"Tortitude"

[kuhio98]

I've read a couple of postings lately where "tortitude" was mentioned. Why, oh why, didn't I know about this before we adopted our first Tortie?

We've had Cammie since March. The shelter told us she was a 2 to 3 year old kitty. She picked us out the moment we got there and followed us from room-to-room. She even walked up the stairs with us and on the way back down decided we weren't leaving without her. She jumped up on my shoulders and stayed. When we opened the cat carrier she walked right in and made herself at home. I've never seen anything like it. After a thorough medical exam (which they evidently didn't do at the shelter), it was determined that she is over 10 years old. This makes much more sense to us because she is quite content to sleep all day in the sun (we were VERY worried when we thought she was a young thing).

Well, she absolutely hates my guts! She will hiss and spit at me and bite and scratch if I get near her. She has even growled at the sight of me on a few occasions. She LUUUUUUUVs my husband can always be found on him somewhere purring her brains out. (He calls her Velcro Cat).

She a royal *itch to Halo. She will chase Halo (2 yr old kitty) which Halo loves because she thinks they are playing. When Halo turns around to chase Cammie, she gets hissed and spit at and slashed across the face. So far no one has needed stitches.

She has a forever home with us -- that's not a question. But, those of you with tortie's do they often have this kind of "attitude"? Are they a one-person kinda cat? Do you think she'll ever learn to tolerate me? Do you think she and Halo will ever be friends or is that asking too much with their age difference and Cammie's "tortitude"? Maybe she used to live with a man because she certainly prefers my husband but I haven't noticed her interested in any other males. Just him.

[catlady1945]

When we saw our Ginger at the Humane Society 14 years ago, she was as sweet as pie, she mewed, she turned on the charm, she wanted us to adopt her! When we got her home she lashed out at everyone, and ran to hide in the back of a cabinet. She absolutely hates our youngest cat and makes her life miserable. She has mellowed somewhat over the years and is very affectionate on her own terms. She loves to cuddle up to me but if I have to get up or shift position, she growls and hisses. She is a holy terror at the vet's. We understand each other at this point in the relationship and we do enjoy Ginger's personality! However, she is the only cat we have ever had whom we don't quite trust.

[Pickle]

Hi there,

I'm really sorry to hear about the problems you're experiencing with your little cat. Ours was a nightmare for her previous owners. They had two other cats - neither torties, but our cat hated them to pieces and behaved badly in the house.

As soon as she got here she settled in fine, I think it's because we're a one cat household - her!!! She requires a lot of attention and gets it (spolied cat). She's also a real daddies girl like yours, she'll follow my partner around and as soon as he sits down she jumps on to his lap.

Saying that, I've had a couple of friends with highly-strung torties, one just didn't like people much as she got older and one hated other cats. Any info I've found on the internet just seems to indicate a reputation for being tempremental, but no real explaination. If anyone knows of one I'd be interested!

Even the vet was apprehensive the first time we took ours in, but after a few mins said with relief that our puss was remarkably calm for a tortie!!!

If you're interested, I found books called 'The Cat Whisperer' by Claire Bessant and 'Cat Watching' by Desmond Morris helpful in understanding our cats behaviour.

Good luck, I hope things gets better for you both.

(p.s click on the www link for pics of the puss)

[jenluckenbach]

sorry to be laughing at your distress, but YES, the color tortie comes with the "attitude" gene. That is not to say all torties are mean, but they DO have certain opinions on certain subjects and THAT IS THAT !!! I have never "owned" a tortie, but I am fostering one and whoo-whoo...........AND I see many in the grooming biz and a person always needs to be wary of them, for if they do not like what you are doing..................

[stacwase]

That is very interesting! I've never heard about torties being like that, but I must admit that I have never met one. Pretty smart of them to turn on the charm to get themselves saved from the shelter, isn't it!

[Barbara]

The picture is gorgeous: very neat airplane ears

[Kona & Oreo's mom]

Kona is a tortie and she only pulls that attitude with our dog, Oreo. However, she is terrified of leaving the house (for the vet, etc.), but I think that is understandable since she's an inside-only cat.

Kona has strong "preferences" about how things should be done, such as the perfect drip speed for the bathtub faucet. And she has decided that I am the lap-cuddler and my husband is the player; she does not allow these roles to be reversed. But she is never mean--she's just an independent thinker.

