Tortoiseshell cats are named for their distinctive coloring – a combination of patches of black, brown, amber, red, cinnamon and chocolate. The size of the patches varies from a fine speckled pattern to large areas of color. The term “tortoiseshell” is used for cats with brindled coats that have few or no white markings. Cats of this coloring with larger areas of white fur are called calicos. Sometimes, these colors present in lighter versions such as lilac or cream. Torties with this lighter coloring are called dilute torties. Occasionally, the typical tortoiseshell colors are also seen in a tabby (striped) pattern, and these cats are sometimes referred to as “torbies.”
Tortoiseshell cats are almost exclusively female. Tortoiseshell and calico coats are the result of the interaction between genetic and developmental factors. The occasional and very rare male tortoiseshell cat is the result of a genetic mutation.
In addition to their distinctive coloring, torties also have a reputation for unique personalities, sometimes referred to as “tortitude.” They tend to be strong-willed, a bit hot-tempered, and they can be very possessive of their human. Other words used to describe torties are fiercely independent, feisty and unpredictable. They’re usually very talkative and make their presence and needs known with anything from a hiss to a meow to a strong purr. These traits are stronger in tortoiseshell cats than in calicos – it seems as though these traits are somewhat diluted with the addition of more white to the color scheme.
As of the writing of this post, I share my life with Amber*, and those of you who’ve followed this blog for a while have gotten to know her in her Amber’s Mewsings posts. You will soon be able to read all about Buckley in Buckley’s Story – Lessons from a Feline Master Teacher. The photo above shows Buckley in the front, Amber behind her.
Prior to Amber and Buckley, there was another tortie in my life. Virginia was the first office cat at the animal hospital I managed. She was my introduction to torties, and my love affair with this particular type of cat began with her. She, too, had the “tortitude” I so love about these particular cats.
Do you have a tortie or calico in your life? Does she have “tortitude?”
*Sadly, Amber passed away on May 13, 2010, after a sudden, brief illness. I now share my life with Allegra and Ruby, two tortoiseshell cats who have their own columns here on The Conscious Cat, titled Allegra’s World and Ruby’s Reflections.
Photo ©Ingrid King, all rights reserved
Today Steeler is not happy the windows have to be closed due to heavy rain.
Wow I just looking at all the activity on here, I have a lot of catching up to do.
They have grain free dry “Taste of the Wild” all the time, and they get canned grain free “Wellness” every morning.I’d hate to stop them from free-feeding because Peaches is actually a little thin, and Shanks is just about perfect. Monkey’s the only one getting fat
What I love most about Jackson Galaxy is that he’s a big crazy looking tattood all over rocker guy (like me except I’m female) but he’s So opposite the stereotype, as am I….I guess I identify with him lol
I love it when people say things on the show like “I expected a cat whisper and this ex-con walked through the door.” He’s so totally not the cat-lady stereotype that it’s hysterical. He’s doing a lot for making it acceptable for guys to love cats.
A Tortie is the best cat for a guy.
I like my cars fast and loud, I like my guns fast and quiet and I love my special cat fierce and deadly. Maybe Jackson could change her but I would not want him to. Stir is perfect the way she is. She is definately a guys cat.
Now Steeler is the same but she has that adorable face and disposition.
She can be as fierce as Stir but hides it so well. A DOJ agent found that out.
I agree, Lynn. And even though I haven’t met him in person yet, based on the phone conversations we’ve had, he’s the most gentle bear of a man you could imagine. The delight in his voice when he talks about all aspects of cats is unmistakable. I love it when stereotypes get busted.
Harry, isn’t it crazy how humans stereotype people just by the way they look? A few people at work think I’m dangerous because I wear black, have tats, listen to hardcore metal and ALWAYS sport Goth Hooker red lipstick lol…but those who know me know that I’m gazing at Monkey cuddled up against my purse right now and getting all mushy
Ingrid, I can tell just by watching the show what a sweet gentle soul he is
BTW, Goth Hooker red is about this color lol https://encrypted-tbn3.google.com/images?q=tbn:ANd9GcQ3Rc9dLvH3eNhaLiQBaVqGEZAc7S51LHpmGEzPkohedonG1eyP
Gawd, Monkey’s getting so fat, does Mr. Galaxy have an essense for that? I’m not able to change my feeding habits, and both Shanks and Peaces are normal weight, but Monkey is getting so fat I fear for her health. She’s not so fat that she can’t clean herself, but she’s getting there and I’d like to stop it before it happens
Lynn, I am just the person to talk to on getting cats to lose weight. After that you can talk to Harry on how to foster cats and not keep them.
Or Bernie on how to keep a Tortie from scratching expensive furrniture.
Well, you could talk to Jay on how not to keep fosters, and me on how to get cats to lose weight – oh, wait, that won’t work either. 😉
You have to stop free-feeding – give them 20 minutes, and pick the bowls up. Peaches will eventually learn that she needs to eat when it’s there.
The first week will be awful. But after that, it’ll be ok.
Jay, LMAO
Unfortunately, the only “cure” for losing weight is eting less and exercising more. The latter can be a bit of a challenge with cats! As for the first: reduce the amounts you’re feeding Monkey, and, like Harry already recommended, go to meal feeding instead of leaving food out at all times. Keep a close eye on Peaches during the transition, you’ll need to make sure that she eats at least a little something every day.
If that doesn’t work, you may need to feed them separately.
So see, If there’s no dry, Peaches may not eat at all, and she’s the one who could stand to gain a pound!
Lynn, as each of my cats moved into their geriatric years–above 17 or 18–they couldn’t eat enough at two meals per day so I had to manage to get them one or two more smaller meals each day. In some cases this meant feeding them their special meal on the counter, or confining them to the bathroom, where there’s a litterbox and water already, for at least an hour so they could pick at their food. I know your current place is small and there’s no ceiling on the bathroom, but perhaps the new place would allow this.
But you really need to remove the free-feeding dry food. That would be like me eating potato chips all day, but really good ones.
See, most of the time Peaches wont even eat the wet food. She’s always been like that. Every once in a blue moon she’ll eat it, but most of the time no. That’s also why I have trouble feeding her her essenses. And this is NOT recent. She’s been this way since she was a kitten. she’s never been a fan of canned food, she’ll usually sniff it and walk away
You can just rub the essences on her fur, Lynn – you don’t have to give them in her food.
Keep trying to get Peaches to eat the canned food. It can take a lot of time, and it can be frustrating to get some of these hard core dry food addicts to change, but it’s so worth it.
Lynn, she won’t gain weight with dry food, in fact that may be why she’s underweight. You can cheat and tempt her with some smelly cheap stuff then mix the better stuff into it. My Moses not only would not eat canned food and was the long-time last holdout, she would only eat one brand of dry food that I did not care for. She was so frightened about being handled, about eating on the counter, about being confined, and was also as stubborn as a rock for all her formerly-feral fears, it took months of patience and sitting on the floor with her sulking before she ate canned food regularly. She was 15 and I know the weight she slowly gained gave her a few extra years along with a better diet and more easily-digestible food. Just don’t give in. And the essences, I spray on my hands and then happily pet them, we enjoy that.
Frankie is making great progress.
This morning I opened the door to let Stirfry outside. Frankie went over to look and made the mistake of getting between Stir and the door. A swat on his backside shot him thru the door and onto the deck. He stood there and looked around. Then Punky came to the door and actualy went out with him. 30 seconds later he got big eyes – looked around and went back in. But Frankie went to the edge and loked around and followed Stir to the ground. I was watching carefully as this is his 1st time back outside since he came in a few months ago.
Well after 5 minutes Stir went back in and after picking up Frank I went in too.
Progress… Still will really keep an eye on him though.
But last night Frankie took 3 bunny hops towards Stir when she came up stairs. Stirfry sttod her ground and gave him the “look” and a hiss. He took a step back and turned ariound and laid down in the kitchen with his back to her. He is twice her size (and weight wise way more) but there is NO backup in her. Frankie with jump at and wrestle with Punkie and I guess he thought Stir might play too. Stir does not play and like Kasey, Brooke and Steeler – playing can be a painful experience.
