His name was Pixie but that’s because he was part of an all-female litter, or so the APR team thought.  Pixie, Dixie and Trixie came from a cat colony in Oakland Park. It is a colony that some of our volunteers have watched over on a regular basis for nearly 20 years. They feed those who live there and make sure they are healthy.

But when the three cats were brought to the shelter and examined by our vet it was discovered that our Pixie, a Tortoiseshell was a boy. Pretty-shocking because male “Tortoi’s,” as they are called, appear only one time in every 300-400,000 births.  A quick change of name and young Pixel was introduced to the APR world.

Why Pixel is such a special kitty:

Being curious like a cat, we had to do some research to find out why male torties and calicos are so rare. Here are the results: The genetic code for black and orange colors is located on the X chromosome. Females have two X’s (XX), while males have an X and a Y (XY). If a female kitten gets both an orange and a black X then she will be calico XoXb. A male kitten from the same litter would get either an orange or a black X, resulting in either a black-and-white or orange-and-white male kitten.

The only way for a male to have both orange and black colors is through a genetic mishap that gives him three chromosomes XoXb Y instead of two XoY or Xb Y.  This also occurs very rarely in male humans, and is called Klinefelter Syndrome, often resulting in some feminine characteristics and sterility.

Pixel and his sisters were pretty-nervous on arrival but they quickly adapted to shelter life and in fact Trixie was adopted within a short time after her arrival. Pixel has really come out of his shell since living in the teen room. He has made fast friends with Mouse (the cat) and is very playful. He has been neutered and microchipped.

If you’’re looking for a fun little boy (he’s just over a year old) who’s got one in a million looks (dark brown with orange and black running through) Pixel is looking for a forever home. And sister Dixie is waiting for you too.

Stop by the shelter Wednesday through Monday’s from 12 noon to 5pm and meet these special Tortoi’s.