Anyone have/seen a male calico?

[torinsmom]

I know calicos are supposed to be only female, but there is a homeless calico cat that hangs out where I babysit. Poor thing has a hurt foot and while trying to get a look at its leg, I saw that it was a boy. It is white with orange and black spots and is long haired. Anyone ever had a male calico? I hear they are 1 in 3,000 calicos, because it requires a an XXY chromosome combination. I can't keep him as I have 4 too many cats right now

I am trying to find a vet that will help for a reduced cost--check his leg, blood work, shots and possibly neutering(don't know if he was a pet before and was neutered already) and also a rescue that will help find him a good home. He is a sweetie!

Marsha

 

[J3nn78]

Male calicos are extremely rare and supposedly worth a lot of money.

 

[torinsmom]

All I really want is for someone to take care of his hurt foot and make sure he is safe and full of some yummy cat food, LOL. Maybe his being a rarity will help me find him a home. Of course, I would hate for someone to take him just to sell him to the highest bidder.

Marsha

 

[luvmy3]

All I really want is for someone to take care of his hurt foot and make sure he is safe and full of some yummy cat food, LOL. Maybe his being a rarity will help me find him a home. Of course, I would hate for someone to take him just to sell him to the highest bidder.

Marsha

Why? The highest bidder may be an animal lover and someone who was very willing to take him as their pet. If someone is only interested in him for the money then its better they do sell him than keep him KWIM.

 

[jesseiann]

Try Safe Haven for Cats. They are in Raleigh. That's were we got our kitties.

 

[ZephyrHawk]

There are "male" calicos, but they are only debateably male, and very rare. Most male calicos suffer from Kleinfelters syndrome, meaning that they have 3 (or more) sex chromosomes. Usually XXY. They are sterile and have other medical issues. There are some other syndromes that could conceivably result in a male calico, but most are pretty fatal. Are these cats of any interest? Perhaps, but mainly to a medical lab, and I don't think that's what you're looking for.

 

[HM]

I never knew that calicos are female only. This is my new thing learned for today. Thanks. We had calico mixes in the past for pets. OP, I hope you find a way to help the cat!

 

[KiminChicago]

Most calicos are female and orange tabbies are male -- but my sister had a female orange tabby once. She was the runt of the litter and almost died at birth. She later developed some severe psychological issues and licked all the fur off her legs and tail, the vet tried everything and my sister just couldn't get her to stop. Poor Emily passed away last year, but she was 17 years old.

 

[chager]

Over the last year I have learned that...calico's and torti's are female, and orangee tabby's are usually male. However I fostered a female orange and her babies and have noticed several orange females up for adoption. Maybe there are some new trends starting.
As to your cali issue call around to some of the rescues in the area. I know up here if there is a sick or injured kitty there are at least 3 rescues willing to take it. It is easier to get sick/injured cat help then find one to take a healthy cat or kitten. A couple of the rescues around here will help with vet bills for neighborhood cats as long as the neighborhood is willing to continue feeding and caring for the cats. Hopefully you can find a rescue to help you.

 

[themarquis]

re: female orange tabbies -- they're not rare at all, just not as common as males (something to do with coat color genetics where males only need one copy of the orange coat gene and females need two or something like that). But male calicos are truly truly rare and as another poster said are usually Kleinfelter (XXY) males.

To the OP, are you totally sure it was a boy? I say that because ... er ... sometimes it can be really hard to see what's going on in there (even for an experienced cat person) because of all the fur and stuff.

On another note, I sincerely doubt that male calicos are worth lots of money on the black market ... just sayin'.

 

[StartedAJoke]

OP, what part of the Triangle are you in? Feel free to PM me. We have a good lower-cost vet near us.


Karla

 

[WDWAurora]

Safe Haven that a PP mentioned is AWESOME. We adopted our two sweetpeas from there, and they do such a great job with the animals there.

 

[tonilea]

I worked in a veterinary clinic for over ten years and I only saw one "calico" male. He didn't have the typical calico markings, but he did have three colors. He was never "quite right". I don't really remember the particulars, but he seemed to have some mental deficencies.

 

[StartedAJoke]

Safe Haven is awesome! We donate to them annually and my DD plans to volunteer there when she turns 16 in August. I couldn't do it on my own. Went for orientation and left in tears. I wanted to bring them ALL home with me.

Tonilea, we have a 3-color male kitty. When we adopted him we were told how rare 3 colors is on a male. Odd thing is, he's not quite "right" either. It must have something to do with recessive genes, or something. He's a bit nutty and has an auto-immune problem that's affecting his gums.

 

[torinsmom]

Haven't seen the cat this week. I hope he is okay.

I checked the Safe Haven website, but they say they cannot take any strays at this time. I have emailed two other rescues, but no word yet. I did call a vet who will examine the cat for $30, and I have found other people who will help with the vet bills. Problem is, I need to find someone who will foster him so he can receive meds(I am sure he will need antibiotics for his leg) and then someone who can take him permanently.

Marsha