Capone is a very rare male calico. Only 1 in 3000 calicoes are male, and it is due to a genetic anomaly known as Klinefelter's syndrome.
For a cat to be a calico, it takes two X genes, one carrying an orange characteristic and one carrying the non-orange characteristic (usually black). Since a cat needs the XX combination of genes to be calico, it means 99.99 percent of the calicoes out there are female, giving rise to the myth of "there's no such thing as a male calico," something my vet told us on our first visit. Boy, was she nonplussed when she realized Capone really was male. She said, in her 10 years as a vet, she had never actually seen a male calico!!!
These rare XXY male calico cats rarely live past the age of two, are usually sterile, and are prone to numerous genetic disorders. We got very lucky on this boy. He's 5 years old, which means no early death, he doesn't seem to have any cognitive disabilities, our confounded vet had to shave him to see his underdeveloped manhood, but it's there... barely.
The only problem he's having is some stomach ailments as we try to find food he can digest, and he is FAT. The last owner took him to the vet, worried about diabetes. He's on a special diet now, but the weight just isn't going off. It might be another genetic thing, we don't know.
He gets along great with Stetson and seems to be calming him down, or at least distracting him. He's got a wonderful playful side to him and really tears after his dangly play stick thing.
He's been declawed (poor kitty, don't ever do that to cats, people!) but he quickly realized he has the weight over Stetson. When they play together, he does this sumo wrestling pounce and floors Stetson right down. It's hilarious to see this pudgy cat do a smackdown on Stetson, who is longer and more muscular (not fat, but big) but not anywhere near Capone's whopping 24 pounds!!!
We found him on Craig's List. The last owner had to get rid of him due to a boyfriend with allergies, and being declawed, he can't be tossed outside. Poor guy, I say toss the boyfriend outside!!!
Anyway, she said his name was Chubbs (totally appropriate) but that before that, when she got him, his name had been Capone. She thought that was a terrible name for a cat. Matt and I looked at each other and nodded. Yep, that's the perfect name for our little pudge ball.
Plus, "Stetson and Capone" just sound good together.
One interesting thing to note: black cats are considered unlucky, and calico cats are considered lucky. So they balance each other, a sort of yin-yang thing. Of course, I think all cats are wonderful, no matter the color of their fur, and all cat owners are doubly lucky to take in such quixotic and lovable pets!
