Indoor Tuxedos more aggressive/destructive?

[Kirsten]

I was dicussing this with a friend lately 'cause we can see this behavior in a mutual friend's tuxedo cat (female) which is kept indoors, she's acting unually aggressive and is over-active. When I'm thinking about the first four or five years with my Katz (also indoors, tuxedo and female), I remember she was also showing this tendency, she sometimes attacked visitors and was very destructive. When she got older, this grew out. I have known another female tuxedo kitty who acted the same way, no one but her mommy was allowed to approach her.

Now my friend and I discussed if this is only a coincidence or a tuxedo-typical behavior, maybe genetic.

What are your experiences with tux kitties, especially female indoor cats?

Kirsten

[Felicia's Mom]

My mother has a male tuxedo (neutered) that is very aggressive to anyone but her. I thought this was because he is declawed and not because of his color.

[wolf_Q]

I really don't have a clue, as I don't have a cat. But my friend had a cat that seems to fit your description. She is female, indoor cat, and a tuxedo. She is a beautiful cat, but not too friendly. She doesn't really like visitors. Actually, she's a bit pyscho. Like one time I was brushing her. She was all stretched out, purring, and seemed to be the happiest cat in the world. Then she got this possessed look in her eye, and suddenly just grabbed my hand and bit me! She drew some real blood, I still have a scar.

[AmberLee]

Originally posted by wolf_Q
...She was all stretched out, purring, and seemed to be the happiest cat in the world. Then she got this possessed look in her eye, ...

My parent's late cat, Oliver, had an extraordinary thin line between 'I'm delighted with this attention' and 'I've had enough attention now; you've gone TOO far'. He said it with his claws, usually. He was a gray tabby, which blows this analogy though. [Sorry to go off topic here, your story made me reminisce... He was a great cat, otherwise. Olivia is named in his honor. ]

[I_love_cats]

I have notice that Tuxedos cats can be more aggressive and i have experience with those kinds of cats since I am a volunteer at the shelter. I was grooming a tuxedo cat and he/she didn't like being touch too much so he/she try to bite me.

[krazyaboutkatz]

I've never had a tuxedo cat but my parents did. Her mother was Siamese but she looked like a long haired tuxedo cat. She loved my Mom and grew to like my Dad. She tolerated me because I'd feed her when my parents were out of town. She didn't like visitors or other cats. She also had a split personality because she could be sweet one moment and vicious the next. She has bitten me before and it was deep enough to draw blood. I'm so glad that none of my cats are like this. BTW she passed away last year and my parents don't want anymore pets so she was the last cat that they had. In general, I've noticed that female cats are more tempermental than males. My three males are very lovey dovey like big babies.

[Vermontcat]

You should check out the thread Black and White Cats under Cat Breeds since tux kitties and their behavior has been discussed there. My cat is not a tux but her black/white markings are 50/50 and she has some of those characteristics like really hating our vet! Tuxluvr has posted about her female tux kitty and it sounds like she fits the stereotype.
You should also check out todays Cat of the Day Peeky, she is a tux that sounds like she fits your description too!

[Cataholic]

Yipes! None of my six tuxedo cats are aggressive...infact, I am amazed at how sensitive mine are to children! I wouldn't want tuxedos to get a bad or undeserved reputation....so I thought I would chime in...

[tuxluvr]

Originally posted by Vermontcat
You should check out the thread Black and White Cats under Cat Breeds since tux kitties and their behavior has been discussed there. My cat is not a tux but her black/white markings are 50/50 and she has some of those characteristics like really hating our vet! Tuxluvr has posted about her female tux kitty and it sounds like she fits the stereotype.
You should also check out todays Cat of the Day Peeky, she is a tux that sounds like she fits your description too!

You know I thought that same thing when reading about Peeky...and I don't know if it's all tuxedos....I do know that a vet once told me that his experience with b&w cats, particularly the "classic" mitted tuxedo females, were what he called "tightly wound" - they were typically intensely loyal to their immediate family but not too fond of change in their routines. I had to laugh at the "tightly wound" part, because when I was telling my spouse about it, Ritz was sprawled out on the floor, belly up, legs splayed out like she didn't have a care in the world.....but at the vet....egad, a regular "Catzilla" this one.

He also indicated that the tom cats tend to be more laid back and the moo cow kitties (more white and black splotches) weren't as fussy as the tuxedo gals.

