Calico is not a breed, but a name for cats with a specific coat pattern. Calico cats are those which have fur in three colors: white, black and orange. They appear in many different breeds, including Manx, Persian, and domestic short-hair cats. Calico cats are mostly female. This is explained by genetics – the color of the coat is tightly connected to sex. It depends upon the X chromosome, which in the case of cats, is coded to give either orange or black fur. The white color comes from other genes. As females have two X chromosomes, they have the opportunity to obtain one “orange” and one “black” chromosome, which combined with white make the cat a calico. As males have only one X chromosome, their fur may be either black or orange, possibly combined with white. …show more content…
It may happen that a male has a combination of two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome (XXY). Due to this gene abnormality, these males are usually unable to breed. Because of their rare appearance, calico cats were often given extra attention. In many cultures, they are believed to bring good luck and are sometimes called money cats. In Japan they are especially appreciated by sailors, who liked to have a calico cat on board for luck. In 2001, the calico cat was adopted by Maryland as a state cat due to its colors of orange, black and white, which are the same for the state bird (the Baltimore Oriole) and insect (the Baltimore Checkerspot butterfly). If you need some luck, or simply admire the calico cats and wish to buy one, you can visit PennySaverUSA.com to find numerous classifieds with cats for sale.Calico is not a breed, but a name for cats with a specific coat pattern. Calico cats are those which have fur in three colors: white, black and orange. They appear in many different breeds, including Manx, Persian, and domestic short-hair