The Beautiful Two-Faced Cats Are Still A Mystery
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A feline chimera is a cat whose cells contain two types of DNA, caused when two embryos fuse together. In fact, most male tortoiseshell cats are chimeras. The distinctively mottled orange and black coat is a sign that the cat has an extra X chromosome.
These awesome two-faced kitties have created serious wonder over the origin of their incredibly unique features. We have done some digging and now we want all the chimera kittens!
As can be seen from popular photos a chimera cat is generally seen to be a cat with two different color faces (split down the middle) and very often with heterochromia – two different color eyes.
This manifestation of the double-sided face kitty is very rare as it’s not something that happens in the normal course of reproduction. There are other types of cats called Calico cats who have unusual patterns of fur which may lead to confusion. Calicos, however, are genetically different from a Chimera they are a single kitty with an XXY composition of chromosomes(two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome) rather than a fusion of two early formed embryos like a Chimera. The only way to know for sure would be a genetic test!
Venus the Chimera Cat
As you can see in the photo, Venus has one side of her face black with a green eye, and the other side orange with a striking blue eye. Beautiful, isn’t it?
A feline chimera is a cat whose cells contain two types of DNA, caused when two embryos fuse together. In fact, most male tortoiseshell cats are chimeras. The distinctively mottled orange and black coat is a sign that the cat has an extra X chromosome.
These awesome two-faced kitties have created serious wonder over the origin of their incredibly unique features. We have done some digging and now we want all the chimera kittens!
As can be seen from popular photos a chimera cat is generally seen to be a cat with two different color faces (split down the middle) and very often with heterochromia – two different color eyes.
This manifestation of the double-sided face kitty is very rare as it’s not something that happens in the normal course of reproduction. There are other types of cats called Calico cats who have unusual patterns of fur which may lead to confusion. Calicos, however, are genetically different from a Chimera they are a single kitty with an XXY composition of chromosomes(two X chromosomes and one Y chromosome) rather than a fusion of two early formed embryos like a Chimera. The only way to know for sure would be a genetic test!
Venus the Chimera Cat
As you can see in the photo, Venus has one side of her face black with a green eye, and the other side orange with a striking blue eye. Beautiful, isn’t it?
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