# Recessive Cat Genes? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [June 20, 2005, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963 "2005-06-20T00:39:48Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![vera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b3f665/32.png) [@vera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vera)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 12:39am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963/1 "2005-06-20T00:39:48Z")
Ok, we have 19 cats and here’s the equation for one of the litters: Callie (female, calico) mates with Scotchie (male, orange and white with dark orange stripes) and has several kittens, one of them called Milk (female, tan with orange stripes). Milk gets older and mates with Scotchie, and has six tan kittens, and, get this, one pitch black kitten. How did that happen? Is there a recessive black fur gene from her calico mother, or did it just pop up out of nowhere? ---
**Author:** ![Chronos](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chronos/32/134_2.png) [@Chronos](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chronos)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 2:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963/2 "2005-06-20T02:52:22Z")
If I recall correctly, calico is a case of mixed-dominance, that if a cat has one gene for black and one gene for (some other color, don’t remember which one), then the cat will not be entirely one nor the other, but calico. Since both of these color genes are carried on the X sex chromosone, you need two Xs to have a calico cat, which means that almost all calicoes are female (since males are generally XY). But there’s no single gene for calico. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 5:11am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963/3 "2005-06-20T05:11:07Z")
Yes, a calico mother MUST have one black coat gene. ---
**Author:** ![Telperien](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/65b543/32.png) [@Telperien](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telperien)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 7:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963/4 "2005-06-20T07:33:11Z")
The other gene in a calico is for orange coat color, IIRC. Isn’t it possible for cats to have kittens in the same litter by more than one male? Couldn’t that explain the black kitten? ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [June 20, 2005, 2:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963/5 "2005-06-20T14:06:20Z")
☹ I hate to be a wet blanket here , but why are your cats allowed to breed so often and randomly ? Father to daughter ? I am a big time advocate of spaying and neutering your pets , there are far too many hopeless in shelters already . Thousands upon thousands euthanized every day . Neutered animals live longer , healthier lives . Please , do your cats a favor , and a favor for all the unborn kittens yet to come . Do the right thing and have your pets spayed and neutered , if you love them . Anna ---
**Author:** ![vera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b3f665/32.png) [@vera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vera)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 12:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963/6 "2005-06-23T00:04:17Z")
If you hate to be a wet blanket, don’t be a wet blanket. :dubious: In all actuality, we aren’t rich and can’t always afford things like that. We just found out about a Humane Society center that will spay and neuter our cats for free, and we’re doing as soon as possible. We couldn’t control the father-daughter mating since we didn’t even know about it until Milk showed signs of pregnancy, but the kittens show no signs of inbreeding, and are perfectly healthy, plus it’s not going to happen again. I am a cat lover and want what’s best for our pets, that’s why they’re getting “fixed” very soon. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Anne\_Neville](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b9e5f3/32.png) [@Anne\_Neville](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Anne_Neville)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 12:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963/7 "2005-06-23T00:27:18Z")
> [@vera](#): > > I am a cat lover and want what’s best for our pets, that’s why they’re getting “fixed” very soon. 🙂 That’s good. You might want to look into early spay/neuter for the kittens as well. > [@Harimad-sol](#): > > Isn’t it possible for cats to have kittens in the same litter by more than one male? Couldn’t that explain the black kitten? Yes, it is possible for littermates to have different fathers. ---
**Author:** ![Guinastasia](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/guinastasia/32/5751_2.png) [@Guinastasia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Guinastasia)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 2:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963/8 "2005-06-23T02:58:04Z")
I’m sorry, but if you can’t afford to get them fixed, you really can’t afford to own that many cats. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 12:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963/9 "2005-06-23T12:37:49Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I’m sorry, but if you can’t afford to get them fixed, you really can’t afford to own that many cats. **AMEN !!!** ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 2:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963/10 "2005-06-23T14:01:28Z")
> [@Guinastasia](#): > > I’m sorry, but if you can’t afford to get them fixed, you really can’t afford to own that many cats. The other thing to keep in mind is that if you cannot afford to spay/neuter, than you _really_ cannot afford an emergency C-section. About 75% of the animals that I see that need a cesarean wind up being euthanized due to economics. ---
