Best Things About Calico Cats

Calico cats are not a breed of cats, but rather it is their coloring that sets them apart. However, there are some personality traits that calico cats all seem to share, like being warm-hearted, wise, mystical and affectionate. Here are some of the best things about calico cats.

They are not a breed- Many people think Calico cats are a breed, but they are in fact, not. A Calico cat is determined by its color pattern. Calicos must have fur that is black, white and orange. There are several cat breeds that can be considered Calicos, including American Shorthair, Maine Coon, Persian and Japanese Bobtail.

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They are mainly female- Most of the Calico cats that are born are female. The coloring of the Calico cat is determined by genetics. The black and orange colors deal with the X chromosomes, while the white coloring is a different gene. Female Calico cats feature a pair of X chromosomes, so they display both black and orange colors, whereas male Calico cats feature just one X chromosome, so they will be either black or orange, but not both.

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Male Calicos are sterile- Calico cats that are born male are known to have what is called Klinefelter Syndrome, meaning they are sterile. Male Calicos are rare and only occur in about 1 out of every 3,000 Calico cats born.

They are said to be good luck- In Japan, Calico cats are thought to bring good luck to people. In fact, years ago, Japanese sailors would bring Calico cats on their ships so they would be protected. In both the United States and the United Kingdom, male cats are said to bring good luck, due to the fact that they are rare.

They are the Maryland state cat- The Calico cat is Maryland’s official state cat. They were chosen as the state cat on October 1, 2001, mainly because of the fact that the coloring of their fur looks a lot like the colors of the Baltimore Oriels baseball team- black, white and orange.

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