When you hear the word “tuxedo” you probably picture an elegant black-tie affair – a regal dinner attended by gentlemen in crisp black suits and ladies in flowing ball gowns.
It’s probably safe to say you don’t picture a cat.
That being said, it isn’t much of a stretch to see how tuxedo cats got their name. These cats are the picture of formal elegance, having a solid black coat with white fur on the throat, chest, paws (socks), and belly. Some tuxedo cats even sport a black mustache for an added touch of dashing charm.
Perhaps the rarest and most handsome of all is the tuxedo cat “wearing” a furry bow tie. Known as “black ties,” these charming felines are though to be lucky charms, particularly in terms of wealth and good fortune.
Also Read: Most Popular Tuxedo Cat Names
Is Tuxedo Cat a Breed?
It’s important to remember that tuxedo cats are not a breed in their own right, so it’s difficult to say whether all tuxies will fit this description.
Something all tuxedo cats DO have in common is, of course, their unique appearance.
Much like Calico and Tortoiseshell cats, Tuxies owe their bicolor coat to genetics. Though it was long believed a bicolor cat was the result of a “sluggish” pigment cells, researchers now have a different theory that explains the tuxedo cat’s dapper coat coloration.
The previous theory suggested that slow pigment cells weren’t able to reach all parts of a tuxedo kitten embryo before it was fully formed. Today, however, researchers understand that pigment cells multiply and move randomly throughout embryo development – they don’t seem to follow any particular set of instructions when it comes to coat color.
One thing calicos and torties have in common that tuxies don’t is that most are female. You’re just as likely to find a female tuxedo cat as a male.
Tuxedo cats can be found in a variety of different breeds as well, including Maine Coon, British Shorthair, Scottish Fold, American Shorthair, and Turkish Angora. Tuxies can be long haired or short haired, purebred or mixed breed.
Of course, we know breed plays more of a role than coloring when it comes to the personality traits of a cat. But, much like Tabby and Ginger cats, tuxedo cats seem to be friendlier and more attached to their owners than other felines.
Though they may not be particularly rare, if you’re lucky enough to find a black cat with a tuxedo color pattern at your local animal shelter, don’t pass it by!
Personality, Temperament and Characteristics
According to many cat parents and tuxedo cat lovers, these friendly felines have an easy-going temperament (let’s call it tuxitude!). They have also been described as playful, talkative, loyal, and dog-like.
Tuxedo kittens are born wearing formal attire, looking as handsome as can be. Even as kittens they are friendly, easy-going, and more laidback than other kittens. Most tuxedo cats are not aggressive and tend to get along well with other household cats.
Another interesting tidbit about tuxedo kittens is that they tend to develop more quickly than other cats. It usually takes kittens one to two weeks to open their eyes after birth, but newborn tuxies open their eyes an average of 24 hours earlier than other cats.
Tuxedo Cat Coat Patterns
A tuxedo kitty can also be described as a bicolor cat. Though tuxedo cats don’t have to be all black and white, they must have the piebald coloration to be included in the category.
Tuxedo cats have a coat that is typically one color with various markings of another color (usually white patches). Most commonly, tuxies exhibit white paws, white chest, white whiskers, and a white belly.
This coloration has been linked to the white spotting gene. As demonstrated with the tuxedo pattern, white spotting can take many different forms ranging from a single spot of white on an otherwise solid coat to the mostly white pattern seen in the Turkish Van breed.
Though you’re probably most familiar with tuxedo cats having short hair, they can have long hair as well. This coat pattern is a genetic characteristic that can affect any multi-colored breed – even breeds known for their distinct appearance like the Norwegian Forest Cat, Persian cat, and the Manx.
Famous Tuxedo Cats
Sylvester the Cat from Looney Tunes
As you may already know, the ancient Egyptians worshipped cats. In fact, several ancient Egyptian goddesses were depicted as cats – think Bast (also known as Bastet). Because cats were so highly revered in Egyptian culture, they were frequently pictured in hieroglyphics and on royal tombs.
What you may not know is that about 70% of the cats depicted in Egyptian art were tuxedo cats!
Some of the most famous tuxedo cats in history are Sylvester the Cat from Looney Tunes’ Tweety and Sylvester, Dr. Seuss’ Cat from The Cat in the Hat, and Felix the Cat from the 1920s silent film era. Though the cats themselves didn’t become famous, you may be interested to know that a few familiar names owned tuxies – Shakespeare, Beethoven, and Sir Isaac Newton.
In T.S. Elliot’s Old Possums Book of Practical Cats (1939), a collection of poems about feline psychology, tuxedo cats are referred to as Jellicles. This name is still used today.
In fact, you may already know the name of one: Mr. Mistoffelees.
Originally a character in Elliot’s book, Mr. Mistoffelees was depicted as a young black-and-white cat with magical powers in Andrew Lloyd Webber’s musical Cats. This particular tux is known for his flashy charm and sassy nature along with his inability to fully control his magical powers.
Other tuxedo cats you may be familiar with include Bill Clinton’s cats Socks (a tux-wearing First Cat fits right in at the White House, don’t you think?) and Simon, a chubby tuxedo cat who was awarded a medal in WWII for protecting limited food supplies aboard a warship in the middle of the ocean.
How Long Do Tuxedo Cats Live?
Like all cats, the average tux generally lives somewhere between 10 to 20 years when kept indoors. Outdoor cats, on the other hand, tend to live much shorter lives averaging about 5 years.
Tuxedo cats can face a range of health issues similar to those of various cat breeds that may affect their lifespan. Common concerns include obesity, dental diseases, and urinary tract infections, which can often be managed with a balanced diet, proper hydration, and regular vet check-ups.
Some tuxedo cats may also be at risk of genetic disorders specific to their breed, such as hypertrophic cardiomyopathy (HCM) or respiratory issues.
14 Fun Facts About Tuxedo Cats You’ll Love
- It’s rumored that tuxedo cats become essentially invisible on the vernal equinox – maybe this is why they are said to have magical powers!
- Tuxies are the strongest swimmers of all domestic felines, but heaven help the human who tries to get them into the water.
- Tuxedo cat owners have also been known to describe their cats as more intelligent than cats with any other coat pattern. Some say tuxies are up to 200% smarter than other cats!
- Tuxies bring you luck. Apparently numerous lotto winners are owned by these dapper felines.
- They form strong attachments with their owners, and they love to cuddle.
- Tuxedo cats owned by Beethoven, Sir Isaac Newton, and Shakespeare (which may attest to their intelligence).
- Stan the tuxedo cat made headlines in 2012 during municipal elections. He was the mayoral candidate from Halifax, Canada, representing the Tuxedo Party.
- Tuxies have been in the White House! President Clinton owned a tux named Socks.
- Tuxedo cats are the only felines allowed in at performances of the metropolitan area because they’re always in black tie.
- More than 70% of the cats seen in Egyptian royal tombs are tuxedo cats.
- Talk about lucky! A tuxedo named Sparky inherited over $6 million from his owner in 1998.
- The mustached tuxedo is infamously called the “kitler,” while another variation, with white around the chin and nose, is called the masked tuxedo.
- Roderick, a tuxedo, is the only cat to climb Mt. Everest.
- Tuxedo kittens open their eyes 24 hours before a regular cat and they have a lifespan of 10 to 15 years.
If you’re lucky enough to be owned by a tuxedo cat, congrats! Now you know a little more about your feline friend and where his unique coloration comes from.
Frequently Asked Questions
Are tuxedo cats a breed?
The tuxedo cat isn’t a breed of cat in its own right, but rather a name given to a certain set of physical characteristics. Tuxedo cats are technically bi-colored cats with piebald markings that resemble tuxedos. This unique coloration can be seen in long- and short-haired cats of many breeds.
Are tuxedo cats smart?
Tuxedo cats aren’t a distinct breed, so we can’t say for sure that they are more intelligent than other cats. That being said, they have been known to develop more quickly than other cats and some say they are up to 200% smarter than other cats!
How big do tuxedo cats grow?
Because the tuxedo cat is not a specific breed but a coloration, it’s hard to say. Generally speaking, cats live an average of 13 to 17 years when kept indoors. Outdoor cats tend to have shorter lifespans.
Can tuxedo cats be grey and white?
Yes! The term “tuxedo cat” refers more to the bi-color markings and their specific placement rather than the color, so tuxedo cats can be grey and white, orange and white, or just about any other combination.
Are tuxedo cats expensive?
If you’re thinking about getting a tuxedo cat, there’s good news – you won’t have to spend a fortune! The tuxedo coloration isn’t particularly rare, and it can be seen in just about any breed. There’s no reason tuxedo cats should cost more than any other.
I swear my former very young tuxedo tomcat once talked long to me.
I find this statement about outdoor cats living an average 5 years to be quite misleading? I live in the U.K. where it is the norm to have outdoor cats, and most rescues won’t rehome unless you have a garden and a cat door for them. Here cats have an average life expectancy of anywhere from 12-16 years, and they go outside! So do you mean feral cats, as in stray cats only have a 5 year life expectancy? It might be worth clarifying that.
We just lost our tuxedo cat Ernie, who was approximately 20 years old. He was our boy it was like a human being. He would follow us around. He would love us. My wife and I are devastated tuxedo. Cats are just wonderful. We miss him dearly. in time, we will find another one and give him a wonderful home,
I started looking up information about this “style” of cat after finding a lost kitten and quickly realizing that she was special. Friendly? Check. If she has a bit of time to observe new people, especially kids. Chatty? Double check. She’s got more language than any other cat I’ve had. Cuddly? Not at all, but that’s ok. Intelligent? Extremely. I was able to teach her things I thought were only possible with dogs. And like a dog, she has followed me everywhere and won’t let me out of her sight. Unless she’s off in her favorite closet napping. 10 /10 would recommend.
Our Tuxedo Cat is almost 21 years old and still healthy. Couple of years ago he got problems with his thyroid but that is perfect under control with the medicine he got 2 times a day. I got him as a kitten when he was old enough to left his mom. He got a passport and is registered. His birthday, 15 may 2003. He still goes with us to our boat for the weekends and act like he is 10 years younger. He really enjoys it and is really happy. We love him and hopefully he will stay with us for another couple of years. All my other cats died before 15…..
One famous tuxedo cat left off your list: Figaro, from Disney’s Pinocchio! My own Figaro has all the “good” characteristics you’ve described, & he is a joy to be around.
Thanks Kathryn, that’s a great addition!
My intelligent tuxie herself claimed my house lol. She just literally followed me upstairs and made herself at home in less than 10 minutes. She already knows how to use the potty, and she LOVES to cuddle! She’s named Freyja after the goddess, and trust me; she knows EXACTLY what goddess she is. She’s my first tux, but she reminds me a lot of my old tabby, Hercules.
Freyja sounds lovely! Thanks for sharing 🙂
My tuxedo cat moved in, when we had 2 other cats, brothers; I think he wanted company. His then-owner lived 2 doors away; so I used to tell Titch he was not my cat; so I wouldnt feed him, but he could sit on the mat and wait until my two walked away and then have a look to see if they’d left anything. He started doing that every time he came in! When he came to live with us, he always looked to check that they were eating, before he started his own.The vet put his age at about 2. He will be 13 this May. He showed a preference for men over women and still does, although there is just him and me now. When we lived in a house, he could come and go through a cat-flap as he pleased, but, when we moved to a retirement flat 3½ years ago, that could no longer happen. So – he ‘grumps’ at me, until I go downstairs with him to let him out and insists I walk round the garden with him, much to other residents’ amusement. He is rather a scaredy-cat and is bullied by a young cat, if he is out, too.
He used to catch mice, rats etc and bring them home – alive! Then I’d have to catch them again to put them out! The only other creatures he sees now are grey squirrels – and they are just too fast!
I Have HAD TWO TUXEDO CATS THE FIRST ONE WAS BEAR, GOT HIM WHEN HE WAS 8 WEEKS OLD, HE LIVED TO BE 10 AND PASSED AWAY FROM KIDNEY FAILURE. I WENT TO THE HUMANE SHELTER DONATED 25 LB BAG OF DRY CAT FOOD IN HIS NAME AND ADOPTED MY NEXT TUXEDO BENNY HE WAS A YEAR OLD WHEN I GOT HIM AND THE TUXEDO CATS ARE TRULY THE MOST AFFECTIONATE HE PASS THIS PAST JANUARY. I ADOPTED A STRAY THAT SOMEONE DROPPED OUT IN FRONT OF MY HOUSE, SHE WAS ABOUT 8 WKS AND NOW SHE IS MY BABY GIRL. SHE IS SOLID BLACK AND NOT AS AFFECTIONATE AS THE TUXEDO BUT A GREAT KITTY. LOVE YOUR PETS LIKE THEY ARE YOUR CHILDREN AND THEY WILL LOVE YOU BACK UNCONDITIONALLY.
JEFF KIRBY
I have a tuxedo cat 🐈 named star ⭐️ her mom lilah a calico, mated with a stray and had five kittens one was my beautiful tuxedo kitten star. She’s napping 😴 wile i read this. Star has one Sister Smokey, a jellie cat, two ginger cat twin brothers ginger, and twinger (twin ginger) and one ☝️ tabby brother, Lep.
She is napping 😴 now
My tuxedo cat Star is snuggling me as I read this
A stray tuxedo female had kittens in my log pile. The kittens were beautiful… They all grew and drifted away to find their homes… Except for a calico female. She stayed near the log pile and had 6 kittens. This time I brought them all in icluding Mom. When they were old enough I put out the word that I had kittens available that needed homes. The gray cat Grayson, the two orange tabbies Burt and Bobbie, the tortoise Patches, the black cat Lil Dickens, all found homes. I kept the Tuxedo, Mayhem. And his Mom, Sasha. Mayhem is the sweetest, most loving cat. He follows me around the house, he mews when he wants to show affection and do some head bumps. He and his Mama Sasha nap together and she adores him… always preening him when she gets a chance. He loves it. He weighs almost 30 pounds. He looks like a big gorilla when he runs towards me. I adore this cat.
when i first got my cat she immediately got interested of me
I have a 2 year old tuxedo cat named Captain Morgan. I was there when he was born along with 5 other brothers and sisters! He was the first one to venture out of the “nest”, he then climbed up my bed and went to sleep under my chin!! He chose me, and to this day he always follows me upstairs, sleeps in my bed and stays in the bathroom with me! He loves to talk and head butt me and roll all over!!
i also have a tuxedo is name is lucky butt he was a stray i found him in Glendale,AZ anyways i love this little guy i found him he was 2 months old he follows me to the bathroom jumps on my lap almost always he’s a talker greets me at the door i have 5 cats so he get’s upset if i pay attention to the older male i rescued he’s at least 10 i’m not sure though but yes lucky is lucky i mean i’m the lucky one he’s a blessing to have my TUXEDO baby love him so much…..
