Cats that have been rescued don't show any gratitude. True or false?

There is a story on the Fox 13 Tampa Bay website which tells of a grumpy cat showing no gratitude after being rescued from between two walls. The cat had to be chiselled out of their predicament. It happened in Preston, Lancashire, UK. You can see the rescuer and the cat below.

Note about the picture: It is noticeable that the cat is a calico - a tortoiseshell-and-white. Torties have 'catitude' - meaning attitude. This may partially explain why she is described as not being grateful! 💕😉

So the question is why don't cats that have been rescued, sometimes after great effort, so any gratitude to the rescuers who often save their lives. 

Grumpy female cat does not show gratitude for being rescued from being stuck between walls.

Initial point

The initial point to make is that sometimes domestic cats will show their version of gratitude under certain circumstances. They may show subtle signs of it. I can remember a firefighter rescuing a cat from a destroyed building and the cat climbing onto the firefighter. She had a fearful look on her face. But her general demeanour and her behaviour indicated gratitude to me. Therefore, I don't think that we can generalise about domestic cats by saying that under all circumstances domestic cats don't show gratitude. They do sometimes but perhaps a different way to the way humans show it.

Concept of gratitude

I will try and answer that question. The first point to bring up is the concept of "gratitude". As humans know, gratitude means being thankful to others for the help that they have received. Or a gift that they have received. Or they might show gratitude for something good that has happened to them. Or, if a person has been rescued by somebody else. They will thank that person in an act of gratitude.

Human social norms

Why do we do it? Because it's part of good social etiquette. It is part of social norms. These of course are human norms within our human society.

Cats are solitary

To the first point is that cats don't have a society like humans in which they network and interact and help each other.

Cats - by which I mean domestic cats - are essentially solitary creatures because they have inherited their wild cat ancestor's character which is that of a solitary creature.

Multi-cat homes

Of course, domestic cats sometimes live multi-cat homes where they have to be somewhat sociable and get along with other cat. This is an adaptation to living in the human environment in a multi-cat home but cats under these circumstances can be stressed. They are more likely to be stressed than a solitary cat living with their caregiver is unnatural but they adapt as mentioned.

No society

So the point here is that domestic cats don't have a society and they don't have a hierarchy. And therefore they don't have societal norms. And therefore there is no need to be grateful for being rescued.

Domestic cat looking supremely content and grateful for all their caregiver brings them in their lives.

Emotions

There are other issues. An act of gratitude stems from an emotion of thankfulness. And relief. It is doubtful that cats feel these emotions. Domestic cats feel certain emotions such as contentment and fear, anger and friendliness. But it is doubtful that they sense the higher emotions although this is work in progress.

So the emotional background is another point worth mentioning which might be a barrier to being grateful.

RELATED: Infographic on 9 emotions domestic cats feel and 1 they don’t.

Rescuers are often strangers

A third point comes to mind. When a cat such as the one you see in the picture has been rescued from a very difficult and terrifying circumstance they may suddenly meet a complete stranger under very stressful circumstances. Domestic cats are often fearful of strangers. The emotion of fear will certainly block any requirement to feel grateful or to express gratitude.

Not in their armoury of behaviours

The bottom line probably is that domestic gas don't have the social behaviour of expressing gratitude in their armoury of behaviours. It simply does not exist and the reasons above, I hope, help to provide some understanding of this characteristic.

Caveat/exceptions?

There is some caveats. It undermines what I've just said in the last paragraph. If a cat is left alone in your home most of the day and perhaps feels the emotion of separation anxiety, they will be grateful to see you when you come back from work. They will rub against your leg and perhaps purr. They might express their gratitude toward you for returning to them.

And if a cat has a favourite treat and you provide them with this treat, before you provide it they might express their gratitude in anticipation of receiving it by rubbing up against you and going up on their hind legs to head-butt you.

I think therefore that sometimes domestic cat can demonstrate their version of gratitude but it is a bit different to our version.

