Why do torties have curly tails? (general cat breed question)

[WolfenLynx]

I have been wondering about tortie tails for years now since i've always had 2 or more cats in the house. One being a tortie and the other being a tabby of many kinds. The tabbies always had normal tails, but the tortoiseshells would always carry their tails above their back, unfortunately giving us a very clear view of their booty hole. I love my kitties but jeez girl!!!!

My first toritie had a flat-to-back tail, my current tortie has an arieal curved tail, and my dad just saw a tortoiseshell on TV that had a flank curved tail. We got our cats from humane societies and the most recent from PetSmart (regrettably, I do not advocate for pet store display case purchasing personally)

Why is this? Or is it just by chance? I know that calicos/torties are all normally female, is it something like that?
(also apologies if this is the wrong format / not the right spot to ask)

chart from: http://messybeast.com/bobtail-cats.html

 

[susanm9006]

I don’t think it’s anything specific to torties, just something that occurs in all cats. Just a coincidence I think that you have seen it so much in them. I had a tabby girl who carried her tail over her back.

 

[FeebysOwner]

Torties and tabbies are not breeds - they are coloring and pattern descriptions related to the domestic cat - either short or long haired. So, tail curling in a domestic cat is purely happenstance, unless perhaps long, long ago in their past they carry a gene related to breeds who do more regularly have curled tails. That part will have to be addressed by someone with more knowledge about breed specificity than I have.

I have had one DLH (domestic long hair) tortie with white, and my current cat DSH (domestic short hair) is a dilute tortie. Neither have/had curled tails.

 

[WolfenLynx]

Torties and tabbies are not breeds - they are coloring and pattern descriptions related to the domestic cat - either short or long haired. So, tail curling in a domestic cat is purely happenstance, unless perhaps long, long ago in their past they carry a gene related to breeds who do more regularly have curled tails. That part will have to be addressed by someone with more knowledge about breed specificity than I have.

I have had one DLH (domestic long hair) tortie with white, and my current cat DSH (domestic short hair) is a dilute tortie. Neither have/had curled tails.

ah ok! Since all my cats are domestic short hairs I wasn't sure if the coloration made a connection or not, interesting.

I had (what I think is, based off of just now googling dilute tortie) a dilute tortie a long time ago named Misty and she had a normal tail too. My current and previous torties now are mostly black, with the orange parts barely showing, and almost no white visible at all. If I had to describe it specifically i'd say maybe a brindled tortie?

(cat on the post is my former tortie, patches. her tail is down in the photo but would always carry it on her back. ) [ cat is gone ]

(the grey one is misty, she has a normal tail) [ cat has passed away ]

(and the other tortie pictures my current, jasmine. She also has a weird way of fluffing up her fur, in which it creates a seam down the middle like some strange mowhawk. and of course would have a weird ringtail when walking around and standing. )

 

[Willowy]

We got our cats from humane societies and the most recent from PetSmart (regrettably, I do not advocate for pet store display case purchasing personally)

All of the kitties at Petsmart come from Humane Societies or rescues, so don't worry about that! It should have been clear which organization they came from when you signed the paperwork.


I also don't think tail carriage has anything to do with color or pattern. It is genetic though, so maybe all those torties have been loosely related. There's a feral in the town I work in who has a curly tail, this cat is a pure black longhair (I think a tom) and I'm interested to see how that affects the general cat population in that town, could be interesting.

 

[WolfenLynx]

All of the kitties at Petsmart come from Humane Societies or rescues, so don't worry about that! It should have been clear which organization they came from when you signed the paperwork.


I also don't think tail carriage has anything to do with color or pattern. It is genetic though, so maybe all those torties have been loosely related. There's a feral in the town I work in who has a curly tail, this cat is a pure black longhair (I think a tom) and I'm interested to see how that affects the general cat population in that town, could be interesting.

The cats at my local petsmart are often very sick and jasmine arrived sick as well, (i think they came from a breeder but i cant remember) I have heard other things about PetSmart and PetCo that aren't too good but that's off topic and who knows- I could just be unlucky. They were all personal testemonies anyways- I don't want to spark a debate heh.


That would be really neat! Maybe my cats are distant cousins or something. I wonder if giant primordial pouches are genetic too, because Jasmine's is huge and my cat Sophie's is almost non-existent.

 

[Meowmee]

My tortie girls didn't have curled tails but Angie had a kink and was part siamese. Her tail tip was white as well and she wagged her tail like a dog a lot of the time. Especially when she was happy She was so gorgeous and had a roman nose.

I have noticed Zena, a longhair tuxedo holds hia tail down when I brush/ comb him. He moves his tail around frequently as well.

 

[Willowy]

i think they came from a breeder but i cant remember

No, unless the shelter/rescue got them from a breeder. Petsmart doesn't allow breeders to use their cat/dog adoption facilities.

It's true that big box stores are known for using unethical mass breeders for their small mammals, reptiles, and fish, but that's an entirely separate issue because, per corporate, all cats (and dogs in some stores) available for adoption in-store must be from a registered non-profit rescue agency. If course that doesn't prevent the cats from getting sick, unfortunately.

I know it's not the main topic, but it's such a common misconception that I thought it was worth addressing .

 

[WolfenLynx]

No, unless the shelter/rescue got them from a breeder. Petsmart doesn't allow breeders to use their cat/dog adoption facilities.

It's true that big box stores are known for using unethical mass breeders for their small mammals, reptiles, and fish, but that's an entirely separate issue because, per corporate, all cats (and dogs in some stores) available for adoption in-store must be from a registered non-profit rescue agency. If course that doesn't prevent the cats from getting sick, unfortunately.

I know it's not the main topic, but it's such a common misconception that I thought it was worth addressing .

thank you for informing me! that's honestly very reassuring.

 

[cataholic07]

My torbie girl has a ringtail. My last torbie didn't have it though so it's just something in my girls genetics. It's adorable though. She has such a poofy tail it really makes the ringtail stand out lol. She came from a farm, her mom and dad were shorthairs and she was the only longhair in a litter of 6. Her mom is a sister to my boys who are longhair so she would carry the LH gene. I think its just a cool genetic thing. I am pretty sure none of her siblings have it.