Hundreds clawing at chance to adopt Burrito, super rare 'tortie' kitten

He's a male tortoiseshell kitten, which only happens 1 in 3,000 births.

VOORHEES -- He's a 6-week-old orphan, but things are looking up for Burrito, a rare male tortoiseshell cat looking for a home.

A little over a month ago, some Good Samaritans brought him and two littermates into the Animal Welfare Association after finding them on the street. Dr. Erin Henry said she was shocked when she examined the kitten and found out he was a boy. A male tortoiseshell cat, born with brown and orange fur, occurs in 1 in 3,000 births, many animal experts say. 

Since then -- and after NJ Advance Media reported the animal shelter's rare find -- Burrito's has achieved something close to celebrity status.

"We're over 300 inquires" from people interested in adopting him, said Maya Richmond, executive director of AWA. "We had an inquiry from Canada and one from Florida."

Burrito will make his public debut in Voorhees this weekend at the Paws & Feet 5K Race and Doggie Fun Day at Eastern Regional High School, 1401 Laurel Oak Road. The event celebrates the bond between humans and pets and includes live music, food and games. Burrito, who is in a foster home with his littermates, Empanada and Tortilla, until adoption, will be at the AWA Foster Tent from noon to 2 p.m.

Richmond said Burrito's tale has generated "a lot of wonderful exposure" for AWA, which she hopes translates into more adoptions of animals from her shelter. 

"We are entering what we call 'Kitten Season' as we get so many kittens turned in during the summer months," Richmond said. "We set the goal of finding homes to 300 cats and kittens during these months."

Meanwhile, she said they are also still figuring out how to choose who will adopt the kittens.

"We are contemplating how to be fair with everyone who wants to adopt Burrito and his littermates," Richmond said. They are "thinking of ways to manage the adoption process so to not end up making a lot of people feel disappointed."

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.

A tortoiseshell cat's distinctive brown and orange fur is determined by the female pair of X chromosomes, experts say. 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.

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

Richmond said Burrito's rareness won't cost anyone who wants to adopt him more than the standard $95 fee, which is what they charge for cats that are already spayed or neutered and vaccinated.

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