Why Are Calico Cats Called "Universal Cats" and What Breeds Can They Mate With?

Calico cats are often referred to as "universal cats" not because they can magically produce any breed, but due to the unique way their coat color genetics works. The term 'universal' in this context refers to the fact that their unique color pattern doesn't dictate the breed of their offspring. Instead, the father's breed characteristics are more dominant in the kittens' breed traits. Calico cats can indeed mate with a variety of breeds, such as Silver Shaded and Tabby cats.

Understanding Calico Genetics

The term "universal color" is a bit misleading. A calico cat’s coat pattern, a mix of white, black, and orange, is primarily a sex-linked trait. This means that it's predominantly expressed in females. The genetic makeup of a calico allows for a wide range of coat patterns in their offspring, but it doesn't mean they produce any breed. For example, if a calico mates with a blue cat, the kittens may exhibit calico, cream, blue and white or blue patterns. Similarly, a calico paired with a blue and white cat can produce offspring with calico, cream, or blue and white coats. If your goal is to breed cream or dilute calico cats, mating a calico blue with a blue and white cat has a high chance of producing the cream or dilute calico kittens.

Calico Cats and Breed Inheritance

It's important to note that calico is not a breed itself but rather a coat pattern. Calico cats are almost always female due to the genetics of the color expression. The calico trait is not dominant in inheritance; therefore when a calico cat mates with a tabby cat, the male offspring will likely be tabby and if with a silver shaded cat, then the male will likely be silver shaded. The female offspring from such pairings are less than 50% likely to be calico. Without specific breeding goals, a calico can technically breed with any breed of cat. The issue with mating a calico is that the result of offspring’s coat may not be as expected, as the female calico is likely to pass on a random coat pattern. The offspring of a calico may have a mixed patterns. Furthermore, even when two pure white cats mate, there's a chance they could produce a calico female or a cat with other seemingly random colors. Cat coat colors are mainly controlled by their genetic makeup, so it's difficult to predict and guarantee specific and beautiful color patterns in offspring.

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