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 I know the "NORMAL" way to tell the gender of a cat...but a friend told me if a cat is more than two colors....it is definitely a female...if its a solid color it could be male or female...Is this true ?? Thanks, Julie
Answer Julie,
For the most part, your friend is correct. However, one has to understand what is meant by two colors. First of all with white does not count.
The classic two color cat is the tortoiseshell which is normally a black cat with varying shades of red, either patched or gently intermingles. If it also has tabby markings, it is called a patched tabby or torbie. If the tortoiseshell has white, it is called a tortoiseshell and white. If the cat is predominately white with patches of black and red, it is a calico.
To add to the fun, instead of black, one can have chocolate or cinnamon with varying shades of red (these are chocolate torties or cinnamon torties) and can also come in tabby patterns and with white (yes you can have chocolate calicos and cinnamon calicos). Now the dilute of tortoiseshell is called blue-cream (a blue cat with varying shades of cream either patched or gently intermingles). you can have tabby patterns and with white and, yes, you can have a dilute calico! The dilute of chocolate tortie is lilac-cream and the dilute of cinnamon tortie is fawn-cream. Yes, they all come in tabby patterns and with white.
So, any of the above tortoiseshell, blue-cream, chocolate tortie, lilac-cream, cinnamon tortie, fawn-cream with or without tabby patterns with or without white are all generally females.
Every once in a while something goes strange genetically and you do get a male of one of the above. However, that is quite rare and these males are usually sterile.
I know this is way more than you asked, but one needs to be a bit precise when talking about genetics in any species.
If you are interested in why these are almost always females, please let me know in a follow up and I will explain how it all works.