Wild cats

I have seen conservationists in videos releasing small wild cat species from cages after they have been rescued and rehabilitated. And we the cat running away as fast as possible into the undergrowth. No gratitude whatsoever. This reinforces the argument that cats don't show gratitude. But then, once again, we have to understand the circumstances under which they have been placed which would have been highly stressful for the reasons mentioned above. And they are suddenly surrounded by people. Wild animals are fearful of people in general. People are the world's top predator.

In Africa when they played the sound of human voices as a waterhole through loudspeakers, all the animals were scared. Even a leopard dropped its prey and ran off. They were more scared of the human voice than prey animals are scared of lions!

--------------

P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Quirky, honest advert and good photos get this anti-social tortoiseshell cat adopted!

The story of Quinn, I think, helps us understand how best to ensure that a rescue cat at a shelter is adopted. Quinn is a female cat but to me the name is male but that is an important. She is a tortoiseshell-and-white cat with attitude. And her adoption advert from the Humane Society of Washington County in Hagerstown, Maryland, USA, has been reported on social media.

Quinn. Photo: Humane Society.

Fox News reports it which is highly unusual. They describe the adoption advert as funny and honest. It's quirky. It's different. And I suspect that the person who wrote the advert, a staffer at the Humane Society, had become exasperated because Quinn was the longest-term resident at a shelter run I believe in partnership with the Humane Society.

The advert went viral on Facebook and was picked up by news media. Here's a taster of what they wrote to attract attention:

"Do you want a cat who doesn't want you? Do you crave the feeling of being judged in your own home? Do you need someone who will slap you back into reality without notice? If you answered yes to any of these questions, we have the cat for you. Meet Quinn."

They made it clear that Quinn was not a cat for everyone but somebody might like her icy stare and sudden snacks! And they said that she has "an uncanny ability to make people feel unwelcome in her presence - which is perfect for those who are 'tired of visitors'." 

And further they said that Quinn is essentially a...

 "lively houseplant, because all she really needs a human for is food, water and changing her litter. If you adopt Quinn, you will not be her owner, because Quinn cannot be owned. She will own you, your house, your belongings and everything you hold dear." 

You get the drift. Added to these derogatory words about Quinn which were tongue in cheek, there are some really nice photographs. I think all shelter should produce what I call readable photographs meaning photographs in which you can see the cat clearly. They don't have to be beautiful, pretty pictures but should be clear and clean.

The stark change in advertising M.O. came about because originally their advert was very standard and conservative but nobody get the bait. They weren't interested.

The Humane Society shelter (the Humane Society works in partnership with shelters as I understand it and do not run their own shelters) decided that honesty was the best policy and it certainly is as shown by this new story.

And if you read between the lines you know that you're going to adopt a cat which is a typical domestic cat in many ways. This is a tortoiseshell-and-white. They are known to have a bit of attitude but beneath that personality there is a loving cat waiting to get out.

And on November 24, the Humane Society tells us that Quinn has been adopted.

The lesson from this story is to be honest, clear and forthright in telling the world about a rescue cat to which you add nice, clear and crisp photographs and then you let the cat do the talking because somebody will come along who appreciates the honest direct approach.

Here is a Facebook post from the Humane Society.

-----

P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Calico cat delivers a speech to her alpaca followers about British citizenship

This is a British calico (tortoiseshell-and-white) domestic cat laying down the law for a bunch of alpacas who've flow in from South America to settle in the country.

She's the boss. The accompanying tweet below is good except there is one little mistake; they think this is a tuxedo cat (black-and-white) when she is a tortie as mentioned.

RELATED: Alpaca Cat! - this is the LaPerm

The photo must have been taken on an alpaca farm in the UK somewhere and the farmers have a sweet domestic cat whose made friends with the alpacas.

Calico cat delivers speech to her alpaca followers. Image: Twitter.