A hour later Stir came into the bedroom and I gave her scratches. Frankie hearing this came in too.
I watched him come up and sniff her tail. Like that Stir whirled around and gave him a quick 2 left paws to his head. Her ran out of the room with Stir on his heals for about 5 feet. She then stopped and came back and jumped onto the bed and then to the window to smell the air. Frankie is getting brave (dumb move around a Tortie).
My Gran & I (I’m her home caretaker) have two beautiful girls, a calico & a tortie. The calico is Madame Faye, the tortie is Lady Di (don’t look at me, Gran named them) — & those girls BOTH have enough tortitude for a whole herd of stampeding cats!
I can’t imagine not having kitties in my life. Cats are, after all, just four-legged meowing people who wear fur coats year-round.
Madame Faye and Lady Di sound like perfect names for a calico and a tortie to me, Tracy! And I agree, I can’t imagine a life without cats, either.
Life without cats is no life at all.
Harry and Bernadette are livin large .
And I see a whole herd of stampeding cats at dinner time.
Don’t get in the way of Punky and Frankie near the dinner bowl.
*nod* The most natural, perfect Divas
Saw this on the news this morning
Sugar the cat survives 19-story plunge with no broken bones
BOSTON – A veterinarian says acting like a flying squirrel may have saved a cat from serious injury in a 19-story plunge from a Boston high rise.
Sugar the cat had no broken bones or cuts, just some bruising on her lungs after the fall from a window owner Brittany Kirk had opened to enjoy the recent unseasonably warm weather.
The Animal Rescue League estimates Sugar fell between 150 and 200 feet.
Kirk tells WBZ-TV she thinks Sugar used up “one or two, or maybe eight” of her nine lives.
Veterinarian Hugh Davis says in falls from high places, cats splay their legs in a “flying squirrel position” which slows their descent.
Kirk calls Sugar’s survival a “miracle” and says building management has since installed a screen in her window.
Read more: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/03/22/sugar-cat-survives-1-story-plunge-with-no-broken-bones/#ixzz1pwES6HpK
I saw that yesterday. It will be the top story in tomorrow’s Mews and Nips!
I heard about this today at work. I saw a thing on Animal Planet once that said that cats were less likely to be injured by high falls as opposed to low ones, because the more time they have before hitting the ground, the more time they have to get into the optimal landing position
On the Saturday cartoons they never fall until they look down.
So if I step off a 20 story building I will never look down.
I have stepped out a plane at 3000 feet though.
Made the mistake of looking down. Luckily I looked up and the chute was open. 🙂
Hi all!
Can a tortie be a late bloomer to tortitude?
The girls will be 2 in August and they are changing personalities.
Remember Luna (diluted tortie or torbie not sure which) was on the cranky side and bullied Nikita (true tortie and very sweet and loveable). Now the tides have changed. Luna is becoming more interested in being around us but Nikita won’t let her. I think she is jealous or something. The other night Luna jumped up on the couch and put her paws on my lap while she was standing there (something she only does when the food or water bowl is empty, it wasn’t) I think she just wanted attention. Nikita comes barrelling down from the top of the cat tree, jumps up on the couch, bites Luna on the back of her neck and swats her with her paw until Luna jumps down. They have been boxing a lot lately too. Now anytime we pay attention to Luna, Nikita gives us the “stink eye”. I try to give them equal attention but my son favors Luna because eventhough she doesn’t like to be held or get in your lap she will tolorate it if you are standing up. Nikita does the whole “kid’s temper tantrum still body” thing if you pick her up so John favors Luna and I think Nikita knows it. They started out being one cat for each of us and Luna was mine but Nikita likes to hang out on the couch with me and wants me to play fetch with her. Maybe she thinks Luna is infringing on her territory? Nikita is still nice to humans though, just not her sister sometimes and boy is she getting vocal (meow meow meow all the time). She does have a regular cat voice though not like Steeler or Stir. They would scare me lol
LOL on Steeler and Stir….I’ve never had a tortie like either of them. Hatchet had that “Quiet killer” thing going on. She was kind of like Mafia Cat. As long as all the other cats and dogs stayed out of her space and respected her, she was okay, but if they came too close she’d make short work of them. Monkey seems to be okay as long as nobody challenges her. If you challenge Monkey, it’s on.
I’ve never really seen that happen with cats who’ve been raised together, though. I know cats will generally pick one person as their favorite. Peaches picked my ex, Musa, and when he brought her back to me after we split up…well, we’ve never bonded and she’s never been the same. I feel bad for her. But I haven’t really known them to switch their chosen person
Lynn,
It’s not that they have changed their chosen person, it’s their personalities have changed like I have a kitty version of “All about Eve” going on in my apt. lol
Nikita loves my son and I both but she seems to gravitate towards me because I feed her and I’m a bit more laid back perhaps than a 13 year old boy? Luna has been a loner for some reason. She always just watched from a distance but would come up to you if you were in the kitchen or she was hungry. Lately she seems lonely. She has taken up putting her paw under my bedroom door and shaking the door to get my attention if I’m in the bedroom.
Now Nikita will stand in the hall and scream bloody murder and wake us up. lol
Sue, do you and your son play with both of them on a regular basis? It would probably help them burn off excess energy and might cut back on some of their shenanigans. It is interesting that their personalities are changing, but since some cats aren’t fully grown (and grown up!) until they’re around 2, this may just be their final stage of growth.
Wonder if Stirfry is still growing and hasn’t achieved her full TORTITUDE yet.
Good news everyone! It seems my brutal honesty to Nikki served it’s intended purpose after all. She had totally decided to get Dixie declawed because her husband told her that was a condition of getting her, and also because when she called the vet to arrange her spay, the receptionist asked if she’d like to declaw at the same time, so she assumed it was okay. After my relentless insistence on brutally describing what the procedure actually was, and how much pain it would cause, and bringing her almost to tears while the witch of our department was in the background over-dramatizing it and telling her it was okay, people do it all the time….Yeah, it got ugly.
But I love Nikki. She’s one of the sweetest people I know, and she’s very responsible for being so young. I’ve always admired and liked her. So, I apologized for hurting her feelings, but told her it was something I was passionate about and that I felt like she needed to REALLY know the truth before she made her final decision. I haven’t said anything about it since, and I haven’t been any different toward her than I ever was.
How long has it been since I posted about it? At least a month, I’m sure.
Anyway, today, only two days before the appointment, she came up to me after break and said she’d been thinking about everything I said, and that she couldn’t put Dixie through that, and she had just called the vet and cancelled the declaw.
YAY! She’s a sweet, sensitive, responsible kid. I’m so glad she decided to do the right thing. I’m going to get her mailing address and order her a nice stylish scratching-something from Amazon
Sweet, I swear my friend Carolyn is a ninja. I’ve always had my suspicions. She got me Nikki’s addy in like 2.5 seconds. I sent her
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0017JDFBY/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=2619533011&s=pet-supplies
And
http://www.amazon.com/gp/product/images/B0010B8YT2/ref=dp_image_0?ie=UTF8&n=2619533011&s=pet-supplies
Those are nice!
Okay, wierd. I just replied to this comment twice, and neither of them showed up. Anyway, I bought and sent Nikki and Dixie some pretty cool stuff with the help of my ninja-like friend Caroline who was able to call her and get her mailing address in about 2.5 seconds lol
I just found the comments in the spam folder – sorry about that. Two Amazon links in one comment will definitely trigger it…lol…
Ugh, I totally forgot about that one link rule
Getting forgetful in your old age 🙂
Good for you, Lynn – and especially good for Dixie. You did good!
I’m So thrilled for Dixie, and also thrilled that this young girl I admire and like SO much was able to rise above her country roots and be humane. I’m proud of her, almost like a parent. Her dad is the one who told her she was irresponsible for not letting her dog have a litter before she was spayed, and the same guy who had the hunting dog and never showed it any kindness because he thought it would “ruin it”
And don’t get me wrong, her dad is a perfectly nice guy, just country and misguided
Wat to go Lianimal !!!!!
You saves a kitty pain and passed on knowledge to a new cat owner.
Way to end the week.
