Is it true that a Tortie with white can only be female ?

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"I am not perfect and i don't have to be, before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean" - Bob Marley

https://sites.google.com/site/blisschalet/

never heard of that, but most tortie cats with 3 or more colours are 99% female with 1% chance of being males. Same with the ginger cat being mostly only male.

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Have: 4 Cats 3 Dogs currently
Have had: 6 cats

Dogs: German Shepherds
Cats: Ginger Tabby & Torbies

RIP: Ducati, Cheetah, Joy, Claire & Sapphire - Torties
Chloe - Black & White

Yes and no....

In order to be a Tortie a cat needs two X Chromosomes as being Tortie requires that the cat has a Red gene (ginger) on one X-chromosome and a contrasting Brown/dark colour gene on the other X-chromosome. Females obviously have two X-chromosomes, males have one X and one Y.

If the cat were to only have ONE X Chromosome which carried the Red gene (allele is the correct term) then obviously you get the classic Ginger Tom (which is why there are far more Ginger males than females btw) as the other chromosome is a Y-chromosome which can't carry the contrasting colour to give the Tortie appearance.

You CAN get Tortie males in cats which have mutations meaning they have genetic conditions giving them 3 sex-chromosomes e.g. XXY (Klinefelters). Often these cats have heart conditions as well though or other health problems.

Hope that helps?

x

Nothing to add to Kittehnoms post except that tortie males are 99% infertile I beieve, due to their chromosone mutations.

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Yep, as they cannot produce healthy sperm with single chromosome sets (as 3 cannot be evenly divided by two...)

x

just to add the 'with white' is completely irrelevant as it's a different gene that controls the white - so if it is tortie with or without white it's a jolly good bet that it is female.

EDIT: there is a moggy breeder on Pets$homes advertising a tortie male - looks female in face and build - I keep meaning to email him and let him know and then just can't be bothered!

As above Torties are a law unto themselves in lots of ways!

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Thanks thats really interesting.

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"I am not perfect and i don't have to be, before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean" - Bob Marley

https://sites.google.com/site/blisschalet/

Ooooo just spotted yours, very similar to the kittens i am referring to. Someone also said they have very definate personalities ?? have you found that??

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"I am not perfect and i don't have to be, before you start pointing fingers, make sure your hands are clean" - Bob Marley

https://sites.google.com/site/blisschalet/

My tortie def has a personality. She wants everything on her terms. Doesn't like to be picked up and cuddled. She is the only 1 out of the 3 that doesn't get on with the dog. Never had a cat like her before