Posted on 08/08/2007 8:10:49 PM PDT by Daffynition
ESCONDIDO - He looks like your standard alley cat, nothing to write home about.
But officials at the Escondido Humane Society say he is a rare specimen, a once-in-a-lifetime cat like none they have ever seen before. They call him Phinny, for phenomenon.
It wasn't until they were ready to spay Phinny that they found out he needed neutering instead. And that's how he got his name.
Phinny, you see, is a male tortoiseshell, a tricolor cat. He's not quite the missing link in the cat world, but is undoubtedly a rare quirk of nature, for reasons of genetics.
In my 15 years of working with animals, this is the first live male tortoiseshell that I've ever seen, said Staci Fitzgerald, the society's director of animal care. He's absolutely striking, a real genetic anomaly.
Andrew Klotz, a veterinarian at Acacia Animal Health Center in Escondido, agreed that Phinny isn't your typical cat.
It's pretty rare, said Klotz, who has seen only one male tortoiseshell in 23 years of practice.
That's because genetically speaking, Phinny is deformed.
Tortoiseshell cats, often called torties, have coats with a splotchy combination of black, orange and white. They are almost always females.
That's because their coat is the result of a combination of two forms of one gene carried only on the X chromosome, one of two that determine sex. The coloration expresses itself when one X carrying one form of the gene and another carrying the second form combine. Two X chromosomes equal female cat.
Because normal male cats are XY, a tortie is impossible.
A few cats are born with a genetic abnormality: an extra sex chromosome, an X-X-Y combination. If both Xs carry the gene for tricolor, a male tortie like Phinny can result. About one in 3,000 tortoiseshells are males, many experts said.
The extra chromosome, called Klinefelter's Syndrome, can come accompanied by deformities. Many cats with it don't exhibit the coloration or develop abnormally, Fitzgerald said.
Either it doesn't happen or they die, she said.
Phinny appears healthy and is developing normally, said Abigail Rowland, director of development at the humane society.
If you're thinking of adopting Phinny and cashing in, though, forget about it. Because only one in about 10,000 male torties, by some estimates, are fertile, they have no breeding value. The few that aren't sterile can't produce more male tortoiseshells.
It's a curiosity, more of a novelty than anything else, Klotz said.
Although Rowland has seen male torties advertised on the Internet for thousands of dollars, she said they are really no more valuable than any cat, except as a subject of conversation.
Phinny, who is about 6 months old, was found abandoned in Escondido along with his brother, an orange tabby named Bullseye.
Fitzgerald said staff members at the Humane Society referred to the cats as a playful brother-and-sister duo. It wasn't until they prepared Phinny for spaying that they discovered how unusual he was.
It was cool, said an animated Fitzgerald, who called friends to share her find.
Phinny is available for adoption at the summer special of $55, which includes neutering, vaccinations, a veterinarian's exam, a bag of food, deworming, microchipping and a microchipping registration fee.
All of our animals are the same price, whether they're purebred, rare or Heinz 57 mutt variety, Rowland said.
You’re added.
But right now our main worm problem is with the goats, the little critters are getting immune to all the chemical warfare agents and the vets are not sure what to do.
DWC, how old is your cat? Mine is 2 1/2. Here are some picture of my Molly. The first two were when she was a year old, and the last one was taken a couple of months ago. :o)
I wish I had, because I'd like it better than what I do now for a living (medical transcription).
Still, though, even though vet care is expensive for critters (from the client's point of view), most vets (especially small animal vets) usually have enough overhead that they're not rolling in money, except for a few specialists.
Many vets also do low-cost spay and neuter, plus low-cost vaccinations. I for one appreciate the opportunity to pay less. About six months ago I had a vet bill of $600 or so for one cat, and I really appreciated the opportunity to make payments on my bill.
Even if I had gotten into and through vet school, I'm pretty sure that I would probably not making any more money per year than I am now.
With long-haired cats it's admittedly more difficult. All three of mine will get mats and lumps sometimes... it's just that I can usually comb or brush them out with two of the cats, although my oldest one is not crazy about being brushed. She is declawed, but she has nipped me from time to time when I annoy her too much.
My prima donna red tortie... well, I started brushing her when she was really young, but I was probably too rough. My other cat at the time, a short-haired fella, loved being brushed briskly with a wire brush. However, that was too rough for the girl, who seemingly had sensitive skin; it took some time for her to decide she actually liked being brushed.
We started over again with her, using human hair brushes, including a baby's hair brush (which they all like on their faces). She will still run away at times if she thinks I'm going to mess with her.
The youngest one, who just got shaved down, well, I am going to have to work with her a bit. She started life as a feral; and although she loves being petted, she is just gonna have to get used to being combed and brushed enough to keep the mats at bay.
