INTERSEX TORTOISESHELL "MALE"
2024 Sarah Hartwell

In August 2024, Carmen Gaillard Bluethunderhorse posted images of her intersex dilute tortie cat. “His” mother is an orange tabby domestic shorthair, and his sire is a seal point bicolour Ragdoll. The photos were taken when he was 3 months old. His external genitalia are ambiguous and could be a masculinised female or a feminised male.

His genitalia look questionable and look like a combination of male and female. There is a narrow hairless line between his testes. This looked almost split when he was younger, as though it was a combination of vulva and scrotum. Either side of the line he has both testes present. The opening for his penis is more teardrop shaped, whereas in a normal male it is round. His genetic makeup hasn’t been tested (this was left to the new owner if they were interested) and he hasn’t been examined to see if there are any female reproductive organs inside, nor have the testes been examine to see if they are ovo-testes (again, this would be established when the new owner got him neutered).

In terms of temperament he can be very cantankerous and a major complainer when things don’t go his way!

MESSYBEAST : BASIC GENETICS FOR BREEDERS & CAT LOVERS