Is it true there is no such thing as a male calico kitten?

Question

My sister told me Calico colored kittens are always FEMALES....

Answer 1

this website tells all about Calicos and why they are mostly female.
http://www.petplace.com/cats/why-are-calico-cats-female/page1.aspx
Good luck!

Answer 2

While it's not 100% true, it is largely a fact that calicoes are female. A simple explanation is that the colors red and black are linked to the X sex chromosome, but each X can carry only one color, black OR red. Since a female is XX it can carry both, but since a male is XY he can carry only one of the colors. Occasionally a male calico comes along but it is generally found to be an anomaly such as XXY and these cats are generally sterile. A very interesting book on the genetics of calicoes is Cats are Not Peas by Laura Gould.

Answer 3

A calico cat must be a tri-color, with its three colors in distinct patches, not mixed as in a tortoiseshell cat. Some breed standards specify what percentage of the body must be white; others allow tabby striping in the color patches. To be a true tri-color, a calico cat's colors must be: white; red or cream; and black, blue, chocolate, lilac, cinnamon, or fawn. The variations in color from red and black are caused by a gene which dilutes, or lightens up the basic color, and produces a dilute calico cat, most commonly with a coat of white, cream, and blue. Calico is not a breed of cat, but an unusual coloring occurring across many breeds, including Domestic Short-hair, Persian, and Manx. Virtually all calico cats are female; a male calico is a genetic anomaly and usually sterile. Producing calico kittens through selective breeding also is nearly impossible due to unpredictable actions of genes and chromosomes when cells multiply in a feline fetus.

qualified veterinary nurse UK

Answer 4

It is extremely rare for a calico cat to be male. It requires three sex chromosomes (mammals ordinarily have only two). The pattern is XXY as opposed to XX (female), or XY (male)

This pattern can occur in humans too and is just as rare.

Answer 5

No, it's just extremely rare. It's all about genetics, that's why male calicos cost/ can be sold for so much.

Answer 6

There are Male Calico Cats, but they are rare.

Answer 7

I don't know about Calico's, but you will find NO males at all, ever, in a Tortishell.

Answer 8

well whatever your sister said is not true. the only thing that I know of that isnt a male at birth is a golfish(true fact), other than a worm.

Answer 9

That is true. See here for calico cat genetics:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Calico_cat

Answer 10

They are not always females, but true calicos ( the three color, black, orange and white) are extremly rare.