You really are lucky, Dawn! Your tuxedo cat sounds adorable 🙂
I have a one-year-old tuxedo and he is very aloof and doesn’t cuddle. He does sleep on the end of the bed.
He is not very active he mostl sleeps all day
I have a tuxedo cat. His name is Chase. Got him at 4 weeks old. He’s my Patriotic cat. He was born on the 4th of July 2006 He’s been with me ever since. I suffered a minor stroke several years ago. He’s helped me through the years of therapy. Kept me company & gave me hope. I’m 95% back & threw thick & thin. He was always there, always has to be on me or touching me. Talks constantly & loves temptation treats. Follows me everywhere. Doesn’t like baths cries like I’m killing him. LOL He’s my buddy & the smartest cat I’ve ever seen. Like having a dog in a way.
I have a tuxedo cat named Milo, he is so loyal always following me around, he doesn’t like to cuddle but he’s always licking my leg and every time my husband kisses me he wants a little kiss, we get a kick out of him when he sits up like a person and he loves playing fetch with a twist tie and a Q-tip, retrieving it and bringing back and lays it in front of me, often swatting it in the air and sometimes actually catches it at times, I wish he would cuddle but when I take a nap you better believe he follows me and takes a nap as well, not next to me but at the end of the bed or on the floor next to me, I just love this chubby little guy with all of my heart ❤️
Thank you for telling us about Milo! Sounds like a sweetie.
I LOVE MY TUXEDO KITTIES THEY ARE VERY CLEVER AND LOVING ITS LIKE WE HAVE A BOND AND I TALK TO EACH OF THEM LIKE THEY ARE HUMANS AND THEY DO UNDERSTAND EVRYTHING WE SAY TO THEM I LOVE THEIR EXISTENCE.
I’m sorry i should not post my address like that. My mom and big sister do not want strangers like you guys showing up at our apartment because, me and my family do not know you guys. My cat loves me and she is cute as a baby kitten. She loves to go up to people and let them pet her. I am training her some tricks for her. Minka trick is high five and she begs for human food. Tink and Staryu is learning some tricks they do not know.
Hi Victoria, no worries—I won’t publish your previous comment, so no one else will see your address, and you can trust us to not take advantage of this information. Anyway, your kitties sound adorable. Most cats will drink 3.5–4.5 ounces of water per 5 pounds of body weight per day, including what comes in their food. Hope this helps!
We have a Tuxie named Loki. He also is as sweet as can be. He’s gotten to sleeping with me lately. Perhaps he knows somehow that I have cancer and likes to sleep next to me, but at times he has to crawl up on my chest to cuddle a bit and then go back to my side. One thing I hadn’t heard about tuxedos is the crazy way they curl up in all different positions and sleep. Loki can be curled up on his back and snoring. He also has a strange trait of reaching a paw out to pull something off a table, or to just reach a little higher when he’s laying on my chest. He is one smart cat and even listens when I tell him “no”. He’s so easy going and sweet and we’re so glad to have him. My husband brushes him and keeps the brush next to him on a shelf. If Loki wants to be brushed, he just pulls the brush off the shelf — and how can you say no to that. Tuxies are the sweetest ever!! Can’t post this because they said I already posted it. This is the first time I’ve been on this site. WTH?
We have a Tuxie named Loki. He also is as sweet as can be. He’s gotten to sleeping with me lately. Perhaps he knows somehow that I have cancer and likes to sleep next to me, but at times he has to crawl up on my chest to cuddle a bit and then go back to my side. One thing I hadn’t heard about tuxedos is the crazy way they curl up in all different positions and sleep. Loki can be curled up on his back and snoring. He also has a strange trait of reaching a paw out to pull something off a table, or to just reach a little higher when he’s laying on my chest. He is one smart cat and even listens when I tell him “no”. He’s so easy going and sweet and we’re so glad to have him. My husband brushes him and keeps the brush next to him on a shelf. If Loki wants to be brushed, he just pulls the brush off the shelf — and how can you say no to that. Tuxies are the sweetest ever!!
We have a tuxedo female named Dora. She is 16 years old. She showed up on our farm porch following her mom who was after our new border collie puppy Sam’s food. The mom ran off leaving this tick infested tiny kitten. We took care of her; she was fierce as a new born !! She became best friends with Sam. Once my son tried to hold Sam’s head down from what he thought that Sam would lunge ; after another kitten my son brought to visit. Dora bolted out and bite his hand hold freeing Sam. She had never bitten since a tiny kitten. She follows me , let’s the many grandkids pick her up and hold her any way they can. She thinks she is a border collie I think, as she chases away the other adopted tortoise shell that showed up living in the Barn( we named her Barny). She cried for over a week when Sam passed away at 14. I think she was trying to call him home. We love her dearly!
I love my tuxie, Emmy. Every evening before bed, she meows to announce that she has left me a gift ( one of her toys) .
My tuxie, George Washington, affectionately known as Georgie, is my first tuxie, and was found by a neighbor on a trash pile that someone left at the end of our dirt road. I have rescued cats, and other unwanted animals, from being abandoned on our road for many years. So, my neighbor brought me this cute little 5 week old kitten. His little eyes were full of junk, he was ridden with fleas, and I felt so sorry for him. Our granddaughters were here at the time, and they gave him a good bath. I cleaned his eyes and rubbed a little flea treatment on him. Needless to say, 9 months later, Georgie is 10 lbs and nearly 2′ long from nose to tail. HUH??? He has to be mixed with Main Coon, or some other larger breed. But, he is the best cat we’ve had. He’s our travel buddy. What they say is true. He literally is like a dog. When we travel, he has a harness and a leash, his own travel crate, and larger indoor crate. He is spoiled rotten. And my husband doesn’t even like cats. So, for him to pay this much attention to a cat, you know tuxies are special.
Thanks for sharing, Dana! We love hearing stories from caring cat owners like you. Give Georgie a treat for us!
What is a “diurnal equinox.” I looked it up and diurnal means “day” but we do not have day and night equinox. Equinox means the day and night are equal. Is this a term used in other countries?
Hi Tamie, good question. The exact phrase “diurnal equinox” is almost only mentioned in relation to this rumor about tuxedo cats, so I think it’s an odd artifact from something that’s been going around the web. I’ve removed the mention of a “diurnal equinox” and we plan to update this article later in the year, so we’ll polish everything up then. Glad you brought this up.
I have a tuxedo cat name Sammie, he is all black on the top of his body and sides, a black face the a white stripe running down his nose, a white chin, and a white mustash, he also has white booties and white mittens, and he is all white underneath and he just turned eleven years old in August. He is not a very friendly cat, he likes being with me, he even save my life ones, I did not know it, but when I was sleeping, he would wake me up in the middle of the night, I could not figure out why he was doing this, then I found out that I would stop breathing at night, and when he did not hear me breathing, he would scratch my arm to wake me. I have had Sammie when he was old enough to leave his mother, he does love to talk to me, and some times he will not shut up! LOLs He not that happy about strangers, but if they come into my apartment, he will come and see who it is. I try and hug him, which he does not, he does not like to cuddle either. We have been together now for eleven years, and he has been a good friend. I also have what is called a rag doll cat, he is multi colored and is very big with long hair, he is the lovable one, he wants me to hug him twenty four seven, will give him four or five hugs a day, I got him from a friend who could not take care of him. More about my cats if you want to know more about them.
My 2 tuxies (Tommie and Allie) came from the same momma and are inseparable. They seem to speak to each other and to me in this sound that comes from their throat. They rarely meow. Anybody else out there that has this same experience? It’s like a vocal purr.
I have a 10 month old tuxedo called BooBoo. He is with me everywhere! He is so clever. If he wants my attention he miaows (it sounds like he’s saying ‘mum’). He is incredibly affectionate. He watches me in the shower (he loves watching the water) but has just developed a weird habit of climbing up on the back of the toilet seat when it’s being used. He loves black cherry yoghurt. He kneads me in bed and dribbles everywhere! I absolutely adore him. He only weighs 7lbs so I’m slightly concerned he’s underweight for his age though
I have a tuxedo! Her name is Daisee but her nickname is daffy Duck
I have 2 tuxceto cats! A black and white runt tux named Sylvester, I am his human, and his brother, a orange and white tux named Oliver. Mom is his human. There both boys. I got them from a friend’s litter and there soooooo sweet! Unless ur trying 2 do ur homework… Their hansomness is distracting XD then there is thic gray tux stray around my house I call Kiki. We can’t keep her cuz she hates other cats and loves the outdoors but all my tuxs r exactly as described! Bravo Hooman my cat is pleassssed!
My tux cat, Sunny, is physically and mentally delayed. So even though tuxedo cats are 200% smarter mine is 200% dumber. But I love her all the same. I found her 3 years ago on Sunnyside road (hence the name Sunny) I was just going to nurse her back to health but I got attached to her so here I am 3 years later taking care of my special needs kitty. ? I couldnt imagine life without her.
My first tuxedo kitty was a stray. My husband found him at about 6 weeks old under our porch. he was sick, and I did what any cat mom would do….nursed him back to health. He grew up in our house, was sweet and very laid back but very nervous. we thought he was a girl, so when his manhood droppes my kids renamed him Jack. He wasnt much for adults at that point, but he was so attached to my daughter that he let her carry him around like a baby. he would sleep with her. He ended up getting my moms tabby pregnant. She had 3 all white kittens, 1 black, and a tiny tuxedo who had splayed legs. So i did what any cat mom would do, and helped him out. Jack’s son is now a huge part of our family as Jack passed away a year ago. JJ (Jack Jr) is sweet, laid back, a little nervous, but super smart. And currently I have Jack the III sleeping on me. 3 generations of Tux, and i love them so much.
My old orange tabby passed away last year. Last month my mom found a stray tux and took him in. He’s the sweetest cat. My tabby was very active, she loved to run around my mom’s garden, but not very cuddly. This tux, however, is the most affectionate cat I’ve ever met. He hates being alone, and will meow constantly until he’s not alone anymore. He loves to cuddle and I can’t help but spoil him too much (partly because I miss my old tabby). Even though he’s a stray, he learns very quickly. He saw my 6yo brother use the toilet and the next day, he used it as well! It took me days to teach my old tabby that. Whenever he comes near me (or other family members), he has this eyes that says “I want my daily snuggle” then I, most definitely, will—God, he really has me wrapped around his little paws—pick him up, and he will lay his head on my shoulder before sleeping. It seems to be his favorite place to nap. He’s a treasure and I love him soooo much.
I have a tuxedo cat, his name is Crunchie (my child named him) he is about 3 years old and is feisty and mean. he suffers from separation anxiety which means he’s very protective over me and his territory so he doesn’t really get alone with the family dog. he loves to cuddle when we’re alone and loves to give kisses. he’s pretty mean when it comes to petting him and will attack even me sometimes if i pet him wrong. i love him very much though and couldn’t imagine my life without him.
I have two cats, Gizmo being the Tuxie, and I have to say Gizmo is by far the smartest out of the two. Gizmo is so kind, loving, obeys commands and a true companion. I’ve been a cat owner all my life and I’ve never had the pleasure of having a better cat as my friend. He’s 6 and I treasure him.
hi i have a female tuxedo cat and she is not growing she is about 1 and a little over a half years old can you please tell me why and if she will eventually grow to a full sized female thank you
Hi Nina, it’s hard to say why your cat is still so small! As long as she seems healthy, I wouldn’t worry too much about her petite frame. She may just be an unusually small adult cat!
I have a 7 year old longhaired Tuxedo named Bok Choy, he received his name at the animal shelter and it was such a great name and so fitting that I decided to not re-name him. He was adopted when he was about 6 weeks old. I had no pets at the time and knew I only wanted one pet. When I went into the “kitten room” at the animal shelter I panned the room before stepping into it, there were several kids with two different families there and their children were all playing with other kittens in the kennels, but this kitten was getting no attention. I knew when I looked across the room that he was the one, he was looking directly at us, but I didn’t want to draw attention so that any of the other people would be interested! So I calmly walked around the room, looked at the other cats, and walked up to Bok Choy’s kennel without drawing attention. My girlfriend told me that the entire time we walked the cat watched us. I have been around several different cats, but Bok Choy is one of the most well-interfacing cats I’ve met. He makes alot of eye contact and I talk to him alot — I discovered that he was inadvertently teaching me cat body language and communication so we “long blink” at each other alot, I understand this is body language to communicate calmness and comfort.
My Tuxedo cat Nehlo2 came to me after Nehlo1 had an unfortunate accident with a garage door. I’ve never been able to tell the difference since. I was devastated at the passing of Nehlo. It was a bright night with Jupiter in the sky. I prayed over my passed on kitty and found Nehlo2 a few days later.
Seemingly, he was in fact Nehlo reborn. He had the exact traits and personality. This very much helped me through an already tough time in my life.
A few years later, now, he has learned to mimic words better than any Minah bird or parrot. It’s unreal. He calls out for my wife “Mom”. He rolls, sits, and extends a paw to her on command. When wanting attention or just greeting me he unmistakably says “Hello” in his squeaky feline voice. It is unbelievable at night for instance. I’ve had friends in the driveway. They hear “hello”…& ask, “is there someone in your garage”? At first I thought the kids were pranking me. There seems to be no limit to what he can learn.
I have two tuxedos and a tabby. I love them all but I recognize that the tuxedos ones are for some reason smarter than the tabby. I thought it was just their personality but now reading a lot of articles that say they’re somehow smarter than the rest of the cats makes sense to me.
