AboutNorman Auspitz Expertise I can answer most non-veterinary questions about cats. My particular expertise is pedigree cats, breeding and showing. However, I am versed in feline behavior, cat breeds and their characteristics, general feline husbandry, and the like.
Experience I judged for the Canadian Cat Association from 1975 until 1982. I am currently an approved allbreed judge for the Cat Fanciers'' Association (the world''s largets cat registry), and have been judging for them since 1991. I have been breeding pedigreed cats since 1971 and have been exhibiting pedigreed cats in shows since 1970. I obtained my first pedigreed cat in 1970 and have never looked back. In 1971, I obtained my first Abyssinian which has become my primary breed. In addition, I have bred Manx and Persians. Currently, besides the Abyssinians, I am also breeding Maine Coons.
Organizations Cat Fanciers'' Association, inc. (CFA) and the Manx, Maine Coon, and Abyssinian breed councils. I am currently Abyssinian breed council secretary.
Publications Cat Fancy Magazine, The Abyssinian Chapter in The Cat Fanciers'' Association Complete Cat Book, and Articles for various editions of The Cat Fanciers'' Association Yearbook
Education/Credentials I received a B.S. from Drexel University in 1968, a M.Math from University of Waterloo, in 1970, a Ph.D. from University of Waterloo in 1975, and a MBA from McMaster University in 1980. I received my approved allbreed judging status in the Cat Fanciers'' Association in 1999.
Awards and Honors We have produced a number of Cat Fanciers'' Association (CFA) National winning Abyssinian and Maine Coons. We have produced a number of Abyssinian and Maine Coon Distinguished Merit females (an award for a top producing cat), including the first Distinguished Merit Abyssinian in the red (sorrel) color. I am the CFA Abyssinian breed council secretary and belong and/or hold office in a number of cat clubs. I am also a member of the CFA Judges Association.
Question my calico sissi is having her first litter what are the odds of multiple calicos i never understood how some calicos have litters with no calicos and also she is small how many kittens are normal for first litter [average] ty
Answer Stacy,
There are no real good stats on first litters. But 4 is a good round number. However, in a first litter, any number of live kittens is a good number!!!!!
The genetics of calicos is interesting, but also a little complicated.
First of all she has at least one copy of the "with white" gene (also called the piebald white spotting gene)which is a dominant gene. So, if she has two copies of this gene, all of her kittens will be with white. If she has one copy of this gene and the sire has no copies of this gene, you can expect half her kittens to be with white. If she has one copy of this gene and the sire has one copy of this gene, you can expect 3/4 of her kittens to be with white. IF the sire has two copies of this gene, then you can expect all of the kittens to be with white. Unfortunately, there is no genetic test for the piebald white spotting gene in cats at this time, so there is no easy way of knowing who carries what.
Second, along with the white, the female has to have both black and red genes for color. These live on that part of the female ("X") chromosome the male ("Y") chromosome is missing. Thus a male can carry either black or red, but not both.
So, if a black male sperm carrying the "X" chromosome fertilizes an egg carrying a red "X" chromosome, you will get calico females. Similarly, if a red male sperm carrying the "X" chromosome fertilizes an egg carrying a black "X" chromosome, you will get calicos. These are the only possible combinations that could give you females carrying both the black and the red.
Please let me know if you need any of the above explained further.
