Fifteen people formed a line outside Sunnyvale’s Petco on E. El Camino Real before the store even opened on Jan. 31 in hopes of bringing home a rare male calico cat.
The chances of a calico cat being born male are less than 0.1 percent, or about 1 in 3,000, according to the Humane Society Silicon Valley.
So when 4-month-old Sherman came through the doors of the Sunnyvale Neighborhood Adoption Center, located inside the Petco, staff and vets alike were astonished.
“It’s like a unicorn,” said HSSV veterinarian Andrea Berger in a statement. “I’ve been involved with shelters for 20 years, and I have never seen one.”
He came to the center on Jan. 30 as a transfer from a sister shelter that was full. Word went out that day that the kitten was available for adoption, and in less than 36 hours he was adopted by a Sunnyvale man.
Calicos are not a breed; their name comes from the animal’s unique multi-colored coat.
For more information about the Humane Society Silicon Valley, visit hssv.org.
