Is it true that tortoiseshell boycats?

Question

are born infertile ?

Answer 1

Wow, some people are very confused.

Tortoiseshell cats and calicos are not exactly the same, but they ARE tri-colored cats. And tri-colored males are extremely rare and yes, 99% of them are born sterile.

Ginger females, however, are perfectly capable of reproducing even though ginger males are more common.

Here's a good article on cat color genetics:
http://www.ozpets.com.au/cats/articles/CC10049.shtml

Answer 2

There's a really complete explanation here:
http://www.best-cat-art.com/calico-cats.html

But the gist is that tortoiseshell boy cats are very rare & it is thought, invariably infertile.... though there are thought to be some exceptions. At one time there was a company doing research into this & (apparently) they were buying tortoiseshell & calico male cats for lots of money.

A calico cat is a tortoiseshell cat that also has white fur.

Ginger females are not infertile - when we rescued our ginger girl, Jez, she had been abandoned on some waste ground because she had kittens.

But read the article - it's really good, clear & easy to understand.
Best wishes,

Answer 3

They should be, since this means the male has 2 X chromosomes. Calico and torti cays are usually female because females have two X chromosomes and males have an X and a Y. In each cell, one X chromosome is "expressed." Since males generally have only one X chromosome, they are the same color throughout (with the exception of the standard tabby or singe color on white cats, etc.). In females, one X chromosome may have the gene for orange, and the other for black, and the same one is not "active" in all the cells, resulting in multiple color or multiple colors over white. Typically, XXY males are infertile, however that doesn't mean it's impossible;) After all, some mules have become pregnant, and they're supposed to be sterile for a similar reason (not all chromosomes are in sets of 2 in mules). If you think your make has fathered kittens, it may be a differnt ale that your cat was exposed to, or you just might have a very unusual cat!

Answer 4

Normally, yes. In the same way that tortoiseshell is a colour normally passed on the female side, so ginger in normally passed on the male. So the occasional tortoiseshell male and ginger female will generally be infertile.

I understand there are exceptions, but they are very few and far between.

Answer 5

I doubt whether you will ever see a male tortoiseshell (called calico in merkinland). If one was ever born it would not be fertile. In all my cat keeping life I have never ever seen a male tortoiseshell but I have seen several ginger females.

Answer 6

Tortoiseshell males are very rate, as are ginger females.

As for if they are infertile, I wouldn't know as I always get my cats neutered/spayed.

Answer 7

Calico male cats are rare and are infertile. Tortoiseshell aren`t.

Answer 8

i have a male tortoiseshell dont if he fertile as hes only 4 months and hes beening snipped ! i was asked if i was going to breed him as hes lovely .mum was black and dad was ginger

Answer 9

Only female cats are tortoiseshell

Answer 10

first off if you have a tortoiseshell kalico tom he is very rare.contact a animal clinic so they can run tests to see fertile.or you can go to the pound(the place where strays are killed after a week)and pick a young healthy female for his friend and see if she gets pregnate.