I have had cats around for a long time but was without one When I had decided in 2013 to get another cat. I had a remarkable. Siamese at one point and wanted another then found out that black cats get euthanized more than other colors. I decided to take my time finding a new cat and started looking at rescues in the pet stores and was thinking that it would be nice to find a black one. This cat was in a glass box and about 10 months old when I saw her. She was a charmer! She walked to the front of the enclosure and laid down with her head against the glass, then rolled on her back and put her paws over her head and began playfully reaching for me. I was impressed, but decided not to make an emotional decision at that moment. Three days later I went back thinking a cat that displayed that playful behavior would probably already be taken by someone. She was still there and when I looked into her intake data , saw that this overweight cat had been in this cage most if not all of her life. I had her taken out and as soon as she was handed to me she hurried her face into my shoulder, Immediately I decided this was the one for me. I changed her name from Candy to Sally (in honor of astronaut Sally Ride). She didn’t seem to be very bold or strong when she came home with me. Maybe too much time in a small pet store enclosure had weakened her body. Within an hour of bringing her home I realized that I already felt like this was something that I really needed. She became more active and bolder and a month later was quite actively exploring the new territory. I live near a busy road and had lost my cat to a car, Sally was going to stay indoors. As soon as I saw Sally peeking out the door as I went through I decided to implement a behavior modification plan. The plan was to wait until the next time it was raining and then pick Sally up and carry her outside into the wet weather. She didn’t like getting wet and dug in her claws and became fearful. Mission accomplished! I repeated this one more time, next time it rained. That removed her interest in going outdoors. I talk to her almost all the time and she has b come quite vocal. Squawky voice but very affectionate. She follows me around and comes when I call her name. I am quite appreciative of her companionship. She has a lot of nicknames I call her by. She sleeps on my bed at night. She is not a moody animal and is always with a sunny outlook. She bangs her body against the door if I go into a room and close her out, she wants to be with me I am so happy that we found each other. She has become quite bold and when I brought a dog into the house once she was at the door when we came in and followed me with the dog, staying less than half a foot away from the dog while it was in the house, the whole time. She has a big appetite and has become obese. She is a big boned cat for a female but is overweight. I love this animal and will be upset if anything happens to her. I don’t think she’s as smart a Siamese but she has lot more affection than other cats I’ve had. I just wish she wasn’t such a chow hound as I’m concerned about the long-term effect on her health. Her full name is Sally Whitefoot and she is a pretty looking kitty. This is the only Tuxedo cat I’ve ever had.
I have been adopted by a stray cat in Feb 2020 we named her Linda Catalina a tuxedo cat that acts like a dog she brings me her toys to play, is in love with my 17 year old daughter and loves to nap with my 13 years old dogs Clifford and Chester. During these Pandemic we were blessed with her company hugs kisses and green beautiful eyes that express thank you and I tell her “ Linda gracias a ti”
It has been great reading all of the posts. We came home from a Halloween party in October 2019 and there was this tuxedo cat sitting in the driveway. When I opened the truck door, he came over right away and was extremely friendly. Good for him, but me not a cat lover. We have two Beagles. Go away cute little black and white cat. And the next day….there is this same black and white cat sitting in the driveway. Day three, I was on the back deck and looked over and saw this thing…it was either a skunk or that cat. Thankfully, it was that cat. He was clearly hungry. Bought cat food the next day and fed him. Day six we had to go away for the weekend and as we were leaving that morning, there he was. I looked right at him and said ‘Look, if you’re still here when we get back, then we’ll talk’. And low and behold, came home that Monday and there he was waiting for us. I posted in local FB threads, checked with the two local vets. Nobody claimed a super friendly tuxedo cat as lost. So, he’s been with us ever since and now I’m a cat person as well as a dog person. He’s truly amazing, Remy Moonshine we’ve named him. Even after six plus months…not a super bond friendship with the dogs but they tolerate one another. I see there is curiosity…Remy sniffs the dogs on occasion. He lashed at the dogs a few times in the past so they kind of try to avoid him. I’m sure as time goes on there will be a shift. But truly, tuxedo cats are just unbelievably sweet and friendly. And yes, they are definitely ‘dog like’ in nature. So I’m told, cats pick their owners and in this case, Remy Moonshine picked some pretty good owners 🙂
Wow, maybe I should get a tuxedo cat……Other than their cute white paws and chests, I didn’t know much about them before I came upon this website. I didn’t read all of the comments tho, I mean there’s 219, and 220 including this one. Anyway, I have three cats and they bring joy to my lives everyday I’m with them. THANKS FOR THE CUTE STORES (some aren’t cute they’er heartwarming but whatev)
My tuxsedo cats name is spaz and he is super sqitish and is scared of every thing but me, i think its becase were the same age but i dont know why hes scared of every thing. He is super smart i taught him to sit on his hind legs and then toch my hand wail doing it l, i also think he is part half face becase he has a half a black chin.
I was at work one night and it was nasty outside. Raining and sleeting and snowing. I went outside for a moment when all of a sudden I saw these lil white boots running at me from accross Main St. He instantly started weaving between my feet. I took him home and asked if someone lost thier kitten. No response. He is the best lil guy ever! Vet said he is only about 9 months old. He has definately made me his hooman!
I had tuxedo to her name is Susana she use to go for a ride with me and sat next to the window she felt me when I’m sick when I’m sad follows me anywhere she was an outdoor cat she always manage to come back when I called her we use yo play together ill hide from her and she found me and she do the same she brought me a lot of happiness and joy I never felt empty until she died Monday I moved out and she didn’t know the area is bad I only let her in the balcony she manage to go in the back of my house I went after her I called her at the wrong timing when the train coming 80 miles an hour smashed her into pieces the last thing she saw was me I will never forgot her looking at me like rescue me im so scared she did everything she could run out from the train but the train was faster than her and I couldn’t do nothing I feel like I’m going to be sad the rest of my life will never forgot about her she left me heart broken grieving blame my self blame the train I dreamed about her every single night
I’ve adopted 6 week old Tuxedo cat not long ago, and we named him Storm. He is currently 12 weeks old, he is very affectionate and loves to cuddle! He’s growing up fast too! I’ve heard that they develop quite quickly and it’s fair to say, he is much much bigger than when I got him. He is the loveliest cat I’ve ever met and had, he loves to cuddle and always follows me and my partner around the house. He’s very intelligent too, much more intelligent than some of the cats I’ve met, it took us literally twice to show him where the cat litter is and he learnt straight away. And indeed he’s behaviour sometimes resembles a dog. My partner was wondering why he behaves like that, because he wasn’t around dogs at any time and now we’ve learnt that it’s just normal dog-like behaviour
Storm is the most adorable cat ever and now I fully know and understand why ??
my female tux is aggressive to other cats i have here and dogs at times she will hiss and swat them if they come near her some times she walk past young cat and hiss and swat him for no reason
My Tuxedo actually has turned the lights on and off using the light switch…doesn’t matter if it is up or down (the switch that is) ….I tell everyone that he is my sh1tless dog….well almost…he loves fetching and carries his toy proudly around to my feet when he wants to play. He always greets me at the door when I get home from work…eventually he’ll get me my slippers…
I have 2 tuxedo cats. They are brother and sister, 14 years old. Oreo is the biggest at 18 pounds of LOVE; Cookie is 16 pounds of sweet softness and is female! The are just like your article mentions! Oreo greets all visitors and must smell a small whiff of everyone’s breath! If I am sad Cookie will be a snuggle-bug! Gotta love those black and white beauties…
My fiance
My nephew and his girlfriend adopted a tuxxie named Gizmo. she is too cute, and yes very cuddly, especially around that time. all three live with me, so that would make me her “auntie”. she keeps me company and loves watching me making my crafts with my Cricut electronic die cut machine. In fact Gizmo is the supervisor, LOL. I ask her a question, and she meows on que, LOL. Sometimes, I call her “boss lady”, “diva”, and “Princess Kitty” for the way that she carries herself. I love her gentle nature.
I have owned cats ever since I was 5 years old and I am almost 60 now with my first tuxedo. Truly he is the Einstein of them all. My least intelligent cat was a white Persian, by the way. Angel was pretty to look, but she was a live stuffed cat who ate food and lived for her own snobby self and pooped where she pleased. Geez!
We named our tux Chico (little boy in Spanish) Tito because of his small head. But man does he pack one great big brain!!
He performs too many tricks (and they are self taught) to list, but I will list a few.
1. He helps me dig up flowers when I have planted them and decide to rearrange them after realizing I am unhappy with their placement in the garden. He never digs them up unless he is helping me for he watches me and anticipates my next move. That is when he will jump in and work to assist me. He never goes back and digs up plants later on, fyi. This does not happen often, but he has done it more than once.
2. If he sees you pick up a set of keys he runs to the door. He equates the picking up of keys with you leaving the house just like a dog.
3. If he wants me to follow him and I ignore him, he will nip my ankle with small bites until I have to follow so he may show me what he wants. Usually he wants a treat or food or to go outside.
4. He knows how to beg, self taught again. How does he do this? He raises his right front paw up toward you and wiggles his paw and claws a little to motion “give me some”. That was the first trick and it stunned me!!
Truly Chico Tito is unbelievably brilliant And so therefore I do NOT want a mansion in Heaven without him. So Jesus will deliver him there for me because one of us will go there before the other. He is my best cat ever and Lulu runs a far 02nd place.
Everything in the article above is spot on accurate. Chico Tito has even smiled at me several times and it floored me! I had no idea a cat is capable of smiling until he did it and it was not my imagination because 5he first time he did it was after he had surgery. I had 5o keep him confined for 2 weeks in March of 2011 afterward and then took him outside the beginning of April and placed him in the grass…. It excited him so when. I laid him on the blanket of grass… He started patting the grass like a little child playing patty cake and he did that excitedly as he grinned at me. I was blown away!
I could tell you more, but will end with: from now, it is tuxes for me!!
I’d anyways wanted a tuxedo cat after I had a semi-feral one in a rural area. He was incredibly soft. So when I sought one out several years later, I found the cat-love of my life. I couldn’t name her for about 5 days, but as she sat watching me in the bathroom, it came to me: Frenchie. She looks like she has a French maid’s outfit on, and “Frenchie” was the name of my dad’s best friend. My Frenchie baby, I swear to you, is an empath. One day about three weeks after my 8-hour spinal surgery, I sat on my couch and began to sob. Frenchie let out a very concerned “purr?” and jumped up next to me in the couch to comfort me. She is an amazing, incredibly soft, loving girl. She’s almost 14 now, and I dread the day I lose her. Love of my life.
8 pm on a busy road, a tiny kitten maybe 8 weeks, if that, sits on the footpath outside my unit, I expect kitty to run away as I approach but no he remains as I get closer within a few feet he then decides to scamper under a shrub. I cannot let Kitty be as maybe run over, I run upstairs to get some meat and return to hold my hand under shrub, very hungry kitty starts eating from my hand…gotcha ! Taken upstairs, he is so cute and small I assume to be female. and I name (her) Little One, but as she/he grows (altho still tiny) it becomes obvious he is a male so I rename him as Mr Puss.
That was 10 years ago and Mr Puss is the smartest manipulating cat I have ever owned, I’m sure he reads my mind, I have become his slave, he can open any cupboard, even the balcony sliding door with both paws, he even tries to open the fridge but the suction pressure prevents him. Thank god.
He retrieves balls of paper (when He decides to do so) does all his business in my unused bath, he sleeps by lying on me somewhere …chest, feet ..back. He deliberately does naughty things like raid the garbage or steals food from the kitchen counter if being thawed, he is after all a feral Kitten.
Mr Puss is wonderful, he is my serenity, my little mate !
Ive had 2 tuxedo cats. 1 was my first cat. Her name was moomoo and we grew up together. She let me hold her and pat her for like 20 minutes at a time, she slept with me and comforted me when i was scared and sad. When i was a kid and an asshole scaring and teasing her she never scratched me. And then when she was dying, i took care of her. I fed her in my room. She would always hide in the basement ceiling and would only come out to eat if i got her. She was in such pain. Finally we put her to sleep. Had her for like 18 years. I loved her. The next tux i had i found outside my bfs house. His name was toots and he was super sick. I nursed him back to health and eventually got him fixed and took him home. Now hes a fat slug who sleeps with me and eats all day! He scratches on my door when im sleeping, and tries to get in my hermit crab cage. Hes the best. And i love him. Its been about 6 years since i found him, and i hope we have a long future together.
I just got a new baby and I want to know for sure if she is a true Tuxie. How can I know for sure. She is black and white with white boots and white whiskers.
We have a great tuxedo boy that we rescued, he is super sweet and cuddly and very vocal he has his own coo sounds that he makes to talk to us! Sweetest best cat ever!! And he’s a polydactyl so he has little white mittens!
