A post by Maynard
With the excitement about Tammy getting a new feline associate, and with one of the candidates being a calico, I thought a word of enlightenment about tricolor cats is in order.
I myself have a tricolor (specifically a “tortie”, so called because her coat resembles a tortoise shell; here are tortie pics). She tells me that a tricolor cat is three times as good as an ordinary cat. I researched the question and found this interesting article about “Torties, Calicos and Tricolor Cats”. It gives a layman’s explanation of how tricolor cats come about, genetically speaking. Through an odd quirk of biology, the tricolor coat requires a gene pairing that can only occur with female cats. Thus almost all tricolors are female, and the occasional tricolor males are sterile genetic accidents.
Word on the street has it that tricolors are cats with agendas. This is certainly true in my experience. My tortie is smart and strong-willed and temperamental. I’ve also got one of her kittens, a blue tabby, and he is much more easygoing. It’s a factor to think about. Would Tammy prefer an agreeable companion or a sharp one?
Scroll down in this Wikipedia article to see a gallery of the various tricolor varieties.
My little Hopper (short for Hopperoo) agrees with your assessment on Torties having “agendas”. Hopper spends most of her day planning what manner in which she will wake us up twenty times during the night, beginning with knocking all the DVDs off the shelf.
Okay, I can’t take it anymore!
Please tell Tammy Bruce to adopt the Tortie!!!
Although I do have to admit, my husband does have an orange (Junior) who is the most agreeable cat I’ve ever met. Then again, he does tend to think everything you’re doing is just for his sake… so…
Again, I don’t envy the choice.
And… this makes me think… What is Ghetto’s agenda? (There is always one.)