Post by Lady Ten on Sept 2, 2012 11:26:00 GMT -6
Most cats with a tortoiseshell pelt are female. This has to do with the fact that a normal tortie pelt requires two X-chromosomes (most male animals have one X and one Y). Thus, tortie toms are very rare, though not impossible. A tortie tom can result if:
-two embryos (one ginger, one black) fuse before birth (aka a case of "chimerism")
-the cat inherits an extra chromosome, making it an XXY male (aka a case of "Klinefelter Syndrome")
-somatic mutation, the least common cause, produces black birthmarks on a ginger tom
Messybeast has pages and pages of information on all this. The gist seems to be that tortie toms can be fertile, but they're just as likely to have a lot of other problems besides. Chimeras exhibit gender confusion, Klinefelter toms can have the same problem along with unusual weight gain and genetic defects, and so on (content warning on the links, btw; text discusses mating behaviors and organs). In short, tortie toms can happen, but they'd be very unlike other cats and they might find it difficult to survive in the wild. Anyone who has personal experience with tortie toms is welcome to share. Or even if you don't, you can add whatever you think about the side-effects of this gender-pelt combination.
-two embryos (one ginger, one black) fuse before birth (aka a case of "chimerism")
-the cat inherits an extra chromosome, making it an XXY male (aka a case of "Klinefelter Syndrome")
-somatic mutation, the least common cause, produces black birthmarks on a ginger tom
Messybeast has pages and pages of information on all this. The gist seems to be that tortie toms can be fertile, but they're just as likely to have a lot of other problems besides. Chimeras exhibit gender confusion, Klinefelter toms can have the same problem along with unusual weight gain and genetic defects, and so on (content warning on the links, btw; text discusses mating behaviors and organs). In short, tortie toms can happen, but they'd be very unlike other cats and they might find it difficult to survive in the wild. Anyone who has personal experience with tortie toms is welcome to share. Or even if you don't, you can add whatever you think about the side-effects of this gender-pelt combination.
