Tessa

Say hello to Tessa, a beautiful calico kitten with plenty of personality and a bright future ahead of her! Tessa and her brother, Troy, were surrendered to ARF in mid-July. <br/><br/>Since arriving, Tessa has been busy getting ready for the next chapter of her life. She has now been spayed, vaccinated and microchipped, so this sweet girl is ready to find a loving forever home of her own!<br/><br/>What makes a calico a calico? <br/>Calico isn't a breed. It's a coat color and pattern. Calico cats have a combination of white, orange and black (or grayish/cream versions of those colors) in their fur. Each calico's markings are completely unique, almost like a one of a kind work of art!<br/><br/>And here's a fun fact: nearly all calico cats are female. That's because the genes responsible for orange and black coloring are carried on the X chromosome. Female cats have two X chromosomes, allowing them to inherit one color gene on each X chromosome and display both orange and black. Male cats have only one X chromosome, so male calicos are extremely rare.<br/><br/>In fact, estimates commonly cited suggest that about 99.9% of calico cats are female, with roughly 1 in every 3,000 calico cats being male. So when you meet a calico girl like Tessa, you're looking at a pretty special combination of genetics! <br/><br/>What about Tessa and Troy?<br/>Tessa and Troy arrived at ARF together as littermates. Tessa does not have to be adopted with her brother and they are available to find homes individually. However, because we always like to let potential adopters know when littermates arrive together, we wanted to mention their connection in case someone is interested in giving both siblings a forever home together.<br/><br/>Whether Tessa finds her forever family alongside Troy or begins an exciting new chapter of her own, this lovely calico is ready for the love, care and adventures that come with having a home to call her own.<br/><br/>The shelter is open Tuesdays through Fridays 3:30-6:30pm AND Saturdays & Sundays 1pm-4pm. No appointments are needed during those times. If you are not available during those times, special arrangements for a meet and greet may be able to be arranged by emailing arfcats@bereaanimalrescue.com. Thank you for considering the adoption of a shelter animal in need!

Say hello to Tessa, a beautiful calico kitten with plenty of personality and a bright future ahead of her! Tessa and her brother, Troy, were surrendered to ARF in mid-July.

Since arriving, Tessa has been busy getting ready for the next chapter of her life. She has now been spayed, vaccinated and microchipped, so this sweet girl is ready to find a loving forever home of her own!

What makes a calico a calico?
Calico isn't a breed. It's a coat color and pattern. Calico cats have a combination of white, orange and black (or grayish/cream versions of those colors) in their fur. Each calico's markings are completely unique, almost like a one of a kind work of art!

And here's a fun fact: nearly all calico cats are female. That's because the genes responsible for orange and black coloring are carried on the X chromosome. Female cats have two X chromosomes, allowing them to inherit one color gene on each X chromosome and display both orange and black. Male cats have only one X chromosome, so male cali

Say hello to Tessa, a beautiful calico kitten with plenty of personality and a bright future ahead of her! Tessa and her brother, Troy, were surrendered to ARF in mid-July.

Since arriving, Tessa has been busy getting ready for the next chapter of her life. She has now been spayed, vaccinated and microchipped, so this sweet girl is ready to find a loving forever home of her own!

What makes a calico a calico?
Calico isn't a breed. It's a coat color and pattern. Calico cats have a combination of white, orange and black (or grayish/cream versions of those colors) in their fur. Each calico's markings are completely unique, almost like a one of a kind work of art!

And here's a fun fact: nearly all calico cats are female. That's because the genes responsible for orange and black coloring are carried on the X chromosome. Female cats have two X chromosomes, allowing them to inherit one color gene on each X chromosome and display both orange and black. Male cats have only one X chromosome, so male calicos are extremely rare.

In fact, estimates commonly cited suggest that about 99.9% of calico cats are female, with roughly 1 in every 3,000 calico cats being male. So when you meet a calico girl like Tessa, you're looking at a pretty special combination of genetics!

What about Tessa and Troy?
Tessa and Troy arrived at ARF together as littermates. Tessa does not have to be ad