What Is a Muted Calico Cat?

A muted calico cat is not a breed but a domestic cat with a blue, cream and white color pattern. Many cat breeds, including the Persian, Manx and Turkish van, have the muted calico pattern. Most muted calico cats are female although sometimes a male muted calico cat does happen due to abnormal genetics.

  1. Calico

    • The standard colors for a calico cat are orange, black and white. Two X chromosomes are required to create the calico color pattern. In a cat, the X chromosome has a gene that controls fur color. Each gene can come in one of two possible forms (alleles). In the standard color combination, one allele codes for black fur while the other codes for orange fur. A female cat can thus have one of three possible genetic combinations: two X chromosomes with two black alleles, two X chromosomes with two orange alleles or one X chromosome with the black allele and the other X chromosome with the orange allele. During the embryonic development of the cat, a process called Lyonization causes one X chromosome in each cell to deactivate. This means that in the third genetic combination, either the X chromosome with the black allele or the X chromosome with the orange allege is expressed in certain areas, causing the orange and black patches. An additional genetic condition called piebalding causes parts of the animal to have unpigmented (white) areas, resulting in a cat with the three-color pattern.

    Muted Calico

    • If a cat has blue, cream and white coloring instead of the usual orange, black and white, it is a muted calico cat. Muted calico cats inherited blue and cream alleles instead of the usual orange and black alleles. Muted calico cats are also referred to as dilute calico cats. The Cat Fanciers' Association refers to the blue, cream and white coloring pattern as dilute calico. The Cat Fanciers' Association accepts muted calico as a breed standard color combination for several breeds, including the Persian and Manx.

    Male Muted Calicos

    • Since two X chromosomes are required to have the muted calico color pattern, most muted calico cats are female. Sometimes however, a male muted calico cat is born because it inherited XXY chromosomes instead of the usual XY. This genetic abnormality is known as the Klinefelter Syndrome. When this happens, the cat develops the muted calico color pattern the same way as female cats.

    Size and Personality

    • Since muted calico is not a breed, a muted calico cat's size and personality varies according to its breed. The Manx is one cat breed that produces muted calico cats. The Manx is a solidly muscled, medium-sized cat with a round head, short front legs and short or long hair. They can have a short tail or no tail at all. They are intelligent, playful and love human companionship. In contrast, Persian cats are much rounder, with a flat face, very thick coat and bushy tail. Persians are known for their gentle and quiet personalities. The only thing common between all muted calico cats are their colors.