Tortitude is a real thing - Multicolored Cats Might Be More Aggressive Than Other Cats, Study Finds

[ashling]

http://www.mentalfloss.com/article/75216/multicolored-cats-might-be-more-aggressive-other-cats-study-finds

There may be some truth to the belief that tortoiseshell cats have a little bit of an attitude—or tortitude, as it’s called. A new study published in the Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science from researchers at the University of California, Davis suggests that torties, calicos, and other multicolored cats are a tad more aggressive than cats of other colors.

The color of a cat’s fur is inherited. The genes responsible for orange and black fur color in cats are carried on the X chromosome, which is why calico and other multicolored cats are typically female (as are fully orange cats). Each color is carried on a different X chromosome, so the animal needs two of them. That's why male calicos only exist as the result of a genetic mutation that leaves them with an XXY genotype.

Some behavioral traits can be inherited, too. For instance, Siamese cats are more likely to compulsively suck wool. Other traits, like shyness, are believed to develop after birth as a response to the cat’s environment. This study looked into whether the two might be linked.

[mackerel]

1. I worked for a vet for 5 years. Torties are total cautions!

[DawgHouse]

2. I thought orange cats are typically male, not female.

[Arugula Latte]

4. They are. This article got it wrong.

I think it's something like 3/4 are male.

[KamaAina]

20. Orange tabbies are.

About three-quarters male. I don't believe I've ever seen a "fully orange cat".

[Arugula Latte]

3. When I was a kid one of our cats was a little dilute calico and

she was the one who would charge any "intruder" kitties who came into our yard. She was a sweetheart with humans though.

(We keep kitties indoors now, though.)

I just love tortietude.

[Lizzie Poppet]

5. My little long-haired tortie is definitely, um..."insistent on her rights and prerogatives."

At almost 10, she's pretty chill these days but still has her moments. She takes precisely none of my shit... I just adore her.

[denbot]

6. Huh, we have a short haired tortoise shell that's mean to her Siamese looking brother.

She will hiss, and/or swat at him if he gets too close, even though he's a bruiser and would probably wipe the floor with her if they ever fought.

[madinmaryland]

7. That's a MaineCoon that you have pictured there. A very well behaved cat and very good around

both adults and children.

[rurallib]

8. We had one. That cat had an attitude

if she couldn't eat you, you were of no use to her.

[OrwellwasRight]

9. I have lived with many cats over my lifetime.

I strongly believe that purrsonalities are tied to fur color. In my experience:

Brown tabbies=scardey cats or at least shy
Orange tabbies=psycho, bite you for no reason
Solid grays=friendly, cool
Tuxedo cats=outgoing, people-oriented
Solid black=super smart, can open doors, etc.

I've only lived with two calicos. To be honest, I found both of them kind of milquetoast.

Thoughts?

[Arugula Latte]

10. That's interesting. My stereotypes are:

Calicos/torties -- tortietude. Smart & sassy & and get their way.
Orangies -- Big, drooling lovebugs (usually male) who stay kitten-like. Can't get enough pets and snuggles.
Solid grays -- can tend to be shy (Russian Blues).
All black/tuxies -- friendly, smart, chill
Siamese/Siamese mix -- very chatty, smart, friendly, attention-seeking
Brown tabbies -- hard to stereotype, because there are so many. But in general, I'd say friendly and people-oriented.

[OrwellwasRight]

13. I guess we both have to continue seeking proof for our theories!

I don't see an overlap except for Black/tuxies!

In the past, I have found a consensus though on the orangies. Everyone I've ever discussed this with agrees that they are the type that snuggles for lovin' and then attacks your arm viciously; they run and scamper for no reason; and also often attack other cats and are very bitey.

Even last time I went to the pound to adopt, I was sitting in the cat room and this giant adult cat -- it must have weighed 20 pounds or more -- came up to me and jumped on my lap and snuggled. Ii was thinking to myself that I'm not generally a fan of orangies, and that it would not usually occur to me to adopt such an ugly, enormous cat, but that I might have to put all my prejudices aside to give this love bug a good home. And then he attacked!! Needless to say, I chose another cat. LOL.

It is nice to know they aren't all crazy.

[Arugula Latte]

18. Here is one article talking about "the common belief" that gingers are friendlier.

However, the writer doesn't necessarily buy it.

I have heard other cat people talking about how friendly orangies are, though.

http://badcatchris.com/2013/08/09/are-ginger-cats-friendlier/

Who knows ... It's fun to discuss, though, if you're a cat-obsessed person like myself.

[OrwellwasRight]

28. Interesting article.

Seems like everyone who posts there disagrees with me, but the author totally dismisses the idea that there is a connection between the fur genes and the purrsonality genes altogether. He may be right. I mean we are all only using anecdotal evidence anyway, so who knows?

I was also interested in the assumption that male cats are friendlier that purrvaded the blog. I've never found that, but I personally have only ever had females (with the exception of Virgil -- that crazy orange I described earlier who would turn on a dime from sweetie to meanie). I have met several very friendly male cats that belonged to friends, but I'm not sure they have been noticeably friendlier than female cats I've met. However, it could stand to reason regarding mating: males need to be friendly to disseminate their seed far and wide; females want to be discerning with their eggs???

Still, due to my lack of desire for spraying, I will probably stick with females for the rest of my cat future, as I find them perfectly lovable in all their various color combinations!

[KamaAina]

22. Your description of orangies is much more applicable to our long-ago Sean

Mom used to call him her "sponge". This was back when air guitar was popular; I could easily have played him using his stripes for "strings".