None of my cats is remotely related to a Persian, but I can now understand why Persian cats are a lot of work to keep up, and why some folks have them shaved down as well. I can imagine the nasty mats they would get--they're famous for being high-upkeep cats.
Oh! Isn’t your MMM (Miss Molly Maguire) just such a sweet-faced baby doll!? My MMM is 8 years old now and she is very settled in her ways. She likes her routines and doesn’t like it a bit if I deviate from ‘her’ schedule. LOL And she loves to be brushed! Gets very excited about being brushed and will nip in ecstasy if she gets too carried away with the bliss of it all. Joey thinks she’s half bubble off center.
I started brushing all of my kitties when they were babies so they’d be used to it. Some of them like it, some of them hate it ... Joey thinks I’m trying to kill him. LOL And they all get their claws clipped every 2 weeks. I just use a regular toenail clippers and snip snip snip as fast as I can so before they know what’s happened to them, it’s over. And with the summer here being so brutal, I have shaved Joey down in the past and gave him his summer coat. He fares better but this summer he’s put his little paw down and said ‘no way Jose ... get another hobby’ LOL
Is he any particular breed? He sort of resembles pictures I've seen of lynx-pointed Siberian cats. Siberians are triple-coated, so they have even more fur than other longhairs!!
I have a cat with the exact same coloring as Joey! Except my Smokey has short hair. But the coloring is exact. What breed is he? I figured Smokey was part Siamese. He has blue eyes.
The vet when he was a baby said that he resembles a Pixie Bob and he sure has the attitude to match! They’re supposed to be a bloodline that came from bobcats. He is a gorgeous little animal and he has his moments when he crawls all over me like a tiger demanding cuddles ... NOW! LOL and he weighs a serious ton that cat ... he looks to be all fluffy but he’s as solid as iron.
“The rule of thumb for fecals is that a minimum of five tests that are negative for parasites is the only way of determining that the cat is 90% negative for parasites...its easier to practice strategic deworming for the cat’s health.”
Many thanks for this explanation. Our cats are STRICTLY indoor animals. Nonetheless, our vet runs full fecal screenings on them because of our flea problems in Houston. He’s fond of saying, “A flea can ‘ride’ into your house on a grocery bag.” Good to know he practices medicine nearly as well as you do, right? I think so!
Wow, I’ve never heard of this. Interesting. Will look into this. Thanks.
Joey is a backyard-our-cat-had-kittens-want-one breed ... a mutt cat. But does look very much like the Pixie Bob breed but his tail isn’t bobbed. His siblings looked nothing like him at all. He was the only Mr. Perfect, IMO.
Here's G.G. ... (she looked so graceful and pretty with her new collar that she quickly ditched and I've never seen it again ... seven bucks!!! thank goodness for the chip)
Thank you very much! Behind that sweet face lies an ornery little girl. LOL! I got both of them from a litter of kitties (along with the mom), when I foster parented for the Human Society, so I've had them since they were two weeks old. Had I known how much fun and how loving they would be, I'd have done this long ago.
My MMM is 8 years old now and she is very settled in her ways. She likes her routines and doesnt like it a bit if I deviate from her schedule. LOL And she loves to be brushed! Gets very excited about being brushed and will nip in ecstasy if she gets too carried away with the bliss of it all. Joey thinks shes half bubble off center.
You're MMM is gorgeous. She has very pretty markings, and your kitties are adorable. I wish I would have kept more when I had their siblings. Now, I don't think they would take kindly to a kitty invading their happy home. Neither one of mine like to be brushed. They both try to chew on the brush while I'm brushing them. I think its a control thing. LOL Mr. Bubbles, (the white one) has long hair and if I don't brush him, My house would be buried in white hair. By the time I get through brushing him, I'm buried in white hair. ;o)
Well, thanks! *Blush* Here I thought I was absentmindedly babbling there! :P
If on the other hand, you were being sarcastic...well...I’m still going to blush and say thanks, as I wasn’t attempting to write a best seller. :P
Happy weekend! :)
I was not being sarcastic! I really thought it was a witty post.
It’s unusal due to the fact that the orange/black coat trait being tied to the X chromosone. In females one X chromosone is activated randomly in each cell, giving a random black/orange pattern. In Male Tricolor cats it requires a XXY mutation.
You know, you just can’t tell over the internet. I figured I should cover both bases, because if I came out and thanked you for the compliment, and you were being sarcastic...well, it would make me look like an even bigger fool. On the other hand, assuming sarcasm insults you, and makes me look like a fool. Darn this internet thing!! :P
Maybe we should enter him/her in the Kitty Olympics. does East Germany still field a team? :0)
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