Final answer:
Yes, it is possible for a brown cat to give birth to an orange kitten. The color of a cat's coat is determined by its genes, specifically genes located on the X chromosome. This pattern is seen in tortoiseshell cats where X inactivation leads to coat color variegation.
Step-by-step explanation:
Yes, it is possible for a brown cat to give birth to an orange kitten. The color of a cat's coat is determined by its genes, specifically genes located on the X chromosome. Female cats have two X chromosomes, while male cats have one X and one Y chromosome. If a female cat carries the gene for orange coat color on one of her X chromosomes, and the gene for brown coat color on the other X chromosome, there is a possibility that she can produce an orange kitten if the X chromosome carrying the orange gene is passed on to the offspring.
This pattern is seen in tortoiseshell cats, where X inactivation leads to coat color variegation. Female tortoiseshell cats have two different coat color alleles on their X chromosomes, resulting in patches of different coat colors due to the random inactivation of one X chromosome in each cell during embryonic development. Male cats, on the other hand, only have one X chromosome and do not exhibit tortoiseshell coat color.
Therefore, a brown cat can give birth to an orange kitten if it carries the orange coat color gene on one of its X chromosomes.