http://absolutelycats.tripod.com/22Calico.html). > [@](#): > > And are all calico cats females? Well, the majority of them are. For very complicated genetic reasons, it takes two X chromosomes for a cat to be a tortoiseshell or calico cat. A male would have to possess two X and one Y chromosomes to be a calico cat. This can happen, but very rarely. According to a study at the College of Veterinary Medicine in Missouri, one out of 3,000 calico colored cats is male. This oddity occurs in humans, too. The males, in both cases, are usually sterile. I found more detail on the [second site](http://www.apetsblog.com/pets-journal/calico-kitten-cat-genetics.htm) listed. Interesting stuff, genetics. ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 5:44am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/3 "2006-09-11T05:44:56Z")
There are calico humans??? ---
**Author:** ![Shalmanese](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/45deac/32.png) [@Shalmanese](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shalmanese)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 5:45am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/4 "2006-09-11T05:45:57Z")
Ohhh… nm, I get it now. ---
**Author:** ![Pullet](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/edb3f5/32.png) [@Pullet](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pullet)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 6:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/5 "2006-09-11T06:27:26Z")
Like **MLS** said, male calico cats have to be XXY males. Because of this, they are almost always sterile. That extra chromosome really screws up the production of viable sperm. As such, XXY males are usually only valuable for their novelty, certainly not for their ability to sire more like themselves. If you found folks who really wanted to have a conversation starter pet, then they might be willing to buy your male calico for a pretty penny. Of course, you have to wonder about the quality of life a pet acquired for such a reason might have. Why do you ask? ---
**Author:** ![Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/ad7895/32.png) [@Long\_Time\_First\_Time](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Long_Time_First_Time)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 1:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/6 "2006-09-11T13:16:40Z")
[QUOTE=Pullet] Like **MLS** said, male calico cats have to be XXY males. Because of this, they are almost always sterile. That extra chromosome really screws up the production of viable sperm. As such, XXY males are usually only valuable for their novelty, certainly not for their ability to sire more like themselves. If you found folks who really wanted to have a conversation starter pet, then they might be willing to buy your male calico for a pretty penny. Of course, you have to wonder about the quality of life a pet acquired for such a reason might have. Why do you ask? [/QUOTE] I have also heard that male calico cats are worth a huge sum of money because the are so rare. For the life of me, however, I can’t imagine who is in the market for such an animal and would be willing to shell out big bucks to get one. ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 2:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/7 "2006-09-11T14:25:23Z")
To explain a little more about the genetics, the orange (dominant) and black (recessive) traits are determined by a single gene; that is, they are alleles of the same gene, like brown and blue eyes in humans. This gene is on the X chromosome. In female mammals, one X chromosome is "“turned off” in each cell (to avoid an imbalance of gene product in females compared with males, who have only one X anyway). Which one is turned off during the course of early embryonic development is random; but all cells descending from a cell after it is turned off have the same X turned off. Therefore females are a mosaic of areas where each of the two Xs is turned off. This mosaic pattern can be seen in the coats of calico cats, which are females which have both the orange and black alleles, each of which is turned on in certain sections of the coat. See here under “Sex-linked Traits”: [http://ib.berkeley.edu/courses/ib162/Week3a.htm](http://ib.berkeley.edu/courses/ib162/Week3a.htm) ---
**Author:** ![AHunter3](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ahunter3/32/368_2.png) [@AHunter3](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AHunter3)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/8 "2006-09-11T14:57:22Z")
Admit it: I’m _not_ the only one who came in here expecting to hear about delightful sweaty activities on [old-fashionedy print](http://www.paris0813.com/OCT16/br4) flannel sheets. You did too, didn’t you!? ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 6:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/9 "2006-09-11T18:23:21Z")
All right, I admit it. ::hangs head in shame:: ---
**Author:** ![Argent\_Towers](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e8c25b/32.png) [@Argent\_Towers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Argent_Towers)\ **Post date:** [September 11, 2006, 6:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/10 "2006-09-11T18:24:29Z")
[QUOTE=AHunter3] Admit it: I’m _not_ the only one who came in here expecting to hear about delightful sweaty activities on [old-fashionedy print](http://www.paris0813.com/OCT16/br4) flannel sheets. You did too, didn’t you!? [/QUOTE] That or a historical porn movie set during the Anti-Rent War. ---
**Author:** ![LiveOnAPlane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3d9bf3/32.png) [@LiveOnAPlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LiveOnAPlane)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 6:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/11 "2006-09-12T06:52:01Z")
[QUOTE=AHunter3] Admit it: I’m _not_ the only one who came in here expecting to hear about delightful sweaty activities on [old-fashionedy print](http://www.paris0813.com/OCT16/br4) flannel sheets. You did too, didn’t you!? [/QUOTE] Nope. _I_ came in here thinking I was gonna learn about a new dynamite band. :smack: …(cough) or something the Kama Sutra never thought of. :smack: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![kaiwik](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kaiwik/32/3978_2.png) [@kaiwik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/kaiwik)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 7:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/12 "2006-09-12T07:53:45Z")
