Rare Male Calico Unicorn Cat Found in Colorado Shelter is One in 3000

A rare unicorn cat was discovered in a shelter in Colorado. According to experts, there is only a 1 in 3000 chance for a male calico to occur.

Rare Unicorn Cat: A Male Calico

A male calico cat that was born in Colorado has an extremely unusual trait, which is a rare animal miracle.

The calico kitten was born in Weld County and later traveled from the Humane Society to Loveland-based NoCo Kitties, a foster-focused rescue, where a volunteer unexpectedly discovered the kitten's sex.

According to the Cornell College of Veterinary Medicine, only one in 3,000 calico cats is male, so neither NoCo founder Davida Dupont nor either of the veterinarians who verified the kitten's sex had ever seen one before.

Dupont claimed that all they could think about was how fascinating and enjoyable it was.

Dupont also mentioned that this little kitten was given the name "Unicorn" because of the rarity of male calicos, which was also mentioned in a 2022 Treehugger article from the previous year.

Female Calicos

Calicos are distinguished by their distinctive tricolor tortoiseshell coats, which are primarily white with patches of black and brown. The cat is referred to as a tortoiseshell if it only has these final two hues. Given that the X chromosome is linked to the genetic determination of their coat colors, the tricolor coat of calicos explains why they are almost exclusively female.

Male mammals have one X and one Y chromosome (XY), inheriting the Y from their fathers, while female mammals have two X chromosomes (XX). One of the colors in female calicos typically results from the mother's X chromosome, while the other color usually results from the father's X chromosome. Since their gene only corresponds to one color, male XY calicos cannot grow the patchy tricolor coats.

Klinefelter Syndrome

Calico male cats, like the kitten from Weld County, are uncommon and usually have Klinefelter Syndrome, which means they have an additional X chromosome. Although this allows the individual to develop the rare calico coat, it also generally makes them sterile. Of the already rare one in 3,000 male calico cats, only one in 1,000 is capable of procreation. Cats with Klinefelter Syndrome could live shorter lives and be more susceptible to diabetes and heart disease, among other conditions.

Chimerism, in which the genetic codes of the cells within one single individual differ, can also result in the development of male calicos. Thus, some cells would have XX chromosomes while others have XY chromosomes. A male cat may also develop a calico coat color as a result of this. Additionally, although it is extremely rare, random skin cell mutations in male cats can result in them developing calico coats.

Hopes for a Fundraiser

Due to his rarity, it's believed that Unicorn might attract more interest than usual to NoCo. Dupont aims to hold a fundraiser to cover the adoption's $195 standard fee so Unicorn can go to the best possible home.

Dupont predicted that he would likely receive sizable adoption offers, but the team wanted the male calico to be given the best home possible, which is not necessarily the highest bidder, Newsweek reports.