In Your Experience, Is The Saying "naughty Tortie" True?

Mamanyt1953 said:

As one of my vet's assistants so famously said when told Hekitty was there for an appointment... OH GOD!



I am SO in touch! This is why Hekitty now weighs 11 pounds, and is on a diet...sorta.

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We had a tech once that had a way with difficult animals, and one of our cats would go in screaming and yowling and hissing. She knew about using a big blanket to lift or wrap them up, and being calm with them and she was pretty good about getting things done with him. When he'd start carrying on, she'd respond like it was a conversation. The cat would say "Yowl" and she'd say "I know, I think so too", the cat would then hiss and she would say very matter of factly "Really? I did not know that", the cat would hiss again and she'd say "I don't think this is the time for 'two guys walk into a bar jokes', do you?" By this time, the cat had stopped cussing and subdued himself.

1 bruce 1 said:

We had a tech once that had a way with difficult animals, and one of our cats would go in screaming and yowling and hissing. She knew about using a big blanket to lift or wrap them up, and being calm with them and she was pretty good about getting things done with him. When he'd start carrying on, she'd respond like it was a conversation. The cat would say "Yowl" and she'd say "I know, I think so too", the cat would then hiss and she would say very matter of factly "Really? I did not know that", the cat would hiss again and she'd say "I don't think this is the time for 'two guys walk into a bar jokes', do you?" By this time, the cat had stopped cussing and subdued himself.

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This sounds like the conversations Krista and I always have at meal time.

daftcat75 said:

This sounds like the conversations Krista and I always have at meal time.

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I usually tell them all, "I know you're wasting away on the edge of starvation, but just fight it. Help is on the way"

1 bruce 1 said:

I usually tell them all, "I know you're wasting away on the edge of starvation, but just fight it. Help is on the way"

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I feed this one too many times a day. Now she thinks the feed me song and dance is effective. We’re still on a schedule. But how do you teach a schedule to a cat? So I programmed my smart lights to fade on like an artificial sunrise. “I know you’re hungry but the sun’s not up yet!”

daftcat75 said:

I feed this one too many times a day. Now she thinks the feed me song and dance is effective. We’re still on a schedule. But how do you teach a schedule to a cat? So I programmed my smart lights to fade on like an artificial sunrise. “I know you’re hungry but the sun’s not up yet!”

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The schedule here is "you're meowing, you must want a snack" and I give them one (most of the time. Which increases the chance that they'll play me more like a slot machine, and less like a robot.)
I'm no help, am I

1 bruce 1 , this mode of dealing with them is why Hekitty now looks like a furry soccer ball.

Mamanyt1953 said:

1 bruce 1 , this mode of dealing with them is why Hekitty now looks like a furry soccer ball.

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Maybe that's why I feel like a goalie at feeding time

I'm in the rubbish camp. I work at a shelter and have owned cats as well as done TnR and socialization of ferals for years. I don't see any correlation between coat and personality and I feel those stereotypes do more harm than good. Most of my life has been spent with torties and calico cats and they each had a distinct personality.

I guess I'm more of an nuture over nature camp when it comes to coat color. I think the whole idea of linking personality to coat is meant to be fun and to be taken with a grain of salt but it does actually affect adoption rates.

I see more all black cats adopted than torties because people don't want a difficult cat. But the truth is that every cat has the potential to be difficult. You could have a rainbow cat with a unicorn horn and giant peace symbols all over it and it will still get into mischief. That's just cattitude and part of why we all adore cats.

I do love that you are thinking ahead though. Yeah you need to prepare yourself because any cat will make life more interesting. Whether they are all black, tuxedo, tigers or seal points. All of them are going to change your life likely for the better.

Orange girls are definitely special. I had a female orange tabby some years ago, and now I have a tortie and a calico and all have been super friendly and sweet. And, with the exception of my calico Ruth, very talkative. They're super fun, full of attitude, but not in a bad way. (Except Ruth, who screams and spits and flails at the vet and at home if we dare try to hold her down cut her nails. But as soon as she's let go, she runs back for pets. And she knocks over plants and all that cat mischief stuff. There's a reason she's known as Ruthless ) But I wouldn't be worried if I were you. Pick the cat who wants to come home with you and you'll have a great time together!

Thanks for all the comments, they were brilliant to read!
Late updating this thread but I've had my gorgeous Tortie, Amber, for just over a week now and I am in LOVE! She is so friendly and affectionate. She follows me everywhere and jumps into my lap to sleep at every opportunity! Xx

Issy86 said:

I've had my gorgeous Tortie, Amber, for just over a week now and I am in LOVE! She is so friendly and affectionate.

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You're so lucky! Enjoy her.

Pictures?

Aw, she's beautiful! And she looks so happy, too. Congrats on finding one another.

Amber is so pretty!