I've adopted a gorgeous little kitten

[Frizzbonce]

You ladies were so lovely when my poor cat was run over a year ago. Well since then I've moved to a nice flat away from traffic and a big terrace and I've just brought home a gorgeous little tortie (he's a boy - are boys torties and girls tabbies - not sure). But he's about 12 weeks, very confident and friendly, marching round the flat with his tail in the air. My daughter and I are in love!

How long should I keep him inside by the way?

[cozietoesie]

He's a she! (Almost certainly.)

[DiaryOfAWimpyMum]

Only girls can be torties with the rare exception. Do you have a picture? I used to wait around 2/3 weeks then let mine out

[DiaryOfAWimpyMum]

x post!! Yes, I thought as much too, or a tabby?

[GetStuffezd]

Torties are almost always female - gingers are nearly always boys. Sounds beautiful! I have a tortie too and she's so affectionate and curious. Runs rings around my ginger boy!

Any chance of a pic???

[GetStuffezd]

Oh god! X posts with half of MN!

[cozietoesie]

Has she been to a vets for worming etc, chipping and shots Frizz ? You have to get all her shots completed before she goes out of the house.



PS - Had you chosen a name already?

[Frizzbonce]

He's definitely a boy unless those furry little undercrackers are stuck on! My daughter is rushing round taking pics as I type. Can't think of a name yet . . . .

[GetStuffezd]

And he's definitely a tortie? That's extremely uncommon!

www.mirror.co.uk/news/weird-news/scarcey-cat-jake-britains-rarest-1883195

[cozietoesie]

That's good - hold off on the naming for a tad just in case your daughter wants to use 'Buster' or something. Care is needed.

Torties are almost invariably female for genetic reasons - if it is a tortie. It used to be that torties were female and ginger cats male although the proportion of ginger females has been rising in recent years and (if I recall) is now about 25%/75%. Torties are pretty well unchanged though.

[DiaryOfAWimpyMum]

torties

or

tabby ?

[cozietoesie]

I think we need a picture, Frizzbonce.

[GerundTheBehemoth]

Cats can't be tortoiseshell AND male unless they have some genetic weirdness, either an XXY genotype (normal male is XY) or a 'chimera' (when two fertilised eggs with different genotypes stick together and grow into a single embryo).

But gingers can be female and genetically normal, they're just rarer because they need to inherit gingerness from both mum (who must be tortie or ginger) AND dad (ginger), while males only need to inherit it from one parent - so tortie or ginger mums OR ginger dads can make ginger boy kittens.

And yes, would love to see a photo, bet he/she is gorgeous

[cozietoesie]

There must have been some real good time tortie or ginger girls around recently to change the colour balance so markedly in, say, a human generation.

[GerundTheBehemoth]

Yes, those fiery-furred floozies

Or it could be that there's a fashion/preference among cat owners for the gingers and torties so people are breeding more of them. They certainly seem to be favoured by people who adopt rescue cats - they are in and out of our local shelter superfast while the poor black-and-whites usually languish there for months.

[cozietoesie]

True - didn't occur to me. I'm just so used to people (at least those I know) neutering animals and any non-pedigree kittens on the go being the result of accidents and lack of knowledge.

[Fluffycloudland77]

But the black and white coats lovely, I'll never understand people.

[cozietoesie]

I do wonder about it. Perhaps we should all write to those pet food manufacturers who advertise suggesting that they use blacks or black and whites in their TV commercials to start a trend.

[MrsSchadenfreude]

I have a grey and pink tortie. She is very beautiful, and knows it.

[sashh]

cozietoesie

Have you seen a Felix ad?

[cozietoesie]

Not very recently, sashh . (I don't watch as much TV as I used to.) Do they use black and whites' ?

[droitwichmummy]

Black & white kittens are beautiful! We adopted one a year ago. I can't understand why people don't want them. My old girl tortie is gorgeous too!

[cozietoesie]

I have to confess, here, to a (probably) unreasonable liking for ginger toms. I know there's no obvious reason why colouring should determine personality but I've always found ginger toms to be such steady and well rounded animals.

Maybe it's just a question of what people are used to and that if more black and whites get into the pet population and people have good experiences with them, they'll turn the corner in terms of popularity?

[GerundTheBehemoth]

The Cats Protection League had a 'Black Cat Day' last year (to encourage more people to adopt all-black or black-and-white cats): www.cats.org.uk/get-involved/national-black-cat-day/

I'd probably go for an all-black cat over other colours if all else was equal, but I love 'em all :)

[Frizzbonce]

Cozy - sorry I've taken so long but I've uploaded a picture at last. We've decided to call him Stan. He's eating well and of course I won't let him out until he's had his injections but I want to give him a few days to settle in. He's been doing gymnastics with a stuffed mouse and enjoys cuddles so my little girl and I are trying not to overwhelm him but let him get used to us.

Any tips to make his settling in process any easier?

[DiaryOfAWimpyMum]

Ah he is tabby!! I thought as much, someone offered me a male tortie last week he is a tabby !

Just keep him near his litter tray and food for the first few days and then let him wander bit by bit making sure all loo seats are down and he cannot get trap himself anywhere.

I keep my cats downstairs at night but I have a few so it makes sense not to have them all crawling over my head and play fighting.

He should settle in no time.