Hair length in cats can vary from longhaired to hairless. While the curliness of their fur is a defining feature, these cats can come in a variety of colours and patterns, including calico. These breeds often possess soft, plush coats, which may be short or long. Longhaired calico Calico cat Curly coated calicoĬurly-coated cat breeds, like the Selkirk Rex, Devon Rex, and Cornish Rex, stand out due to their distinctive wavy or curly fur, a result of specific genetic mutations. This can result in combinations like LL (homozygous dominant) or Ll (heterozygous), both producing shorthaired cats. If a cat inherits at least one dominant shorthaired allele (L), it will have short hair, regardless of the second allele. This means that for a cat to have long hair, it must inherit two copies of the recessive allele (ll). The allele for shorthaired fur is dominant, denoted by “ L“, while the allele for longhaired fur is recessive, represented by “ l“. Specifically, the gene responsible for fur length has two main alleles: one for short hair and one for long hair. The genetic underpinnings lie in the inheritance patterns of fur length in cats.

Shorthaired cats are more prevalent than their longhaired counterparts. In cats, this harlequin pattern is a variation of the piebald or white spotting effect. The term “harlequin” is often used in various animal breeds to describe a similar pattern of alternating colour and large areas of white.

Harlequin cat refers to a specific coat pattern in cats where the body is primarily white but with large patches of colour. The van pattern occurs when the cat inherits two copies of the white spotting gene, leading to widespread white on the body, with small patches of fur on the head and tail. This pattern is reminiscent of the traditional “Van” markings commonly associated with the Turkish Van breed although it can occur in some other breeds and random-bred cats. The van calico is characterised by its limited calico markings primarily on the head and tail, while the majority of the body remains white. The result is clumps of melanin in varying sizes along the hair shaft and areas that lack pigment, producing the illusion of a lighter coat colour. Melanin synthesis is normal in the dilute cat, however, the pigment granules are enlarged and deposited unevenly in the hair.

Dilution is recessive to dense, which means the cat must have two copies of the dilute gene (one from each parent). The dilute calico coat is made up of patches of cream, blue and white. On a side note, if the second colour was also tabby, the cat would be a caliby and not a calico. As noted, the red is always tabby, while the second dense colour is solid. The pattern consists of white, black and red patches and is commonly found in mixed-breed and purebred cats. This is the classic calico cat most of us know. Different types of calico cat Dense calico Calico cloth is traditionally white with patches of two other colours (often, but not always, black and orange) and was named after the city of Calicut (now known as Kozhikode), which was known for producing and exporting calico cloth. The name “ calico” originates from the pattern and colours of calico cloth which was made in the southwestern regions of India. However, some rare male calicos exist these cats usually have an extra X chromosome (XXY), a condition known as Klinefelter syndrome. Male cats, with their XY chromosomal structure, generally have only one of these colours along with white, since they have just one X chromosome. A female cat has two X chromosomes (X X), allowing her to display both black and orange colours, along with white which is dictated by a separate ‘white spotting’ gene.

The black, orange, blue, and cream are produced by two genes located on the X chromosome. The calico pattern is linked to the X chromosome.

Siberian mouse tonya