![]() ![]() The Conscious Cat blog cites a 2016 University of California-Davis study, based on a survey of 1,200 cat owners, that found that, indeed, torties were more likely to exhibit “challenging and aggressive” behavior. ![]() There may be some genetic reason for this. And unlike calicos, they’ve developed a reputation for being … well, assertive. Torties have the same genetics as calicos, but their base color is black or brown (as opposed to a calico’s white) mixed with the gingery red or peach. But having lived with Thisbe for a few years, I knew I had to get a tortie into the mix in this new book. She’s the point-of-view character in my “witch cat” cozies, and she’s unfailingly loyal to her human, Becca. Which means that, although there are a few genetic oddities, 99% of all calicos are female. Cat coloring is controlled by genes on the X chromosome, so in order for a cat to have all these colors – the orange, black, and white, they must have XX chromosomes. I liked the idea of a calico’s very particular genetics. (Because she has one black ear and one orange, colors that continue down like patches over her eyes, her litter-mate/sister Laurel teases Clara, calling her “the Clown.”). As a calico, she’s basically white, but with orange and black markings. ![]() When I launched the “witch cat of Cambridge” series, I hadn’t yet met Thisbe, and so I made the feline heroine a calico named Clara. But since my husband and I welcomed Thisbe into our home, we’ve become accustomed to having an extremely loyal and attentive – but very assertive – little tortie in our lives! Before Thisbe came into my life, I lived with the wonderful Musetta, a tuxedo cat who loved us – and no one else – and was otherwise a wonderful, and perhaps traditional, cat. As the partner (I don’t dare say “owner”) of a tortie, I know that they are very different cats. That nice vet isn’t nuts, nor is he perpetuating old wives’ tales. A day later, a kindly vet, who examines the stray, offers the theory that this little creature might have been dumped by its previous owner because of what has become known as “tortitude,” a combination of attitude and, yes, aggressiveness that can seem positively un-feline to the uninitiated. The multi-colored cats are known for their odd behavior, and, after all, this kitten has been responsible for leading my cozy’s human heroine to a dead body. Here’s the wonderful Clea Simon with proof.ĬLEA SIMON: I’m asking because that’s one of the (non-murderous) questions raised by the sudden inexplicable appearance of a tortoiseshell kitten in TO CONJURE A KILLER. I had gone to get a fluffy gray kitten, but when Lola saw me, she put her paw through the bars and tapped me. I got Lola from the humane society when she was so small she could not go upstairs, because she couldn't put her front paws on the stair above her back paws. ![]() See photo! She was so brilliant and diabolical. When he sat down, she was instantly on his lap. Apparently Lola, seething with jealousy, decided to drive him away, and honestly, followed him relentlessly wherever he went. When Jonathan arrived in our lives, he turned out to be allergic to cats. So many more examples, but here’s one more. And one night when I got home a tiny tiny bit later than usual, she’d –I am not kidding–opened the cabinet, pulled out the cardboard container box, ripped it open and taken out ALL of the vittles pouches, ALL of them, and opened ALL of them and scattered the food all over the kitchen floor. Back in the day, when we did not know things about cat food, she would ONLY eat Tender Vittles. My dearest cat Lola, who lived to be 20, was the bossiest most persnickety cat that ever existed. She says “Thank you, Hank, for having me over on Jungle Reds today! I’m going to dive right in and get all cat-centric and ask your readers: Are tortoiseshell cats crazy?” HANK PHILLIPPI RYAN: I know the answer–definitively!-to the question the wonderful Clea Simon is asking. ![]()
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