Am I correct that the majority of tortishell cats are male? Also, in (at least my breed of) dogs, black is dominant and orange is recessive. Out of two litters of four out of a black female by a red sable male, I have had three black and one orange sable in each litter. Do the genetics for color differ between canines and felines? ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 12:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/13 "2006-09-12T12:16:45Z")
The trouble with trying to have this pet as a novelty is that the owners would constantly have to hold it up and be all, “Look! Look at his penis! See his penis? He’s a male calico! _Look at his penis!_” Because otherwise how would anyone know? ---
**Author:** ![LurkMeister](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/3da27b/32.png) [@LurkMeister](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LurkMeister)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 1:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/14 "2006-09-12T13:23:34Z")
On the subject of breeding calico cats: At one time I had a black & white female cat and an orange & white male cat. Before I finally had the time & money to get the male cat neutered they produced two litters, both of which consisted solely of calicos. All females, of course; but I was told (after I had had the make neutered, of course) that this was unusual & that I could have made some money breeding calico kittens. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 2:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/15 "2006-09-12T14:48:44Z")
[QUOTE=Long Time First Time] I have also heard that male calico cats are worth a huge sum of money because the are so rare. For the life of me, however, I can’t imagine who is in the market for such an animal and would be willing to shell out big bucks to get one. [/QUOTE] Urban legend, I’m almost certain. Maybe the occasional sucker shells out big bucks for one, but as far as I know they generally aren’t worth more than any other non-pedigreed cat ( which is to say, not much ). There was one at the SFSPCA shelter a while back that a friends of mine ( a volunteer there ) was fond of and it didn’t exactly generate a bidding war to take him home ;). - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/16 "2006-09-12T14:55:07Z")
[QUOTE=Excalibre] The trouble with trying to have this pet as a novelty is that the owners would constantly have to hold it up and be all, “Look! Look at his penis! See his penis? He’s a male calico! _Look at his penis!_” Because otherwise how would anyone know? [/QUOTE] Not exactly. Cat penises are completely retractable, and they only come out for urination and mating. The scrotum is always in view, though. You wouldn’t have to hold him up to see his balls; just wait 'til he walks away from you. ---
**Author:** ![Excalibre](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/898d66/32.png) [@Excalibre](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Excalibre)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 2:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/17 "2006-09-12T14:58:17Z")
[QUOTE=AskNott] Not exactly. Cat penises are completely retractable, and they only come out for urination and mating. The scrotum is always in view, though. You wouldn’t have to hold him up to see his balls; just wait 'til he walks away from you. [/QUOTE] I can just see the proud owners now. Picking the poor thing up, lifting his tail. “Look at his scrotum. See? He’s a male calico. They’re extremely rare! Look at his scrotum! _Why aren’t you looking at his scrotum?_” ---
**Author:** ![Colibri](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/colibri/32/1841_2.png) [@Colibri](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Colibri)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 3:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/18 "2006-09-12T15:02:06Z")
[QUOTE=kaiwik] Am I correct that the majority of tortishell cats are male? [/quote] No, like calicos they are almost all female. The basic genetics is the same; the calico differs from tortoiseshell only in the white patches in the fur, which are produced by an entirely different gene. > [@](#): > > Also, in (at least my breed of) dogs, black is dominant and orange is recessive. Out of two litters of four out of a black female by a red sable male, I have had three black and one orange sable in each litter. Do the genetics for color differ between canines and felines? Quite possibly. However, from the cross you describe it is impossible to say for certain which of the two alleles is dominant. The probability is that it is black, from the ratio of the offspring, but you might just have had a couple of litters that went against the odds. You would need to have a much greater number of crosses in order to determine statistically which is dominant. All you can tell from that cross, assuming the coat color is produced by alleles of the same gene, is that 1) one of the two is dominant and the other is recessive; they are not co-dominant; 2) one of the two parents is a heterozygote (has both alleles) and the other is a homozygote (has only one of the two alleles. ---
**Author:** ![Tamerlane](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tamerlane/32/7602_2.png) [@Tamerlane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Tamerlane)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 3:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/19 "2006-09-12T15:05:15Z")
[QUOTE=kaiwik] Am I correct that the majority of tortishell cats are male? [/quote] No, just the opposite. Tortoiseshell is a variant of calico and they are, as noted, overwhelmingly female. > [@](#): > > Also, in (at least my breed of) dogs, black is dominant and orange is recessive. Out of two litters of four out of a black female by a red sable male, I have had three black and one orange sable in each litter. Do the genetics for color differ between canines and felines? They do, I’m pretty sure. **Colibri** adressed that in part. In cats for example I believe the tabby pattern gene, which would be the original wild type, is dominant. - Tamerlane ---
**Author:** ![SCSimmons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e495f1/32.png) [@SCSimmons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SCSimmons)\ **Post date:** [September 12, 2006, 6:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250/20 "2006-09-12T18:01:18Z")
[hijack] One of my cats, when we adopted her from the shelter, caused the young lady at the shelter a moment of confusion when she got to the ‘color’ line, on which she finally decided to write ‘calico tabby’. Unusual indeed, I thought … but it seems to be accurate. Said kitty has what looks like typical calico coloring in spots, blending into the common tabby coloration on most of her body. Any of you feline genetics whizzes have any idea how _that_ happened? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/calico-sex/372250.md?page=2)