[Arugula Latte]

25. Time to shred! Errrr ... shed, that is!

[KamaAina]

29. Thread win!

[Zing Zing Zingbah]

31. My favorite cat was a calico tabby.

She was a very playful and definitely not timid.

[BlueJazz]

12. "Tuxedo cats=outgoing, people-oriented" That's my cat. I have 2 pet dumbo rats that chase him..

...around the house and then he chases them....and repeat! Great fun for all 3.

More than once, I've had people over and I hear "That's the strangest thing I've ever seen"

[OrwellwasRight]

15. Aren't cats fun?

[BlueJazz]

17. Absolutely. Some cats are so much fun that it seems like they went to "Cat College" and..

...learned to be super cool!

[Arugula Latte]

16. Ha ha! That's so cute. I'd love to see that.

Rats are super smart. We had some as pets when I was a kid.

We had a bunny for a long time and he wanted to play chase with our kitties soooo badly. But they didn't want much to do with him. They could never quite figure out that weird-looking long-eared cat.

[Skittles]

36. I have a long-haired tuxedo and he is the devil from hell

EERILY smart........I adore him

[OrwellwasRight]

37. You're not the first one to discount

my stereotypes. I have learned that they are apparently not widely applicable, undoing the function of the "stereotype."

Ah well

[DinahMoeHum]

11. Hmmm, I was under the impression that orange/ginger males. . .

. . .were the most aggressive. Especially the muscular ones.

[OrwellwasRight]

14. That's my experience as well.

[we can do it]

19. OMG, no. Ours was like Winnie the Pooh, only sweeter.

[KamaAina]

21. The cat who wandered into our Thanksgiving dinner was a calico.

We already had two. Our spongelike orange tabby Sean rolled over, raised his paw, and said in Cat, "Hi! My name's Sean. Wanna play?" The calico hissed and swiped at him! Years later, when the dreaded call from the vet came that Sean had died , the calico, who Mom had named Anastasia after the lost Russian princess , jumped up on my bed, which she had never done before!

[MissB]

23. Yeah, my tortie has attitude.

Full water dish in the morning? Not good enough. She demands fresh.

Full water dish after dinner? Still not good enough. Meows until there is fresh water. Then sometimes just walks away. Really?

My big orange male cat is a lump of purr happiness and love. I was a bit worried about bringing in the tortie and ruining his calm, but they are best of friends.

He can't climb the walls like she can, but they love to wrestle. He will lick the top of her head and she will reach up and whack him with her paw as a thanks.

But first thing in the morning she is all about trills and purrs. Morning lovebug, afternoon demon princess.

[Arugula Latte]

27. I can just picture this. It fits in with my experiences, too.

[LeftishBrit]

24. Our cat when I was growing up was a tortoiseshell...

And not all aggressive, though she had a stubborn streak. She tended to avoid other cats, rather than fight them.

She did have some dog-like characteristics. Although she was friendly with all of us, she had a sort of one-(wo)man devotion to my mother, and actually used to follow her for walks. She also sometimes brought my mother breakfast in bed - very nice if you happen to like dead or sometimes live mice!

[Arugula Latte]

26. That's another cat stereotype I have.

Male cats tend to be friendly towards everyone, roughly equally.

Female cats tend to pick a human and attach to (usually her) as a mother figure. I've had a couple of female kitties do this to me. One was absolutely obsessed with me and would meet me at the door and meow at me constantly until I devoted 100 percent of my attention to her. Another girl kitty (who lived to be almost 20) would sleep on my pillow and knead my hair all night.

[GoCubsGo]

30. My first kitty was a dilute tortioiseshell.

She was the sweetest cat on the planet. I remember taking her to the vet, and took her temperature. She stood there with the thermometer sticking in her ass, purring away. Most other cats would have a fit over it. I sure do miss her.

[AngryOldDem]

34. My Tortie took that indignity well, also.

Just very, very sweet and patient.

[love_katz]

32. My current cat is a torbie female.

No, that isn't a typo. She shows both torti and tabby markings. She is mostly very sweet, but can take swipes at me under certain circumstances. I think she may have been abused either by whoever was her previous owner, or else during her time living as a stray. My previous cat was a female orange tabby, whom I loved more than any other cat that I've ever had. She would sometimes get temperamental, but her background was having been born to a feral mom. She could also be the most snuggly love bug and had the most wonderful loud purr. I miss her terribly and always will.

[AngryOldDem]

33. Our Tortie was the exception to this.

And the vets she saw always commented on how sweet and calm she was.

Pepper was not aggressive, but the affection was doled out on her terms. She didn't like to be held much, unless she was in the mood. But when she was ready to give affection -- it was loud purrs, "making biscuits" on my stomach, and lying on my chest as I watched TV. Those times were rare, and I learned to appreciate them. She "adopted" my oldest son, and would sleep on his chest and let him carry her around on his shoulders. Whenever he came home, she was his shadow.

A few years after we adopted Pepper, we got a Dachshund puppy. Pepper was surprisingly patient. She would give Heidi a few gentle swats when she had enough of the play, and then would go off to a place where Heidi couldn't reach her. Eventually, they reached a detente and were able to be in the same room without the dog going nuts. The only time I remember Pepper being aggressive was when we were babysitting my daughter's cat over one summer. That cat (just out of kittenhood and much, much younger than Pepper) stayed pretty much in one room, but toward the end of her stay she started to venture out and got into it one day with Pepper. Fur flew, and the other cat hid until it was time to go home. This was Pepper's house.

But Pepper was the sweetest, most docile cat I'd ever known. We lost her to a blood clot three weeks ago today, and God, do I miss her.

[sakabatou]

35. I wouldn't know about my cat's attitude

She's laid back, very sweet, but she's also an attention whore.