Thanks Jay, It was all her though. You can talk to someone until you’re blue in the face, but you can’t convince them of something they don’t already partly believe on the inside. Luckily Nikki is one of the sweetest, kindest, most sensitive people that I know. And I said before and I still say I felt so bad because I actually made her cry when I was telling her about the procedure, but in the end it served the purpose
Cats are so funny
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IytNBm8WA1c&feature=related
Thank you for voting every day this past month! Official results will be announced March 30.
We already know who is the winner.
Congrats Ingrid.
Special thanks to Allegra and Ruby.
I finally figured out how to upload video’s on Youtube.
Here is our famous Steeler talking.
http://youtu.be/MA5fguscyxg
Here ya go Glen. You can listen to Steeler finally.
How long is it generally before kittens are weaned? The sweet little tortie that visited me every day has now not shown up for two weeks! I was sure she had gone somewhere to have babies, since she had gotten tubby-looking and was so reluctant to let me touch her sides. But if she had, would she stay with them 24/7? Wouldn’t she have been able to get away, just for a few minutes, to visit and get a free meal? I can’t help it — I’m really worried about her now! All I want is to see that little furry face staring in the window at me from the empty flower box on the windowsill. I’m never going to forgive myself for not taking her in when I had the chance, if her “official” owner just dumped her and her babies somewhere.
I’m sorry to be so obsessed with my little visitor, but I can’t help it. 🙁
Weaning usually begins at four weeks of age, and is completed when the kittens are eight to ten weeks old. Are you still putting food out for her?
I was, but there’s been a gray-and-white tom hanging around, and I caught him twice eating the food I left out, so I stopped as of about 4-5 days ago. Do you think I should start again? I don’t want to have every cat in the city congregating on my patio, but if the tortie has been coming around in the middle of the night, I’d want there to be something for her to eat. What should I do?
That makes it tough. It’s possible that she may be coming by in the middle of the night. and I understand that you don’t want to end up feeding all the neighborhood cats. I’m not sure what the solution for this would be. Anyone? Harry? Bernadette?
This is unfortunately beyond my expertise. If Bernadette has nothing, contact Alley Cat Allies – http://www.alleycat.org and see if they can advise. You might just have to endure feeding the neighborhood for a week or so, to get momma in the habit of returning in the daytime. Also, if you can spare the sleep, try putting food out about an hour before dawn, and sitting quietly nearby to see if she shows up.
If she was nursing kittens she might not be around, especially when the kittens are young and not terribly mobile. Most cats, even indoor cats, move their “nest” every two weeks for various reasons, and when I’ve been feeding outdoor cats with kittens they’ll often move their nest closer and closer to my house (one even moved in under my deck, though they’re not usually that close), and that’s usually how I manage to socialize the kittens and even trap the mother if she’s feral. I’d say keep feeding even if you are getting other cats, but put out several small bowls in case the tom or another cat is being aggressive about the food. Just hope for the best. She could be anywhere.
Thanks so much for your replies, everyone. Harry and Bernadette — I’ll continue feeding in the manner you suggested. I had never thought of several separate bowls before — that’s a really good idea.
I’ve driven through the neighborhood frequently over the past two weeks, and haven’t seen a little tortie body in the street anywhere. That gives me some hope. Unless the “official owner” is a sadistic b***ard who took her and the babies to the pound, maybe she and her brood are all right. And if they’re all right, considering how affectionate, pesty, and totally sweet she always was, she’s bound to come see me again. Maybe not right away, but someday in the not-too-distant future. Wonder if the babies would be torties too?
She’d better expect a scolding, though, for breaking my heart and making me worry when she disappeared. I miss her so. Can’t believe I’ve grown so attached to a little tortie with a thing for sleeping in the empty flower box on my windowsill.
AFB, if it works out – and I pray it will – then welcome to the world of rescue. If you don’t see her again – then you’ve been selected to have a defining experience, as Jay did, as I have, and … welcome to the world of rescue. Once something like that happens, it makes you want to save others – not necessarily personally, but maybe by helping a rescue or shelter.
This time of year – the pregnant moms, the litters of little kittens, don’t cease. If only there were more fosters, more could be saved. You may have been sent a sign. 🙂
Have you called the local shelters or animal control to see if by chance they have picked up or had a pregnant tortie surrendered? Or by now a tortie that has kittens or that recently gave birth at the shelter.
Just a thought.
That’s a great idea, Betty.
lol…For some reason, it seems torties often inspire this kind of obsession. This 10,000 comment blog post is proof of that! Trust me, you are not alone!
Okay….Geek test for all my CC friends. Do you find this funny?
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?fbid=404541772908615&set=a.223098324386295.105971.205344452828349&type=1&ref=nf
Groan…..:-)
LOL But it’s so bad it’s good!
I was adopted last May by a barely weaned tortie, who was left in our barn with her two gray short haired brothers. I bottle fed them and then got them onto kitten food, they lived in a shelter I built for them until August, when I found a home for the two greys and the tortie, Patch, move in with us. When I first discovered the three of them, the two boys would hide every time they saw me, but Patch would come bouncing over and let me handle her and she would curl up in my lap and to go sleep. The other two eventually came around and were pretty friendly as well. They ended up together in a great home with a loving family, I get photos of them all the time.
Patch is my constant companion. And, boy, is she a talker. She’s a long hair, with a very bushy tail and is very petite, and is more of a muted tortie. She’s really a great lap cat, too!
Patch sounds like a wonderful and sweet girl, Gregor. The talking is definitely a tortie trait! Feel free to post photos of her on our Facebook page, we’d love to see her!
Aw, She sounds awesome! And good luck for her, it sounds like she came to the right place! LOL…Torties seem to be good at choosing their servants
Ingrid
Would it be okay to post a link on here for a fundraising page for my son? He is raising money for the Diabetic Youth Foundation for his summer camp. It costs over $1400 to send him to camp for 10 days a summer. It is a wonderful program that is fun as well as educational regarding his Type 1 diabetes.
If no that’s okay, I will understand.
Sue, that sounds like a wonderful program, but I’d prefer that you didn’t post it here. I’d encourage you to contact blogs/Facebook pages related to juvenile diabetes to see if they’d allow you to post there. If you’d like to e-mail me the information, I’d be happy to pass it on to the regular commenters here on the site via e-mail.
Sue, send the info to Ingrid.
I will help you out for what I can.
Thanks Jay! Actually we are friends on Facebook and I posted the link on my wall earlier today. I’m under Sue Wickson on fb
Speaking of DRAMA folks Bernadettes Creative Cat has had over 100,000 views. Kudos to you Bernadette.
Speaking of DRAMA, Ingrid, the #s are good at 43 to 35. CC only had a little more than 24 hours to be honored the as the winner.
Everyone go vote.
Everyone remember to check out Bernadette’s Creative Cat. Bernadette WOW. You didn’t even post to let everyone on her know, you are just to humble. So I did it for you. Love you don’t be angry 🙂
Congratulations, Bernadette! I was waiting for the celebratory post, but Bernie beat me to it 🙂
Thanks for voting, everyone. We’re almost there!
Thanks, Ingrid!
WOOT! RIght on Bernadette!
😛 LOL
I meant to add, Ingrid, I reached it Sunday because you shared my article about Cookie. Thanks for getting me there on that day!
I vote every morning after I read your article. I don’t think you have anything to worry about.
I have been voting daily, too.
Glen I think we all have.
Here is another # we need to keep an eye on. This site is at 9, 410 posts. We will hit 10,000 with another 580 posts. Then We all call Ingrid on the phone at 9,990 and wake her up so she can be her 10,000th post. Now that is a number to look forward to next!!!
Harry once said something about a yapping group, or something very close to that. He is so right.
With any luck, 10,000 will happen during my “regular” hours :-). Then again, if there’s something worth being woken up for, that would be it!
Thanks for all the daily votes. Today is the last day!
Bernie, thanks so much for posting! That was the day after I had spent nearly 24 hours cleaning and organizing my house and yard (long overdue) then I wrote my emotional article about Cookie. WordPress had a hard time registering six figures, and I fell asleep! It’s been a busy few days.
