Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

Skip to comments.

Colorado rescue discovers rare male calico 'unicorn' kitten
UPI ^ | APRIL 25, 2023 / 4:00 PM | By Ben Hooper

Posted on 04/27/2023 7:05:37 AM PDT by Red Badger

A cat being cared for by the NoCo Kitties rescue in Colorado was found to be a male calico kitten, a feline so rare they are known as "unicorn" kittens. Photo courtesy of NoCo Kitties/Facebook

April 25 (UPI) -- An animal rescue group said one of its volunteers is currently caring for a male calico kitten, a feline so rare they are often called "unicorn" kittens.

NoCo Kitties in Loveland said the kitten and his siblings were born in a Weld County shed and were turned over to the Weld County Humane Society before coming to NoCo Kitties.

Volunteer Alli Magish, who is fostering the three kittens and their mother, Amber, said she started to suspect one of the three calicos might be male, and a veterinarian confirmed it.

Only one in 3,000 calico kittens are born male, veterinarians said. Calicos typically end up with the coloration due to getting different color genes from the X chromosomes they receive from their parents. Male kittens usually only have one X and one Y chromosomes, but can sometimes end up with calico coloring when they receive XXY chromosomes.

Experts said male calicos can also be the result of chimerism, which involves some cells in an individual's body having XX chromosomes and others having XY chromosomes.

The coloring can also result from random mutations of skin cells, but that is the rarest cause of calico color in males, experts said.

NoCo Kitties said the kitten, dubbed Charlie the Unicorn, will eventually be made available for adoption.


TOPICS: Pets/Animals; Weird Stuff
KEYWORDS: cat; cats; colorado; cryptobiology; godsgravesglyphs; helixmakemineadouble; kittehs; loveland; malecalico; nocokitties; transgenderkitten; unicornkitten; vikingkitties; weldcounty
Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last

1 posted on 04/27/2023 7:05:37 AM PDT by Red Badger
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

I heard Dr Pol say that it is possible for a calico to be male, I have never seen one though. Neat.


2 posted on 04/27/2023 7:09:08 AM PDT by Gary from Dayton (Scary unvaccinated American )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Awwwwwwwwwwwwww... what a cutie.


3 posted on 04/27/2023 7:09:34 AM PDT by Carriage Hill (A society grows great when old men plant trees, in whose shade they know they will never sit.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

I’ve read and have been told that male calicos are born sterile. True/Not True?


4 posted on 04/27/2023 7:10:47 AM PDT by BlackbirdSST (Trump or Bust! Long live the Republic.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Yes, but does the kitten IDENTIFY as a male?

Mighty presumptuous for people to assume it’s a male calico.


5 posted on 04/27/2023 7:13:06 AM PDT by Responsibility2nd (Donald Trump is a setting sun. Ron DeSantis is a rising star.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

🥰😍😻


6 posted on 04/27/2023 7:13:34 AM PDT by leaning conservative (snow coming, school cancelled, yayyyyyyyyy!!!!!!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BlackbirdSST
I’ve read and have been told that male calicos are born sterile. True/Not True?

If they have Kitty Klinefelter's Syndrome (XXY), that is likely true.
7 posted on 04/27/2023 7:14:10 AM PDT by Dr. Sivana ("If you can’t say something nice . . . say the Rosary." [Red Badger])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Watch the trannies claim this cat as their mascot.


8 posted on 04/27/2023 7:15:22 AM PDT by dragonblustar (Democrats groom then butcher children and call it gender affirming. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gary from Dayton

1 in three thousand is rare but given the number of kittens born there are a fair amount


9 posted on 04/27/2023 7:15:40 AM PDT by Chickensoup (Genocide is here. Leftist extremists are spearhheading the Genocide against conservatives. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

A whole lot of Maine Coon Cat there.

Check out YouTube and “maine coon cat doors”. It’s fun.

They love snow, rain, and more. And come in and shake it off in the kitchen like a long haired dog.

Great (very large) cats.


10 posted on 04/27/2023 7:16:18 AM PDT by Blagden Alley
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BlackbirdSST

True.

If it’s fertile, it’ll be worth a fortune.


11 posted on 04/27/2023 7:18:51 AM PDT by Professional Engineer (Looks like I'll have to buy the White Album again.)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: dragonblustar

Don’t give them any ideas.


12 posted on 04/27/2023 7:19:17 AM PDT by Macho MAGA Man (The last two weren't balloons. One was a cylindrical objects )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 8 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Awww, he is cute!

We had a female Calico years ago, She was the sweetest thing. Unfortunately, we lost her to Feline Leukemia.


13 posted on 04/27/2023 7:20:50 AM PDT by telescope115 (My feet are on the ground, and my head is in the stars. A Man, and proud of it!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: Gary from Dayton
I heard Dr Pol say that it is possible for a calico to be male, I have never seen one though. Neat.

I almost bought a Maine Coon kitten sired by a male calico named RW (Regional Winner) SGC (Supreme Grand Champion) Dawntreader Calboy. He is one big gorgeous dude. I ended up getting another tortie and white from an East Coast breeder.


14 posted on 04/27/2023 7:21:38 AM PDT by EinNYC
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

The orange patch above his nose sort of looks like a horn, so yes he’s a unicorn.

Did I use the right pronouns?


15 posted on 04/27/2023 7:23:37 AM PDT by Fresh Wind (Soros on assisting the Nazis with the Holocaust: "That's when my character was made.")
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BlackbirdSST

A local vet had a sign up that said she’d neutered one. I imagine that breeding them would result in some undesirable characteristics.


16 posted on 04/27/2023 7:24:10 AM PDT by gundog (It was a bright cold day in April, and the clocks were striking thirteen. )
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Gary from Dayton
I heard Dr Pol say that it is possible for a calico to be male, I have never seen one though. Neat.

A friend had one. Psycho cat from Hell, named Uggo (sp?).

Lots of calico kittens in the neighborhood.

17 posted on 04/27/2023 7:52:33 AM PDT by null and void (Attention! Non-compliant Resident Alert! Attention! Non-compliant Resident Alert! Attention! Non-com)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 2 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger

Awwww I want him! He is just so adorable!


18 posted on 04/27/2023 8:05:13 AM PDT by JoJo354 (We need to get to work, Conservatives!)
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 1 | View Replies]

To: BlackbirdSST

Well, XYY or XXY humans are generally fertile, but some produce more abnormal sperm, which is a big cause of infertility. So I would think it’s probably about the same with cats. Some will be sterile, not directly because of the extra chromosome, but because of the sperm abnormalities that sometimes accompany it.


19 posted on 04/27/2023 9:24:20 AM PDT by Boogieman
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | To 4 | View Replies]

To: Red Badger; StayAt HomeMother; Ernest_at_the_Beach; 1ofmanyfree; 21twelve; 24Karet; ...
Thanks Red Badger. Calickitteh. DNA topic, cryptobiology topic, nice pull!

20 posted on 04/27/2023 11:13:24 AM PDT by SunkenCiv (Democrato delenda est. [thanks Fai Mao])
[ Post Reply | Private Reply | View Replies]


Navigation: use the links below to view more comments.
first 1-2021-30 next last

Disclaimer: Opinions posted on Free Republic are those of the individual posters and do not necessarily represent the opinion of Free Republic or its management. All materials posted herein are protected by copyright law and the exemption for fair use of copyrighted works.

Free Republic
Browse · Search
General/Chat
Topics · Post Article

FreeRepublic, LLC, PO BOX 9771, FRESNO, CA 93794
FreeRepublic.com is powered by software copyright 2000-2008 John Robinson