I read all you guys stories. I truly believe God made pets for us. Especially lonely chronically sick pl with broken hearts maybe the loss of a loved one children are grown and gone out on their own. I was always a loner. Had kinda a sad family life growing up. So my cat became my best friend. I didnt letnppl see me cry and I didnt trust anyone to tell my feelings. So my cats were very special to me. My favorite was a black and white. He was a ttom cat but never lrft me. My parents wouldnt have animals inside. He died of old age when I was 26. When I got my own place I had house cats. Cats are extremely smart when they live inside. They learn alot of words and know what your doing. I have a chronic illness and 3 chronic pain issues. They take turns laying with me when I have to stay in bed. Sum sleep with me almost every night. And they communicate with each other. They use body movements tail movements facial expressions. My husband works so Im alone alot so in the last few yrs Ive really realized just how smart they are. They communicate with one another they conspire lol. I would be lost without them. I think all colors are smart. I have a tuxedo shes smart but mean as hell. She loves only my husband but if he dnt be still when shes laying on his lap or laying in bed with him she’ll hook her claws in him and let 1 of the other cats get on the bed. He wont even be rubbing them or nothing she’ll bite the blood out of him. So we figure this is Mitzis world we jjust live in it. The other cats have to wait til she eatts before they can. So its not about color just like humans we all have our own personality
Monica & Nathan. We have both had cats our wyole live see. I tend to pick black cats but really cats are just like humans. They all have their own personalities. I had one black cat that could say mama and thats what he called me. He died at 13 of cancer. Nearly killed me . He died im my arms. Then his son died in my arms when he was 5. I wasnt getting anymore cats but my good friend talked to me and came and picked me up and took me to see sum lil black kittens. One really liked me she rolled over for me to rub her belly. She was rubbing against my hand wantinh to be picked up. So I got her and named her Cena but ended up calling her baby. She went with me everywhere even would hide in my pocketbook in walmart. She had never been outside. All my other cats were born outside and when i was young my cats were outdoor cats. My dad didnt like animals inside. Baby slipped out when she came in heat and had 4 kittens 3 tuxudos and a blackand white. Im disabled and didnt have money to get them spayed so 3 were CV females before I knew it they had kittens. Mitzi is the prettiest. But that is a mean cat. She doesnt really care for anyone but my husband. We got together after I had the cats. Someone on purpose opened my outside door while I was gone and several of my cats were kille dr by a neighbors dogs. My then bf got me and my cats and we moved in with him. Then we bought a house in the mountains. Fixed the cats a cat door and they love it here. Mitzi is a tuxucdo and she isnt nice shes mean as hell but so smart its creepy. She doesnt like anyonr but Nathan my now husband. She paces up and down the drivrway when hes gone. Its really sad. But when she gets on his lap or lays in bed with him if he even moved she’ll fuss at him put het claws in him. If anothe fry cat even gets on the bed but not near him she’ll attack him I mean bite the blood out of him. We have 10 cats counting her but none of the 9 mess with her. When we feed them. She will make them wait til she eats before they get to. Everyone has learnt that this is Mi ty zis world we just live in it lol. Babyis
Will be 6 this yr mitzi will be 5. Before we got her spaye dr she took off and had 11 white kittens. Only 2 survived a big shorthaired mail He5cules and a female looks exactly like w Turkish angora
Gracie. She doeent like anyone but me but she spends most of he dry time alone. Hercules is our biggest cat. But thinks hes a kitten 2 yrs old. Hes my baby. Hes a comedian th ER funniest cat Ive ever seen. I sufferbfrom chronic pain issuee and a chronic illness. They keep me company and they know when Im having bad days. They are so smart. I think when they are born inside and stay inside mostly they learn what we’re saying. Their the smartest cats Ive ever seen. Scientists say they talk to hiumans but not each other not true. They have body movements tail movwem er nts certain looks. Im home alot I see them communicate and even.plan stuff conspire together. They let me know what they want if something is wrong. Wale me up at breakfast time if I ove ft. Sleep. Cats are the smartest pet. We have 10. They will take turns thru the day coming laying with me. Sum will lay with me together but sum like one on one attention. We adopted 2 from shelters
One George knows I shouldn’t be alone. When my husbanf is gone he stays with me. He can hear my husband pull up he will jump up and leave. I suffer f et om a serious anxiety disorder. When its bad they will take turns layinh across my chest. Even Mitzi. I love them like my children. U couldnt pay me enough to sell them. If u talk to them shoe them attention and love they are smarter than alot of ppl. Just like kids. If a child is alone alot not showed love and talked bbn to and worked with jhes gonna be slower than a loved fooled with and a child where his family spend more time with him. So scientists stop watchin gttttt cats in your lab. Treat them like children bet they 100% more smarter and know alot more vocabulary than u think
I have a tuxedo cat named Merlin he was a stray who I took off the streets when he was 8 he is now 10 years of age . he loves to talk all the time and cuddle with me on the couch. Plus he has a mustache which I think is so very cute and the best temper a cat could have. I am so very luck to have such an awesome kitty. He is the best cat ever!
My beloved tuxedo cat, Shadow, passwd away the day after New Years this year.. He picked me when I found him wondering outside my house, he definitely was my shadow and followed me everywhere in the house. He would always wait to greet me at the door. He slept with me every night for seven years, he was always very affectionate. He consoled me during the hardest time in my life when I lost both parents this past year. To lose him shortly after brought so much pain. I needed him much more then he needed me that’s for sure. I miss him terribly ???
I have a tuxedo female. Spayed. She was a mother whos babies were massacred by a dog. I took her in and a neighbor friend had to many kittens in a litter. My tuxedo cat became thier adobt mommy. I named my tuxedo cat Ebany and Ivory. Her kittens are Dick and Jerry van Dyke. They are adopted out. Ebany lives with a orange tabby and black /white lab mix. Ebany is not a fighter gets along with all. Tiggers the ornage tabby gets jelous and swats Ebany. She just avoids him. She gos out during the day / in at dusk. Orange tabby is 19yrs old dosnt go out much anymore. Ebany loves to cuddle at night near me. Watches the window. Very kicked back cat. Nothing like the persuasion cat I had and orange tabby. Ebany loves to eat the snow and chase snowballs.and she gos out then wents right back in thinking she will get treats. I use the shaking of the treats to bring her in for the night. She has a soft meow when she dos meow. Most loving kittie I have ever had. Glad she found me
my tuxedo cat, phantom he puts the white tip of his black tail about 1 inch in the fish tank like he’s trying to fish, can any body explain why. Oh and did you know most tuxedo cat will keep it’s fur 75% cleaner than other cat.
My tuxedo cat Astraya is defying odds! She’s 16 years old right now and healthy other than some joint problems/arthritis. She’s super vocal, cuddly, and soft. She’s not a traditional tuxedo cat, but she is black and white and has black coming around her eyes. I was looking for many months to finally find out what breed she is and now I feel so accomplished.
My wonderful tuxedo cat, Carl, passed away yesterday at age 16 1/2. He was a wonderful companion. He often sat on the corner of my desk while I was working, and would snooze on my lap in the evenings when we watched the news. Of course Tuxedos are 200% smarter. Carl and I watched Jeopardy together, and together we got most of the questions right. Unfortunately we were both not so good on sports and pop culture, and I don’t think they allow teams on the show. Otherwise Carl would have been the first cat to appear on Jeopardy.
I grew up in a “dog” family. Never even wanted a cat. My boyfriend (of 6 years) has always had 5-7 cats…all rescues. Over the summer a kitten tuxedo started coming around to eat. At the time my 17 yr old dog (Bootsie) & I were living with my parents. In early Fall, my Bootsie passed away & I moved to my bf’s home. I feed the cats every morning & evening (they are all indoor/outdoor). As the weeks went on, the tux started letting me touch him a little at a time. He was always EXTREMELY vocal & he had started talking directly to me until I would pet him. We named him Big O & I made it my goal to pick him up. When I was finally able, he went boneless n my arms & purred nonstop. We recently brought him inside from the cold. 3 of the other 5 cats bully him nonstop, but he NEVER fights back (he told me he’s a lover, not a fighter). Most of the time, he stays n my bedroom (with his own litter box & food & water bowls). I feel like God has sent me 1 of my dogs reincarnated as a male cat. He talks to me & cuddles constantly. He is healing my broken heart. He gives me head bumps, licks & nibbles my fingers & sleeps on the other pillow next to mine. When I pet him he flops onto his back & rolls around. I feel so lucky that he chose me to be his momma. He’s so soft & cuddly that I am almost constantly smiling nowadays. He’s perfect & I love him so much! After reading all of these stories, I knew I had to share my own & brag about my sweet Big O man.
I have a cat that is nothing like what you said I don’t know why but my other tuxedo cat is exactly like what you said but they both love each other I Don’t find this bad I just don’t understand why.
Our tuxedo Tiffany recently had 4 kittens a grey and white Tuxedo she kitten, black Tom, Tuxedo tom with more white and a tuxedo tom. We named them Misty Midnight Panda and Jasper, THERE SO CUTE!!! At the moment they are 6-7 weeks and honestly when Tiffany became a mom, she ate A LOT and now can’t stop trilling! The kittens also pee everywhere and make a mess too! At the moment our house is a CATtastrophe!
I have a tuxedo cat named DeeBee who is very smart. She turned 7 yers old this past August and knows 17 tricks. I currently do and an animal act called Dog Cat Mouse with her and her sister Rozzie, a 9 year old Lhasa Apso/Shih Tzu mix. Our shows are performed at Renaissance Fairs and other historical events in the California area. She has almost every trait listed in this article.
I have a 1 1/2 year old tuxedo who is very dog like in the best of ways. One thing that amazes me is how easy he is to train. He knows many games and very much enjoys being wherever I am. The most amazing thing has been the way he respects my Christmas tree. When I first it it up he was chewing to branches. I gave a short sudden hiss every time he tried and within 10 minutes he knew to stay away. He has not touched a single ornament! He is an amazing cat.
Ha ha, just so happens that I have two tuxedo beauties (well…one handsome prince and one beautiful princess that is) we first got the male , or he got us. This young teenager like cat was running around later in the evening one night as my daughter sees him grabs him up and comes home knowing I’m in no way shape or form a cat person ? or so I thought… I jokingly said take it inside and if Jenna approves that we will see ( not definite answer there) Jenna is our also black and white pit bull who has no idea she’s a dog. Immediately Jenna is so excited her tale meets her face from her tale going crazy and she’s walking sideways she is so excited. Meanwhile this cat is just staring at her like who the he** are you and why are you so close to my face. Then out of nowhere shoots up a paw to bat at Jenna’s face however just as a warning bc no claws were drawn. They became more aquaint and by the end of the night they were cuddling in the chair together.. naturally my girls were at the see ma they love each other or please please please stage and I still would give no answer or until i knew this furball didn’t belong to a loving home as I said to them both if he doesn’t belong to any of our neighbors than we may keep him. But by this time it’s their bedtime so here I am knocking on the door of my neighbors house who I was Certain I saw playing with the cat earlier in the day calling it by a name… He answers the door and tells me it’s not his but his neighbor on the other side of him is who he belongs to… Mind u the girls are face planted to their bedroom window trying to get every word of the conversation… So I walk over there to Toms house…? …. I knock and began to apologise for keeping his cat out and he says oh he isn’t mine I just feed the little guy and made a home for him on my back porch bc it’s cold out at night but he isn’t allowed in the house… I said well I wanted to make sure he didn’t belong to anyone before I can take him in.. he says nope he’s a stray . Then says one sec I’ll be right back… To my surprise he comes back with a 20 lb bag of food and some toys and a bed and treats and says here ya go… ??? Now I’m standing there with a pile of cat stuff a cat a I’m certain an ignorant look on my face like well s*** that didn’t exactly go as planned as I walked home I could hear stumbling thuds of two children trying to get to the front door and the door opens as I approach it… I walk in my fiance standing in the living room with Jenna at his feet while he giggles at me when he sees I’m not emty handed… The girls were extatic for the news… Over the span of a few weeks they lost interest as I figured they would and this darn cat hasn’t left me alone for anything more than a few minutes when I can’t stand his meowing at the door so I let him out.. but then he’s at the front door meowing to come back in not long after… I named him Slayer after the band originally but also bc he would bring me dead rodents that I has no idea we had before he got there. A few months go by and it’sa later summer evening when I hear what sounds like a distraught meow… It was Slayer stuck ip in the tree or so we thought… I go get the darn cat out the tree bringing him inside saying to my fiance ” you wouldn’t believe where I just found slay… ” He says… “Right there on your side of the bed?” Then proceeded to look at me confused wondering why I’m holding a cat he’s not seen B4 that clearly isn’t Slayer.. I look at them both and Slayer looks at me almost as if I’m betraying him and he runs off when I set this other cat down that run right up my fiance’s body and on his chest like it had been home for a few days and reuniting with a loved one. I instantly say “ABSOLUTELY NOT, NOPE, NOT HAPPENING!!” Don’t you know the kids are outside of my bedroom door laughing at me and begging to keep the second stray in a year when they lost interest in the first one… I say “No I will be stuck caring for the darn thing bc you guys won’t” my eldest says “maybe bc he won’t let YOU out of his sight… He’s your cat mom” I stop confused and realized holy cow she’s right.. so I still said no… Well over a course of a few weeks this darn cat wouldn’t go away and it was getting cold out and well we gained yet another cat and we named her sabbatha after black Sabbath of course.. I ignored this cat… She absolutely loves my fiance and my dog is her very best friend in the whole world! When they see each other they get excited they even wrestle.. yes my pit bull (stereotypical bitenest dog) gently bats her around nudging her with her nose etc… It’s cute .. that was 2 years ago…Slayer still to this day will come when I call his name like a dog and oddly enough listens to when I tell him to do something like get down sit stay go get it and my boy come see momma…. He’s super smart and yet he only will have anything to do with me and only me in any nice manner… Sabby could care less about me unless I feed her pet her or if I’m going to the bathroom she comes in especially when I shower ? she thinks when I take a shower it’s her time to go poop in the liter box regardless of when I shower… I read here they are rare and lucky and I am led to believe maybe it’s us who are lucky after all… Bc they found us…
I have a tuxie named Mr. Nubbins (don’t ask, somehow the name stuck and he responds to it) Like a lot of stories I’m seeing here, he was a cat I found outside, or really he found me “so cliche” it was like he imprinted like a baby duck and has been by my side ever since. He loves to be outdoors but comes to me when I call, he is definitely a lap catdog. I could not imagine my life without him.
My tuxedo kitty is a little spoiled brat lol she loves cuddling and playing.. she loves to yell when she don’t get her food on time… now she rubbing off on my calico kitten which is her little sister… their mom is a classmate cat which is a calico and the dad is a stray tabby cat who just comes around and meet the mom in the back yard lol.. she is spayed now
Here’s what I don’t understand: The article says, “It is important to remember that tuxedo cats aren’t a breed in their own right, but rather categorized by their bi-color markings […]” and “[…] when it comes down to the breed’s characteristics, it seems the black and white cat has a friendlier nature.” So, which is it? If they aren’t a breed, but cats with random black and white markings, how can we attribute their behavior to genetics – as if they’re all the same –when they come from various backgrounds?
By the way, we have a male domestic long hair tuxedo cat. His behavior does fit the descriptions here. He adopted his humans. I was spending a lot of time at my father’s, while he was living with/dying of cancer. His house is in a rural area where strays emerge from the woods frequently. This tuxedo cat started coming round, looking mangey and skittish and just bizarre. Turns out he was starving, riddled with parasites, and terrified. My father’s partner started feeding him, and then I took over while my dad was in and out of hospitals and care centers. When I’d visit, sometimes with my daughter, he’d see us, start talking and run right up like a puppy. One night, as I was sitting outside in the dark, in the large, wooded yard, I heard a trilling and purring. Next thing I know, the cat was in my lap, watching the meteor shower with me, and sharing in my anxiety and grief. The vet said he’d been abused (has scars on his back), but he made a lovely transformation, is now clean and sleek and a healthy weight. We adopted him, and he talks to us all the time (not constant meowing, but cute little trills and calls, for many different scenarios); he points with one bent leg, like a dog, when he hears squirrels, etc. on the roof; he’s great at using the litter box; he lets us know when he wants to play; he understands right off the bat every new toy we introduce; he will fetch; and is a loyal, warm, friendly, cuddly guy. Really happy he found us! My only concern now is keeping him happy and engaged as an indoor cat. I wonder if I need to find a companion…
Our tuxedo kitty, Bowie, is a rascal. He is the most intelligent cat I have ever owned. He is a character for sure. He has the most unique personality. He gets into everything and yet so loving. He’s like a toddler. He loves hard and plays hard. There’s such an intelligence in his eyes, it’s difficult to describe. He plays rough with our other cat but he means well. Bowie is a huge part of our family and everyone wants yo know how he’s doing. Best kitty ever!!
just got a tux kitten and I love her to death, however, she dosn’t seem to like me. she dosn’t cuddle up or lay on my lap. she does need with her paws and purrs, sleeps at my feet oat night but dosn’t kie to be held too much. I feel that maybe I played to tough with her when I first got her, she just recently stopped biting my hands but she’s an ankle biter. What can I do to make her more affectionate or she just dosn’t like me. She is extremly playful and very smart, she walkes on her hind leggs when i put her food bowl down. Full of energy, bouncing off the walls.