[kuhio98]

Guess I'll just have to have more patience and accept the fact that Cammie may never warm up to anyone but her daddy. Sigh... Yes, the photo is of Cammie and Halo meeting on our back yard fence. Halo is trying to make herself look as small and non-threatening as possible (which is hard to do for an 11 pound kitten). Poor Halo gets her feelings hurt when Cammie hisses and spits at her. She can't figure out what she's doing wrong. Nothing -- Cammie just has an attitude.

I really think Cammie was desperate to get out of the no-kill shelter. She had been there with 200 other cats from October to March. I guess she thought she was going to be an "only" cat. Halo doesn't know what to think. She's very laid back but she was there first. But she knows that Cammie is older. But Halo is bigger. I was hoping that after 9 months, they would have sorted things out but guess I'll just have to have patience.

Some people have suggested we get a third cat to break up this little power struggle, but I really don't trust Cammie around a kitten (I'd prefer to get a kitten). She is very aggressive and will charge Halo who is big enough to defend herself.

I think it's mostly just for show even though Cammie has slashed Halo's nose once or twice -- no one ever needed stitches. Once their stupid owner (me) put them in the same cat carrier together (I didn't know that Cammie was already in there). They got along fine. No hissing, no spitting. They just sat there looking at me in shock. So, maybe it's just a big show. But, Halo did end up soaking the carrier when she peed out of fright. I'm a bad, bad cat mommy.

[Pickle]

Originally posted by Kona & Oreo's mom
But she is never mean--she's just an independent thinker. [/B]

Lol! Very good, I shall try to remind myself of that next time Pickle is having one of her 'I want it done this way moments'

In the Summer my partner was in the garden and Pickle was stood on the back step making such a fuss, he had no idea what was the matter with her. I had to break it to him gently - he'd had forgotten to bring out her garden rug - I mean who wants to sit on the grass and get grubby paws?!

She's also very clingy on occasion, which most other cat owning friends find bizarre. If she's fallen asleep in the sitting room and we've gone to bed she'll start crying when she wakes up, until someone (!!) gets out of bed, picks her up and carries her into the bedroom. Not sure if this is a tortie thing or just a mad cat thing

[trayi52]

Isn't my Grover a tortie? She don't act that mean, fact is she likes to lay down with me and take naps. Though she has a bobtail, think maybe her meaness was supposed to be in her tail?? I have had her since she was about two weeks old. Gee I hope she don't get mean on me. LOL. Wondered why when she was really little I kept waking up with scratches on my hands and my knees.

[Felicia's Mom]

My Felicia is in the "tortie" group. She is a patched tabby which is a tortie and tabby combo.

She picked on Shadow, my cat already living here. She has lived with Beau for 11 years and she still hisses at him.

She is friendly to me, but I can't pick her up.

I think a tortie is a beautiful cat but if they are all like this I don't want another one.

[trayi52]

Hey, you guys are scaring me to death here, with talk of how mean a tortie is, are they all that way? Grover is about 8 months old now, and I raised her from a teeny tiny kitten. Do you think my little baby is going to get mean too? Right now she is very sweet and she even loves the other cat stubby, she loves playing with him. Gee I hope she don't change, I really love her very much. Somebody say something nice about torties please.

[Pickle]

Hi Trayi52,

Sorry to scare you!!! I'm sure as with any breed characteristic it's not the case that all of the cats are like that. I've known several torties, including mine, and they've all been different. I'm sure Grover will be fine

As I mentioned before, our 8 year old tortie is absolutley fine living with us. She never hisses bites or scratches on purpose (if she scratches me while we're playing with a shoelace she gets all upset). Her tortie character comes out in her 'I'm a princess' temperament I think. But she is very affectionate and likes to be around us. She's a determined and very vocal little animal, I find it endearing that she has all these opinions on things. She's even getting the hang of being picked up - though she's not wild about it

In fact I think I've experienced more hissing and biting from two black and white moggies owned by my partners family!!!

[catmandu]

My very first Cat was my little Tortie , Pouncer ans shebeat up the number 2 Cat , until they became the Best Of Pals! so be patient , and Goog things will come to you!

[Soledad]

I think I'll be avoiding Torties in the future. They don't sound like my kind of cat. I like them big, laid-back, and cuddly.