SHELL SHOCK Tortie boy beats odds
MEET Britain’s rarest rescue cat, who confounded the odds to be a MALE tortoiseshell.
These feisty black and orange cats are female – as a rule. So little kitten Miracle gave RSPCA staff a real surprise when he was handed in.
The charity’s Penny Skates said: “When the cattery staff at our rehoming centre told me we had a male tortoiseshell I just presumed they had made a mistake.
“I explained to them you just can’t get a male tortie.
“But when I did take a look at him, it was clear we had a little boy and not a girl.
“I have worked with animals for more than 40 years and through my work at the charity I’ve seen hundreds if not thousands of kittens and not one has ever been a male tortoiseshell.
“He’s caused quite a stir at our centre because no one has ever seen a male tortie before. We have named him Miracle because to us he really is a kitten out of the ordinary.”
Male cats, like human males, have
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Petplanuk. only one X chromosome in their DNA so they should be unable to inherit the different colour genes that make up the tortie colouring.
There are almost 11 million pet cats in the UK.
And according to research, only one in every 3,000 tortoiseshell kittens is born male. So whenever one is born it is a rare event.
Miracle and his brother Shadow had been taken to the Eau Brink Rehoming Centre in Norfolk by their owner.
Penny, who is chairman of the charity’s Norfolk West branch trustees, added: “Miracle really is a gorgeous little character.
“He absolutely adores his brother Shadow so when we do look to rehome they will be rehomed together because they are inseparable.”
Male tortoiseshells are caused because of an extra gene being present. They are usually sterile and can have health problems.
They are viewed as lucky in many countries. In America, torties are sometimes referred to as money cats.
MY cat is 14 and has started bumping into things. I’m worried she may be blind. Is there a test to check if she is losing her vision or is just growing clumsy with age?
Lucky
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