Bernadette it was my honor.
CONGRATS Bernadette, way to go.
I love all the pics of the little ones.
What a loving family.
Right Glen, how does she do that? 🙂
Ingrid, I have a question about Ruby and Allegra.
I assume they don’t have the character traits of Kasey, Steeler or Stirfry?
We often see peaceful pictures of them resting calmly together.
I wouldn’t think you could get a picture like that with any two of those three, atleast without resorting to photoshop 😉
Remember, not all torties are demons. My girls have all been sweet, and you’ve seen plenty of Cookie and Kelly cuddling. My demon was that deaf white cat, sweet Sally.
Cuddling torties. Yep, you and Ingrid for sure. But when I think of torties, I see Kasey, Stirfry, Brooke and Steeler. I don’t find any cuddling there. But it would be nice.
Now, now. Brooke is extremely sweet. If you’re human. She likes Henry, plays with Pearl sometimes, avoids Vickie, and ignores May… and tries to kill Sabrina and Piper. But she’s very affectionate, even to strangers. Whatever she does though – playing, sleeping, having her head scratched… she does with ferocious intensity.
“she does with ferocious intensity.” That is a description I can relate to.
Amber and Buckley were both very sweet. Buckley had tortitude in spades, but with her it manifested through exuberance rather than attitude. Amber was really the “anti-tortie,” she was so quiet and laid back. Allegra often reminds me of Amber, while Ruby often reminds me of Buckley.
When Bernie looked up Steeler and I looked up Stirfry it was because of “Bad A** Attitude” (Bernie’s words – not mine)
OK I did say that, but you all know me, I say it like it is. Jay will be taken care of at a later time for this one. Hold the fort down, Jay. 😛
I think Monkey is more like Buckley and Ruby
Cookie and Kelly are older than all of your torties and they are the sweet variety, so I think that’s the tortie standard. It certainly was for me!
Bernadette, I think that it’s not accurate to assume that all tortitude is, shall we say, rotten and nasty like Steeler and Stir? No, better not say that. But you know what I mean. I said before, that Brooke is really sweet (unless you’re a certain black cat) but that everything she does is done with intensity and passion. When she wants to be petted, she wants it now, hard, all over, and then whooosh ———-> she’s in the next room, doing something else before you can say “who was that tortie cat?” Cookie and Kelly are intensely passionate about what they do – for Cookie, it was being your guardian. For Stir, it’s giving the honey badger a run for his money…
To quote from my own article: Steeler and Stirfry are “strong-willed, a bit hot-tempered, and …very possessive of their human.” Nothing rotten and nasty about that! Just tortitude squared 🙂
I think the one thing that all torties have in common, regardless of how their tortitude manifests, is that they don’t do anything halfway.
“they don’t do anything halfway” – that’s the truth. Maybe it’s because their fur is a halfway-genetic-scrambled-egg-mess, and they have to demonstrate to the world that they can be focused on something!
I didn’t say anything about rotten and nasty and never would. I just said my sweet girls set the standard for me. Since they are the oldest, they get to claim seniority for personality.
Nah, I’m the one who said rotten and nasty. I’m trying to get a personal visit from Stir.
Glen, they do get along really well. They really like to hang out in the same room and even on the same piece of furniture, although I have yet to see them cuddle together. I’ve had both of them on my lap together for about 30 seconds one time. Allegra has tried to groom Ruby, but after a few licks, Ruby gives her a dirty look and takes off.
Of the two of them, Ruby is probably the one with the most tortitude: she’s pretty headstrong. When she sets her mind on something, there isn’t much that can distract her from doing it.
They do play chase each other and wrestle together. Ruby, the drama queen, will let out a squeal wheneve Allegra has her pinned, but it’s always in good fun.
They look so much alike–I’m sure you can tell them apart the same way I can tell the Fantastic Four apart by all those little details we find so dear, but it must be fun to watch them at play when you lost track of who is which.
They’re easy to tell apart “in purr-son” because Ruby is smaller than Allegra, but that’s harder to see in photos, depending on how close they are to the camera.
“DRAMA QUEEN” you need to add that description in the next Ruby post. I have often used that term for the girls (humans) but never for Steeler. Sounds good.
Bernie saw Frankie grooming Pumpkin over the weekend ( I did not see it) so that is a big accomplishment. Stirfry was grooming all the other kitties if pulling out their fur from their backside as she is chasing them counts.
Glen, Although I only have one tortie, Monkey, her and Shanks are SO sweet together, often cuddling and grooming each other. She had normal cat intro issues with both of the rescues, Olive and Dixie, but after only a couple of days, I could see signs that she would eventually be okay with them. I’ve come to the conclusion that in my house, my Tuxie Peaches is the problem, not Monkey
LOL…Intensity seems to be the main tortie trait. Monkey loves EVERYONE…INTENSELY!
That is so unlike “lovable” Monkey. I guess Shanks is a little confused also. You have kittens with identities coming out of the “closet”, so to speak. So it looks like your in for a very happy household.
We have to remember to keep this G rated site. Right. Oh boy could I be ornery with this one. LOL
You have had some really strange stuff going on all around you. Must be karma 🙂
LOL Berns….I think my family thinks about me the same as you do. I told my cousin Jennifer that the tornado was the scariest experience of my life, she told her mother, my aunt Juanita that I said that, and aunt Juanita said; “Well, I find that hard to believe” lol
Hmmm, pretty messed up update. I SO wish I had gotten SHanks fixed earlier, but I didn’t know she was a she. Now I’m moving and there was a Tornado and all sorts of wierd stuff going on. But tonight Monkey bit the back of her neck and mounted her. So, Monkey’s a lesbian. Not that there’s anything wrong with that! SHe didn’t “come out ” in so many words….lol
I won’t even tell you what goes on around here…and they are siblings.
Oh oh oh, you guys have me in a position that I can’t be ornery. Darn you are stretching my imagination. 😛
Sounds like you’re going to need the gallon size of Stress Stopper!
When do you move?
Ingrid, Hopefully I’ll be in the new place next week. I know Peaches will be stressed, she always is. Peaches hates change of any kind. Not sure how Shanks will be, She’s very shy, but also very resiliant. Monkey…I would have said she was fearless, but after the tornado I’m not as sure. I know she USED to look at every new development as an adventure. Before when I opened the carrier she climbed right in of her own volition, and wherever I opened it she’d strut out and start inspecting like she already owned the place. I guess I’m glad I couldn’t put her in the carrier during the storm, so she doesn’t have a traumatic association toward it. She’ll probably be fine.
Bernadette….LOL!
Well today I am home and Steeler and I had the comcast repairman here. Steeler was on guard the whole time he was here. She has her food bowls near the basement door on the heavy carpet plastic. Well the service tech. had to go to the basement to check the connections and wires. When he got near her food she started snarling and growling. He looked and asked if that was her? Of course it was. He said he never heard a cat sound like that. So much for that. Well he went on down to the basement and Steeler commenced to try to scratch the plastic up to hide her food. No luck. So she followed him down to the basement and I heard him say “hi kitty,”. I then went down and sent Steeler back upstairs. Wherever this guy went she went, and sat back and watched his every mover with that tail going. Then she went part way up the staircase where she could see him in the dining area and around. Finally he changed a wire that was causing a “hump” in the system. The service was ok and he left. You have no idea how glad I was he was out of here. Steeler was not happy a stranger was here and she let it be known. As for the problem, well that is another story. Comcast “trapped” my internet so they say, because the corrosive inhouse line was causing a hump in the system in the area. Yea, sure. 🙂
Glad you’re back online and the cable guy got out alive.
Part 1, me to. Part 2, I think Steeler was enjoying being a wild cat. Her adrenaline was flowing.
” I think Steeler was enjoying being a wild cat. Her adrenaline was flowing.”
Just like Kasey.
Kasey, too, will put herself in a position to confront or challenge whatever she chooses, mostly other animals; there is a wildness to it, for sure.
Bernie said her cable box got fried by the cable company last Thursday and it has not been fixed yet. She will be on asap.
Luckily she was able to vote while at my house.
So everyone in her her place.
