Adorned with a black and white coat that resembles the elegant attire that gentlemen wear to black-tie events, tuxedo cats are some of the most striking cats you’ll ever come across. However, there’s more to these cats than their resemblance to men’s social evening wear.
Contrary to popular belief, tuxedo cats are not expensive. If a breeder charges you more for a tuxedo cat, they are out to fleece you. In addition, tuxedo cats are not always male, and despite their striking elegance, tuxedo cats can be aggressive. Below, let’s look at 13 facts you didn’t know about tuxedo cats.
13. All Tuxedo Cats Are Bicolored Cats, But Not All Bicolored Cats Are Tuxedo Cats
To be considered a tuxedo, a cat needs to have two colors on their coat. However, not all cats with two colors are classified as tuxedo. What qualifies a cat to be classified as tuxedo is their coat pattern.
Tuxedo cats have a solid coat color (usually black), with patches of a different color (usually white) on their paws, belly, chest, and chin.
12. Tuxedo Cat Is Not A Unique Cat Breed
The term tuxedo describes a coat pattern, rather than a breed. There are several cat breeds that can exhibit the tuxedo pattern. Some of these include the American Shorthair, British Shorthair, Maine Coon, Turkish Angora, and the Scottish Fold.
It is also possible for a tuxedo cat to be a mixed breed. Since tuxedo is not a specific breed, tuxedo cats can either have a long or short haired coat.
11. Tuxedo Cats Are Not Necessarily Black And White Only
While the majority of tuxedo cats are black and white, a cat doesn’t have to be black and white to be classified as a tuxedo.
For instance, if a cat has a solid gray coat with white patches on the chest, paws, belly, and chin, they are still a tuxedo cat. The same applies for other color combinations, provided that the two colors appear in the tuxedo pattern.
10. Tuxedo Cats Do Not Necessarily Need To Have A Tuxedo Parent
Tuxedos can be born even without a tuxedo parent. For a cat to be tuxedo, they need to inherit a white spotting gene and a black gene from their parents.
Therefore, if a kitten gets a black gene from one parent and a white spotting gene from another parent, they can be born with the tuxedo pattern, even if none of the parents is tuxedo.
9. Tuxedo Cats Are Not Rare
Tuxedo cats are not rare. This is because tuxedo cats can be born from two tuxedo parents, one tuxedo parent, and even non-tuxedo parents.
In addition, the tuxedo pattern is not unique to a specific cat breed. Any cat breed that is capable of producing a bicolored cat can potentially produce a tuxedo cat. Therefore, if you want to adopt a tuxedo cat, you won’t have much trouble finding one.
8. Tuxedo Cats Are Celebrities Themselves
The most famous cat in the world is a tuxedo cat. I’m talking about Tom from Tom and Jerry. Other famous tuxies include Dr. Seuss’ cat from The Cat in the Hat, Sylvester from Tweety and Sylvester, Figaro from Pinocchio, and Mr. Mistoffelees from Musical Cats.
Famous real-life tuxedo cats include Stan, a tuxedo who ran for the Mayoral seat in Halifax, and Simon, who was awarded a WWII medal.
7. Tuxedo Cats Commonly Have White Whiskers
Despite black being the dominant color in most tuxedo cats, you’ll also notice that most tuxies have white whiskers. The white whiskers against the dark coloring of their face contribute to the tuxedo cat’s striking beauty.
The white whiskers can be attributed to the same white spotting gene that causes the white patches on the tuxies’ paws, chest, chin, and belly. However, not all tuxies have white whiskers.
6. Tuxedo Cats Commonly Have Green Or Yellow Eyes
While tuxedo cats can appear in a variety of cat breeds, you will notice that most tuxedo cats have green or yellow eyes. This is because eye color in cats is closely linked to coat color.
The same gene that gives tuxedo cats their dark, solid colored coat is the same one responsible for their green or yellow eyes. The eyes appear green or yellowish because of high melanin concentration.
5. Celebrities Love Tuxedo Cats
We saw that tuxedo cats are celebrities themselves. You’ll also be surprised to learn that many celebrities have owned tuxedo cats.
One famous person who owned a tuxedo cat is former US President Bill Clinton, who lived with his cat, Socks, in the White House, making tuxies the first cats to live in the White House. Other famous people who owned tuxedo cats include Sir Isaac Newton, Beethoven, Shakespeare, and American actress Bebe Neuwirth.
4. Tuxedo Cats Have No Known Unique Health Problems
Very often, the genes responsible for unique coat colors or patterns in cats can also predispose them to some health problems.
When it comes to tuxedo cats, however, there are no health problems that have been associated with the gene responsible for the tuxedo pattern. This means that Tuxies are as healthy as any other cat. However, they can still be affected by health conditions that commonly affect other cats
3. Tuxedo Cats Are Not Always Male
In most cases, coat color in cats is closely linked to gender. For instance, there are more male black cats than there are female black cats, while most calico and tortoiseshell cats are female.
In tuxedo cats, the gene responsible for the tuxedo pattern does not get affected by gender, and therefore, a tuxedo cat is as likely to be male as it is to be female.
2. Tuxedo Cats Can Be Aggressive
Most owners of tuxedo cats will tell you that these felines are some of the friendliest and most sociable cats you’ll come across. However, this does not mean that they are not capable of aggression.
According to a study carried out in the UK to find the relation between coat color and temperament in cats, black and white cats, and tuxies in particular, are the most likely to show aggression.
1. Tuxedo Cats Are Not Expensive
Due to their striking looks, most people assume that tuxedo cats are more expensive than cats with other coat colors and patterns. Some unscrupulous breeders will try to take advantage of this assumption by charging higher for tuxedo cats.
However, tuxedo cats are very common and can be found in many different breeds, so there’s no reason why you need to pay more for a tuxedo cat.
Related Questions
Are Tuxedo Cats Hypoallergenic? No, Tuxedo cats are not hypoallergenic. Tuxedo cats can appear in a variety of breeds, and they can have short or long-haired coats. Therefore, there is no way of accurately predicting whether a tuxedo will be hypoallergenic or not. In addition, no cat is truly, 100% hypoallergenic.
Can A Black Cat Have White Kittens? It is only possible for a black cat to have white kittens if they mate with a white cat. It is impossible for two solid black cats to give birth to white kittens. This is due to the fact that for a kitten to be solid white, they need a dominant white gene, which has to come from a white parent.
What Is The Smartest Breed Of Cat? The smartest breed of cat is the Abyssinian Cat. These cats are naturally inquisitive and enjoy activities that keep them mentally stimulated. While tuxedo cats are not a specific breed of cat, they are also known to be very smart, with some owners claiming that tuxies are 200% more intelligent than other cats.
