Cat genetics: Why males and females have different color possibilities

Our two beautiful tortoiseshell kittens, Everest & Scarlette. Both are females just like all tortoiseshell and calicos cats are. When I was a kid I assumed that was just an old wives tale but genetic testing has proved it's a fact.

Also if you see a solid cat, odds are most likely it's a male. This is because cats color gene is located on the X chromosome, which means males have 1 color gene and females have 2 color genes. Each color gene can have 1 solid color or 2 colors like the typical tabby.

That means male cats can only be 2 different colors max, and female cats can have up to 4 different colors.

Plus can you ever get enough kitten pics 😁
Take care and I hope to be back soon.