**Author:** ![vera](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b3f665/32.png) [@vera](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vera)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 6:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963/11 "2005-06-23T18:15:46Z")
> [@](#): > > I’m sorry, but if you can’t afford to get them fixed, you really can’t afford to own that many cats. Take some practical advice here, and listen to the saying “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” > [@](#): > > AMEN !!! Perhaps you could put a little more substance in your posts, bold, all-caps, one-word posts look ridiculous and make you look like a 12-year who’s stuck to your exclamation point key. The females have never needed an emergency C-section. And we’re stopping the litters at 19. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Boldface\_Type](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/b5e925/32.png) [@Boldface\_Type](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Boldface_Type)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 7:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963/12 "2005-06-23T19:07:26Z")
> [@vera](#): > > In all actuality, we aren’t rich and can’t always afford things like that. We just found out about a Humane Society center that will spay and neuter our cats for free, and we’re doing as soon as possible. If you cannot afford to neuter one of the original cats - that’s all it would take, assuming you started with a pair of cats - I am surprised that you can afford to adequately feed and provide veterinary care for 19 cats. > [@](#): > > We couldn’t control the father-daughter mating since we didn’t even know about it until Milk showed signs of pregnancy, but the kittens show no signs of inbreeding, and are perfectly healthy, plus it’s not going to happen again. Feral cats are commonly inbred to some extent. And human-designed breeds too, of course. In neither case does inbreeding necessarily lead to problems. Coat genetics ([PDF](http://scidiv.bcc.ctc.edu/rkr/Biology201/labs/pdfs/CatGenetics201.pdf) ). ---
**Author:** ![FilmGeek](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/b19c9b/32.png) [@FilmGeek](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/FilmGeek)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 7:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963/13 "2005-06-23T19:47:42Z")
Hi **vera**. I’m afraid you won’t get much sympathy about having un-altered animals on this board… especially if you say that it’s because you can’t afford it. It’s simply irresponsible, and all the rolleyes in the world won’t fix that. Listen to **vetbridge**. Veterinarians know of what they speak. ---
**Author:** ![PapSett](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecc23a/32.png) [@PapSett](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PapSett)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 9:01pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963/14 "2005-06-23T21:01:04Z")
> [@vera](#): > > Take some practical advice here, and listen to the saying “If you have nothing nice to say, don’t say anything at all.” > Perhaps you could put a little more substance in your posts, bold, all-caps, one-word posts look ridiculous and make you look like a 12-year who’s stuck to your exclamation point key. > The females have never needed an emergency C-section. And we’re stopping the litters at 19. :rolleyes: It is a subject I feel very strongly on , and I left 12 years old behind , oh , about 33 years ago . Say what you will , at least _I_ am a responsible pet owner , and the only one of my 5 dogs and 1 cat that are not spayed/neutered is my Gordon Setter that is currently being shown . None of them are allowed to reproduce randomly . Even when I WAS 12 , I knew better than this . You opened yourself up to the ridicule when you posted your ignorance about pet care here . I will not sit back and say nothing on a subject I am so opinionated on . To turn a blind eye to a veterinarian that posted is nothing short of sheer bull-headed stupidity . I have to ask you … if you cannot afford the surgeries , can you afford yearly vaccinations ? Are your cats wormed regularly ? Do you buy a quality food , or are they surviving on Special Kitty (The feline equivilant of Old Roy) ? If one of them were , say , hit by a car , would you be able to afford the surgery ? Or would the cat be euthanized , or even worse , left to fend for itself ? Are these cats kept inside or allowed to roam free , where they are exposed to disease , cars , and the attack of other animals ? One thing you don’t _ever_ want to get me started on is proper animal care , because it is a subject I am _rabid_ on . There … was that better than a single word sweetie ? Anna ---
**Author:** ![samclem](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/a9a28c/32.png) [@samclem](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/samclem)\ **Post date:** [June 23, 2005, 11:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/recessive-cat-genes/308963/15 "2005-06-23T23:49:16Z")
> [@PapSett](#): > > ☹ I hate to be a wet blanket here , but why are your cats allowed to breed so often and randomly ? Father to daughter ? I am a big time advocate of spaying and neutering your pets , there are far too many hopeless in shelters already . Thousands upon thousands euthanized every day . > Anna Anna. Let me be the first to tell you that you’re in GQ. The Original Poster(OP) asked a simple question(boy, how we like them, in General Questions). There were three posters who replied with factual infomation. Then you walked in. And you added NOTHING as far as information concerning the original post. DON’T do this again, in General Questions. If you have a problem with **vera’s** cat rasing techniques, then we have other fora where you can bring this up. But DON’T derail the topic at hand, the reason being that posters after that tend to respond, and then a quagmire results. And I HATE quagmires. I’m sending you an email so you read my post. (side note: before I became a moderator, I received warnings for posts that were not in keeping with the forum in which I was posting. No big deal. Just try to remember) **samclem** GQ moderator