What is a Dilute Calico Cat? Vet Verified Facts (With Pictures)
Most people have heard of calico cats, though not everyone knows what they are. These cats are exceptionally beautiful, which is the reason for their popularity. But there’s an even rarer type of calico that’s just as beautiful, though notably different in appearance: the dilute calico.
If you’ve never heard of a dilute calico before, you’re not alone. Even if you’ve heard of one, it’s very likely that you’ve never actually seen one in person due to their incredible rarity. But what is a dilute calico cat and what makes them so special? Dilute calicos have the same tri-colored coat that calicos have, but the dilute gene causes the colors to be muted and appear faded. Let's take a look in detail.
What Is a Calico Cat?
A calico cat is a cat with a coat that displays three colors, with one of them being white. Most often, the other colors are black and orange. They’re prized for their gorgeous coats, but there’s a lot of misunderstanding surrounding these cats. Many people assume that calico is a breed, but it’s only a color pattern. This means that you can have calico cats in several breeds.
The coat of a calico cat features distinct patches of color with white being the base. This coloring can appear in many breeds, and calicos aren't rare among female cats. It's male calicos that are truly rare.
What Is a Dilute Calico Cat?
When thinking of dilute in relation to a cat’s coat, you can replace it with the synonym muted. Dilute calicos have the same tri-colored coat that calicos have, but the dilute gene causes the colors to be muted and appear faded. The orange will dilute to cream or strawberry-shaded blonde, and the black dilutes to gray or blue.
Dilute calicos are also called calimanco cats or clouded tigers.
Tortoiseshell vs Calico
You’ll often hear tortoiseshell and calico used interchangeably. While tortoiseshell and calico cats are very similar, they’re not actually the same thing.
Tortoiseshell cats also have tri-colored coats. However, the way that the colors present themselves is very different from a calico. Calico cats must have white as one of their colors and the other colors appear as patches over the white. Tortoiseshell cats don’t have white. Their colors are also blended and mixed instead of exhibiting specific patches of color.
Calico Breeds
As we mentioned, calico cats come in many breeds, though not all breeds can produce calicos. The breeds that can produce the calico coloring include:
Are All Calicos Female?
It takes a very unusual chromosome pattern to create a calico cat. The X chromosome carries the genes for color. Females have two X chromosomes while males have just one. For a cat to become calico, it must have an X chromosome with orange coloring and another X chromosome with black coloring. Furthermore, they require an unrelated gene to introduce the white coloring.
Because it requires two X chromosomes to create a tri-color coat in a cat, generally speaking, males cannot display such a coat. However, 1 out of every 3,000 calico cats is born male due to a genetic anomaly known as Klinefelter syndrome. Because of this, male calicos are usually sterile and may have health problems. Only 1 in 10,000 male calicos are fertile.
These cats may have less bone mineral content, which can mean a greater risk of broken bones. Some male calicos may also have behavioral problems due to mental development impairment. In addition, they may hold more body fat, which can raise the risk of diabetes and joint problems.
Conclusion
In many cultures, calico cats are thought to bring good luck. Considering how rare male calicos are, this just might be true! After all, only about 1 in 3,000 calicos is born male. But dilute calicos are rarer than standard calicos, sporting faded colors that make the cat appear pastel. Though they have the genes for displaying the same colors as a standard calico, dilute calicos will display white with muted cream or strawberry-blonde and gray instead of orange and black.
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Featured Image Credit: Mary Swift, Shutterstock
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Christian started writing for a local newspaper as a teenager, and he's been involved in the publishing industry for most of his adult life. Combining his love of writing with a passion for animals, he is currently the Director of Editorial at Pangolia and the Editor-in-Chief at Catster.
Christian lives in the Philippines with his wife, son, and four rescue cats: Trixie, Chloe, Sparky, and Chopper.
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