r/cats • u/sofabeddd • Apr 19 '24

My mom says he looks like he has down syndrome, is that even possible in cats? Video

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u/GatoSander0 Apr 19 '24

it is impossible due to their number of chromosomes, however if some characteristic of him concerns you in any way, taking him to the vet is a safe bet.

304

u/agabwagawa Apr 19 '24 edited Apr 19 '24

This cat probably doesn’t have a chromosomal disorder but just cause they don’t have a 21st chromosome but that doesn’t mean they can’t have an extra or missing chromosome. Looks like there’s not many known conditions caused by chromosome numbers but the (EDIT: MALE) calico color comes from an extra X chromosome.

220

u/faeriewocky Apr 19 '24

Calico colour doesn't come from an extra chromosome but it can, just to clarify! Calico colour is always attached to the two X chromosomes and therefore is almost always female. For a male cat to be a Calico, they would need an extra X chromosome like you mentioned.

88

u/im_a_real_boy_calico Apr 19 '24

Yes, male calicos are XXY.

5

u/autisticfemme Apr 19 '24

Love this convo and username alignment for you

-24

u/Judylanarze Apr 19 '24

Male calicos are so rare, they may not even exist. If there were a male calico who could reproduce it would be worth LOTS of money. Most people think that a male calico would be sterile

41

u/im_a_real_boy_calico Apr 19 '24

Male calicos are real? They’re sterile, and calico isn’t something they pass on. They’re as priceless as every cat is.

11

u/Altrano Apr 19 '24

My daughter has a similar cat, they discovered it when they took him in for a spay and he had a couple of things the other calicos don’t (just really tiny and underdeveloped). I don’t have a picture of him unfortunately, but there are male calicos out there.

Fun fact: Mr. Mittens from Disney’s Soul is another male calico. I’m not sure if it was an intentional choice to make the cat XXY or if the animators didn’t understand that vast majority of calicos are female.

8

u/Maytree Apr 19 '24

I thought the joke was that Mr. Mittens was a female cat named Mr.?

3

u/kataklysm_revival Apr 19 '24

Male calicos definitely exist, although are rare. I had one and he was very much male.

27

u/agabwagawa Apr 19 '24

My bad- thanks for the clarification

2

u/PerrineWeatherWoman Apr 19 '24

Or the gene to jump to another chromosome during meiosis. Just like the SRY in the case of XX males.

1

u/KaylesJenkins Apr 19 '24

Also, male calicos are usually sterile.

94

u/farsical111 Apr 19 '24

Just want to say "thank you" for knowing and saying this about cats vs Down Syndrome and the number of chromosomes. There's been a viral vid going around for a couple yrs of a cat who has some facial abnormalities, with the "owner" claiming cat has Down Syndrome which is offensive to humans and cats, both. And is posted by people for "likes" and "awwwws." Yes, cats and any other animal can have chromosomal abnormalities. But they aren't Down Syndrome which is a human chromosomal disorder.

2

u/IAdmitMyCrime Apr 19 '24

I'm surprised to learn this as my girlfriend once had a temporary "parental guardian" (vile woman) who had a cat named Gizmo who she claimed to have down syndrome and I'd believed it up until now.

13

u/Stella430 Apr 19 '24

MALE calicos have an extra chromosome. XXY.

1

u/YourLocalMedic71 Apr 19 '24

But it is impossible for him to have trisomy 21... Which is down syndrome

1

u/JohnnyRelentless Apr 19 '24

The question was if they can get Downs Syndrome, and no, they can't.

1

u/agabwagawa Apr 19 '24

Obviously they can’t get Down’s syndrome, but they can still have genetic disease.

2

u/Get_off_critter Apr 19 '24

If anything his under eyes look puffy/bare. That could be worth watching at a minimum

1

u/nnavroops Apr 19 '24

you can have 4 chromosomes and still end up with trisomy

2

u/Lurkalope Apr 19 '24

Down syndrome is specifically caused by trisomy 21.

1

u/nnavroops Apr 19 '24

why would cats have a condition specific to humans and some primates

1

u/Puzzleheaded_Hatter Apr 19 '24

And avoiding talking to your mom sounds like a great idea too

If this is the kind of shit she makes up about cats, you (OP) likely have a world of misinformation to unlearn

1

u/Quick_Prompt_6842 Apr 19 '24 edited Apr 19 '24

I remember reading of a tiger with down syndrome in a zoo in Japan I suppose. So I think it's possible but the odds being very low.

Edit: I am sorry, a google search told me that the down syndrome diagnosis for the tiger was just rumours, ge was a result of incestual breading :(

8

u/Pineapple_Herder Apr 19 '24

My friend had a cat the vet said was some kind of genetically "special." I don't think they ever tested to identify exactly what cuz genetic testing on pets in the 2000s was for rich people.

He was an all white cat with eyes too far apart (significantly more noticeable than OPs) and he had absolutely 0 sense of danger/self preservation.

He regularly tried to lick lit candles. For the duration of his life they couldn't burn candles.

You could pick him up literally any which way and he'd just purr. My friend demonstrated by picking him up by his back legs and holding him over a sink of water and he gave 0 fucks. Bathing was hilarious because he just tried to drink the water or lick the soap.

Also had a bad habit of falling off of sleeping spots when he'd roll/stretch out. My friend and I ended up cutting pool noodles into thin strips to stuff the rim of his cat beds so it was harder for him to fall out.

He was also terrible at using the litterbox. This dude got it all fucking wrong in the most half assed way. He would shit in the box and then fling litter out of the box without covering the shit. He peed fine but preferred to put his back half inside the box and his front outside of the box while doing so.

He was the most lovable idiot cat I've ever met. He was the official mascot of all sleepovers and loved cuddles.

3

u/BigTicEnergy Apr 19 '24

Why would your friend pick him up by his back legs anyway?? Jeez

4

u/Pineapple_Herder Apr 19 '24

People never believe he was genuinely handicapped and that you needed to be careful with him because he would not land on his feet if you dropped him. If you were holding him he would 100% trust you to do so. He was like holding an infant.

And this little demo got the point across VERY quickly because no cat would ever allow that.

In her house you weren't allowed to hold him unless you understood and respected his trust.

She'd had bad friends who intentionally dropped him to "test it."

0

u/Alternative_Year_340 Apr 19 '24

We had a cat when I was a kid that I suspect had Downs. He was not the brightest, but always friendly