Cats are animals with dignity, grace and beauty at the same time. The tricolor cat keeps aloof among them. A similar color is not so common, among other things, it is shrouded in an aura of mystery.
Tricolor cats are usually spotted or partially colored. As a rule, their skins are white with orange or black spots. The tortoiseshell color is considered practically the same, but this is not entirely true: the "turtle" has black-orange fur with or without white spots, while the tricolor cat has a white base color. In the understanding of a common man in the street, a tortoiseshell cat or a cat, tricolor or three-haired are the same thing. It is worth noting that the tricolor and tortoiseshell color has nothing to do with cat breeds - it is only the color of the coat, nothing more.
Are there tricolor cats?
Although very rare, tricolor males are still born. On this occasion, studies were carried out, according to which there is only one cat for three thousand cats with a similar color.
Here the whole thing is in chromosomes, the set of which is different in females and males. According to genetic rules, for a male, the chances of getting a coloration with three colors are negligible. And those rare cases when this still happens can be regarded as miracles of nature.
Due to an abnormality associated with the presence of an extra chromosome in the genetic set, such cats are sterile. This means that tricolor cats do not have the opportunity to continue the race and pass on tricolor to their offspring. Rare coloration can only be transmitted through the female line.
A cat has two X chromosomes - XX, and cats have one X and one Y. The X chromosome is responsible for the appearance of red and black color, and the presence of white color is “to blame” for another chromosome. In a cat, due to the presence of XX chromosomes, the simultaneous appearance of red and black colors along with white is possible. In the case of males, one X chromosome gives either red color or black. This feature leads to the fact that the tricolor color is mainly found not in cats, but in cats. Acquisition of a tricolor cat is considered a rare success all over the world.
Breeds of three-haired cats and cats
Tricolor cats can have different colors. However, basically they are all divided into two types. The first is a color called calico, in which the predominant colors are black and red. Also in the color there are fuzzy white spots, and there are no silvery, smoky shades. The second is the harlequin color. Such animals are almost completely white, only a small part of the fur is colored in a different color - usually these are spots on the tail, back or muzzle.
Not all cat breeds can have three-haired hairs among their representatives. Basically, this phenomenon occurs in outbred and short-haired animals. It is almost impossible to breed three-haired cats by selection, and even more so cats. Even among the offspring of domestic three-haired cats, it is difficult to predict the appearance of exactly three-colored kittens. Breeders can only increase the chances of giving birth to such individuals, but the result will depend more on luck.
