Torti's!!

[joycet]

I just switched my 9 month torti from kitten food to inside adult dry cat food, because she is getting a belly on her. So, she does eat it, but her energy level is not the same. Could it just be her adjusting? Other than that, she is fine. Her name is Cali, and we adopted her from a place that rescues cats, fixes them and gets their shots. She is not like any other cat I have had.

Joycet

[davidpizzica]

I have two torties, Daisy and Marigold who I call my flower children! Marigold is still a bit shy, but she'll let me know when it's time for her to be fed. Daisy has a few weird habits, too. She knows exactly what time the food comes so while I'm on the couch, she'll sit there and give me "the stare" like "let's get on with it"! also, she likes curl up between me and the end of the couch. I believe they both have tortitude, but I think Daisy has it a little more than Marigold.

[Jessika]

I just switched my 9 month torti from kitten food to inside adult dry cat food, because she is getting a belly on her. So, she does eat it, but her energy level is not the same. Could it just be her adjusting? Other than that, she is fine. Her name is Cali, and we adopted her from a place that rescues cats, fixes them and gets their shots. She is not like any other cat I have had.

Joycet

Awww she's probably just slowing down because she's getting older. Is she maintaining weight on the current food or is she gaining weight? In either case I recommend making her portions smaller OR feeding a food higher in fiber to help weight loss. Once she is back to a more appropriate weight put her back on the regular food. Ideally you want to maintain weight, so if she's maintaining now after she looses weight go back to the portions you are currently feeding her.

[Catlady711]

My mom's tortie has a definate preference for men, although loves my mom to death as well, but she's very persnickerty about female guests she doesn't know well. She doesn't lick much (the cat not my mom, lol).

I have two torties (as well as their white brother) and all 3 lick all the time! Sabrina prefers my hubby, although will get fairly affectionate with other people 'when she wants to'. Sassy loves everyone and honestly doesn't act much like a tortitude kinda cat. Josh their brother may be a white male, but I swear he has the tortie genetics because he acts just like one, persnickerty when he doesn't get his own way.

[GILL]

Our 2, a semi feral and a coon, are opposite side of the spectrum. Boots the feral does show a preference for me, when she wants to. ET our Coon is my wife’s; she will only come to me in the bathroom or when my wife’s lap is full. She is also the most vocal of all 10.

[Medusa]

I have two, Puddy (a calico) and Yodie. Both have catitudes, Puddy being the Queen, of course. Puddy likes me, that's it, although years ago there was one man that she really liked a lot but no one since. Yodie likes me, too, although over time she's become more sociable and will go to other people. But a lap cat? No way. Puddy, yes. Yodie, no. I just love their independence.

[largeheartedgirl]

I've never owned a Torti, so I don't know what they're like. I do think that cats will tend to warm to one person more than another. Our girl cat likes my husband and looks so jealous whenever our other cat is getting attention from him. Ever since we got the dog, who hogs his attention, she'll try to roust the dog out of his lap so she can sit there.

I find it interesting that somebody has a Torti that likes water (see the thread on the "Bathing Cat"). I think we need to launch a campaign to educate people that cats indeed DO like water.

[catloverforever]

I used to own a tortie...her name was Nitschke and she was my baby girl. I recently had to give her away because my parents said four cats was too much (I'm sure some of you remember my post about this). Luckily, she went to a good home, with her closest kitty friend, Jake, who is just a bit younger than her. (She is about a year old and he is just a few months under a year right now.) Anyways, she had a lot of "tortie-tude": her meows were so full of attitude and were pronounced often. (I liked this a lot, it gave me a lot of laughs!) When she wanted her food-she would nip me in the early morning hours so as to get her point across. Yet, she was a loving girl, always around people, offering them her soft, velvety, colorful fur to pet-a wonderful addition to the household. She will forever be missed, along with her brother Jake-he will be missed, too. But I am glad that they went to a good and loving home where they in turn will be cherished. They are doing fabulous, by the way. I often get replies from their owner telling me and my family how they are doing. They've been happy and healthy, and Jake has been gaining weight. (He is still growing, but hopefully he doesn't get overweight!) Well, just thought I'd share my input on "torties". They are really awesome kitties. I am attaching a picture of Nitschke and Jake, who will be furrever missed and remembered.....
~Catloverforever, With Love From My Two Kitties, Nellie and Reggie White~

[Medusa]

My Yodie Yodie is a tortie and she's overloaded w/tortietude. She's loud and boisterous and is not a lap cat but she insists on her belly rubs before bed or I'll hear about it til she gets one. For the most part, though, she's a lovable little gal; she greets newcomers w/quite a welcome. It used to be that she hid from everyone but that's because she was an outdoor cat w/lots of health issues when I rescued her. Now she's up to speed healthwise and she thinks she rules this house but we all know that Puddy is Queen around here. I love torties and you're lucky to have one.

[rosethecopycat]

I think of Tortitude as sudden mood swings.

I have a Tortiepoint Siamese. She is tightly bonded to me. She treats no one else like she does me.
She does not have tortitude however.

[Tora Oni]

I never had a tortie but I have herd alot about "tortitude". I have always wanted one, I just hope she doesn't become my boyfriend's cat rather than mine. "Tortitude" isn't just limited to tortie's if I've herd right some Calico's have a catitude as well.

[catmandu]

My Pouncer Roccalno is the ultimate Tortie.
She was put in a cage in the basement until she calmed down after TNR.
The next day she was out of the cage and then tunneled her way out of the house.
She still out there as she comes around for dinner but its on her own terms.
Shes the Total Tortie.

[GILL]

One of our last rescues is a Main coon torie. Talk about attitude, she will growl and hiss at any thing that moves. She has decided that my wife’s chair is hers. When my wife wants to sit she has to pick up ET and move her. At this point the growling and hissing will start, but in a couple of minutes ET will sit on my wife’s lap. The only problem is she is not allowed to laugh and/or move. If this happens ET will growl and hiss. Every thing has to be on ET’s terms. She will meet me at the foot of the stairs every morning, now it is my job to follow her to the bathroom for scratches and grooming.
She is still a lover but only on her terms, she is the one top -center of the picture.

[Jenny79]

I had a torti for 12 years.Her name was Valentine.Valentine died on 5/7/08.
She loved me and only me.Val liked my dad but very rarely socialized with him.With me Val would sit by my side when ever I was at home and would get upset when ever I left home or even left the room.

[mamaducky]

Hi all,

This is TOTALLY unrelated to torti behavior -- but I couldn't resist throwing this story in, anyway.

In my "real" life I teach fifth graders, and you can imagine that they are always full of surprises!

One day a few years ago we were talking about families, and of course pets came into the discussion. A young lady in my class was discussing her cat, who was named "Tortie". She mentioned that she had NO idea why they'd named the cat that -- so I asked, "Is she a tortoiseshell?"

She looked at me as though I were dumber than a box of rocks, and informed me, very slowly and distinctly, "No... she's a CAT."

Every time I read about a torti now, I get a giggle thinking of my little friend who imagined that I thought she kept an uninhabited turtle shell as a pet...!