Dilute calico tabby tail how to#
Dilute calico tabby tail code#

Actually my vet suggested she could be an Oriental (I now hear the 2 breeds are roughly the same.) None of my photos of my heavenly girl are very good (she usually moves so they come out blurred), but if I knew how to upload one I would! She has huge ears which tend to point diagonally & a very long, pronounced muzzle area. My vet says he's never seen a cat quite like her. I most definitely have a dilute calico-Siamese mix cat. Essay on Cat Behavior Toggle Child Menu.Wild Cats of Asia (for kids) Toggle Child Menu.That means that a more dominant gene can mask it and a kitten would need to inherit the dilution gene from both parents in order to be born a dilute calico.īecause the dilution gene is recessive and can be overridden by a dominant gene, it’s also very hard to specifically breed dilute calico cats - so, consider yourself very lucky indeed if you become the pet parent to one of these beauties. One of the reasons for this is that the dilution gene is what’s known as a recessive gene. As we saw above, only one in every 1,000 cats is born a standard calico and dilute calico cats are that much harder to come by. Yes, even female dilute calico cats are rare. On top of that, they would also need to inherit the dilution gene in order to be a male dilute calico. However, in extremely rare cases, known as Klinefelter Syndrome, a calico cat may be given an extra X chromosome which would then produce a male calico. This means that male cats can display either the black or orange gene but not both. Female cats have two X chromosomes, while males have one X chromosome and one Y chromosome.

Dilute calico tabby tail code#

The same genetic code that produces the beautiful coat color of the standard and dilute calico cats is also what determines their gender. In fact, given that 99.9% of all calico cats are female and only one in every 1,000 cats born is a standard calico, you can imagine how scarce male dilute calicos are!

Like the standard calico, male dilute calico cats are extremely rare. Here are a few of our favorites:Īs you can see from the list above, dilute calico cats can occur in both shorthaired and longhaired breeds. That means that there’s actually a fairly long list of cat breeds that can produce beautiful tri-colored kittens. The dilute calico is named for its coat pattern and isn’t a breed in and of itself. (Image credit: Getty Images) What cat breeds can be dilute calico? It’s also possible for a dilute calico cat to have a coat that is tinged with gold or silver colorings, but no matter what shade their fur takes on, expect their overall look to be much softer than the bold appearance of the standard calico. Often referred to as a muted calico, the dilute calico cat's fur has much softer colors of gray-blue and cream, along with patches of white. Where the dilute calico differs from the standard calico is in both the colors that appear in their tri-color coat and the strength of those colors. Instead of being purely white, orange or black, for example, the calico has fur that’s a mix of all three. The calico and dilute calico cat were given their names because of the specific tri-color coat pattern that they have. What’s the difference between a calico and a dilute calico?Ī lot of people mistakenly believe that the calico cat is a breed in and of itself, but in reality, any breed of cat has the potential to produce calico or dilute calico offspring. If she partners with a rare male calico or any other male who carries the dilute calico gene, they can produce a dilute calico kitten. Interesting fact: a standard female calico may carry the dilute calico gene without having turned out to be a dilute calico herself. Just like the calico, the dilute calico also shares this same genetic code, but they may also inherit the dilution gene from their parents, which will give them the same tri-color patterning as the standard calico but much softer and more muted. Scientifically known as “X chromosome inactivation”, a genetic code found on the X chromosome is what gives the standard calico cat the distinct black and orange patches that they sport on their coat. Named for the coloration and patterns of their coat, the dilute calico, like the standard calico, is a domestic cat with a genetic code that determines the color variation their fur will take on. 12 facts about orange tabby cats that may surprise you.Chimera cat: Everything you need to know about this captivating kitty.