This is the tweet:

'Tuxedo' The Cat: "Thank you 'Alpacas' for being here for this Monday morning meeting. I know you all originate from South America, so welcome to the U.K. I need to lay down a few rules... (1.) I run things around here, so if you have any problems, simply ask me, okay?"

Stunning-looking calico cat but is she real?

 Here she is but is she real? We'll never know. The problem is that there are some very talented photo-editors around nowadays. Although I sense that in this instance the cat is real except that the eyes have been 'doctored' to look more interesting than they really are. I mean the colours are stunning. You just don't get odd-eyes that colour normally. 

As you no doubt know, we do see odd-eye colour in domestic cats with one of the eyes being gold or yellow and the other blue (no melanin pigmentation) but I have a feeling that the colour of these eyes have been enhanced through photo shopping. I don't know. I am forced to guess which is a weakness with current photography.

Almost all the great photographs you see nowadays are photoshopped either subtly or quite extensively. Photography is more like painting nowadays than recording what is in front of the lens. There's nothing inherently wrong with it unless you want to know what the reality is.

Stunning-looking cat but is she real? She is a calico and therefore female.

We also see quite a lot of cats on the Internet with "split-face" colouration. In this instance it would be due to the white-spotting gene or another name for this gene is the piebald gene. This causes a lack of pigmentation in certain areas of the fur and sometimes it's effect produces a sharp line down the middle of the face.

We can tell that this is a calico cat because there is white fur (fur without pigmentation), red or ginger fur and black fur (tricolour). The calico cat is a tortoiseshell-and-white cat. The phrase "calico cat" comes from America. Some people don't like it! They prefer the original description.

And as you also no doubt know, nearly all calico cats are female because that is the way the genetics work. The genes are sex-linked. And in the rare cases that there are male calico cats they are feminised males, somewhere between male and female without being hermaphrodites. They are sterile and they don't show any real interest in meeting with females (asexual).

Calico cat posted from China to Canada!

This is an extraordinary story but I doubt whether it is the first time that this has happened. This is a news story plus my opinion. Canada Border Services Agency officers at the Vancouver International Mail Center in Richmond, British Columbia contacted the British Columbia Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals when they discovered a calico cat inside a box that appears to have been posted from China.

Calico cat posted from China to Canada. They've named her Precious. Image: BC SPCA.

The agency workers noticed that the box was damaged which allowed them to look inside whereupon they saw two eyes blinking back at them! They managed to coax the calico (tortoiseshell-and-white) cat out of the box into a dog kennel in which there was bedding and water.

They say the cat was healthy but frightened. Unsurprising that they were frightened. The agency service workers contacted the Canadian Food Inspection Agency and the BC SPCA sent an animal control officer to take the cat to an emergency veterinary clinic.

She was stabilised in the clinic but nobody is sure exactly where the cat came from or how long she was in transit. Because of that she was vaccinated against rabies and given rehydration fluids and tested for diseases and parasites.

She started to settle down and was placed with a foster carer at the BC SPCA who intends to adopt her when she has fully recovered.

Under foster care she is improving and has started to eat and drink more and is becoming comfortable in her surroundings.

My opening words are that this is an extraordinary story but as also mentioned it is not a unique one. In 2018 people tried to smuggle in a tiger cub at the Texas border. And in 2022 there was an attempt to smuggle two toucans into the US hidden in a purse. That attempt was thwarted by U.S. Customs and border protection.

Source: Newsweek.

Behavior of a calico cat. Do they have a specific personality?

The behavior of a calico cat is no different to that of other cats. In other words, the genes that give this cat her calico coat do not affect her character. That, in any event, is my considered view. I guess we all know that a calico cat is not a breed of cat but a description of the coat color. My view may be incorrect 😉 - see below.

Calico cat and her offspring. Photo in public domain.