Gawd, shanks isn’t fixed yet. I hoped to get it done here, but maybe I can help educate some of those hick vets who still offer to declaw. I intend to call every vet in the area, and any vet who offers to declaw, Imma tell them how unethical and inhumane I find it, cancel the appointment, and threaten to tell all my friends not to use them. Surely, of 6 or 8 vets, there will be ONE who doesn’t advocate it, and that’ll be the one I advertise to my friends
It has to happen soon, very soon….her Milkshake’s bringin’ all the boys to the yard….lol
So, in these last few days before the move I’m trying to keep everything the same. As I’ve said, I’m not taking much…I guess I’m going to pack what little I’m taking at the last second, move it all then plop them in their boxes to cause the least stress
What about the 900 lb. couch?
I’m debating lol….I really LOVE the 900 lb couch, especially since it saved my girls from the Tornado…Then again, I have to get someone to carry the 900 lb couch up a whole flight of stairs through a narrow hallway, Who the hell wants to do that!? lol
Just bet 2 strong friends that they CAN’T do it.
They can not resist a challenge.
Offer KFC and a few beers.
LOL…Good plan
Already voted
Today is the last day of winter
Celebrate by voting for CC
http://cats.about.com/b/2012/02/21/rca-vote-for-the-best-website-about-cats.htm
Works for me 🙂
Hey guys, come on, don’t slack off on voting. We have all been doing a great job. Only 3 days to go. So keep voting. VOTE VOTE VOTE
Thanks for voting, everyone. We’re almost there!
“we’ve” been voting our little hearts out 🙂
And I thank you for it, Betty!
I had the TV on this aft and I noticed that they were running the Jurassic Park movie.
Got wondering if it was real, what Kasey would think of it.
Likely;
Nice place.
Some interesting prey and adversaries.
WHAT DO YOU MEAN, THAT WAS THE LAST VELOCIRAPTOR AND THERE AREN’T ANY MORE!!!!! 🙁
They tasted like chicken.
Not much of a fight though.
LOL, Jay!
Well folks here is the latest Steeler fix for you and for a few unsuspecting business people that irritated “THE STEELER”, this week.
I had to conduct some business at my home on Wed and Thurs this week. Steeler does not really like to be disturbed to much, but she tolerates me. Well we moved her large pillow in the living room about 3 different times to accommodate the work being done. Steeler kept showing her Tortiness while these folks were there. She wanted no part of them and wanted them out of the room and her pillow back where it belongs.
Well near the end of our day on Thurs, the people were standing in the doorway to the dining room preparing to leave. So here comes “THE STEELER REVENGE” part.
You have all heard me speak of Steeler and her passing the most awful gas in this world. Well here she stalks from the front hall, across the living room floor, and stops right about 2 feet from where the folks and I were talking. Then she looked around and walked out of the room, tail straight up in the air, and then it hit us. I said Steeler what the heck did you do that for. The others started using their hands as fans. Yep, Steeler let one out that curled the paint off the walls.
Now if anyone thinks these Torties aren’t extremely intelligent, I will have to disagree with you. I know for a fact Steeler did this deliberately to us. Just her mannerism during her release of her discomfort tells me that. Thank heaven these folks own 2 cats, no Torties, and understood I have no control of her. She cleared the business end up real fast and needless to say, her large pillow is back where it belongs (for now). Talk about a wise cat. Sometimes I wonder. But then don’t we all? Well so much for the latest Steeler fix.
She sure told them! Subtlety is most definitely not a tortie trait.
Ingrid, please, don’t test me. I don’t want my gpa to drop after all these years 🙂
OK gang only 5 days left. Keep voting and voting and voting. It is also good exercise for your fingers. 🙂
Been there, done that
So, my little town of Dexter Michigan finally made the news. Gawd, it was horrifying. The tornado passed directly over my building. I’m the only 2nd floor apartment, right on the end with 3 outside walls, and I have no basement access. When the first loud crack of lightening struck all 3 cats flew under the 900 lb couch, I can’t move it, there was no way to get them. But it didn’t seem like it was going to hit us. The sirens had quit about 5 minutes before. Then all of a sudden I heard a horrendous roar and I ran and sat in my shower…still not safe, but at least the bathroom is enclosed and on an inside wall. It was so loud, the whole building was shaking and I could hear stuff slamming against it outside. I just sat there waiting to die and worrying about the girls. But I guess they were safer under the 900 lb couch than I was huddled in a flimsy plastic shower stall with a toilet that could have turned projectile and bashed my head in 2 feet away. A couple neighbors in the front building said they saw the tornado coming and just froze. A metal shed came flying, but it wrapped around a light post and didn’t hit the building. Another big piece of metal, maybe part of the laundromat that was completely destroyed was stopped by a tree a couple feet away from my neighbor’s car. Nothing touched our building. It apparently hopped right over us, but it deposited debris everywhere…there’s stuff just…everywhere! So crazy…they’re saying it was an EF3, but NO-ONE in town was killed or seriously injured, thank god. I thought I’d been scared before in my life, but now I realize I’ve never known real fear until yesterday.
On a side note…..Shy little Shanks who jumps at her own shadow was the first one out from under the couch about an hour after the storm. Then came poor Schizoid Peaches about 15 minutes later……The infamously fearless Monkey didn’t show her face until I cajoled her out 2 1/2 hours after the storm
That is so crazy Lianimal! I am so glad to hear you were okay. What a scary event. Poor kitties!
We fortunately haven’t had a tornado in years (knock on wood). We had one back in the 70’s that tore the second floor off of my high school (and dad was going to school there at the time). It happened on a weekend fortunately.
Holy smokes Lynn! That’s crazy scary!
We don’t have tornado’s in CA . I’m more scared of them than the earthquakes I grew up with.
I would be afraid too!
Glad to hear you made it thru with no injury or damage. Are you in your new apt now or the old one?
Lynn, I had no idea that was where you lived when I heard about it! I’m so glad you girls are okay. Even if the building wasn’t hit just the noise would be enough to traumatize. A tornado passed near me about a decade ago, but they are really rare in this hilly area, but I fear them more than any other weather condition because there’s almost no warning. I don’t know how no one gets hurt in things like that. Thanks for reporting in!
Rachel, we never have them here…well, almost never. My supervisor from work has lived here her whole life and says the last one she remembers was in the 70s
Sue, still in my old place. I guess it’s good I’m moving, since the laundromat is gone lol…not funny, I know. It’s a shock thing, you find humor where you can, right?
Bernadette…The sirens were going off about 30 minutes before it hit, and it was obvious just to look at the sky that something majorly ugly was coming. I guess everyone got the memo to get somewhere safe if they could, and those of us who had no-where safe to go just got lucky
Wow, that’s closer than you want to come to a tornado, good thing it ended well.
I saw some video of it on the news, that was pretty wild.
We get tornadoes here in southern Ontario occupationally, but not in the numbers seen in the U.S. and usually not in the same size, though there big enough if they hit your place.
Back in the 1970’s, I was at a buddy’s place one evening. He had two cats that normally didn’t get along really well, one was an “honorary” tortie and ruled the roost.
The sky looked funny that night, both cats were sitting on the inside window ledge in the kitchen, back to back (unusual), with eyes like saucers, just staring.
In those pre-internet days, it was tougher and slower to find out what was going on. The next morning it was on the news that a community 1 1/2 hours drive west of here was hit by a large tornado that night.
Our theory was that the cats sensed something and that’s why the behavior was odd.
I totally believe that animals sense stuff that we cant. There’s a video of the Dexter tornado where you can hear the birds going nuts
Thank God you’re all okay! I can’t imagine how scared you must have been. The time or two when I sat huddled in my bathroom with the girls and the carriers at the ready because we were under a tornado warning were more than I ever cat to live through again, and that was nothing compared to what you just lived through.
I can’t help but smile at how brave little Shanks was, though, to be the first one to come out after it was all over.
