The Calico cat is primarily thought of as any cat breed that has anywhere between 25% and 75% white body, with large patches of orange and black. But, you should know that the Calico cat can have any three colors on its body.

One of the things that you should know about this unique cat is that they are almost exclusively female, primarily because they are born under very unique genetic conditions.

Therefore, finding a male Calico cat is very similar to finding a needle in the haystack. They do exist, but they are incredibly hard to find. When breeders and pet shops actually do get male Calico cats, they usually charge a pretty high price for them. Finding such cats at shelters or rescues is not common, and you might be hard pressed to find one at your local animal shelter. But, here are some important things that you should know about this cat.

Why Is the Male Calico So Rare?

First and foremost, let’s talk about why the male Calico cat is so hard to find. To begin with, you should know that it primarily has to do with the genetics of the cat itself. The color of a cat’s coat is typically linked to its sex, which essentially means that this physical characteristic is tied in closely with the gender of the cat.

But, you might have seen both male and female cats that have an orange shade. That’s primarily because the orange or black is a common coat color, and since it is tied to the X chromosome, it can appear in both. Furthermore, you should know that in males, the orange pattern is usually tabby, or striped. You will find it incredibly rare to locate a male kitten with a full coat of orange fur.

On the other hand, female cats can have a tortoise shell, calico, or a tabby pattern on their body. The Calico cat usually has white patches, and sometimes they even have white, brown, or orange patches on their fur. But, the tortoise shell cats usually only have black or orange shades on their bodies. Since females have two X chromosomes, they can have either black or white. However, males don’t, so they can either have orange or black, but not both.

Important Facts

There are quite a few important facts that you should know about this cat. First of all, you need to know that this isn’t specific to any breed. You won’t find them restricted to a particular feline breed. There are quite a few cat breeds that produce Calico kittens. You will find Calico patterns in various breeds such as the Turkish Angora or the Norwegian Forest Cats, as well as other breeds.

Males Are Mostly Sterile

One of the things that you should know about the male Calico cat is that while the males do exist, they are mostly sterile. Finding a non-sterile male Calico cat is a bit of a problem, which is why even if you find one, breeding and reproducing it is not going to be easy. That is one of the main reasons why these cats usually fetch such a high price and why they are prized so highly.

They Aren’t a New Breed

One of the things that you should know about this breed is that it is not new by any means. In fact, there are stories about olden Egyptians who used to keep these felines as their pets. But, you should know that this theory is still unproven. What can be proven is the fact that there are Japanese paintings depicting Calico cats that date as far back as the 1800s.

On top of that, there are paintings created by Chardin, a famous French painter, which also show Calico cats. These paintings were made as far back as the 1700s, so you can understand that these cats are by no means anything new.

They Have Very Different Personalities

One of the things that you should know about these cats is that they tend to have incredibly different personalities. No two Calico cats are the same when it comes to behavior. Some are known to have very sweet personalities, while others tend to have a pretty angry nature and often get irked at the slightest issues.

The reason why these cats have such different personalities primarily has to do with the fact that they come from different breeds. Therefore, they tend to adopt the behavioral traits of their ancestors too.

Furthermore, you should know that the lifespan of these cats tend to vary as well. There are quite a few Calicos that can live up to 20 years, whereas others will live anywhere between 12 and 15 years. This primarily has to do with the breed that you choose. For instance, the American Shorthairs tend to live longer, whereas the Persians usually live for up to 15 years.

Caring for a Calico Kitten

If you have been lucky enough to get your hands on a male Calico kitten, you should know that it requires a considerable amount of care. Failure to properly care for the breed could result in a series of problems, and the cat’s behavior is also going to vary as it grows up.

First of all, you need to find information regarding the cat’s breed. By getting more information about the cat breed, you will be able to understand its temperament and its requirements. Moreover, you will also be able to align your expectations regarding the cat’s growth and get a better understanding of various health concerns. It is imperative that you get as much information as possible about their breed before going further.

Despite the fact that each cat develops its own personality and comes into its own as it grows, you should know that their breed does tend to play an important role in their overall everyday demeanor. But, a lot of it has to do with their parent’s breeds, so you need to get more information about this.

Always Look for Health Issues

Health issues are likely to arise from time to time, and it’s important that you keep an eye out for these issues. There are a few breeds that are generally quite healthy but there are others that tend to suffer from a plethora of different problems as they grow older.

You might want to consider asking the breeder or a feline expert to give you tips and advice on how to identify problems with the cat in its early stages, so that you can take it to the vet and get it treated as early as possible.

It’s important to pay very close attention to the fur of the cat. You have to bathe the cat regularly and groom it to ensure that the fur remains as beautiful as possible, since that is the real head-turner in these cute little cats!