"Calico" is a North American term. In the UK the calico cat is called "Tortoiseshell-and-white". As the UK name suggests the coat is a mixture of tortoiseshell fur (black and orange) and white. The white is caused by the white spotting gene or piebald gene. This gene causes the mitted or gloved cats (Snowshoe and some Ragdolls) and the van cats (Turkish Van).

 We also know that due to genetics, calico cats are virtually always female. This is because the gene that determines red (orange) coloration is carried on the X chromosome and a cat has to be XX (female) for the orange gene to take effect (I think that's correct - tell me if I am wrong, please).

Japanese people like the calico color. This is shown in their love of bicolor and calico Japanese Bobtail cats. They call this color pattern mike-cats or 'tricolour' cats.

The genetics at work are all concerned with the coat color. As far as I can see there is no further effect (beyond coat color) that determines the character of the cat. I conclude that calico cats have no specific character associated with the coat color. 

However, I may be wrong because Dr Bradshaw says that there may be a link between coat type/colour and personality in pedigree cats due to selective breeding. Breeders may create this link by choosing foundation cats which have a nice character plus the desired coat. It is an artificial connection in purebred cats due to human intervention.

RELATED: Ginger Cat Personality.

The association between the color of the fur and character of the cat is similar to our perception that red-headed people (and particularly females) have a specific and associated character e.g., fiery and volatile. This is due to their "difference" (in the way they look). People tend to be frightened of different people and attack them. 

In the same vein the calico and tortoiseshell cats are considered to have 'catitude'. We tend to stereo cats according to their coat type and colour. Sounds familiar?

They do this by making slightly derogatory remarks (this is my theory, anyway). It is untrue that red-headed people are generally fiery. If they are sometimes like that, perhaps they are being irritated by being thought of as being fiery by other people! I can't find evidence on the internet which scientifically links red hair with a specific personality traits. Wrong? Please tell me in a comment.

One point though does come to mind about the behavior of a calico cat. We know that females of the species act differently to the male. As calico cats are nearly always female it could be argued that their behavior is different to the average. Just a thought. 

 There is a tendency then for humans to assign a character to an appearance. This is the same for people's perception of cats generally. Some people hate cats because they think they "sneer" at them when it is in fact the person's own prejudice coloring the perception. The same distorted perception is found with black cats. They were thought of as witch's cats and there are still numerous superstitions surrounding black cats (good luck, bad luck you name it).

Sources:

• Me
• Wikipedia
• Cat Fanciers

Picture of a calico American Curl with a blaze down the nose

The cat's name is Shiva. She is a calico cat; tortoiseshell-and-white, with a line down her nose demarking two colours (a blaze). She is also an American Curl. You can see the white on the cat's chest. The term "calico" is an Americanism. Like tortoiseshell cats the colour form is sex-linked and they are nearly always female. Males do sometimes occur but they are extremely rare. In 1989, at least one commentator said that calico cats should have a certain minimum amount of white fur: white feet, legs, underside chest and muzzle. This person thought that "once a cat has more than half of its body total in white, then it is a calico". On that basis this cat can either be a tortoiseshell cat or a calico cat. I think that is over complicating it and perhaps the best thing to do is to describe this cat as a tortoiseshell-and-white!

Picture of a calico American Curl with a blaze down the nose. Photo: Pinterest.

There are a number of variant forms which had been developed over the years such as dilute calico which is white with unbridled blue and cream and a fawn-cream calico. There are others. The calico cat is not a cat breed but a colour type.

The American curl is a breed which appeared in 1981 in Lakewood California. A couple, John and Grace Ruga found 2 stray kittens on their doorstep. One of the cats had strangely shaped ears and they kept her. She gave birth to a litter of four kittens, two of which showed the same curled ears as their mother and they decided to use these cats as the foundation stock of a new breed.

Like a lot of other cat breeds the American Curl started with a spontaneous genetic mutation in the random bred cat population and which happened to be noticed by somebody leading to a cat breed through selective breeding.

You can read more about the American curl and the tortoiseshell coat by clicking on the links in this sentence.

