"Coat color in cats is determined by genes at several different loci. At one locus on the X chromosome, one allele (X ) encodes black fur and another allele (Xo) encodes orange fur. Females can be black (X X ), orange (XoXo), or a mixture of orange and black called tortoiseshell (X Xo). Males are either black (X Y) or orange (XoY). Bill has a female tortoiseshell cat named Patches. One night, Patches escapes from Bill's house, spends the night out, and mates with a stray male. Patches later gives birth to the following kittens: one orange male, one black male, two tortoiseshell females, and one orange female. What are the genotypes of Patches, the stray male, and the kittens?

Patches: X Xo

kittens:  (XoXo),  ( X X),  (X Xo), (X Xo)

male:  (X Xo)

Explanation:

Patches color is tortoisesshell so her genotype is X Xo

Genotype of kittens is:  orange (XoXo), black ( X X), tortoisesshell (X Xo), Tottoisesshell (X Xo)

male genotype is also tortoisesshell that is XXo

Gametes of Patches:  X, Xo,

Gametes of male: X, Xo,

each allele from one parent combines with each one from other parent to give offprings: XX, X Xo, XXo, XoXo

Hence there is one black, one orange and two tortoisesshell offspring

i'm gonna put a couple so you can chose from

explanation:

if you know the fur color of the offspring mice, you can use the ratios to identify the genotypes of the parents.

if either parent mouse passes a dominant allele, the offspring will have black fur.

if the parental mice has two different fur color (i.e white and black) , the color of the offspring's fur would be either black, white, or the combination of both (grey)

hope this : )