I know! I SO expected Monkey to be first. Or maybe even Peaches, because the only time I can count on her to come to me for affection and comfort is before or after a storm. But Monkey’s my velcro cat. She never leaves my side! I never would have dreamed she’d turn out to be the wuss of the lot! lol And little Shanks turns out to be the brave one lol
Apparently in extreme situations Peaches doesn’t mind sharing space with the two of them either, they were under the couch together for at least an hour
I just saw the article about yesterday’s tornado in the Washington Post – I still can’t imagine what you must have gone through. And I’m grateful all over again that all of you are okay!
Lynn I am so glad you and the little ones are ok. I can imagine the horror and fear you had to have felt. Tornados have been very deadly this year. I hope you never have to experience that again. We had the one back 2 years ago. Many homes and buildings are still being rebuilt. I was one of the lucky ones. I know the load roar of the twister. It equals the sound of the Stealth fighter jets x’s 10. I hope you get into your new place soon.
Did you give the little ones some essence to calm them down? How about yourself? Was the crystal skull handy?
Really tho, I am just happy you are all ok.
lol Berns…I had a bottle of Brandy handy. It took a few shots before my heartbeat got back to normal and my hands quit shaking. Once the girls finally all came out they seemed okay. A little annoyed by the unusual amount of traffic. Seemed like the whole neigborhood was out knocking on every door and asking if people were okay, and they’re not used to a lot of visitors. I generally don’t have more than two or three in a whole week
Lynn I don’t blame you for having your home remedy handy :). When we had the tornado, the fire department and volunteers came door to door to account for everyone and to see if anyone needed help. In times like that the good comes out in most people. In your case, I bet you were glad the toilet was close by. 🙂 Just teasing guys, don’t get excited. We are still G rated!!
They were even talking about Michigan on the radio news station tonight as I was driving home, Lynn – they credited those sirens with preventing any deaths. Just amazing!
It was crazy! A tornado on the ground for at least 30 minutes, TONS of property destroyed, yet not one serious injured! I agree about the sirens. They went off for about 15 minutes, then stopped. About 5 minutes later they went off again for about 10 minutes, then stopped. I had decided nothing was going to happen, then all of a sudden I heard a noise unlike any sound I’ve never heard before in my life. Everyone says it sounds like a freight train, but that’s not exactly true. It’s such a loud roar, but it DOES have a kind of Thrum, thrum, thrum quality.
My friend from Adrian called and asked if I had Skidmarks…..LMAO…Pretty freakin’ close!
vote vote vote
Yes, yes, yes! Thank you! Only 6 more days to go!
A kitten Story
http://www.dailygood.org/view.php?sid=196
This is a really heart warming story about a kitten. Liked it very much.
CC is ahead but let’s keep it that way.
Vote now when you get up.
Vote at your 1st cup of coffee ( or 2nd, 3rd or in my case 5th)
http://cats.about.com/b/2012/02/21/rca-vote-for-the-best-website-about-cats.htm
Thanks for voting! Less than a week to go!
We have another Steeler
http://www.spcacincinnati.org/pages/default2.asp?active_page_id=203
A pretty Tortie, but wonder if she has STEELER attitude.
I wonder if she was named after the famous unofficial Steelers’ mascot?
Without a doubt.
Looking up “Stirfry the cat” is not a good idea. 🙂
Harry this may be a return adoption. A while back I seen a cat named Steeler was at this same rescue. I contacted them and told them they I already had the official Steeler. (Just joking with them). I also made a donation to the adoption of their “Steeler”.
You’d be surprised how many cats are named Steeler–I know at least a half dozen, mostly tabbies and black cats, though, no torties.
No, please don’t look up “Stirfry the Cat” and give anyone ideas!
I agree with you. Please don’t look up “Stirfry the Cat” and give anyone ideas!
Who could give up a Tortie ?
NOT ME !!!!!!!!!!!!!
Ingrid, I think of this every time I share the link to this post but never remember to ask–could you add a link to this post somewhere on your site? I usually delete the comments we share from my e-mail inbox so when I want to send the link to someone I go to your site, but need to remember to put “tortitude” in quotes and find one of the stories about the post to actually get to the post! There may be an easier way, but I haven’t found it. What do you think?
Bernadette, there’s a minor flaw in the search function on the site. It’s something on my list of things to get fixed, but it keeps getting bumped for other things. Two easy ways to quickly find the post: Google tortitude, and this post will be the first search result on Google. Alternately, bookmark the post – that’s what I do.
Google–I never think of that when I’m searching on one specific blog. I confess, I have to organize my bookmarks, I have so many articles linked from blogs, but perhaps I’ll set up a new folder–yay, another folder!
Just Google ” Steeler the cat” and see what comes up 1st
That’s awesome, Jay! Tortie iz all uver de interwebz!
Supposed to be 83° on Thursday – pretty unusual for March, here. The office building hasn’t turned on the A/C yet, and our staff was grumbling, so I exercised my management authority and declared Thursday “Luau Day” – Hawaiian shirts and shorts the dress of the day. Here’s what I’ll be wearing: http://www.maxboxxer.com/cart/show.php?sw=323&products=
No torties, unfortunately.
OK HARRY. Since I don’t know how to do what you just did with the link. I am sending our folks to the site to pick out the boxers to go with that shirt. Sorry that was to easy for me to resist. 😛 Folks go to the site Harry mentioned and help him pick out boxers. Their is one with a cat there. He should look smashing or is that smashed??????
Hey now. Most of you know things have been a little out of kilter with me. Well the past couple of weeks I came down with acute bronchitis. I took the meds and it cleared out. So today, I had to have my annual nuclear stress test. Well as you may know this is a time consuming procedure, with wait time. Now having said that, here is the story. Everyone in the waiting area are strangers to the other. So when you sit there, if you are like me, you speak to people. Well a young woman and an older gentleman were seated beside me. We started to talk and the talk got around to our pets. Now you know no one is more proud than I of my Steeler and I was right smack dab in the middle of Pittsburgh’s Steeler Country. Well I brought up Steeler, “surprise”. Words went around the room and I said Ingrid had written an article about Steeler in the Pet Connection. Well I have a cell phone, but I have a dumb one. The young woman next to me had a smart phone. All at once she says “here she is”. Yep, she had pulled the story up and the phone was passed around to the others to see. So Ingrid and Steeler entertained the group of people, just like myself, who were stressing about this test. For a while their attention was drawn to this Tortie and a story written by Ingrid. I wish I had a smart phone, but then I would have to get smart to be able to use it. Just thought you guys would like to hear of my day and how a Tortie’s story helped others.
Aww, that means so much to hear this, Bernie.
Does that mean you will get me a smart phone and teach me how to use it????:)
That’s the nicest story I’ve heard in a long time. Never underestimate the power of a blog post with 9200+ comments. (Or of a tortie.)
Make that 9300.
9300 and growing fast. Do I get a smart phone????? 🙂
I guess I better start planning what the person who leaves the 10,000th comment will get as a prize. And no, Bernie, it will not be a smart phone 🙂
Oh wait! You all said you were going to save the 10,000th comment for me…
Darn your right. You have to be the 10,000th posts. That means if it gets near in the very early hours of the night, your phone will be ringing incessantly to get you out of bed and on the blog.
As for the smart phone, I don’t see how you guys can use those. I am lucky to make and receive calls. I haven’t even been able to do the texting part. So I will forego that one, and watch the #’s go for you. 🙂
Aww, that’s so cool Berns!
Thanks Lynn. I was pleasantly surprised at how much at ease some of the patients felt (me included) with “Steeler’s Story”. Ingrid did a great job. The young woman that found it on her “smart phone” wanted to know if there was a follow up story coming out. I guess we will have to see, I told her. Only time will tell.
The follow up story is on here every day. We find out how much Steeler loves you and how much you love her.
And it gets better every day as the story continues.
Today’s pick-me-up, “Kitties of the Air” –
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bpfbbolyOKY&feature=player_embedded
Love that song and video,Kitten.
Thanks for the wake up song.
