It’s no secret that i really like torties. From my first office cat Virginia, to Amber, Buckley, Allegra and Ruby, there’s just something about these cats’ particular coloring, and their unique personalities, that has always appealed to me. Tortoiseshell cats are named for his or her coat color, which may be a mottled or brindled combination of brown, black, tan, gold, orange, and sometimes cream and blue. Those folks who fancy torties know that they need unique personalities, often mentioned as “tortitude.” They even have unique genetics. The overwhelming majority of tortoiseshell cats are female, because the two X chromosomes are required to supply black, gold, and orange coloring. Male cats only have one X and one Y chromosome , so technically it’s genetically almost impossible for a male to inherit the tortoiseshell coloring. A male tortoiseshell has an additional X chromosome, making it is an XXY. Consistent with a study by the school of medicine at the University of Missouri, just one in 3000 tortoiseshell cats is male. Given all that, it’s no wonder that i used to be excited once I found one among these rare male torties. Doodlebug belongs to Sharon, one among our readers. he's 16 months old and is that the son of Sharon’s other tortie, Callie. the very fact that he was a he came as quite surprise to Sharon. She actually called him Chloe for the primary few months of his life, and she or he was caught rather off guard when she took him for his first vet visit. I asked what the vet’s reaction was when he realized that he had one among these rare male torties as a patient. “He was actually pretty matter of fact,” reports Sharon. “He told me that he would change the gender notation within the record, which i'd want to seek out another name.” Male torties are believed to be sterile. Doodlebug is currently unneutered, but, says Sharon, “that will change the primary time he sprays something.” He’s an inside cat with limited access to an indoor yard, and her other three cats are spayed. Doodlebug has shown no interest in roaming, spraying, or mounting the opposite cats. The vet has given him a clean bill of health. As for tortitude, Doodlebug appears to be more laid back than the typical tortie. he's very mellow, and likes to spend hours drowsing next to Sharon while she is on the pc or watching tv. He are often a touch possessive when one among the opposite cats takes over “his” side of the chair, but he’s very gentle about nudging them out of his territory. Eating is another favorite hobby . additionally to his regular diet of dry cat chow , he enjoys sampling the regional cuisine, including fried catfish and crawfish. He also loves chicken and sausage gumbo and can happily eat even the okra in it. Because of their genetic rarity, some people mistakenly believe that male tortoiseshell cats are worth tons of cash . actually , they’re only worth the maximum amount as the other cat who is loved and valued by their owners, and as we all know, there's no tag on love.