"Tortoiseshell cats are sociable, orange tabbies are easygoing"... The problem with "personality traits by coat color" whispered about online not applying to "my cat"

It is said that cats' personalities differ depending on their fur color, such as ginger cats being gentle and black cats being affectionate. However, the depth of cats as animals is also evident in the fact that some cats have personalities that contradict the descriptions of their fur colors in online cat articles.

In fact, my three cats also have unique personalities that cannot be simply categorized by their fur color, bringing laughter and comfort to our home.

A clumsy tortoiseshell cat who only opens her heart to men she likes

First, Gigi (long-legged munchkin/female/10 years old), the oldest cat in our family, is a true character.

Gigi is a tortoiseshell cat with a coat of black, cream, and dark brown. In Japan, they were once disrespectfully called "rag cats," but abroad, the beautiful name "tortoiseshell" is common.

Surprisingly, tortoiseshell cats, like calico cats, are almost exclusively female. They are said to be intelligent, sociable, and good at charming people. ...Hmm? My cat is rather clumsy and takes a long time to trust anyone...

When playing, Gigi invariably shows her "clumsy side" by batting at the floor where a toy has already passed. While she is sociable, she is also an impenetrable woman who will never again trust anyone she has once decided she "doesn't like."

In the past, for some reason, she would antagonize my brother-in-law, cornering him in front of the door with an aggressive attitude and chasing him out of the room...

The only time her charming side comes out is when she meets a man she likes. It took her over five years to finally warm up to me, but she started cuddling with my partner (a man in his 30s) within a few days of him moving in and gives him adoring looks. Every time I see that, it makes me wonder what it means to be a cat owner.

 A clever tabby cat who is only affectionate with women

The next to join our family after Gigi was Kotaro (MIX/male/9 years old), the biggest and strongest "power-type boy" in our house.

Tabby cats like Kotaro are said to have cool personalities, and because their fur color resembles that of the "African wildcat," the ancestor of cats, they are often athletic and cautious.

However, our Kotaro is an incredibly affectionate cat. He seems to be a bit uncomfortable with men, putting his ears back when they approach, but it's a different story with women. When called by name in a gentle voice, he forgets all caution and becomes charming with his innocent eyes.

His athleticism is, even with my bias, average. He's a bit of a scaredy-cat, sometimes getting startled by a waved cat toy and fleeing to another room. His timid nature might be described as the caution typical of a tabby cat, but for me, "baby" is a more fitting description.

By the way, Kotaro is very talkative. He makes sounds like "ngaa, ngaa" and "quack quack," as if mimicking a bird, and even gives a dignified "Woof!" that makes me want to tell him he's a cat. He has a rich variety of meows.

Perhaps it's just our family, but the tabby cat I lived with at my parents' house was also talkative, which makes me wonder if many tabby cats enjoy talking, and I'm eager to conduct a survey among cat owners about it.

A solitary ginger cat who goes his own way

When you look up the personality of ginger cats, you'll find many descriptions like "gentle" and "affectionate." However, our youngest, Leon (MIX/male/8 years old), is a mischievous cat who is quick to use his paws.

Kotaro, his male companion, is especially prone to becoming a victim. When Kotaro is relaxing in the tunnel-shaped fluffy cat bed on the shelf, Leon reaches out and pokes Kotaro's body, as if saying, "You found a good spot, give it to me."

 The timid Kotaro is startled by the unexpected, gentle touch and evacuates to the cat walkway. Every time I witness this minor squabble, I tell Leon, "Use it nicely." Then, his anger turns towards me, and he "verbally attacks" me with "Whoa! Mrow!" clearly complaining.

Sometimes, about 10 minutes after being reprimanded, he'll jump and attack me from behind, or jab me with his cream-puff-like paws, expressing his anger through physical means.

Furthermore, Leon is the most independent cat in our house; even when everyone gathers in one spot, he'll be peacefully sleeping far away by himself. For some reason, he loves licking Gigi's head, so he only joins the group when he feels like giving her a lick.

However, when my partner and I are talking, perhaps thinking he needs to "listen in," he'll come closer to us. He doesn't come to me, even though I've lived with him since he was 4 months old, but instead joins the conversation at my partner's feet, looking like an old companion.

 My partner then pats Leon, saying, "Oh, the family gathering enthusiast is here again." I don't know why he's more open to my partner than to me, but I think a daily life watching the heartwarming bond between these two boys isn't bad at all.

 The personality traits associated with fur color are not always accurate, and there are "individual personalities" that can only be known by living together with a cat—that's an invaluable insight my beloved cats have taught me. Please secretly tell me what kind of personalities your cats have.