Black-and-white cat gives birth to tortoiseshell kittens

This black-and-white female cat was living under a motorcycle cover in America somewhere (I believe). The person who owns the motorcycle saw her. At the time she was scared and pregnant. This unknown person whose Reddit username is: u/mama-and-babies, provided her with a beautiful, secure, safe and warm home for her family. 

Everything looks perfect and you can't beat cardboard for keeping cats warm. She looks content and safe. Whoever the person is they've done a very good job. It sort of restores faith in the human race!

Black-and-white cat gives birth to tortoiseshell kittens. Photo: as per above.

As I said, the mother is black-and-white, while her kittens appear to be tortoiseshell-and-white with plenty of white (calico). They have very interesting and beautiful patterns. I think they are going to be popular cats for rehoming when the time comes. 

The father can't be a tortoiseshell because tortoiseshells are always female and if they are male, they are usually sterile so not sure how these cute kittens came to come into existence! They do look as if they have orange, white and black fur which indicates to me a calico cat.

Perhaps both parents (non-tortie) carried the recessive gene for the tortie coat. I am guessing. Actually, it is far more complicated than that!

Perhaps the male is a rare sexually functioning tortoiseshell. If that is the case, might he be valuable? Find him immediately! :). 

I have overcomplicated things. If the male cat was orange the offspring would be calicos. The commenter is correct.

HOW MUCH IS A MALE CALICO CAT WORTH? - CLICK TO FIND OUT!

Picture of a calico cat with an unusual blaze

This is an interesting looking cat to say the least. The word 'blaze' in the title refers to the sharp line down the nose demarking the boundary between the dark fur and lighter fur. I never know how to spell this strange word. I sometimes spell it 'blaise' but that's wrong apparently. I have no idea where the word comes from.

Picture of a calico cat with a memorable blaze. Photo: Imgur

Tortoiseshells and tortoiseshell-and-white cats can have it to varying degrees of impact. Sometimes it is broken and sometimes it is stark and high contrast. The reason for its existence must be genetic and the migration of melanin (dark pigment) within the hair strands as the unborn kitten develops in the womb. 'Calico' is an Americanism for tortoiseshell-and-white.

This cat has a particularly impressive face. Full of impact, not solely because of the blaze but the gold-dusted eyes and the rest of the pattern and colours which are outstanding.

Almost all calicos are female because the cat's gender is linked to the coat type. This cat is clearly female judging by her face.

SEE A PAGE ON CALICO CATS

@kadylone (Kady Lone) lives with a tortoiseshell-and-white Exotic Shorthair with a white moustache

Kady Lone is a beautiful woman who, I guess, is an influencer on Instagram. You know those beautiful women who influence others into purchasing make up products and other beauty products. She also cooks. They make their money by advertising beauty products in a very subtle way. They can make quite a lot of money as you are probably aware. Manufacturers have decided that this sort of subtle advertising can be more effective than the standard form.

Kadylone (Kady Lone) lives with a tortoiseshell-and-white Exotic Shorthair
with a white moustache. Here they are on a plane together.
I guess that it is an executive jet. Photo: Instagram.

I'm pleased to say that @kadylone (her Instagram username) features her tortoiseshell-and-white Exotic Shorthair cat with a white moustache quite a lot on her Instagram pages. Americans call tortoiseshell-and-white cats "calico cats". British people don't really like that!

Pudge the Exotic Shorthair living with Kadylone. Showing the flat-face.
Picture: Instagram.

Kady Lone describes herself as the mother of Pudge the Cat. Yes, her cat's name is Pudge. I guess that name derives from her cat's appearance which is quite cobby in cat fancy parlance. This means stocky which is quite normal for an Exotic Shorthair. This is a shorthaired version of the better-known contemporary Persian, which has very long hair.

Kadylone and Pudge. Pic: Instagram.