I have had my Tortie for almost a year now, and what a special girl my Cinnabon is. Aside from being extremely intellectual -opening doors that are securely latched with a round knob, and going to her room at night, when ordered- she is a very sweet girl, when she wants to be. My biggest thing that I love about her, is that she got me through a horrible bout of depression, it was in October of last year, and I’d just had a miscarriage, honestly I wanted to lay in bed all day and forget the world, but Cinnabon wouldn’t have it. At 8:30 in the morning on the dot, she would wake me up by rolling over me, and running over me, until I got out of bed and woke up to cook her a sunny side up egg, and then we would snuggle. I haven’t been in love with too many cats, but I love this cat more than anything in the world. She is my first Tortie, and she is a gift from above, one that wouldn’t allow me to be depressed, and in doing so, saved my life.
Your story touched my heart, Ebby. What a gift to have a cat like Cinnabon in your life.
Your beautiful story of Cinnabon still has a few tears running down my face. I find it so amazing that these beautiful “furry babies” can bring light to what was darkness.
Although at times our little torties can be demanding, for the most part their love is unconditional. It is not just torties that love unconditionally as I have three furry babies that aren’t torties, but our torties seem to have a special bond and can feel our emotions a bit more than the others. When I am sad my Columbia seems to always know and stays by my side. When I am sick she lies next to me facing outward in a protection position.
I would indeed be lost without my four furry babies.
What a beautiful story about Cinnabon (and what a perfect name for a tortie!) and so touching. I had a grey cat (named Grey Cat) some years back that similarly got me through a prolonged period of horrible depressions, and I believe he trained Emma (the tortie I have now) to be such a good companion. She sleeps next to me at night just like he used to do andshe curls up on my lap very much as he did, although she didn’t take on that role until he was gone. They really are angels, aren’t they? (Emma came running into the room as I was writing this. She is nonchalantly washing her face next to the monitor. She loves when I’m sharing with you guys…)
Shana, did you see the photo floating around last week, with the caption, “Iz chekin ur Facebook evry day, hopins u mentionz me…”
Was it a tortie?
Tabby, I think. Torties have their own facebooks.
and we love when you share stories of Emma (our favorite reverse Tortie).
So true that many of us on here look to our Torties as comfort when things get stressful.
I know Steeler has gotten Bernie thru a tough year. As demanding as these cats are they know when to comfort us.
That is so true! My little visitor always seemed to show up just when I was the most down-in-the-dumps about not getting in enough freelance work to pay the bills. She’d make a real pest of herself when I went outside to sit on the porch with her. It was impossible to stay depressed with that little kitty around. 🙂
Ebby, I am truly touched by your Cinnabon getting you through a very rough time. I can surely associate myself and my Steeler with that. To this day, Steeler is still helping me deal with life.
But unlike Cinnabon, she doesn’t pay heed to anything I say to her except “time to eat of do you want a piece of KFC.” Then she listens.
Like all kids – selective hearing. 🙂
That is so sweet. I’m so glad the two of you found each other. Torties are so special, I don’t know why. I’ve had cats that I loved, but the two major loves of my life (cat-wise) have both been torties
Strange, they’re most often female…almost never male. So do males also act close to the general personality description here?
Only 1 in 3000 tortoiseshell cats is male. The two males I’ve come across – one who lives with one of our readers, and another one just recently adopted – seem to have somewhat more laid back pesonalities than your typical tortie.
Females of any genus tend to be a little more intense, personality wise. I hate to say it, but it’s true. lol
We’re heading into the homestretch – only 10 more days left to vote. Please vote every day, and tell all your friends to vote, too! http://bit.ly/xw5R7O
Hey, I have threatened folks with harm from Torties to keep them voting. Even making friends vote who don’t even like cats. So you darn well better bring home this award. The TORTIES have spoken.
WHO DOESN’T LIKE CATS !!!!!!!!!!!!!!
No friend of mine…..
I first want to say thank you for this website.We have our first Tortie.She is beautiful, oh my gosh.Her name is sunshine. We lost our cat this last summer .(We only have 1 at a time )He died of diabetes,he was a big black and white American short hair.It was horrible.Since he was diagnosed till the day he passed was only 4 months later.Insulane and vet visits galore .. but, we finally lost him.- Then this little one came along (sort of by chance) Among her many other -cutenesses- she is very, very sociable, loves being around people all the time.Is this also a characteristic for this breed? ps- I am a woman thats my husbands picture on this face book dealy, I only say that because this is from a womans point of veiw.
I’m sorry about your loss last summer, but I’m so glad Sunshine found you, Melissa. Some torties are more sociable than other cats, but I don’t think that’s characteristic just for torties, I think some cats are just more outgoing than others.
It seems that a lot of torties are really attitudy and ornery, but my girl Monkey is a COMPLETE love. So are Ingrid’s two. Monkey IS the queen of the castle, as I think every tortie is, The same as people, some are more friendly and some are not, but as long as the other cats honor her given right to rule, they’ll probably all be fine
Brooke is wildly affectionate – head butts that hurt – and then, at the same rate of speed, she’s off to do something else. Nothing is done halfway. When the kids were younger, we always had to warm them – don’t nuzzle her with your face, for when she’s done, she’s going to slap you and might have her claws out. The transition from I-love-you I-love-you I-love-you –> I’m done was faster than you could get the license of that truck. At least she generally didn’t end in petting aggression, but would just spring out of your lap and fly away like a shot. Torties – nothing halfway.
You still have to remind me sometimes, she always has her paw ready to smack.
No reminder needed –
Look Down
If the cat is Black and Gold
BEWARE !!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Harry ” The transition from I-love-you I-love-you I-love-you –> I’m done ” Monkey was like that when she was younger, but she’s mostly grown out of it. But hers was more; “Im loving this, I’m loving this, I’m loving this, wait was I loving or fighting? loving or fighting? maybe fighting, yes, definitely fighting! lol
Torties seem to be either or…My Monkey is a complete love. She’s a total attention hound and loves EVERYONE! Some torties are’t so nice. The consistant thing about torties seems to be that they’re extreme one way or the other lol
Kasey loves human attention.
This is in spite of pre-rescue abuse, I don’t know why she has remained so friendly, I’d have thought it might have made her mean and or skittish, but it hasn’t.
This was one thing that convinced me to bring her home, despite her surroundings and history, she really was a pet cat at heart.
Other animals don’t fare so well.
They are either prey, or an opponent, the size and type of critter doesn’t seem to matter one bit.
Fortunately, she has mellowed a bit in a home surroundings and has learned to tolerate the other animals but she will not be trifled with, there is no play fighting, fighting is “for real” She does like to play with toys, though.
She is an indoor cat now and seems happy in that mode but is aware of what is going on outside and guards the house.
So true Glen. A Tontie play fight can be painful for the unlucky cat who tries (along with the caretaker who tries – I have the scars to show that. And Bernie can tell you that Steeler can be very purrsuasive to get treats).
A Mellow Kasey is still a very dangerous cat to face.
Extreme seems to be the key word. Torties do nothing halfway.
The tortie that had been showing up on my patio every day, and with whom I fell in love totally unintentionally, has either turned into a furry little ingrate, or she’s gone off somewhere to have babies. Or maybe she’s just having a spell of tortitude? I got so used to seeing her little face staring in at me as I worked on the computer (she was able to leap from the ground up to the windowsill in a single bound). Now I haven’t seen her for nearly a week.
The reason I said she might have had babies is that she was getting awfully tubby-looking, and when I tried to pet her sides, she flinched like she was very uncomfortable. She would never hold still long enough for me to look for the other “obvious” signs of kitty pregnancy, though. I sure hope she’s all right. Maybe she’s just found other “vacation homes” to hang out at? Or maybe she was just out for a free meal and decided she didn’t like the selection at my “diner”? 🙁
Sorry if this post is in the wrong place — the thread is very long, and I wasn’t sure exactly where to put it.
It sure sounds like she’s gone off to have her babies somewhere. Stay alert for any sounds of kittens in your immediate area. Since she had gotten used to being fed on your patio, she may not have gone very far.
I sure will. The more I think about it, the more the baby explanation makes sense. The very last tim eI saw her before she disappeared, she jumped up on the windowsill as usual, but when I went outside, she seemed “antsy” and nervous. She paced pack and forth on the windowsill, and barely let me pet her at all. She kept looking off into the distance like she was watching for something in the neighbor’s yard behind my house, and as soon as I went back inside, she jumped down and was gone.
