This little calico boy is the second male calico Dr. Smith at Central Texas Cat Hospital has ever seen in his 54 years of practice. He's truly a rare gem.
Meet Frank the cat!
"Not only is he a male calico but he is a Scottish Fold on top of that. He really is 1 in a million!" they wrote via Facebook.
Only one out of every 3,000 calico cats is male, according to a study by the College of Veterinary Medicine at the University of Missouri. Why is a male calico cat rare?
Just like humans, cats have two sex chromosomes that determine gender. Female cats have only X chromosomes while male cats have both X and Y chromosomes. A calico or tortoiseshell must have two X chromosomes which means the kitty is going to be female 99.99% of time.
The calico pattern exists in male cats is because the cat has an extra X-chromosome: two X, one Y (male). In humans, this condition is known as Klinefelter Syndrome.
Frank is not the only male calico that has been reported.
String the cat is also a boy calico. He came to Southern Pines Animal Shelter through animal control.
This adorable boy is now happy and loved at his forever home.
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