When he said that about Ritz, it really bugged me - she is so nice at home, but I have to admit part of the reason I like her is that she has a mind of her own...perhaps her traits would not be as fondly accepted by others. She does occasionally exhibit the "split purrsonality" even to me, but I always took it as just being a cat. If I say NO and ignore the behavior it stops.

I have always loved tuxedo cats - with two exceptions these are the only color cats I've ever shared residence with. Ritz seems to cuddle when we need it, but has never been a lovey dovey lap cat.

I keep looking for some scientific studies on cats that link their personalities to fur color, but have found nothing significant.

I just know I love the look and I love the cat!!

[Kirsten]

These are some interesting answers...

And I will check out that topic, Vermontcat.

Cataholic, I didn't mean to hurt anybody's feelings, and I'm sure your tux kids are sweethearts, I only noticed this tendency in tuxedo cats I know... BTW, I loved my Katz, even though she was a bit of a devil when she was younger. When I lost her, I was devastated.

Kirsten

[kitten645]

I had a tux boy neutered and indoors and a mellower cat I've not known! His funniest trait was that he'd lie in the direct sun so long I couldn't pet or touch him he was SOOO hot I never understood how he could be comfy and not burst into flames!

[Cataholic]

Kitten645- my cat Tex would lay under this halogen light I had soooo long that I told him it was time to flip him over! He would get so hot that I couldn't stand it, and would turn the light off. This is the only cat that would do this, and he is still a sun dweller...I do think he could melt into a pool of black tar

Kirsten- das mach nich (is that right?)...I wasn't offended, I just wanted to add my opinion...I think it has a lot to do with how cats are 'handled'...I tend to over socialize with them, and living in a multi cat household, they are kinda used to commotion.
Cataholic

[wayne0214]

My tuxedo, Amy, was rescued from the Visalia, Calif. animal rescue. She is an extraordinarily long cat, that is, she appears to have a longer back bone than any of my other furkids. She is a gentle little female but still lets out a loud "scrowel" whenever she is bothered by any of the other cats. Amy is fundamentally a single-family cat. But she has adjusted quite well with all of the others being around and does not bite or scratch me. However, she prefers to eat by herself, regardless of how much she may like the food. Also, she will dart out the door to get outside whenever she can. Yet, she will normally stay within about 75 ft. of the house.

.........wayne

[RobynS]

My gorgeous female tux, Shirley, is the only female in a household with five other cats, all males. Needless to say, she rules!. I've never thought that her nasty little attitude was attributable to her being a tux, just that she felt the need to remind them who's the boss. Don't want to make her sound like a demon. She just bonks them on the head from time to time, lets them know with a claw or two not to get too close to HER food bowl, that they should stay outside the bounds of her personal space when they enter the room, etc., etc. .... Sometimes just a flap of her ears does the trick. So, does she do this because she's a tux, or simply because she's surrounded by goofy boy kitties? Who knows! Oh, there is one male in the house that she loves dearly--my boyfriend is her boyfriend as well. She loves me, too. We spend lots of time cuddling and chatting, so she can be very sweet when she wants to be.

[rosethecopycat]

Hi.

I am brand new here.(had to register just to reply)
I'm in a Tuxedo cat frenzy!
I LOVE Tuxedos. I'm on my third one (in 20 years)
All of mine were/are males and had their claws.

The first one: Qat
Walked on a leash. He was mild mannered and lovable.

The second: Milo
Milo was a free spirit, outdoors 90% of the time. He came to us as a stray and slept indoors everynight. He was clean (overgroomer) and friendly to a fault. He'd go up to anyone. (He'd get in cars with people) Thank God he had his collar, people would drop him off. One time his was at a bar, 5 miles away.

The third Tux is: Mr. Jones
I got him from the shelter a year ago and he is just a big lover. He stays indoors or on the patio.
The shelter said he may be dominant or aggressive. But he's not. He is completely dominated by my Lilac Siamese yearling: Snowy.
Mr. Jones is loving with us, craves attention, shares his food with his kitten, Snowy and is always gentle when they wrestle (although it sounds like someone's is getting murdered)
Here's a bit of behavior that I think may be strange about Mr. Jones. Although he's a neutered male, he still enjoys, how can I say, "dry humping" my leg, three time a day. Anyone have a male that does this?

I don't know what pattern there is to be seen in Tuxedos, but here is my data.

Thanks for reading.

Rosethecopycat