Cat Stereotypes

[surya]

I have been told boy cats are nicer than girl cats. I have found girl cats to be just as sweet and loving as the boys. I do find them to be more dainty and sensitive sometimes, which I think is sweet. I have been told tortoiseshell cats are temperamental and bitchy. My tortie and many I have rescued are just as sweet as can be. What stereotypes have you heard about cats that have turned out not to be true?

 

[DreamerRose]

The most obvious is that black cats are bad luck. Mingo is anything but bad luck.

I agree with you about female cats, too. They are much more affectionate.

 

[surya]

I am a big fan of black cats as well. They have awesome personalities. A little girl at may apartment complex told me she is scared of black cats, they are bad. So that myth is still alive and well.

 

[maggiedemi]

That feral cats can never be tamed and make good house cats. Oh yes they can.

 

[surya]

That feral cats can never be tamed and make good house cats. Oh yes they can.

Yay for you, for taming those kitties!

 

[catloverlady]

I have also heard that stereotype about boy cats being sweeter but all of the cats I've had and my current kitty is female and all were sweet. My newest baby too, she's such a sweetie!

 

[surya]

That feral cats can never be tamed and make good house cats. Oh yes they can.

I have had neighbors say some of my colony cats are "mean". They don't have a mean bone in their body. They just don't understand the concept of tame versus feral.

 

[1 bruce 1]

Cats "steal the breath of your newborn".

The tortie we have now is extremely sweet, but all little girl who is busy all the time and responds to shooing away with an indignant, silent peep (her mouth opens in disgust but no sound) and trots away like she's offended.
The girls have always been sweet here, but not always cuddly sweet. The boys usually are more cuddly, but fail big time compared to the girls when it comes to mousing. I've got two boys that are anything but sweet, they tolerate being pet and will swat you (hard) with claws extended if you annoy them. =( (The plus side is, they both LOVE playing fetch. Litter mates, too, that have never been separated and I think their bond with each other is so solid that they have little need for anyone else.)

 

[Mamanyt1953]

While my own tortie is the very definition of "tortitude." Now, that said, she is extremely sweet, loving, cuddly, all the good things...but ON HER OWN TERMS, and on her own time schedue! She is NOT a cat to be trifled with.

 

[ArchyCat]

I have heard that female cats are less tolerant of other cats (particularly other females) in a multi-cat home. The theory being that they are more territorial than males.

 

[ArchyCat]

I have also heard that if a female cat becomes pregnant prior to completing their full growth cycle, +1 year or so, they will cease growing when they become pregnant. And they will never resume growing after weening the kittens.

Would this mean (if true), that cats such as Maine Coon cats should not be bred until they are three years old?

 

[Etarre]

I have had two very sweet (albeit shy) girls, and my Juniper is a dilute tortie who doesn't seem to have the typical 'tortitude.' She's been pretty well behaved so far, and definitely very gentle.

 

[weebeasties]

Cats are said to be aloof. I don't get that. All of mine have been friendly, gregarious babies.
As to boy cats being friendlier than girls, I can only speak from my own experience. All our cats have been very friendly with their humans, but our boys seem friendlier with other cats. In general when introducing a new cat our boys seem very accepting and view it as getting a new buddy. It's usually the girls that will hiss and feel threatened. It has always worked out eventually.

 

[tangers40]

My girl cat is as loving as you can get. Sometimes TOO loving, like when she's loving on your face and trying to suffocate you.....

She's also a tortie/torbie, and I wouldn't say she has "tortietude" either. She's stubborn sometimes when she is doing something naughty and doesn't want to stop, but is never mean/hissy about it. Definitely very chatty, though!

 

[MonaLyssa33]

My mom wouldn't let us get boy cats growing up because she believed they were more likely to pee outside of the box. In 2008 my aunt's cat had kittens and my mom decided we were going to adopt one of the kittens. She fell in love with the black boy kitten and that cat changed my mom's opinion. Kirby is what he is now named and he is by far the sweetest cat I have ever met.

 

[Mamanyt1953]

I have also heard that if a female cat becomes pregnant prior to completing their full growth cycle, +1 year or so, they will cease growing when they become pregnant. And they will never resume growing after weening the kittens.

That doesn't appear to be true, from anything I've been able to find. However, many cats that get pregnant that young are either feral, or not well-cared-for, and I'm willing to bet that an inadequate diet is the cuprit. If you can find anything about it online, let me know! I like learning stuff like that.

 

[danteshuman]

"You can't train cats!" Yes, yes you can! Also once you train one cat, they learn from each other

 

[maggiedemi]

I agree, you can definitely train cats and teach them words. My cats know so many words.

 

[ArchyCat]

But from the comments and observations I read on the TCS, cats are much more adept at training their human staff!

 

[Tobermory]

I’ve heard that calicos are “squirrelly.” My calico is extremely interactive with us...chatty, impish and playful...but not at all what I’d call squirrelly.