Other than the length of hair the cats are very similar with, I regret to say, the same sort of health issues, which are inherited. These defects are inherited because of selective breeding resulting in the extremely flat face which distorts the tear ducts. This results in what is called "tear duct overflow". Persians also have a high incidence at about 35% of polycystic kidney disease (PKD). I suspect that the Exotic Shorthair has the same health problem. It is a major factor in considering adopting this cat breed. But I do not want to put a wet blanket over this post.

View this post on Instagram

A post shared by Kady Lone (@kadylone)

Kady Lone appears to be a very sweet, gentle and concerned cat caregiver which I like a lot. Calico cats are almost always female for genetic reasons: the sex genes are linked to the coat type genes. Male Torties are sterile as I recall. The Cats of Instagram page follows three individuals or entities one of which is Kady Lone. She has 35k followers. Cats of Instagram has 12m followers.

It is almost impossible to catch cat abusers and murders

To a loving cat caretaker/guardian the death of your cat at the hands of brutal abusers is like murder. But when this happens it is all but impossible to find the murderer because outdoor cats wander sufficiently and at dusk or in the night. There are no witnesses. Even when the cat survives it is no good because cats can't be a witness.

Tabitha

I am indirectly referring to a cat decapitation in the UK. A vet certified that two knives were used to cut off the head of a 13-year-old calico cat whose name was Tabitha.

She was found outside in a puddle without her head. The head has not been retrieved. She was much loved. Tom Whitfield, the owner, feels it was a trophy killing. It may be. It may also be some sort black magic coven. Witchcraft is hidden in the UK but that does not mean it is rare.

The RSPCA are investigating, as usual. The vet who made clear that the killing was deliberate and by humans rather than another animal has cleared the way for the RSPCA to try and find the perpetrators.

Such macabre acts of brutality against companion animals are rare in the UK and often it is not a person but another predator who is the killer.

Condolences

Tabitha was well-known and loved in the community.

Tom said:

"We have just all got so many happy memories of Tabby that it is horrible to think of her going this way. People should have have to go through what we have been through."

The people who did this are heartless, callous thugs because to decapitate a living cat is impossible for any decent, human with an ounce of sensitivity.

Domestic Cat Supports Wild Cat in Prison (zoo enclosure) - Feline Solidarity!

I love this. The stray calico cat wandered into the lynx enclosure at St. Petersburg Zoo and made buddies instantly. Then they engaged in mutual grooming. It is like the domestic cat wanted to support his wild cat friend because he is in prison. I wish the domestic cat could have got him out. Why can't he take the lynx back the way he came in?!

This is probably a Eurasian lynx.

What percentage of calico cats are male?

About 0.033% of calico cats are male. Their existence is theoretically impossible so there has to be a genetic anomaly for a male cat to be a calico cat. The male calico cat is described as "very rare". They are nearly always sterile. As they are very rare they are probably very valuable! If you have, for example, a purebred male calico Maine Coon, you probably have a cat worth several thousand dollars. That said, you would never consider selling him would you? Of course not because he is your best mate and he loves you. "Calico" is an American term meaning, tortoiseshell and white. In the UK cat fancy the word "calico" is not used as far as I am aware. I have a picture of a tortie Maine Coon but not a calico.

What is a van cat?

1st registered Van cat

The Van cat is a Turkish Van, a breed of purebred cat. The word "Van" refers to the town of Van in the southeast of Turkey which is on the shore of Lake Van.  This is the place from which the Turkish Van originates.

The proximity of the town to the lake resulted in these cats being good swimmers, it is said! The town was in the news recently (late October 2011) because of an earthquake in the region that destroyed parts of Van. On a sad note I would expect that a number of Van cats were killed as well as over 500 people.

The Van cat is semi-longhaired cat with a very particular coat that is unique to this cat breed. The coat is a chalky white except for an inverted "V" shape pattern on the forehead and a colored tail in the same color as the V pattern. The pattern is auburn colored or auburn and black (does that make it a calico cat?). The inverted V is said to symbolize Allah's thumbprint. The coat is designed to cope with harsh conditions. It is waterproof but there is no undercoat making it easier to maintain.