My tuxedo kitten has a black nose and black paw pads. Is this common? It\s been a long time since I had a kitten but this one displays the characteristics you describe. We have 2 9 year old doga, a 4 lp poodle and a 10 lb yorkie who are not particularly pleased with the new arrival but this doesn’t bother the kitten. His name is slinky because his front and back paws hang down when you pick him up;
‘ just like the toy that walks down the stairs. He is very loving but sometimes wants to lie by himself. I think when he gets too warm he moved off us.
LouLou is not s tuxedo but a cowcat….mask and mantle. Waaaay too much white for a tuxedo. You might want to look at the breed description. ?
LouLou might not agree with you 🙂
My tuexdo kitten called Kitty is sooooo nice! She sometimes forgets that I’m here in the house and cries for me. It breaks my heart to know she really loves me! P.S about that part from the article where you said ” but heaven help the human who tries to get them into the water”…
bad evil bratt.
I have a Tuxedo Named King Sox.He is the most loving cat I’ve ever seen. My mom found him in her yard and we got him inside and she just loved him.She is now in a nursing home and King Sox is now taking care of me.
I have had 2 tuxedo cats. The first one was an adult stray who jumped onto my window screen during a thunderstorm when I was in college. I named him Tuxedo which I thought was witty and unique at the time. He was a great cat and lived for over 15 years. My current tuxedo appeared in our flower bed as an 8-week old feral kitten. We’ve had him for over 4 years and he is not affectionate at all. I have read that feral kittens are very difficult to tame after 12 weeks so maybe that’s why he is more standoffish. He will allow us to pet him several times a day but doesn’t like to be held and he never jumps up into our laps like other kitties. He does like to chew on our toes through the blankets during the night. He is very vocal and loves to wrestle and play chase with our mini dachshund.
We have 2 tuxies. Our 1st came to us after our dog of 14yrs passed. I wanted to go and get another immediately because there was something missing here. But my husband said no. Our next pet will find us. About a month later our big kitty came. He’s been with us 2yrs. He’s 2.5 n we love him dearly. We got him a buddy about a year ago. A sweet little tuxedo female named pearl. Although it wasn’t love at first sight… it only took 2 weeks until they became best buds. We have got a new pitbull as well. And I can vouch for tuxedos being super cool with dogs. Because bella(our doggie) plays with them EVERY DAY!!! It’s awesome. And hard to believe sometimes…. they’re truly amazing cats. They are lovers. Snuggles DAILY. They talk to me all the time too… their just great!!!!
I have a female tux named May West, May for short, after the French Canadian snack cake that is named after the raunchy vaudeville star. We are just completely in love with her and she has such a distinct personality from any other colour cat I’ve had.
She is definitely “a dog” and identified more with our dog than other cat, she loves to kiss, like on the lips, like just like a human, is fascinated with water, loves to cuddle (particularly after you scratch her cheeks or create a circle for her with your arms), loves to lick you.. especially if it creates friction on your hand that she can then rub her face/ scent glands against. She also loves to drape her arms over things, but is not very vocal. But she grew up with a black cat, Tokyo, who chirped enough for everyone at every mealtime.
Our polydactyl tuxedo cat domino is just now turning 13 he was my folks both now deceased cat’ , he has his moments , domino loved dad rode in the vehicle to the stores and run errands around our smaller Alaskan town , if any body touched him or tried to pick him up they best be wearing leather welding gloves and he has fangs too! But he was always gentle and played with dad very well ! There was many years the same Time at night he knew what time it was to get his treats “jerky” he was never a minute late or early most awesome internal clock , anyways after dad passed my now wife decided we’d care for him since the folks died a few short weeks apart – this cat hated her – soon after we took domino into our home he fell so in love with my wife and followed her everywhere and purrs and rubs and a huge night and day difference , to me he’s my “Brutter” his eyes are getting very cloudy , having a lot of bathroom issues , throwing up when he eats and now developing a tumor on his chin , I’m so sad to make the decision to have to put him down to keep the once cougar from sufferering
I got a tux for my 8 birthday its a month after and he is named Oreo he is so smart and he follows me everywhere I call him buddy he is amazing and he’s sleeping right now he loves watching tv and yeah dats all my name is Milana and I am 8 years old ohhhh and wait we are so alike Oreo and love the same things he is very shy around he did not meet just like me and he is very curios and loving like me and yeah My Name Is Milana And I Am 8 years old Bye
QESTION AT THE END?I read a post it sounded just like my little kitten, now named Mumu, she’s a stray tuxcedo kitten, we found in our front yard one evening, she follows me around the house, the yard, she sleeps outside, and comes in the house when I’m home. She sleeps on my lap, she seems very smart, like she will hit a little soccer ball around on the patio, and when it rolls off she will grab it by her teeth and pick it up and put it back on the patio. I HAVE A QUESTION?? What does it mean when she pushes my chin up and licks my neck and uses her front paws like little massagers? I can feel her claws, but very gentle like.
I have a tuxedo that we discovered living under our shed back in 2006. He was still a kitten, emaciated, dehydrated, with 1 lame leg. We never found out where he might have come from. But I spent 6 weeks feeding and befriending him, slowly guiding him into towards the house using a wand toy. And finally on the day I succeeded, it snowed that night. Kept him inside for his first winter, and since then he has been an inside/outside cat. Shows all the positive qualities you can possibly bestow on a cat. Very very attached to me. Due to illness I was hospitalized a few years back for a couple of months and my husband had to endure him walking around the house caterwauling and looking for me every single night. He definitely wins the award for the best cat I have ever had.
I have a tuxedo cat that I took in because a friend could no longer keep her because she had to move, and she was supposed to be a temporary member of the household but it looks like boobies will be a permanent family member now! I’ve had several cats before, and I’m more of a dog lover, not much of a cat person…but this one has won me over 100%!!! she is so smart, playful, and very friendly(LOVES to cuddle, even with my dog who doesn’t care for cats, but doesn’t hate them either)!!!! She’s one of a kind, that’s for sure!! I was wondering if anyone else has a tuxedo cat that has stopped growing?!!! I got her when she was about 4 or 5 months old, and I’ve had her for about another 6 months and she’s still very tiny!!! I’m very curious to see if anyone else has a older, TINY tuxedo cat???!!!
I have an unusually tiny tuxedo cat!
I once had a tuxedo cat, his name was Kirby. We lived in a handicap-friendly apt. It was a tiny apt. with a handicap door knob. Whenever Kirby wanted out, he would jump upon the door knob until it opened a wee bit, then he used his right paw to reach under the bottom of the door, and pull it towards him where he could ”slither” out. Once he was out, I would open the door the rest of the way with my foot; my other kitties would follow Kirby out in to the coolness of the evening.
I had Bubbles for 10 years but she was already a fully mature adult (probably about 5 years old at that time I found her, total about 15 years) when I adopted her from homeless and saved her from starvation. When she went in the house she never went out again. She was the most affectionate cat I ever had. All she lived and breathed for was to be held and cuddled..and she was quite enduring. She was like a teddy bear and her purring put me to sleep very quickly. I miss her terribly. I REALLY miss her.
Today we euthanized Tammy. I am completely devastated. I didn’t realize how much I was attached to her until the time came to do the terrible deed. Tammy was 13. She came to us as a wee, lovely kitten. Spunky and yes, very intelligent. She developed mammillary cancer last year. Despite two operations, the cancer spread. Metastized. We had almost a pint of fluid drained from around her lungs last week. That eased her breathing. We administered CBD oil to hopefully stop the progression of the disease, and to soothe her, but it did not. Today, just before the end, she pushed her head under my hand for a final petting. The vet administered a sedative prior to the injection that would end it all. But that final step wasn’t necessary. She went quietly, peacefully, and no more pain. Some tough guy, I am! I can’t stand it! Everywhere I look, I see her. I can’t write more……
My tuxedo cat is mean. He’s just a kitten but extremely mean. I’ve had others that are nice and super cuddly but the one I have now you touch him and he bites you. Also attacks my older cat
My tux Tootsie, is smart but is very protective! She hates strangers and was rejected from the vet because they called her dangerous. Is there any known science about this that can help?
My Louie is 17 years old but looks half his age. Last year, we had him treated for hyperthyroid which seems to be common for older cats. The radiation treatment has really extended his life. His appetite is good, his energy is high, and his coat looks clean and shiny. He’ll probably never weigh in at his old fighting weight of 20 lbs again but he looks fit and solid.
I have a male cat, “O’Doul” who is marked like a tux. but instead of black he has brown tabby. he looks like a cross between a tux, tabby and calico. very interesting markings. he is beautiful and very loving.
I have a tuxedo called “Placido” imagine why? We have found him roaming the streets and he adopted us immediately. This guy won our hearths in a flash. Unfortunately my wife decided to desex him, I was furious and I am still resenting this, it happened 6 months ago. Placido is the sweetest being (apart of my siamese Zoe that passed away 1 year ago at the age of 22) that came across my life. I hope he lives until he’s 30yo at least. I am afraid I won’t be able to cope if he goes like our poor and beloved Zoe.
My tuxie “samuel l mooers” aka “sam” is my 2nd best friend ….. Second only to my british blue whom ive had 4 years longer….. He is my true knight in shining tuxedo and my the 3rd half of my heart. Right now…sam who is 10….has been drooling extremely excessively and has become very lethargic and not eating very well….my heart is ripping apart at the thought of losing my baby mooers…..i dont have any money to take him to the vet for another week but am afraid that he may not make it that long without vet care…..i am so lost at what to do and what is even humanly possible to do until i can get him in next week. Any advice beyond get him to the vet because the apt is made for the day i get paid…..but until then what can i do for him. Im following him around with a warm washcloth right now to help him with the thick strings of mucous coming from his mouth. So far its clear. No color to it at all. No blood. Just clear thick drool.
I Have a tuxedo cat named Oreo She was abandoned by her mother she goes everywhere with me. She is playful and so loving and very friendly to whomever she meets. Thanks for your article about tuxedo cats. It was very informative.
I have 4 years old tuxedo cat named Luna. She is the most precious, sweetest cat ever. A family friend had found her at just 2 weeks old (we’re guessing) and I fell in love with her as soon as I saw her. She had blue eyes as a kitten and now they’re yellow/gold. She cuddles with me all the time, follows me around the house (including the bathroom) super sweet with children and is very vocal. She understands words in Spanish and English. As in comida (food), Treats, que haces (what are you doing) and responds to multiple nicknames. She is so smart and meows back at me like talking back to me. She loves sitting on my chest and has to be touching me in some sort of way when sleeping. It’s the cutest thing ever, Shes soooo attached to me. I love her!
When our veterinarian met my tuxedo cat, Kipper, he said that in his experience, black and white male cats were friendlier and more affectionate than most cats. I know Kipper is smarter and friendlier than any cat I’ve known, but I was surprised to learn of this correlation between coat color and good nature. My vet isn’t really a joking kind of guy, and I don’t think he would have said such a thing if he didn’t sincerely mean it.
I got a tuxedo cat in 2007 from a family friend who lost there house and couldn’t keep him. His name was Oreo best cat I could ever have had, he always would wait at the entry way for me would follow me around the house would beg for my food like a dog, amazing with kids had health problems lost his vision yet he still stayed by side I couldn’t find a better cat if I tried they are a gentleman til the end.
Mr. Casey came to my family by way of following my daughter home from the neighbour’s house. He was a stray. At the time, I thought he was a she and so we named ‘her’, Cassiopeia. Cassie for short. A vet visit informed us that Cassie was in fact a Casey and so he was named. He has had a rough life but he seems happy and content now. We are happy to provide him with a good life.
Thanks for this wonderful and very informing information about Tuxedo Cats and from the best sources, their many owners!
I strongly recall how a young/adult street Cat, a black/white short haired
(altered) male Tuxedo befriended me, visiting me every day for one year on my porch with his loving and very friendly presence. He was good relaxing company and also entertaining in his intermittent playfulness. His owner let him be an outdoor cat, essentially a street cat, loved and fed by all the neighbors but not really adoptable because he was still owned, although on the street, and with all the dangers of City streets.
However, It was a joy watching him stroll our street and calmly take his siestas ;…. unlike most street Cats he did not run and hide he just strolled our street visiting whatever home he liked for attention, hugs and meals..
Sometimes in the afternoon I’d see him lazing on the street corner watching the world pass by or sitting on a neighbors step he’d randomly chosen.
I was grateful that he selected me to make a home with on my porch, where I made him a type of cathouse that was okay for the summer but not when the harsh snowy winter came. I was grateful and loved the affection and companionship he gave me;…… I owned two elder in-door cats but they were mostly standoffish and weak in health, my 15/year old Cat was ferociously territorial and she would have made continual war with the friendly Tuxedo to the death, had I brought him into the house.
The summer cathouse could not withstand the cold snowy winter that eventually came and one morning the Tuxedo was not on the porch,
and he did not re-appear the next summer, so I fear maybe he suffered some casualty that can so easily occur on our City streets.
Now, years later both my own Cats have died and I wish to adopt another Cat. Reading this article about Tuxedos and all the comments affirm to me that the “divine” loving personality, of that stray Tuxedo was not just a uniqueness pertinent to that Cat but applicable to all Tuxedo Cats.
So, I can hope to find a Cat who will be my best friend.
My tuxedo responds to her name just like a dog. If she’s outside, she’ll come running. I used to have a tuxedo who would jump up to the bathroom sink and take the bar of soap in her mouth, trot down the stairs to show it to us. I’ve always adored these cats. I’ve had dozens and by far, the tuxedo cat is the smartest, friendliest and sweetest cat.
