Breeding

To produce a calico kitten, one or both of its parents must have an "O" gene, which is carried by the "X" chromosome and changes black pigment into reddish pigment. If you breed two red cats, they will produce a red cat. You must breed a non-red female cat with a red male cat to have a chance at producing a calico. Additionally, you can breed a calico female with a non-red or red male to possibly produce a calico. If the kittens produced are female, you may have a chance that one or several of them will be calico when the litter is born.