Welcome to the Tortie Catz website! Tortoiseshell cats are growing in popularity as pets, thanks to their beautiful coats and their inquisitive personality, which is often referred to as tortitude’.
Their coats are made up of a rich tapestry of autumn colours, resulting from a complex genetical pattern which also means that the vast majority of torties are female and a male tortoiseshell cat is very rare.
What we would usually refer to as a tortoiseshell cat will have a brindled coat with patches of orange, red chocolate and white. The sizes of the patches can vary greatly from large areas of colour to fine flecks, although the areas of white are usually very small on a tortoiseshell.
A mainly white cat with larger patches of red and brown is a ‘tortoiseshell and white’ if you are here in the UK, or a calico, if you are one of our visitors from the USA or Canada. The patches of colour are larger and more distinct on a calico than a tortoiseshell. There are also other variations such as a Blue Tortoiseshell Cat.
Most cat owners will bring their pet into their home as a small and fluffy kitten, and you will find that the patches of colour develop as your tortoiseshell kitten matures. She will probably be mainly black when she is very young, with the patches developing over time.
The orange, white and black colouring can give your cat the appearance of a mini tiger – it is quite common for the patches to be more prevelant around the legs so you will probably notice them when she settles down for one of her major cleaning sessions!
This site will bring you all that you need to know about Tortoiseshell cats and kitten, including tips on looking after your cat, some advice on names, some comfy furniture, recommended cat scratching posts for her and plenty more! We would also love to hear about your examples of tortitude as this is what sets tortoiseshell cats apart and binds their owners together. Also make sure to check out all of the tortoiseshell cat pictures that we have already been sent - we would love to see some more!
Folklore suggests that torties bring good luck to their owners, and we think that they make the perfect pets – bringing bundles of love, fun and enjoyment to your home. Please also check out some of our product reviews which include guides to the best cat litter, the best cat water fountain and treats for your cat such as luxury cat beds.
I have the privilege of living with 2 torties, one a full tortie called Ninja ( she was first to scale out of the play pen lol, and the other tortie and white called Tia Both personalities totally different, ninja is sassy and full of tortitude,. Whereas Tia is a gentle soul who loves a good pair of knees. When Ninja went for her spay , all the vets fell in love with her as she never stops purring. I own their mum and dad as well, now also had their op. It’s an absolute joy to watch the kittens being born to gaining confidence and now full of tortitude, it doesn’t get any better. I love your website and the tortie newsletter and reading about other people’s torties
The Torties color is like the Hawkbill Sea Turtles shell like no other color. My Lil Choclate bar Snickers, is a freight train . She is only 8lbs she attacks my male cat who is 20lbs and she attacks Lucile, my Scottish Fold. The Pharoahs favorite cat ⬛️ they are all girls. There is a book, I bought it’s called Tortitude amazing. If you own a Tortie or Calico it is the most affectionate, when she wants to and has no fear of nothing, blessing to have all 3 of them. There like potato chips, you gotta have more than one.
Warm Regards,
Servando
I have a Tortoiseshell cat. Her name is Moon… I love her to death she’s My Baby and I have four other cats and I love them also but my moon I love she’s my favorite. She’s constantly meowing next to me when I’m sitting at the table wanting my attention. She will sit there and meow until I start petting her and then when I go to pick her up she doesn’t want me to she plays games with me she’s a goof and yes she can purr pretty loud also. I’m not quite sure how old she is because I found her stuck on a roof of a garage and I’ve had her ever since but she looks smaller than my other cats so I think she’s the runt..