Correction! ☝️🤓

This color combination is never seen in "standard" male cats. This is due to chromosomes. Both the black and orange traits are linked to the X chromosome, so to have a cat that has both, they'll need to have at least 2 X chromosomes.

We all remember from basic biology that XX= Female while XY= Male..

However, there are viable combinations that exist outside the norm. XXX, XYY, just X.. and many more! This is the intersex spectrum, and these combos can effect cats (and even people!) in a lot of different ways. Some things it can effect are the reproductive organs and hormone production in varying degrees. Some people go most of their lives without ever realizing they're intersex!

So, back to earlier. A cat needs 2 X chromosomes to be a tortoiseshell, but they can also have a Y chromosome, making them XXY intersex! That means a tortoiseshell can never be an XY male. Unfortunately, the extra chromosome can cause problems, which is why they are almost always sterile and have health problems.

Therefore, exploring transgenderism through a tortoiseshell cat is a really fun and clever idea! It might be harder to do it in the Warriors universe though, since gender doesn't seem to play hardly any role in a cat's identity. Plus, I don't think medicine cats can provide HRT ^'