Learn about cat breeds Isabelle
The cat Isabelle: who is he? Is it a separate breed?
The Isabelle cat is not a
breed of cat in its own right, but this term designates a tomcat whose coat
is made up of three colors: white, red and black. If this dress is
appreciated and sometimes sought after, it is actually a genetic anomaly
that causes it. Thus, it is not possible to request an isabelle cat from
a breeder, because any purebred or alley cat can be affected by this
genetic anomaly and present an isabelle coat. This peculiarity is
therefore impossible to predict or even suspect depending on the coat
colors of the two parents. Moreover, there are no two identical isabelle
cats, because their dress is unique. The appearance of the Isabelle
dress is linked to a fascinating genetic anomaly that has been the
subject of many very serious scientific studies. It would seem that the
genetic code for the black or orange coat is only found in the X
chromosome. Remember that the female has XX chromosomes and the male has
XY chromosomes. The consequence of this genetic anomaly is that 99.9% of
Isabella cats are female. Indeed, this is explained by the fact that the
black color and the orange color of the coat are only found in the X
chromosome, which the female has twice; she can therefore have the genes
for a black dress and an orange dress at the same time. In contrast, the
male has only one X chromosome, so he can only be black or orange, not
both at the same time. It should be notedthat the white color of the
coat is expressed independently of the sex of the cat. It manifests
itself randomly, which is why a cat can present an orange and black coat
by the X chromosomes while white appears, which gives it an isabelle
coat.
Isabelle cat and calico cat
The Isabelle cat owes its name to Queen Isabella of Castile. Legend
has it that the Queen of Spain refused to change her dress until the
city of Granada fell into the hands of her soldiers. The fact ofhaving
kept his royal dress for so long and of having traveled to the various
military camps wearing it have tinted his beautiful toilet in black,
red and white. It is in homage to this sovereign that the Isabelle
cats bear her name.
There are nevertheless males with an Isabella coat, but these are
extremely rare and this phenomenon is explained by a chromosomal
anomaly. The male cat then has three chromosomes (XXY) instead of two
(XY). Thepresence of two X chromosomes can trigger both a black and
orange coat and the presence of white can give it a tricolor coat.
Unfortunately, this anomaly, also called Klinefelter syndrome, is a
form of trisomy that occurs during fertilization. These male cats are
infertile and have a short life expectancy due to the many health
issues they encounter. An Isabelle cat has three colors. When the
three colors of black, red and white form spots, it is called a
calico cat. Not to be confused with tortoiseshell cats, only ginger and black,
which are affected by another form of chromosomal abnormality.
What is the character of the Isabelle cat?
It is difficult to assume that the color of the coat has a real
influence on the character of acat. However, some studies seem to show
that Isabelle females are very maternal and that these cats tend to
get irritated more quickly than others. Nevertheless, most feline
spécialises believe that this heightened sensitivity is not specific
to Isabella cats and that it does not characterize them
all.
Each cat develops its character and adapts its behavior to its
environment. If the majority of isabelle cats have short or
medium-long coats, there are some with long and thick fur. Either way,
these felines are gorgeous and just as adorable as the rest.
- In Japan, the tricolor cat is a famous lucky animal, the Maneki Neko. It is said that it would bring luck to its master and that it would bring him fortune. True or not, the Isabelle cat is very popular in Asia where it always evokes happy omens.
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Cats Breeds