10 Purr-fect Fun Facts You Didn't Know About Calico Cats!

1. LinkedIn Profile Worthy

If Calico cats had a LinkedIn profile, they’d surely list “color expert” and “genetic marvel” as their top skills: These feline fashionistas flaunt a unique coat pattern of three or more colors, including white, black, orange, cream, reddish-brown, and grey-blue. They're almost entirely female, with 99.9% of them rocking the XX chromosome pair required for their vibrant tri-color fur. Plus, calico chic is all the rage in specific cat breeds like the American Shorthair, British Shorthair, Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Exotic Shorthair, Japanese Bobtail, Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest Cat, Persian, Scottish Fold, Turkish Angora, and Turkish Van.
Source => litter-robot.com

2. Slice of Calico Luck

Who says you can't have your cake and eat it too? Especially if the cake is a delightful swirl of color, like those fabulous calico cats blessed with an uncanny cat-titude, and possibly a secret Japanese membership card: Calico cats are often the inspiration for Maneki-Neko figurines, with their striking three-colored fur patterns found on Japanese Bobtails. But it's not just the captivating colors that bring luck – it's that charming raised paw in a traditional Japanese welcome gesture, serving you good fortune like a purrfectly fine slice of cake!
Source => omamorijapan.com

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=> Fun Facts about Cats

3. The George Clooney Cat

Move over, feline ladies, there's a new calico in town! Soft paws and intriguing genetics make these rare male calico cats the George Clooney of the feline world, though they might be shooting blanks: The majority of male calico cats have XXY Syndrome or Klinefelter's Syndrome, resulting in numerous health issues and sterility, while a few are chimeras, meaning two embryos combined in utero, allowing them to be fertile but still requiring neutering.
Source => litter-robot.com

4. Feline Tricolor Roulette

Step aside, Schroedinger's cat - there's a new feline paradox in town, and it's all about a colorful game of genetic roulette: Female tortoiseshell cats are oddly dominant thanks to their XX chromosomes, allowing for a unique blend of black and orange fur, while their male counterparts have a measly chance of inheriting this tricolor glam due to their boring XY chromosomes.
Source => hospitalveterinariglories.com

5. Ultimate Feminist Feline

Why did the calico cat strut down the catwalk, flaunting her fabulous color scheme? Because she's the ultimate feline feminist, three times the color and sass, darling: Calico cats, predominantly female due to genetics, are not a specific breed but rather flaunt their unique tri-colored patterns of white, red or cream, and black or other delightful shades, across multiple fancy feline breeds!
Source => 2019.mdmanual.msa.maryland.gov

6. Purr-fect Art Student

Why did the calico cat enroll in art school? Because she was born to create a purr-fect masterpiece: Calico cats boast a one-of-a-kind three-colored coat due to a rare genetic mutation on the X chromosome, mostly found in females, and were also treasured as ship's cats for their skilled vermin-busting abilities, keeping both grub and crew safe from pesky pests.
Source => litter-robot.com

7. Superheroine Fur Capes

Calico cats are the superheroines of the feline world, sporting fur capes of multiple colors as they prowl through alleyways and lounges: In reality, their marvelous mottled coats stem from X-chromosome inactivation that causes a mix of orange and black patches, with almost all calico kitties being female due to inheriting two X chromosomes from their parents.
Source => frontiersin.org

8. Animal Kingdom Lucky Charms

Forget wart-charming toads – calico cats are the real lucky charms of the animal kingdom: In various cultures, these multicolored felines are believed to bring good fortune, with Japanese fishermen regarding them as protectors against storms and ghosts, and Americans dubbing them "money cats" for their perceived ability to boost their owner's prosperity.
Source => litter-robot.com

9. Chic Yet Somber Exterior

Here's one for the catwalk: male calico cats are nature's fashion-forward felines, sporting a rare and fabulous tricolored coat. But alas, their chic exterior hides a somber secret: they often suffer from health issues due to chromosomal abnormalities, leading to shorter lifespans and making them less attractive to breeders despite their haute couture appearance.
Source => treehugger.com

10. X-Men of the Cat World

Feeling catty? Turns out, calico cats are the moggy equivalent of the X-men, with their fur-dazzlingly unique genetic makeup: In fact, calico cats have three chromosomes instead of the usual two, resulting in their tricolor fur and nearly all of them being female, as this palette of pigments is connected to their X chromosomes.
Source => thegrownetwork.com