I can’t believe how much I miss that little kitty . . . . 🙁
I got the same way about Frankie when he did not show up for a day or 2. Finially i was talked into bring him into my family.
Jay, you talked yourself into bringing Frankie in – we had *nothing* to do with it! 😛
I hope your little visitor comes back to see you. She most likely is bedding down with young.
Thank you so much for the replies, everyone. Isn’t it odd how a bundle of fur and personality can make you fall in love? If she does return with babies, I’m not sure what to do. Her “official” owner (whoever that is) would probably take the babies (and maybe her too) straight to the pound. Yet there’s no way I could take her AND babies in, especially with her almost certainly having an “official” owner. If she brought a baby with her on her next visit, maybe I could take the baby? Yet I’m scared to do that, because I have parakeets and a cat would almost certainly kill them.
Anyone have any ideas regarding what I should do if she shows back up with a baby (or babies) in tow? Thanks.
She might have an “owner” – but not a very good one if she’s outside, and allowed to become pregnant. Since I’ve been involved with rescue, I’ve become less tolerant of people who don’t spay/neuter, and have absolutely no compunction about taking cats from them w/o asking. (You can visit me in prision, probably.)
My advice, for what it’s worth – if she comes back, feed her, and follow her. She’ll lead you to the kittens. Bring them all inside to a box lined with old towels in a room away from the birds, with a litter box for Mom. Here’s a good resource: http://zimmer-foundation.org/art/19.html Generally, found litters of kittens have a feral mom; that’s not the situation in your case it seems, so you should be able to move them all safely inside – you’ll need help, though, if possible – have inside set up and ready, and then move the kittens FIRST before Mom. That way, she’ll be more likely to follow you inside – if you move her first, she’ll be frantic to get to the kittens and may get back out.
Many years ago, before I got involved with rescue, I was approached and asked for a home by two friendly grey kittens. I was far from home myself, and did not take them in. It still haunts me, and if I could go back, I’d scoop them up and find a way to bring them home. Sometimes, it takes a while to get the message – Steeler had to work on Bernie for a while. I wouldn’t make that mistake again, knowing how much I regret it even 20+ years later.
Harry knows for certain of what he speaks. He and his family devote a great deal of time to rescuing and protecting the little ones. Of course, he is our resident expert failed foster dad. But he has given great advice.
For those new to Ingrid’s blog, here is a very touching story Ingrid wrote on how Steeler found Bernie.
https://ingridking.com/2011/02/04/steeler-the-cat-accidental-and-unofficial-team-mascot/
And like Harry, I look back on the kitties I did not take in right away and wonder what happened to them.
Years ago I had a feral come to me and she was given the name B.K ( Barn Kat NOT Burger King !!!!!!!) She became pregnant and would visit me every day and I decided to put her in my barn. Unknown to me she was able to get into my garage and being pregnant had difficulty getting out. I went into my garage one spring day and found her dead from lack of food and water. I cried over her and buried her out front next to my Bichon.
So AFB, take that kitty in and give her and her family a loving home.
Jay, that’s tragic – I’m so sorry. But you’ve done what I do, make up for the regrets going forward.
I would do exactly what Harry says. The kittens can be easily given away at 8 weeks, then your sweet tortie friend can be spayed, and maybe stay with you forever. She can probably learn to ignore your birds. If she can’t get them, she’ll probably eventually lose interest. Monkey eventually lost interest in my rats.
So sorry to hear of you loss of beloved cat. Sunshine knew when to come to you. Torties have a sense of who needs them and who will love them. In your case you are very fortunate that she loves and cuddles with you. I am still waiting for Steeler to become a cuddle Tortie. But like you, she is so beautiful, and devoted, I will only envy those of you who have the luck of a loving, cuddly Tortie. I love my “fully tortitude girl, who says, my way or my claws will show.”
Oh ‘Tortitude’ I have a Tortie who displays it from AM to PM ha-ha. Currently asleep on my lap Grace is a chubby ball of nuzzly, snuggly love … when it’s on her terms! When she’s not in the mood however, you can forget it! A flick of the tail and one of her ‘get of me’ glares soon puts you back in your place! Good job I love her too much to mind <3
Sounds like Grace has you well trained, Sarah.
Hey Sarah Gracie sounds like she knows how to show how much she loves you. Then she says, but these are my guidelines to live by. Love the way you wrote that.
My first cat love was a tortie named The Wheezer, formerly known as Garlic. She was so amazing. She used to sleep on my pillow-it was like wearing a fur hat. She taught me to love cats & I thank her for it. She was a gentle & beautiful soul with sass.
The Wheezer sounds like she was a very special girl, Jeannie. I love your description of her as a “gentle and beautiful soul with sass.”
Great name for a tortie Jeannie! Thanks for posting – like I told you – this group is great!
Jeannie I really like the name The Wheezer. Loving her and her returning that love is really good to hear. I like the last remark which says Tortie ” gentle & beautiful soul with sass.”
We put a picture on Ingrid’s FB site. It is a carved wooden statue of the ORIGINAL Tortie. Mean looking.
I’m not sure it’s as mean-looking as Stir. Just sayin.
True dat. Nothing quite as mean as that photo of Stir.
That cat can’t hold a snarl to Stirfry. No way.
This is written by Bernie. I didn’t notice Jay had his name and email on my laptop until I posted two posts. Sorry to confuse you folks.
Of course Jay will wonder when he wrote these.
That carving is very old and it is marked as a Tortie. Oddly the coloring on it resembles a Tortie however, it lacks the real Tortitude of our Torties. 🙂
This is also written by me. My posts will now show my name. Darn I never thought about the name on the reply area. Me is Bernie. 🙂
some people will do anything to get these numbers up.
Speaking of which – Vote For CC
http://cats.about.com/b/2012/02/21/rca-vote-for-the-best-website-about-cats.htm
I can’t set her clock tonight. I will do it tomorrow. 🙂
Clock on Bernie’s Jeep is right now (it was never changed since last fall) but now my car’s is wrong. Damn – can’t win.
Yep, for the first time since last fall my car has the right time. I would have just added the hour as I have. It was right at least twice a year. You all know the time changes are just a pain. Steeler doesn’t know to go back to bed, because the sun is shining in.
I can’t teach her otherwise, just yet. 🙂
So, I got the apartment out in Stockbridge, me and my “two” cats…PeachesShanks and Monkey…lol…we’ll be moving in the next two weeks or so
Congratulations!
Thanks! It’s pretty nice. And it’ll be REALLY nice to live in a place where everything is legal and above-board again
Starting off on the wrong foot is nice and legal but saying three cats = 2???
lol…good point! When I first moved here I caled Comcast and DTE to get my services set up like anyone would….They both came out, xcouldn’t get to their meters, and my landlady yelled at me and called me a pain in the ass because she had everything set up all illegal, and my trying to get stuff set up legit almost busted her. I had NO idea! It’ll feel SO good to have everything legit again, and be able to do stuff legally without having to worry
You’re right Jay….but I have to justify that as cat preservation. I’m not getting rid of ANY of my girls
Lynn, we know you (like us all) would never give up one of your kids. They are family.
But don’t worry – Harry and I have a bridge in the Strip District in Pittsburgh to hang out at.
Yay! Congratulations!
I TOTALLY agree! lol, and thanks!
My tortisehell is 11 years old this year.
She used to be able to jump up a high gate on to my garden wall up until this year, but it seems she can no longer do it. Is this normal?
Paul, as cats age, they often develop arthritis in their joints, and this affects their ability to jump. Your tortie is right at that age where those changes start to become evident. There are some things you can do to support her joints: you can give a good glucosamine chondroitin supplement (I like Cosequin for Cats). If she’ll let you, you can gently massage the area around her hips, back legs, shoulders and front legs to increase blood flow. There are also some flower essences that can help, Spirit Essences’ Creak-Away is one that I like. Be sure to mention this to your vet at her next exam, your vet may have additional suggestions on how to help her remain comfortable as she ages.
Thank you very much for your help.
I will certainly look into this
Paul