AboutJessica Expertise I have bred Siamese cats and have years of experience caring for homeless, feral, orphaned, and terminally ill cats. I am knowledgeable in cat behavior, health, history, troubleshooting, breeds, coat patterns and colors, and trivia.
Experience I have extensive experience with cats ranging from breeding to at-home medical care to rescuing homeless cats and placing them in homes. I have assisted cats giving birth and hand-nursed kittens who were neglected by their mother from 2 days old through weaning. I have given supportive care to cats suffering from diabetes, terminal cancer, feline leukemia, feline infectious peritonits, and kidney, liver, and heart failure. I have been through chemotherapy with two of my cats who had lymphoma and have also been through many cutting edge surgeries with my special needs cats.
Answer Hi Hal. Almost all calico cats are female. The gene it takes to create a calico cats is carried on the X chromosome, which also causes a cat to be female. The only way for a male to be a calico is if he is the result of a mutation in which he receives a male Y chromosome and also an X (female) chromosome. This is rare - it's estimated to occur in about 1 in every 500 kittens (not all kittens will be calicos). Most kittens die of other deformities that come along with the mutation. Male calicos who don't suffer other deformities and survive to adulthood only account for about 1 in 10,000 cats, according to my vet.
