Two Male Calicos Were Born In The Same Litter, And The Chances For That Are Like One In A Gazillion
Thousands of cats pass through shelters every year, but this litter at The Cat House on the Kings stopped staff in their tracks. Five calico kittens arrived at the rescue in Parlier, California, and two of them turned out to be males, which is about as rare as it sounds.
That tiny detail makes the whole litter a statistical oddity, since male calicos are incredibly uncommon. The kittens are already drawing attention, and their story only gets more surprising once you look at the genetics behind it.
Two male calicos in one litter is the kind of twist that makes people do the math twice. Read on.
Calico coloration is related to the X chromosome. Because it’s a recessive gene, cats need to have two X chromosomes to exhibit the calico phenotype (two X chromosomes result in calico color and pattern).
Like humans, cats also have two sex chromosomes, females have XX, and males have XY. So how did we end up with two calico males? Well, they happen to have an extra X chromosome, XXY. This is a rare occurrence, and it’s called Klinefelter Syndrome in humans.
That same “impossible odds” vibe shows up in the white lion and white tiger who produced white liger cubs.
Science aside, these five kittens are as sweet as can be, and they will definitely make great companions for those lucky enough to adopt them. The two male kittens have already been adopted by the same family, but some of their sisters still require loving homes. Visit The Cat House on the Kings to find out more about them!
After two calico males in one litter, meet 50 orange cats who act like TV royalty.
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