Meet Burrito, a super rare cat who's looking for a home

A male tortoiseshell cat occurs in only 1 in 3,000 births, experts say.

VOORHEES -- A New Jersey veterinarian crossed a rare find off her bucket list this week after discovering a male tortoiseshell cat in a litter of abandoned kittens brought in by local Good Samaritans.

A male tortoiseshell cat, born with brown and orange fur, occurs in 1 in 3,000 births, many animal experts say. That's because brown and orange fur color in cats is usually determined by the female pair of X chromosomes. A male "tortie" essentially has both the X chromosomes of a female and the Y chromosome of a male. Males in many species are usually born with an X and Y chromosome, while females are born with two X chromosomes.

Dr. Erin Henry at the Animal Welfare Association in Voorhees said she was shocked when she examined the kitten now known as Burrito.

"When I turned little Burrito over I was so surprised," Henry said. "I've examined thousands of kittens while working at AWA and they are so rare that he may be the only male tortoiseshell I'll ever see again."

A male tortie is almost always sterile and unable to breed. When one is born, it is a genetic anomaly, experts say.

To a layman, the tortoise-shell cat may not be immediately distinctive. And, to know it is a male is virtually impossible to the passing eye. But officials at AWA say Burrito's rare condition and compelling story may add up to a quicker adoption.

"Any animal with a unique story attracts more attention," said Maya Richmond, executive director of AWA. "Everyone wants something unique."

Richmond said Burrito's rareness won't cost anyone who wants to adopt him more than the standard $95 fee, which includes cats that are already spayed or neutered and vaccinated. She also made a pitch for Burrito's two other siblings in his litter to be adopted.

Tortoiseshell cats are also called Calico cats, which can also have white fur along with black and orange. The color combination is a genetic disorder in both male and female cats and not a breed of cats, experts say.

Burrito and his littermates are now 8 weeks old and living with a foster family until they are adopted.

For more information, call 856-424-2288 or visit www.awanj.org.