Extremely Rare Male Tortie Spotted Wandering The Streets Of UK To The Astonishment Of Cat Enthusiasts Everywhere

The chance of a male tortie being born is approximately 1 in 3000.

Liezel

• Published in Animal Stories
• May 8, 2022

All cats are unique and beautiful in their very own ways but there is something a little bit more special about tortoiseshell cats or for short, "stories." Their coats for one are especially eye-catching and they also have a reputation for being pretty feisty.

Torties aren't a specific breed of cats, however. They're simply a group of cats that have a distinctive coat pattern like that of a tortoiseshell.

The pattern combines two colors often described as ginger-red and black and never white. The red patches can sometimes be more on the yellow, orange, or gold side while the black can sometimes be more chocolate, gray, or tabby.

If you're thinking of cats with a tri-colored coat though, those aren't torties but calico cats. These cats can often also have tortoiseshell patterns that's why they're easy to mix up with each other.

In many countries and cultures, torties are actually considered to be good luck. In Ireland, they're said to bring their owners good fortune while in Japan, they're said to protect ships from bad storms and shipwrecks and sometimes, even ghosts.

Male torties are extremely rare, however, and they can be pretty hard to find. That's why a lot of people, especially the cat enthusiasts were pretty dumbstruck when they found this male tortie just simply wandering the streets of Colwyn Bay in the UK.

See, tortie cats are almost always female.

The chances of a male tortie being born are approximately 1 in 3000. What makes them so unique?

According to science, the gene that has the black and orange shades on a cat's coat is found on the X chromosome. So, to be born a male, calico cats and stories have to have two XXs and one Y chromosome instead of the normal one X and one Y.

That's why when this male tortie was found wandering the streets, he immediately became the center of attention.

The five-month-old kitty was picked up by the Royal Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals (RSPCA) and then handed over to the Wrexham Adoption Centre.

According to Suzan Kennedy, the center manager, everyone was pretty surprised when they realized that the kitten had beaten the genetic odds by being born as a boy.

“Certainly none of us here have ever seen a male tortoiseshell before, and it’s been many years since Cats Protection has had one in care, despite us helping 200,000 cats a year,” she said.

The rare cat was named Cresta.

For such a unique creature, finding his forever family wasn't such a big deal at all. Suzan shared that his new family was aware of how special he is and couldn't wait to bring him home. She also mentioned that the kitten was perfectly healthy and there was nothing to worry about.

“Although it’s rare, there shouldn’t be any health problems for Cresta,” Suzan said. “Male tortoiseshells tend to be sterile but he has been neutered to be on the safe side to prevent unwanted kittens being born in the future.”

As it seems, everyone is definitely happy for Cresta. His dark days wandering the streets and wondering where his next meal will be coming from are finally over.

Hopefully, he would have plenty of love and care to enjoy in his forever home. He definitely deserves that kind of love, especially with how special he is.

Liezel