I have a lovely male polydactyl tuxedo by the name of Tommy the Thumbs… He must weigh about 20-23 lbs and walks like a bulldog. Large chest and tiny backside…!!! The most affectionate cat we’ve ever owned. We’ve had our big boy since he was 6 weeks old as his Mom was killed by a vehicle and they were wild… Lucky for us a young man saved him and his sister from a certain death. From the scrawny little kitten to a beautiful big male Tuxedo; we would not change him for anything… 🙂
I’d never heard of Tuxedo cats until my sister told me of them. I told her that the cat that owns me fits the bill. She has always been beautiful: small, slim and delicate, with a white shirt front and white paws, a dainty head and elegant body, and is all black on her back and tail. She prefers no other animals but me in the house. (I took her in at about 6 months of age when the next door neighbour asked me to, because her then home had too many dogs for her to be happy.)
She’s 16 years old now and, sadly, the vet said she probably has a cancer. She doesn’t seem to be suffering from it and thankfully has put on a bit of weight again recently, so I’m hoping she will live happily for a few more years yet.
CBD oil is supposed to shrink tumors. I don’t know if it helped our little Tammy, but get a vial and try it. Read up on it.
Our tux Bo was a rescue from Oberlin College. He is the dearest sweetest cat! His nickname is minxy because his back fur is so silky and shiny like a mink. I knew I was taking him home when he put his paw out to touch my hand at the shelter. He gets along great with my 105 lb dog and big gray cat Teddy.
My tuxedo cat is not cuddly. He will beg for attention and I will pick him up and attempt cuddles or “loves” And he will it for a short period of time and then he is DONE. He’s temperamental. But when he is lovey he is VERY lovey.
Tux joined our home a few months ago. We think he was just dropped off close to our house … we already had two cats so maybe he felt safe on our porch. In any case Tux is wonderful, likes to be held, appreciates a plate of food twice a day and snuggles like a pro. The pre-existing two cats have adjusted (somewhat) to the newcomer as we continue to watch them all adapt. It’s been a “trip”. ? We are ‘cat lovers’ and appreciate the joys that cats give. And Tux has given us all new smiles, a wonderful feeling. The home with a pet is a comfortable and relaxing place. And, it’s nice to read the comments left by your readers. Thank you.
My tuxedo is D’Arcy, full name Sir D’Arcy Dollface von Feist. He is definitely all the things described here: hands-down the most intelligent of any cat I have encountered, cuddly, dog-like, affectionate beyond belief, and EXTREMELY vocal to the point where it sounds like he’s saying words and means it, lol. “D’Arcy, are you okay?” and he’ll respond with a meow that sounds like “Well…” Or he’ll let out a spew of various sounds while tossing his head up and down and side to side with a final “Meow!” and a nod like “So THERE!”.
Hi, What is the difference between ordinary blk/white cats vs tuxedo cats?
I took in this male blk/white cat that has been living on the streets for at least 6 months til he came to my apt building so I took him in.
He follows me every where, bows to female cats, very caring to my 2year old dementia cat (s/f), very smart, knows what is a No no but does it anyways when I’m not looking, very vocal, very protective BUT he smells like poop!!!
I’ve had him 2 weeks before last Christmas, bathed him (not a problem) he just sits there, changed his cat food several times (pet store only) studied all types of cat food but still smells, he is fixed, 12lbs, don’t like men around me (he’ll lay on my lap facing them) but he well be friendly towards them & now I have him on Gasteralinale Food (took down the bloating) but smells like poop. I’ve had different cats all my life but not like him.
Is this normal for these type of cats??
Your kittie’s anal glands may be the source of his odor. I’ve had many cats all my life, but only 2 with this issue; I’ve read that dogs more commonly have the problem. The anal glands may need to be expressed (pressed on to release the contents) regularly. This is not for the faint of heart, as it’s REALLY SMELLY!! Go to your vet to have this checked; the vet will express the glands if needed. However, the contents will fill up again and the kitty may need this done regularly. Some vets teach owners to express the glands, as it is not difficult, depending on the cat and if you have a helper who can stand the odour! If the anal glands aren’t the issue, it could easily be gas related, and you have done a wonderful job finding good foods. Fortiflora is a probiotic that can be added to food; cats love it, and it is a great product to naturally aid in digestion. Good luck to you; since vet visits are so expensive, shop around to find a good one with the best prices.
This time, the expert is worth the evaluation and advice, to really help “Smelly Cat!”
Hi.
I have a tuxedo cat named Mittens. He is 16 years old and has trouble jumping onto me bed. I think he has arthritis.
About two years ago my wife and myself split and she took him to live about 15 kilometers from our original home.
I still live here. My ex wife informed me Mittens had disappeared from her house . After a few weeks we assumed he was dead.
Six weeks later I went into my kitchen to make my morning coffee and was greeted by Mittens who had walked back to my house and used the cat flap to let himself inn. He was rather skinny and thirsty but recovered quickly!
I advised my ex wife of his arrival. We are both amazed as he was put in a cardboard box while moving and couldn’t have known his new location or where my house is in relation.
I love Mittens so much and hes the best cat I have ever had.
My experience with 2 Torties and a female Ragdoll vs 3 male cats: an orange tabby, an orange tabby putting on airs (red point Siamese) and a Tuxedo suggests that my male cats are more well rounded and welcoming to all genders than females. My Ragdoll adores my partner even though she was mine alone for 5 years before he moved in-
Raleigh, my tuxedo, was famous for his outgoing personality, desire to meet people and willingness to explore. He was never going to be an indoor only cat, going so far as to refuse to use a litter box, no matter what we put in it. Stool samples were difficult- he was locked in a bathroom with several litter boxes with no result. After a number of days I let him out, prepared to follow. He went to an area with large crushed limestone chunks – 1″-2′”, dug down 6″, deposited his sample, replaced the chunks and rejoined the world he’d been kept away from.
At times his world included a fast, early breakfast followed by a run out the door and down the alley. Eventually we learned he was getting 2nd breakfast with a neighbor… and probably 3rd and 4th and… when he could get it. One summer he stayed with a friend who took out a window pane, apparently so Raleigh could invite friends in to his small apartment. Cat friends. Male cats I’ve known never show anything but curiosity about other cats so he was perfectly welcoming to the 2nd tortoiseshell in my life.
He was an excellent cat, with an excellent name, loved by many since I was an undergrad and then recent grad so he had the joy of 3 housesholds of housemates.
Tuxedo cats are unique. Believe me, you won’t know what I mean until you have one as your pet.
I have two cats that look like tuxedos but me don’t know we know they learned to open doors all by themselves and he has a mustache
I am sad!!! We adopted a tux, Ritsy, short for (Return It To Sender) my husband named her. We love her to death but she is skiddish, fights to get out of your hug, does not like to be picked up, is not a lap cat & best up my other cat that was 13 years old. Reading all of your stories only reconfirms my thoughts of her being abused when she was little. She was 1 1/2 years old when we got her from the adoption kennel just for cats. We’ve had her a year now & she will sleep with us, mostly at the foot of the bed & we can hold her for about a minute but then meows & starts to freak out. I hope eventually she will come around & be as loving as what I’ve read about everyone else’s tuxedos.
This is absolutely true! Gratitude on the article. Our cat Lexi waits for the boys to get off the bus and acts just like a dog. As well as takes walks. She’s so kind to children. She’s quite possessive when it comes to other animals and in our dog filled neighborhood they dare not walk by our house. She growls and can sense all animals. We live in the country so i find maybe that is why and we didn’t get her spayed until she was closer to 3 so she still goes outside every day and even uses the bathroom outside. Even any spiritual ritual since the day i got Lexi she participates. How does she know? This article explained a lot. As a cat lover… tuxedos are irreplaceable and def soul mates. Enjoy the time you have!
I have a tuxedo mix , she is a female and she absolutely has a personality like a dog since I got her I would honestly say all the time she is like a dog , she is crazy smart !!!! She loves loves belly rubs !!! And she is very protective of my son she cuddles him all night long and when he is gone she misses him so much she can’t stay long without him or she will get very upset !! I have always wondered what type of breed she was and just been looking up things and this is sooo very her !!!
I’ve had 2 tuxies now that have both gotten sick and passed away. One we aren’t sure what was the cause, the other – and most heartbreakingly recent – we think may have had a heart problem. Granted, she was the runt, and that may have contributed to it. But I thot I heard somewhere that tuxedos were prone to heart problems? All I know is I’m reluctant to adopt another if I’m going to lose the kitty, especially since the 2 that died were only 3 and 4. 🙁
My partner Speagle traveled with me in a Semi-truck and he has almost a million miles to his credit. He would protect the truck while I was gone. A special incident comes to mind when I was crossing from Canada into the US. The border guard insisted that he search the truck. I warned him about the cat, but he thought it was a good idea to search anyway. The cat meet him at the door and about took the border guards arm off. I thought the guard will hurt my companion, but he just laugh at the cat and told me i was good to go. Speagle got tuna that night for dinner for being so brave. Talk about a cuddler as well. I am always waking up to him snuggling up next to me in the morning. Even the wife is jealous of him.
Moustache is gonna be 7 in a few days, we are both libra maybe this is why we get along so well. I totally recognise him from the description made of tux cats. He’s super laid back and affectionate. And sometimes I feel he is smarter than me. For sure he is smarter than a lot of people I came across. He is also the first cat I know that doesn’t scratch or bite anyone. He likes to cuddle me with his paws and even touching my face, my eyelids and I know I can trust him 100%. Even playing with a laser, he’d stop as soon as the laser touches a person. Also a bit doglike, he comes and greets me every time I’m back home and needs a kiss to say hello properly. If I forget the kiss, he’d always remind me “hey papa! Where’s my kiss?” I didn’t think it was possible for 2 different species to have such a strong friendship until Moustache. 🙂
I have a 14 yr old Tuxie known properly as Deacon Rufus . I thought he looked like a preacher man. He adopted me when he was 3 mos old. He could not leave the shelter so when I went to visit the shelter one day, he said I want her and we have been pals ever since. The way he let them know I was chosen was to stick his polydactile paw through the kennel and called my name. I have been at his beck and call ever since.
He understands several words–come, eat, bedtime, out, and lie down. His walking harness has kept me and him walking our neighborhood together and everyone knows who Rufus is. How will I ever have a life after he is gone.
We just got two kittens and one is a tuxedo cat named Mr. M. He is so much friendlier than the all black one. As soon as you touch him he purrs. He cuddles under the covers and follows us around the house. I’m training him to be a therapy cat, so he has a harness and leash and he goes to stores and on walks. Best cat ever!!!!
My Tuxedo is called Oscar, he is coming up to 13 yrs old. He chose me as a kitten from the cat shelter. I totally adore him and he is so loyal to me. Oscar always puts a smile on my face and heart when I see him. He has his cranky side when you give him too much affection. However, he loves to sit on my shoulders and or lap – it’s always on his terms. I wouldn’t have it any other way. He is definitely smart. He tolerates my two Australian mists and the dog.
He is definitely the favourite cat around where I live. The neighbours all know and love him.
Live my tuxedo cat since I first saw her. Her name is Longworth as I thought at first she was male but name stuck. She has the extra claw looks like she has little mittens. I believe she does have feral in her as she only loves my husband and me and will bite others and tease them then growl.
My tuxie boy is very vocal, very active, and very doglike. I’d say he’s smart judging by the amount of trouble he gets into funding his way into cabinets and onto high shelves w no access. I call him the parkour cat. But sweet? Good w other cats? Loves cuddling? Not my boy! He won’t allow any petting unless he’s nearly asleep, he’s constantly bullying my tiny tortie girl, and he bites and claws me so often, I always have the proof on my hands, forearms and feet. Heaven help me, when will this dude settle down??? He’s about a year old and neutered.
I want to get a tuxedo cat and I have been saving up and I was wondering if it was better to keep it inside to giving it a longer lifespan or is better to be an outside cat with a shorter lifespan
Indoor cats live in Avg. 12-16 years while outdoors cats lifespan is about half of that.
Cats are always xafer indoors!
My husband and I have 7 rescued cats. Tbe youngest is a Tuxedo. Her name is Raven. She is both affectionate and grumpy! She hisses a d yowls at the otbers. She’s tbe youngest, age unknown, since she showed up in our front yard alone.
High traffic congestion here near DC, so we keep them inside. Their “outside” is two large screened porches. Plenty of room outside on the porches, and in our three level large home. Lots of towers and places to hide and play.
She was a tiny unhealtny, hungty kitten when she showed up. Bench and Field holistic dry cat food made her skin heal and her coat is healthy and clear and shiny.
Hi!! I have a female tuxedo… smart but not very affectionate at all!! On her terms only…she is 3. Playful when the mood hits her. Not friendly with other cats… as I had one and she spit at him… I guess your theory is lost.
My tuxedo cat is about 5 years old and also A female!!!……she is a little grumpy at times…and really does not like to cuddle,Mostly because we all Smuther her to death…..But most of the time she is loving and fluffy……..when she wakes up she is so warm and make a yawn…..but instead a meow comes out of her mouth…… She sometimes plays with us….and we all thought that black cats give you BAD luck but I guess not!!!…..They give you good luck.???
Hello,
my name is Mireille I’m so exited reading all the comments… Now my question is regarding my baby tuxedo cat hes the cutest, the poor thing was walking around my neighborhood with his mother but she was in so much stress and he was so under-weight that I decided to rescue him.
He’s so adorable not to mention he acts like a little man. Sweet, very clean, super structure that for me it’s very easy to take care of him, and true he follows me like a puppy! He knows when I’m in the room is food and play time super funny. He is so particular it amazes me.
My only problem is a have 3 dogs, 1 Pomeranian and 2 rescue rat terrier, the Pom is super cool with kitten Jordy but the rat – terriers are not happy and since Jordy is very friendly way two much, also very small I’m keeping them separate. Can you give me some suggestion? Jordy is about 8 weeks 2 pounds in good health but my dogs are 16 and 22 pounds I’m just worry. Please help!
Hi Mireille,
We’re no expert on the subject of cat-dog introductions. I would recommend taking it slow step by step. Here’s a few resources that might help:
http://www.reachoutrescue.org/info/display?PageID=10478
https://www.americanhumane.org/fact-sheet/introducing-dogs-to-cats/
https://www.bluecross.org.uk/pet-advice/introducing-dogs-and-cats
My tuxedo cat is Tommy and he is 21 years old. He is very vocal and loving.
He is still full of energy and his fur is still beautiful. He does have a hyper thyroid condition that makes
him hungry all the time.
