Calico cats are almost always female because the locus of the gene for the orange/non-orange coloring is on the X chromosome.
It's a fact that almost all calico cats are female because of the unique chromosomal makeup that determines the color variations in their coats. The sex chromosomes (X and Y) determine whether a cat will be male or female.
Since the X chromosome has the orange coat color gene, and male cats only need one X chromosome from their mother to become orange, most orange cats are male.
“Since the genes for sex and hair colors are on different chromosomes, they are inherited independently of each other. Thus, no color is associated with a particular sex, except in cats and hamsters.”
The actual, scientific fact of the matter is that most calicos and torties are female. There are some rare exceptions! According to a study by the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, only about 1 in 3,000 calico cats are male!
Parti-color cats (blue-cream, tortie, calico) are almost always female, but males can and do occur occasionally (and are not always sterile). A white cat must have a white parent.
Because the genetic determination of coat colors in calico cats is linked to the X chromosome, calicoes are nearly always female, with one color linked to the maternal X chromosome and a second color linked to the paternal X chromosome.
Ginger cats are more likely to be male than female. *This is because the “ginger gene” which produces the orange color is on the X chromosome. Females have two X chromosomes and so need two copies of this gene to become ginger, whereas males need only one.
About 80 percent of red cats are male and only 20 percent are female. A male red cat can only be born from a mother who is red, calico, or tortoiseshell. A female red cat can only be born from a cross between a male red cat and a female red, calico, or tortoiseshell cat.
Only about 1 in 5 orange tabby cats is female
Because females possess two Xs and males possess XY, male cats only need the orange gene from their mothers to become a ginger—making them much more likely to carry on the trait.
Appearance. Like calicos and tortoiseshells, tuxedo cats are not a breed. Instead, they are defined by their distinct black and white bicolored (or piebald) coats that resemble traditional formal wear. However, while calico and tortoiseshell cats are predominantly female, tuxedo cats can be either male or female.
All tortoiseshell and tortoiseshell and white (Calico) cats are female. But not all gingers are male, though most are. The reason is that in cats the colour gene is carried on the X chromosome.
The gender distribution of white cats is roughly equal between males and females. The white coloration in cats is determined by a dominant white gene, which affects fur pigmentation and can be present in both male and female cats.
While any breed of cat can be born with calico fur, the vast majority of these cats are female, with only about one in three thousand calico cats born male according to the Humane Society.
Entirely or primarily black cats will be less likely adopted—and more likely euthanized—than cats of other colors.
Orange cats were regarded as the friendliest by respondents, while white cats were labeled aloof, and tortoiseshell cats were thought to have too much "attitude." The subject was revisited in a University of California Davis study a few years later. This time, results were tabulated from 1,274 completed surveys.
Black cats seem to be the most common coat color and sadly also the least desirable at adoption time. In fact, black cats are half as likely to find a home than a cat of another color.
A mother cat can produce some kittens that look almost identical to her, as well as others that look completely different. This variation occurs because offspring are not identical copies of one parent, with the exact same set of genes. Instead, each offspring is a combination of its two parents.
Male kittens will always inherit their colour from their mother, whereas female kittens will be a combination of the colours of each parent.
There are two basic colors of cats, black and red. These are called “dominant” colors. The color of all cats relates to these two colors in some way, by changing the color or covering it up. There is also a “dilute” of each color.
It's Rare To Find an All-Black Cat
While some cats are indeed black from head to toe, this is actually rare. Most black cats have some other coloring in their whiskers, paw pads, or random patches of fur.
Orange tabby cats are usually male.
According to the BBC's Focus Magazine, the ginger gene in cats works a little differently compared to humans; it is on the X chromosome. Males only need one copy of the gene to become a ginger cat while female cats have two X chromosomes and require two copies of the gene.
For females to be ginger they'll need the 'O' chromosome on both 'X' chromosomes, if they have 'Oo' instead, they'll be calico or ginger. Due to the fact females have so many more possible combinations, they're less likely to be ginger and as such only 20% are.
Approximately 80% of ginger cats are male.
Females, however, need to receive copies of the gene from both parents, and the more copies of the gene she inherits, the more ginger she will be. Females with orange in their coats are more often tortoiseshells and calicos.