Male Tortoiseshell

[kamijo]

I'm not sure where to put this so I'm just going to put it here and a mod can move it if need be.

I have an 18 day old male bluecream tortoiseshell, 1 of 3 in the litter of kittens that I'm hand raising because someone poisoned and killed their mother. So far they're fat and happy. Yet, I keep getting told by friends and family that he could end up with health problems because he's rare.

Now I've never owned a male tortoiseshell or calico and I know they are rare but not unheard of. So I'm wondering what kind of health problems he might end up having and if I need to rush him to a vet for a full checkup asap?

I plan on taking them all once they start eating wet food and get them looked at but I'm worried now that they might tell me somethings wrong with him because he's a male.

 

[amethyst]

If he has health issues due to being tortoiseshell the vet can't do much until issues arise as he gets older. He is likely to be sterile, but get him neutered anyway. The extra chromosome that causes him to be a tortie can cause Klinefelter's syndrome, which means he could have mental and physical developmental issues, which can lead to behavior issues, a shorter lifespan, reduced mineral content in his bones, so more prone to breaking, also be at a higher risk of joint pain, heart disease, and diabetes due to increased body fat then other cats.

It's also possible he could be perfectly fine.

 

[jcat]

My sister has a dilute tortoiseshell male in his teens that has had no health problems. We had a 2-year-old male tortie at the shelter that was perfectly fine.

 

[Kat0121]

He. Is. ADORABLE! I am melting like an ice cube in the Florida sun.

Like jcat said. While there are chances he will have health issues, the chances are also that he will be just fine- and gorgeous. What a precious baby

 

[kamijo]

Thank you all. I've been so worried about him since we realized he was a male. As for now he seems so healthy, eats like a horse, sleeps well and is so chill. He was also the first to start purring.

I really hope he doesn't get any problems as he grows.

 

[Kat0121]

Thank you all. I've been so worried about him since we realized he was a male. As for now he seems so healthy, eats like a horse, sleeps well and is so chill. He was also the first to start purring.

I really hope he doesn't get any problems as he grows.

We will all be sending him lots of good vibes that he lives a long, happy, healthy life.

Does he have a name yet? He looks like a George to me.

 

[kamijo]

We will all be sending him lots of good vibes that he lives a long, happy, healthy life.

Does he have a name yet? He looks like a George to me.

His name is Harvey and we've given his siblings all H names as well. His Brother is Heath who is grey wirh stripes and his sister is Harley who is a bluecream tortoiseshell like him but with much longer fur and a bit of a flatter face.

 

[jen]

Not to be rude but are you SURE its a boy? Can you show us his parts lol?

 

[kamijo]

Not to be rude but are you SURE its a boy? Can you show us his parts lol?

Yes, I'm 100% sure I know what a boy looks like. I've had cats my own life so I know what it looks like.

 

[Luckytheordinary]

Hello here’s a pic of my 4 1/2 month old male calico. He overall is healthy but he’s not the brightest cat ever. Sometimes he forgets where his food bowl is. But I think it makes him more flexible in other aspects for example currently were doing a renovation and he hasn’t even skipped a beat. He purrs loudly too.

 

[golondrina]

Hi Luckythe ordinary, a belated but hearty welcome to the Site. Excuse my ignorance but what do you mean by "doing a renovation"? What is his name by the way?

 

[Luckytheordinary]

Hi Luckythe ordinary, a belated but hearty welcome to the Site. Excuse my ignorance but what do you mean by "doing a renovation"? What is his name by the way?

Hello thank you for the welcome! Our basement flooded two weeks after we adopted Lucky and the damage extends to our main floor. So we are going through restoration and luckily(haha) Lucky doesn’t seem too fazed. (Sorry for straying away from the thread topic)

If he has health issues due to being tortoiseshell the vet can't do much until issues arise as he gets older. He is likely to be sterile, but get him neutered anyway. The extra chromosome that causes him to be a tortie can cause Klinefelter's syndrome, which means he could have mental and physical developmental issues, which can lead to behavior issues, a shorter lifespan, reduced mineral content in his bones, so more prone to breaking, also be at a higher risk of joint pain, heart disease, and diabetes due to increased body fat then other cats.

It's also possible he could be perfectly fine.

I also found similar information online although there are not that many articles that I could find that covered the health issues of male male calicoes and torties. Though some of the symptoms of Klienfelter’s Syndrome in cats are similar to those in humans.