21 years old! That’s so awesome 🙂
We adopted our beautiful tuxedo cat, Stella, from our local pet shelter in November 2016. She is the sweetest little girl you could ever imagine. She is very vocal and extremely affectionate. She loves to come upstairs and sleep in the bed with us. We could not imagine life without out “baby girl”.
Well, we luv our dear furiend LouLou and came to see her feature. But, this article is anythin’ but factual. Statin’ a couple of facts doesn’t make an entire article factual. Unfurtunately some uneducated/unknowin’ peeps are likely to actually believe some of this and that’s just one of the many ways cats end up with a bad name. Inevitably someone will come across a tuxie that doesn’t match your facts, and the outrage will ensue. Hopefully they won’t return said kitty to the shelter.
Luv ya’
Dezi and Raena
Hi Dezi and Raena! We’re so glad you came to visit us 🙂 We love Loulou too, she’s a real tuxie princess
There have bee several tuxedo kitties in my neighborhood over the years. But alas, I wasn’t able to meet them ’cause I’m an indoor kitty. Mom used to pet the neighbor’s fluffy “Sylvester.” My sweet “online” lady cat furr-iends Loulou and Erin the Cat Princes are beautiful tuxies and are super smart.
Hey there! It says that for a cat to be considered a tuxedo cat it has to have a ” black mask” over it’s eyes and head. My cat has white face and overall a black back and white underbelly and paws, does she count as a tuxedo cat?
Hi Jay, That’s so cool! Can you share a photo?
Hubby and I call our Tuxedo Car Grumpy Cat, Raven doesn’t get along with any of our other 7 cats, all rescued cats. She’s grumpy! And that’s what we call her…Grumpy Cat…Raven is her name. Help!
Hey I had a litter of four tuxedos. I kept one named Nina. I took the rest of the three but one of them ran away she calmed back but Nina hissed at her and scratched her paw which now is bleeding. Isn’t she suppose to be friendly i mean they are siblings! Plus today Nina hissed at some workers fixing my house but yesterday my aunt came over and she only purred at my aunt. What’s going on? And why does my cat play chess every time I try to get my mom to play with me and the board is settled up. She already took my queen!
Hi my tuxedo cat named Magic was the perfect cat til he was around a year old he would play and cuddle everyday then one day I fixing the top of my door and he thought I was egnoring him he jumped on me from behind clawing and biting my head neck and face my eye lip cheek and head was bleeding it all became swollen I don’t know what triggered him off
But we got him fixed and then my son and his wife took him but he attacked them
Too my son called me magic heard my voice
Calmed down my son swore magic was crying
So I took him back and now he’s my sweet boy again
Hey umm I had a litter of tuxedo kittens and I gave away tree and there was litter of four but one of the three escaped and came back to my house she still was a kitten and my other cat that was from the litter hated her like she hissed and tried to scratch her. Umm, u said that tuxedos get along why didn’t my cat along with her sister? Plz tell me Also my cat had hissed at some strangers at the door that was just fixing my house umm is she suppose to be over protective? And it’s weird that my cat didn’t hiss at my aunt is it bc she knows that she part family or something plz help me.
Hi my tuxedo cat is 3 years old he is smart he opens my cup board doors open my oven door witch scares me and I have to hide his food in a container because he opens the bag up he even opens the bedroom door by jumping at it and we have other cats to but he catches all the mice that comes in the but he plays with it first and we take it away from him he plays with my daughters chiwaw when he comes over we laughed at them he doesn’t like to be cuddle when I do my dishes he plays with the bubbles .
My tuxedo cat is the complete opposite to what you explained except from they like the owner more than other felines and such, my cat hides from my other cat and dog who don’t try and harm each other at all they sleep in the same bed together and everything but my tuxedo cat usually hides until I go to bed then wont stop purring and drooling all over me lol
My Tuxedo Cat is Baxter. He is, for the most part all that has been described only better, simply because he is Baxter. While undergoing the fun of creating my x-wife, I moved into the guest room of the house. Prior to me living in there, no cats were allowed access to this room. My ex is a rvt and handled the adoptable cats at the clinic she worked at. When you are spending so much time with these little ones, you learn the idividual personalities of them. Needless to say we were owned by 5,(five) male neutered cats, and one, warm Doberman female. We lived out in the country with no nieghbors, but plenty of coyotes. The cats were all indoor/outdoor cats locked up in the house from dusk to dawn.
The first night I moved into the guest room, Baxter started scratching at/on the door wanting in. I figured, why not? He came in and claimed the bed as his. From that point on, as I would be locking up and turning off the lights for the night, he would be at the door gazing at the doorknob, waiting for me to open up the bedroom.
Since then, Baxter and I have moved into town. I was worried because his entire life was spent in the country. It’s a nice little neighborhood, but I won’t be letting him out. My gfriend and I have a nice covered patio that is enclosed I use for an outdoor cat area. I’ll put bird seed out there for the rodent type birds we have here to help the cats “wild-side”. And my Doberman was raised by the cats and sees them as more than her equal. ?
I got my tuxie, Thyme, from a friend. One of her cats had kittens and she was looking for home for them, and allowed me first pick of them. Thyme’s siblings were not tuxedos like her, but rather a tortoise shell calico, and a ginger tabby. I love all cats, but I ended up picking Thyme simply because tuxedos hold a special place in my heart. I had two other tuxies before Thyme; Sasha Kitty, and Shadow. She isn’t really that vocal unless she wants to be near me and can’t find me, though her meow sounds more like a bird chirp. She’s quite the little huntress, stalking spiders in the house and bird watching. I’m just glad she doesn’t try to attack our pet birds, like our other cat Loki does.
I found my tuxedo cat, “Tux”, living in the woods by my office. He was so tiny, I guessed he was about 4 months old. It was difficult to catch him because he was absolutely terrified of being touched. But once he let us touch him, he wanted to be scratched and rubbed non-stop. The vet determined that he was a year old. He’s been with us for almost 2 years now and is no longer small! He and our bulldog are best buddies, and Tux tries awful hard to befriend our other male cat. Unfortunately the other cat is not going to let that friendship blossom. Tux is affectionate and loving, smart and friendly, just as you described. This beautiful cat spreads happiness to all of those around him (excluding my other cat who is not happy about sharing his people).
I have a Tuxedo stray Kitty that has taken up at our house. Probably because I feed him. He will let me get close and will sit and listen to me talk but still won’t let me get closer to enough to pet it. I keep trying and I’m getting closer each day. Any suggestions ? It’s killing me !! I want to pet that pretty baby !
Have a piece of cooked chicken in one hand. Let him catch a whiff of it and he won’t be able to resist.
Do that a few days in a row and you’ll have a permanent friend
Mogli adopted us 16 years ago. My 10 year old son at the time, found him in our garage. When we finally got him into the house I picked him up and immediately he melted in my hands! My guess is that he was probably 6 months old. He is VERY dog like! He comes when I call, he follows me where ever I go. He is constantly at my side, lap, chest… He is very vocal and I can understand what he wants just like Lassie, he would call me and if I follow him he shows me what he wants. Water dish, food dish, to go outside or to check his litter box. I have never loved an animal as much I have fallen for this adorable sweet cat. Unconditional love is exactly what he is. I hope we have a few more years with him, he has been a very healthy cat. He goes outside, but when he has had enough, he lets me know when he is ready to come in by coming up on the deck and sit at the patio door until I see him or he will stand up in one of the windows looking into see if he can find me. Mogli is and always will be the best pet that has ever owned me! It is so true what is said about Tuxedo cats!
Just before Christmas last year I went to adopt a cat from a local shelter. As I was walking around the cages I saw a tiny kitten sitting upright staring at me. She kept staring at me as I walked back and forth. I knew right then that this was the kitten I was bringing home so I walked up to get a closer look and she kept staring straight at me. Then she promptly started chewing on my finger. I saw she was a little tuxedo with asymmetrical markings on her face. She was just fearless! A few hours later she was in her new forever home and named Audrey Jr after the plant from the 1960’s Little Shop of Horrors movie due to her getting into my finger when I cut it then started meowing for food. She is smart, friendly, absolutely fearless, plays fetch, has become friends with the neighbors cat and is growing into the sweetest cat.
I completely agree with all of your statements about tuxedo cats!
Our tux Francis who we call Frank for short also found us under strange circumstances…He stumbled out of the woods malnourished, dehydrated, full of fleas, and couldn’t have been 5 weeks old. My daughters ex-boyfriends dad who hates cats was on lunch break & shared some sloppy joe & water with this sad sight. This little tux perked up and stuck around so the cat hating ex-boyfriends dad brought him home and told his family to find A home for him. My daughter begged us to take him. I finally said “fine bring him here and we’ll see how it goes”. We already had two jack Russells and a crabby little cat that looked at us like she was going to kill us in our sleep. A few days later here comes this scrawny black and white flea bag. Not knowing how he would steal our hearts and the hearts of anyone that spends any amount of time at our home we kept him because he was so mellow and easy going with our small children. I could go on and on about Franks unusual personality but it only mirrors the above stories. We know our Frank is special but thanks to this site we also know he belongs to a very special group of fabulous tuxedo cats from all over the world! You would have to own a tux to believe it!
I fond my Charlie Tuxedo cat when I was taking my Schnauzer Macy to the vet and it turned out that she was not able to get better. I was sitting in the waiting room when Charlie appeared in a vacant exam room. He just stood and looked out into the room and I felt a connection. He darted off to look for his supper, most likely. Six weeks later I was delivering towels and throws to be used in the vets boarding of animals. The picture of a cat needing to find a home (owner had passed away) It was Charlie. I asked to see Charlie and he was in the Vets office sleeping in the window, sunning, I wanted to take him home, but due to an already trip planned I will get him when I return. I am so hoping we have a good journey ahead.
Charlie sounds like a PURRFECT match for you! We’re sure everything is going to work out for you guys 🙂
I found my tuxedo cat, Molly, at the humane society. She was nine months old and it was love at first sight for me. She doesn’t meow, instead she chirps. Follows me around like a dog, greets me at the door when I come home. If I or anyone else coughs or sneezes she goes right up to that persons face chirping to see if they are okay. So intelligent. I rescued two kittens that day and she was/is so much more intelligent than the other cat(who I also loved dearly until the day she died). But she is horrendous while at the vet and they have to sedate her to do anything. I hate that! Of all the animals I’ve ever had, cat or dog, Molly is the most special one. When I lose her someday, then I will have to be sedated! Tuxedo cats rule!
OMG!!! My cat does the same thing and she got quite famous for it 🙂
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1dcIdo84nv4
I’ve just read the article concerning cats eating on their owners if they pass away!!! It seems they normally go for the soft parts of a persons face first. your part about your cat coming over to someone’s face right away after a sneeze made me think that maybe he/she was checking for the potential next meal? (Sorry, I had to!) ??or??
Our tuxedo cat is Minute Mouse, or just Mouse. Extremely vocal, but in trials, meows at supper. He fetches like mad, hair bands his favorite which he digs out of a wicker basket on top of the toilet tank, little paper balls are next. Indeed his fur is shed free, his nickname is Mink, beautiful soft glossy fur. We initially chose one kitten from the litter at two weeks old and took a picture, an identifying black spot on the rear leg. As it turns out we brought home a different kitten, black half nose gave it away. We’re so glad for the mistake, incredibly smart, sleeps on his back paws outstretched, he’s a maniac at times, but we love him dearly, he is one year old as of last week
You named you Tuxedo cat mouse! Haha what a great name 🙂
Hey Rick,are these cats supposed to be shed free? I am on here because I just adopted a tuxedo cat and I have had MANY cats in my lifetime and this cat’s fur is so different! It’s extremely short and a little rough to the touch. I have bathed him (not too much) and groom him well . I feed him a misguide of hard and soft food. I have a Siamese with short fur as well,but this guy seems to have even shorter hair and even though I use soft conditioner on his fur,it is just different feeling that any other cat !
My tuxedo is so sweet, and very playful! But for some reason he hates to be cuddled! We will try yo hold himca and kiss him, he will allow it for 2 mins and then jump off! I hate this! I just want to cuddle my boy! Any suggestions?
Hi Aimie,
Tuxedo are indeed among the most friendly “cat breeds” out there. But keep in mind that cats have over 760,000,000 neurons!! that is why they can get overly stimulated when we pet and cuddle them.
But Hey 2 mins of cuddling is long time for an average cat 🙂
I never had a pet and knew nothing about cats in general. Darla found us through a shelter. Last year we brought her home at the age of 6 months. She loves chasing and retreiving our daughtet’s pony tail holders that we fling up and down our stair cases. She also jumps in the bathtub ( filled with water) and hangs out for 5 to 7 minutes. She follows us all around the house and loves to cuddle in bed and on the couch. She rarely meows alough sometimes makes a dove like sound in the morning. Curious if her lack of vocals should be a concern. ?
Hi Rudder,
Nothing to worry about 🙂 All and all it sounds like Dafna is a purrfect family member. Cats make a dove like sound usually when they are looking from the window and often there is a bird in sight. It is an old hunting instinct.
Thanks for sharing!
Hi. I just adopted a 5 yr old Tuxedo male named Yum Yum! He jumped of the carrier and flopped down on the carpet like he was HOME.! He’s more dog than cat and possesses all the great stuff they say about Tuxies? Yes his belly needs to be reduced but we’ll take it one day at a time. I’ve had tons of cats in my years but never such a dear as he is. A lovey!
Yum Yum sounds like an awesome cat!
I have a tuxie named Aries. He’s super smart. He fetches, comes when he is called, knows what “no” means and he will sit when i tell him too if he wants his wet-nom treats. My furbaby boy is gonna be 5 this year and he STILL acts like a kitten! He sleeps with me every night and a bed hog. I got him when he was four months old and we bonded instantly. I love him so much, so blessed to have this kitty in my life.
That’s so awesome Amie! We all know that Tuxedo cats are super smart. Aries is so lucky to have found you 🙂 Thank you for Sharing!
My family was just adopted by a 2? year old female tuxedo outdoor cat. We have brought her into our home to be an inside cat. She seems happy but at times acts as if she wants outdoors.
I just have to ask if she can be happy living indoors for the rest of her life. Do you think she can go RVing with us and walk on a leash.
She is the most talkative cat I’ve ever been owned by and does walk by our side through out the house.
Hi Trudi,
You’re so lucky to have been chosen by a tuxedo cat! I’m sure you’ll give her a lot of love and care. I wouldn’t worry about her going outside. Try walking her on a leash and see how it goes. Even if she’ll go outside it looks like she can take care of herself having been an outdoor cat before.
