Is a calico just a mixture of colours? Can sisters be totally different markings?

Question

I adopted two kittens, one is calico, one is tortoise shell, is this unusual?

Answer 1

This is how Calico/Tortoise shell work with in genetics, and why there are no male calicos/tortis. All female mamals are XX, and males are XY. Since female mamals have two copies of the X chromosome, only one "active" in every cell; the genetic information on the other is unsued. The genes for red vs. black coloring exists on the X chromosome. If a female cat receives on X that says red and one that says black, she will be red in the places that her red X is the active one and black in the places her black X is active. This is your basic torti.
However, on a different chromosome entirely, there is another gene that codes for "with white". If a cat with one red X and one black X also gets with white, she will be black, red and white, making her a calico. For a reason not completely understood, the more white a calico has, the more defined her patches of of black and red are, not all mixed together like a torti's.
Yet another gene codes for dilution, and if your kitty has this gene she will have grey and cream instead of black and red, and will be a dilute calico or a dilute torti.
A male cat cannot be calico or torti because a male only receives one X chromosome to begin with, that either codes for black or red. If someone claims to own or have seen a male calico or torti, they are not necessarily wrong, however, because it could be an XXY cat, a mutation called Klinefelter syndrome.
So, yes, it's common that sister kitties could be calico and torti; it's only one gene different. I hope this wasn't too long and boring!

Answer 2

There was already a great answer to this question since calicos and torties have very interesting and complicated DNA that, in my opinion, makes them unique. One of my cats is a calico; her mother was a tortoiseshell and her father was gray. The mother produced my calico; a gray and white female; a brown-and-silver tabby; a gray male; and a black male. One of my other cats, also a calico, gave birth to a tortoiseshell and two orange males. It seems the majority of orange cats are male. And yes, a male calico or tortoiseshell is a mutation, and is usually sterile.

To quickly answer your question - depending on the mother and father, kittens in a litter can all be different colors and look nothing alike. :)

Answer 3

During the time the mama cat is in "heat" she may date around. In one litter, depending on the size and how much mom dated, none of the kittens may look alike. A mother cat can be impregnated by several Toms. Calico cats are 99.9% female. It's very rare for a calico to be a male. And, you'll notice your calico kitties are more talkative than other domestic cats.

When the rainy weather begins in California, I'll open the door for my Calico to come in for breakfast. The first three minutes are spent while I patiently listen to her complain, in cat tongue, about how I've let her down since it's raining, and her coat is getting wet!!

This lecture happens most when we get the first rains of the season. I guess after awhile she gives up and accepts that I'm worthless when it comes to controlling the weather that bothers her.

Answer 4

My mom has had quite a few calico cats, one that even had a litter where there was a calico kitten and a tortise shell kitten. A calico is brown, white, and black. I have heard that all calico's are female, if you find a male calico, it is very rare and they are generally mostly white with small black & brown markings.

Answer 5

No, I live on a farm and have seen many litters of kittens, they are rarely ever all the same. Calico is a mix of white, browns, and black. Some litters have stripes tigers calicos and solds colors.

Answer 6

This not unusual.
A calico is definite patches of orange/black/white.
Torties: there is more of a merging or ticking of the colours, and all can have some white in them, but only small parts.
There are also the tabby/calico where the patches have tabby striping - all be it faint.
I have two black torties - predominant black, one has some white patches on her belly. I am also fostering a blue and cream tortie kitten.

Answer 7

Technically tortoiseshell is a mixture of black and red with little to no white. Calico is tortoiseshell and white. So the markings arent that different at all. One is the same as the other but with white!

Answer 8

Not in the least unusual. My momma cat had twin calico kittens that were mirror images of each other.

Answer 9

Yes and yes. And it is quite possible to get a calico and a tortoise shell in one litter.

Answer 10

Are you sure it is a dog or is it wild? We had a border collie X (she was black brown and white) and we used to think we saw her in the field all the time, and it was really a fox. I don't know what kind, but where we are there are lots that are darker like that, and one that even has the sable markings like our German Shepherds, so if it is a wild dog you are seeing from a distance, that is a possibility. * Idk why I got thumbs down, I said ti was a possilbility, if he just saw the dog from far away, not if he kept seeing someones pet. All foxes are not red, and some can get quite big.