Coat colour and personality

[Ellen2010]

Actually DNA does have a lot to do with temperament with the most aggressive of cats being the ones with the red allele turned on so that is your ginger toms and your tortie girls that are the worst and the most gentle of the cats are meant to be black cats, although the latter with the females seems to be a myth as my Sophie a black female, aged 17 years rules the other cats and because they have been on the receiving end of a few of her smacks all she has to do is look to give the warning not to continue and you will see even my tortie back off from her.

[JUDROP1948]

  Well I am not sure the science would agree with a link between colour and temprament, but speaking for myself, I see distinct similarities linked by colour, our black lady and our neighbours very elderly lady also black and both named Sooty ( how original !) are distinctly alike can be moody and skittish and easily scared, very emotional ladies, not great at being lap cats , very independant, so much so that I could swear that they were related, however they were born so far apart ours Leicestershire and neighbours Sheffield, its highly unlikely.
I have always favoured `ginger Toms ` and have to say their general temprament has been similar, though obviously not identical, the similarity is amazing.
No matter what, we love em dont we ? XX 

[Ellen2010]

In all honesty would never say my Tortie was a naughty tortie but might say it has attitude 

[dizziblonde]

My mum swears ginger cats are like Duracell batteries - they just keep going and going and going... been the longest lived cats we've ever had have the gingers.

[jezebel]

I think the word "naughty" is used because it goes with tortie, rather than actually meaning a misbehaved cat.

My tortie was a nutter - she could be quite hyperactive and manic but was quite a sweetie and loved being around people. However, she hated being picked up or having her paws touched at all.

[LilyandGary]

Just remembered my friend also had a tabby and white boy who liked to walk with her and the dogs over the golf course. Perhaps its a tabby white boy thing!

[LilyandGary]

My tortie and white girl Lily is not naughty, but she was very adventurous as a kitten, and got herself into all sorts of scrapes. Now she has turned 2 she is such a cuddly lap girl, you wouldnt think she was the same lady.

Her brother Gary is tabby and white, and the most comical of the lot. He loves the dogs, and likes to come walking with us in the park much to the amusement of my neighbours. If we see another dog he climbs a tree and waits for me to collect him on the way back. We have several routes we do, and he knows them all.

I found out recently he also knocks on the door, next door, walks through the house and lets himself out fo the back. He does this with me, but with other people! Priceless, talk about taking liberties! Still, it saves him having to climb over the wall.

I do find my boys tend to be cuddlier.

[Sam (Fussy_Furball)]

OMG Nipper is gorgeous ... sort of a cross between a fresian cow and an everton mint 

I don't believe in the naughty tortie thing either ... Rossi is a tortie .. she is a bit feisty at times but out of all my kitties she is the only one who will sit on my lap    Zephyr on the other hand can be very "naughty" .... but that's because he is intelligent and knows what to do to get his own way.

[Fire Fox]

I don't think I have ever lived with a naughty cat; Noah is pure white and a little angel. The only things I have seen are cats exhibiting natural behaviours, whereas I know some of you have your hands full! I would guess the more extreme naughtiness would be down to a bad start in life and/ or being smarter than average, the same as it is with human children?

[JackSpratt]

Astryd's not naughty. She's intelligent (she responds to clicker training with my OH) and knows her own mind but I'd not call her naughty at all. Sage is a skitty girl, but the other tabby torti who shared our home couldn't really have been much more relaxed. Darwin is a mischief maker supreme......

[Ellen2010]

I've had a variety of colours here and have found no difference between colours at all. My torties and reds have never been any naughtier/fiery than any of the others. All cats have different personalities regardless of their colour. In my last litter I had reds, a tortie, silver torties, a tortie smoke and a black tabby and the cheekiest one of the 7 of them.... the black tabby!

Most people have heard of the 'naughty tortie' thing and therefore they look for that trait in their tortie cats and then they think it must be true.

Believe me I did not have to look for that trait in my tortie when I first got her as she was unable to be handled at 17 weeks old and would attack for no reason but that was due to being taken away from mum too early (4 weeks old) and then kept in the bathroom by the person that had her with very little human contact for 13 weeks.  With freedom of 99% of my house and around myself all the time she was able to be cuddled and stroked within 3 days but does still when she is upset or in a frame of mind still exhibit her behaviour of when I first got her, the bite now does not draw blood though.

[Lottie (Team Svartalfheim's)]

I've had a variety of colours here and have found no difference between colours at all. My torties and reds have never been any naughtier/fiery than any of the others. All cats have different personalities regardless of their colour. In my last litter I had reds, a tortie, silver torties, a tortie smoke and a black tabby and the cheekiest one of the 7 of them.... the black tabby!

Most people have heard of the 'naughty tortie' thing and therefore they look for that trait in their tortie cats and then they think it must be true.

[jezebel]

I read somewhere that black cats are calm but my one's paranoid half the time! And my tabby is very like a tortie and white I used to have, so I wondered if tabbies were a bit neurotic or something.

I'm kind of glad there's no correlation, I like that they all have different personalities regardless of what they look like (apart from breeds, obviously).

[Sootyca]

My tabbies have always been very placid and laid back.  My tortie was a typical tortie!  The black cats I've had have been wild.  The grey and white I have has a tortie attitude.

[JackSpratt]

Nipper looks ace!

I don't think there's a rule for coloration personality at all. Tortis do seem on average to be a little more *ahem* strong minded. But I haven't noticed any other patterns.

[jezebel]

That's really interesting, thanks.

The photo of Nipper - what a weird looking beast!

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I think it's hard to say as there are so many other variables that influence personality.  Interesting article here about coat colour and temperament.

http://www.messybeast.com/colour-tempment.htm

[jezebel]

I've been wondering whether there's a link between the colour of a cat's fur and its personality... the "naughty tortie" is pretty well known but what about other colours?