The cat can be all white in Turkey and odd-eye color is not uncommon as the gene that makes the hair white (the piebald or white spotting gene) can also affect the pigmentation in the iris of the eye. The eye color is blue, amber or odd-eyed.

Turkish Van cat - photo copyright Helmi Flick

Purebred cats are obviously selectively bred by breeders but you will see this pattern or a less precise versions of it on stray and semi-feral cats in the Mediterranean region.

The Turkish Van is quite a rare purebred cat even though it has been around for many years in Europe (1955 in the UK) and America.

The Wikipedia authors say this is an all-white cat. This is incorrect. It is not all-white in the cat fancy. Although as mentioned, in Turkey it probably is frequently white. In Turkey it would be a cat that is not necessarily registered with a cat association (i.e. it is purebred but not formally).

Were the Turkish Van and Turkish Angora the same cat before separated by the cat fancy?

---

The lower photo on this page is protected by copyright ©. Violations of copyright are reported to Google.com (DMCA).

How much are calico cats worth?

"Calico" refers to the color and pattern of the coat. It is a North American term that means tortoiseshell and white.

Calico does not refer to a cat breed. You will see cats of a certain cat breed that have calico coats and you will see random bred cats that have calico coats. Calico coated feral or sem-feral cats in the Mediterranean are commonplace. See for example Cats of Morocco (scroll down to see a calico cat).




So, the answer to the question "How much are calico cats worth?" is as follows:

1. Where a purebred cat has a calico coat the price will be the standard price for a purebred cat unless the individual cat in question is a special cat (a champion) or a breeding cat. The normal price is around $500 or £500 in the UK.
2. Where the calico cat is a random bred female cat the value is almost nothing. In fact the worth of a moggie cat is the admin fee at a rescue center. Courts sometimes value random bred cats at about $30 as I recall but an account of the emotional connection rarely made. Although things are changing.
3. Where the calico cat is male and fertile (rare) the value may be high to an individual buyer. I discuss this on this page.

Hope this helps.

Are calico cats always female?

Are calico cats always female? The answer is No. Because sometimes you will meet up with a male calico cat but they are rare.

Genetically the color and pattern of the calico cat is linked to the sex of the cat but genes are not machines. Things go wrong and on those occasions you will get a male calico cat.

How rare are male calico cats?

Photo by Giane Portal (on Flickr)

What percentage of calico cats are male?

It seems, and I can't verify this, that 0.033% or one cat in 3000 are male. The Yahoo Answers lady has got the math wrong incidentally. No criticism intended.

Male calicos are usually sterile it is said.

Read more on calico cats here. The linked page explains how the coat type is sex linked.

Black Calico Cat Picture

It's him again. The stunning black calico cat that I have to publish again on the home page because I have just seen a special photo of him:



His coat glows and his blaze shows...prominently on his nose! A blaze is the dark line on down his nose.

Hey, I'm getting poetic. Not surprising seeing that he is a little symphony in orange, black and a smattering of white.

I think his name is Kenya Lion and that he is 3 months old and weighs 2.3kgs (5 pounds). He is large then. Gosh, he is a stunning cat. Imagine him walking around the house and a visitor pops by. He would catch your eye..

He lives with Gosia Zeszutek, I believe. I think she is a breeder. But I am in the black..err dark on that. See lots more of this cat on FB (opens new window/tab)

Black Calico Cat

Today I have selected a fine example of a black calico cat, who lives in the Netherlands, to be featured on this page from the Facebook Pictures-of-cats.org group page.

Here he is:



Some people have called him a tortoiseshell cat. He is but as there is some white and as the tortoiseshell is very dark in the USA he is a black calico, I would say or a tortoiseshell and white in the UK.

He lives with Sientje Tierelier. See him here on FB in large format (opens a new window)