calico

It’s about the size of a ruler and covered in a tapestry of calico fur.

One contributor wrote: "We are siblings in the first and third grades of elementary school. We donated with our pocket money. Use it for research on calico cats."

"Here's my offering - the shorthair is a boy named Bob and the calico is a girl named Marley."

At the time of this story's publication, both are still at the shelter waiting to be adopted . . . although the calico is currently advertised as bonded with a different gray tabby.

Most orange cats are boys, a quirk of feline genetics that also explains why almost all calicos and tortoiseshells are girls.