Keep us updated 🙂
We have taken our tuxedo Sweetiepea and our Bombay POOKIE RVING. They love it. New sights and sounds and squirrels and birds delight them. Go for it!!
II now have a Tux’cat, that was (before I got her) twice out & about on her own.
She had kittens with her when first taken to a shelter. Of course, they separated Mum & kittens…
(When I first got her, she’d be very active in her search for the source of kitten sounds, from a
YouTube video… apparently, remembering her kittens or wanting to look after the YT kittens.)
When we bought a home with large backyard, we devoted some of that space to her “natural
toileting” (& also saved a mint on kitty litter… Truth be told: We’ve NEVER purchased kitty litter,
& the only times she uses a litter tray is when we need to leave her a day or 2 at an RSPCA “cat-
hotel” (mainly because buses REFUSE to carry cats, etc. Metro buses do, but not intrastate ones.)
Our town has a “Cat Curfew” & can charge quite a bit if they find your cat out “after hours,” so,
when we moved here, we decided to trainer her to wear a lead whenever she’s outside.
At first, there was a bit of resistance, but with calm petting & Not pulling her, but just holding
our end of the lead firm (OK, giving some slack, but not extra distance, when she’d pull…), she
soon accepted it as part of her new home rules. 🙂
The best idea we implemented (since she began to wear a lead) was to hang a “Cat Run” rope
(nice white marine rope + the top of a (new $2) IKEA toilet-brush + 2x IKEA “hair-clip-like” bag-
sealer clips. to limit her range, at each rope end), ie, from firm fence-post to a porch support.
Now, we don’t always need to walk her, eg, when she needs to go outside to toilet, & she enjoys
“hunting” grasshoppers & chasing a few flying insects in the grass, in a yard area beside her
“natural toilet.”
She feels almost no friction when walking (as is her normal pace) from one end of her range
to the other, & she knows Not to try to pull at angles near perpendicular to the Cat Run rope.
When she sees one of us come out, she “stretches her bones” & runs over to greet them, with
a friendly soft, furry ankle-rub, to which we respond with a nice “side & spine stroke” of her
soft fur.
What a charmer she is! :~)
The lifespan of tuxedo cats has been a understatement for myou family. My father had a tuxedo named Monster cat, who lived to be 26 and a half years old. He was a very big tuxedo that was an outdoor cat, but when my dad took him in he became only a indoor cat. Monster was a great and very smart tuxedo. After he passed away, we got my cat Maestro. He is currently 18 years old and he will turns 19 on 9/11 this year. He is super cuddly and is too smart for his own good lol. So with my tank of a cat, I expect he will live just as long or longer than my dad’s cat. Always have and always will love tuxedo cats more than any other breed. Best cats I have ever had :).
Hi Chelsea, such a cool story:)
Thank you so much for sharing that
Hi Chelsea,
So happy to hear your story…my “Mr.Tux,” is 19 years old and very xetermined! Diagnosed with kidney issues in 2015, but still doing good ..I use to worry about losing him, he is my life..love him..have most two people in my life who meant allot to me and csnnot stand another loss! I have learned just to enjoy every day with tux and every moment and just live!! Thanks for ur post!Best, kristie
cool is it really real that tuxito cats 200 SMARTER!!!!!
indeed yes, my tuxy named zeytin(which means olive in Turkish) come over to me, when l call her name from another room. She can open drawers which l hide her favorite toys. And she really talks to me when she wants something.
I have a Tuxedo cat named Sylvester and he is incredibly smart and sweet! He was a stray who found me one day while I was at work. Unlike other strays, he marched right up to me and laid on my feet. It was love at first sight and I took him home. True to your article, he follows me around the house and comes running when I call his name. He gets along quite well with other animals and holds his own with my six month old Rottie, Brody. He also spends his days nurturing our newest stray, Maisy.. He exercises extreme patience, however he always has the upper hand. The one thing that everyone comments on in regard to my handsome tc, Sylvester, is how incredibly soft his fur is. Honestly, he is as soft and silky as a bunny? Best cat I have ever had
Hi Tammy, Sylvester sounds like a magnificent cat indeed. We would love to see some photos.
Thank you for sharing
I have a tux who is a year (we got him as 6 weeks old) but i was wondering if he is suppose to be mean because he can be his names is pickles and he can be a fighter if you make him mad thing is he is smart but doesn’t get along with his dog brother and cousin
I had a tuxedo cat named Moemoe who thought I hung the moon! Moe would follow me everywhere and have a fit if he couldn’t ! He would let me carry him while he laid in my arms like an infant. Moe would not only sit on the couch with me every time I did but would make me change the channel on the TV if it was something he didn’t like! He was my best friend for nineteen years before he succumbed to liver cancer. I bust out crying as I write this , I loved him so much. Thanks for listening.
Can you post photos on here? I am on my iPhone and didn’t see that I could post pics! I would love to share photos with everyone!!!
COOL, we have a cat named Katness she is a hot butt you no right so we have a dog named Pluto he is black and white on his tummy he is cute so cute they both are cute
Hahaha… I’m glad you like the article
cats is SO SO SO SO SO SO SO CUTE they are so fun I hope every one like kitty cats !
Tammy Sal & Doug! My baby is 15 with ATE (heart disease/kitty strokes). Very common in males, it’s hard to cope. 2 strokes so far. Get your tc’s regular exams; n hindsight I regret only going to the vet when he was sick. Doug, my boy looks like a way younger cat than 15 and acted like one before his strokes; that said, if you met him and didn’t know he’s had two strokes, you’d never notice. He’s still very politely demanding (you know how they are, so determined, but with class). Tuxies are strong and their will to eat is possibly stronger than their will to live, meaning, he’s a foodie. Lunch gut. Not too bad (he hides it in all the right places). My cat looks about 7-8, and acts it, but he’s technically geriatric. So yes, it’s possible. Tammy Sal – my baby boy had me in the same way! The rescue clinic – who hid him for weeks after he was supposed to be euthanized, hand-delivered him to a “safe house,” my begrudged friend who couldn’t keep him but agreed to for a limited time. Charming kitty, unknowingly escapes death by awesome demeanor! I was there when he arrived, and the little guy, with dog in room, jumped on the sectional couch, casually walked my way, across 2 love seats and a couch, bogarted my lap and fell asleep purring. I went back home to D.C. the next day with my new copilot. He meowed twice in 10 hours, appropriately as we got on the beltway, which makes anyone “meow” of sheer traffic. He is such a ham without trying!
One of my favorite stories is a time I had a cable repair guy out. After ~20 minutes, he said, “I’m just wondering, is there a reason your cat is staring at me?” I told him that my cat wanted him to pet him. He thought it was so odd. So he pet him & my cat was content. He told me he doesn’t really take to cats, but that my cat forced his hand. Guy was was smiling and chuckling, he was had by the majestic tuxedo cat. It’s awesome to see someone get that affected by your cat’s love. They win the hearts of everyone. They’re marvelous, aren’t they?
Hi Devlan, what a great story. Thank you for sharing
Indeed, Your Tux, like mine is extraordinarily soft and shiny after he washes himself, a coat of cat that is like no other.
We have a tuxedo cat Her name is maxey She an outside cat we inherited after our elderly neighbor died She has a love affair with our schnauzer clyde for over 5yrs now She walks like a dog and is the sweetest smartes cat ever Will have nothing to do with the other male cats in the area only our clyde The highlight o each of there days is to take walks together to cuddle snuggle and of coarse clyde trys with know protest to make love to maxey everyday Just the craisest love affair weve ever seen The question is she from the best we can figure she is well over 20yrs old She still looks and acts like a young cat Is it possible for her to be this old and be so healthy happy and in love ?
Maxey and clyde for ever
????
Yes. Our tux cat (Luna) lived to be well into her 20’s. Her last year of life was like day and night from the previous 20 something. Enjoy her while you can.
Well I’m so glad to hear that your cat up until 20.My Dolce-Vitta is going to be 9 next month(10.12.2018) but she’s done so well she’s very active and never gets sick or had never had many vet trips,besides her injections and one cat fight.
I wonder if it’s all black and white cats that are so healthy?
Anyway I’m just glad I read ur article and now know that my Dolce might with me a lot longer.
Thanks Taryn
Thank you so much for giving me some hope on the age of my kitten. I just lost my 15 year old black cat and it has just devastated me! Now hearing people talk about their young tuxedo cats dying,I am a wreck ! God bless you and your tux ❤️
Hi my name is johnny waddell and I have a black tuxedo cat with a white spot on his nose and I got him from upstate ny lollipop farm and he’s five his name is Prince I was wondering can tuxedo cats get along with a different kind of cat
They sure DO! Tuxedos are among the friendliest cats out there
I have a tuxedo cat. Oreo. He gets along with my other cats very well. He was best friends with my dog, Sugar, before she passed. He is best friend of my dog Peetie. When another dog is near my front yard, Oreo will walk over to make friends. This scares me sometimes. Usually the dog doesn’t know what to make of this and takes off.
Haha Oreo sound like a true Tux’ 🙂
Omg I have a tuxedo named Oreo too.
My cat is also a tuxedo named Oreo!
Awwww. I finally, after three years, convinced my Oreo that I am safe. She now sleeps with me. Such a cutie tuxedo
We love tuxedo cats so much, we have four of them. We have had cats for 36 years, all our married life, but the tuxies are the most affectionate, verbal, and smart. Each is unique in their personalities and quirks. One young female actually retrieves! Another opens and digs into our dresser drawers and sleeps in there. Our big male weighs 21 lbs. and is a gentle giant. And our newest kitten is so playful and funny. They are all very smart. We named them Max, Louise, Beverly and Doris. We love them and are continually entertained by them, and hope they live a long time.
Yes! I have only had my little guy for 3 months,but he gets along well with our 12 year old Siamese cat. Not only that,but he gets along great with our big pit bull/lab mix dog! I have never owned a tuxedo cat before,but so far I am just thrilled with him! Yours has a white spot on its nose and mine has a white spot on the left side . His markings are not like the the pics you see of the typical tuxedo cat,but that makes cats like ours even more special! He was perfectly made because imperfections are what makes us unique and well …perfect ❤️
Is there any proof for the fact that tuxedo cats are 200% smarter? I believe as my tuxedo cat seems much more alert and intelligent than the none tuxedo cats i have met, but I was just wondering if there has been any research?
Hi Dan,
We interviewed and tested over 505 Tuxedo cats. They all proved to be suPurrr intelligent and
I have a tuxedo cat named Jazz he is amazing. He was a stray I took in and he became my best friend. He followed me around the house while I was hurt and followed me everywhere including the bathroom. He saw me use the toilet. And he just started using it himself one day. It was amazing. He is always with me when I am home and always greats me when I come home. Mind you he can come and go as he pleases but always comes home when he hears my truck pull up
I’ve got a tuxedo kitty too that was a stray! He’s honestly the sweetest! I’m chronically ill and he knows when I have my bad days. He follows me around the house and stays in bed with me all day when I’m sick. He even sits on the ledge of my bath tub with me if I ever take a bath! He’s the best friend I could ever ask for! I feel like the best animals are the ones who find you!
I’ve got a tuxedo kitty too that was a stray! He’s honestly the sweetest! I’m chronically ill and he knows when I have my bad days. He follows me around the house and stays in bed with me all day when I’m sick. He even sits on the ledge of my bath tub with me if I ever take a bath! He’s the best friend I could ever ask for! I feel like the best animals are the ones who find you!
Amen, ditto!
I have a tuxedo cat named Sylvester. He hates to cuddle and is mean to other animals and almost everyone else. He’s very feisty. I’ve had him since we was a kitten.he’s now 3 years old..very much a pain. I wish he would cuddle or atleast be nice.
I have a black and white, and a tabby tuxi that was on a flower farm and all the cats on the farm were poisoned, but they found these two kittens. When I first had them they were hard to handle alone so my sister now has the tabby they are 4 years and both amazing. They are the sweetest cats. My one Banjo follows me around the house like a dog. When we go into the Bush she stays right by me and I once came across this stray dog that was trying to attack me. Banjo saved me by running home and getting the rottweiler. And she just as well chased off a mongoose that was stealing the hens eggs. She is a hero and an amazing kittie
I’ve got a tux that adopted me he would follow me every day to the bus omw to work and be waiting for me when I came back. I decided that since it was summer time I would feed him give him a worm and flea treatment and observe him before I let him in my house. He has never peed in my house other then his box and would rather go out side like a pup to do his business I experienced domestic violence and he actually tried to protect me he gets very upset if I take a shower and shut the door he will sit outside cry and whine and paw at the door knob and he wants to go outside to play even in three feet if snow that’s what scares me because I don’t want him to get hurt but i can’t keep him locked in the house when he was roaming the hood when I found him his name is baby Leon
Our Tuxedo cat we named her Chanel because she’s an inside cat and if you give her a piece of ham or any meat you have, she will smell it, lick it and sometimes will eat it, if not she will walk away from it. She’s very bougie, loves for me to give her forehead kisses, real scary as to when someone knocks on the the front door, she runs in my room and hide, until she finds out who the person is, if it’s someone she doesn’t recognize, she’ll stay hidden lol. She follows me as well to the bathroom and if I leave the bathroom door opened, you’ll find her in the bathtub laying down wagging her tail, no matter if it’s wet or dry. When I do close the door and not let her come in, she’ll sit and cry out and put her paws under the door. Whenever she wakes up, she’ll stretch and then go to meowing as if to let me know she’s awake. I’ll say did you sleep good, she’ll meow to what I’m asking her, like she’s human and can talk. Whenever she wants wet food, she’ll follow me in the kitchen and go to her cabinet meowing and trying to open the cabinet. With her getting overweight, I’ll give her wet food once a week. When I walk out of the kitchen and didn’t pay her any attention, she’ll run behind me and try and get hold to my pajama pants, so she can bite me and when I say, Chanel you’re mad at me. She’ll just be coming back and forth to fight me lol. She’s such a blessing to have because I’m disabled, depressed and single, and she makes my day.
Cats have way more of a chance of getting attacked by predators, poisoned, if they’re outside. Been there done that. I have a tuxedo baby. She was a stray. Vetted her, had her fixed. She never goes outside. She is safer inside.
I have a tux as well, we got him as a baby stray and now he is 2 yrs old. He is very intelligent and he follows my wife and I all around the house. He listens to me however if I call him he comes close enough to let me him but dont come all the way but when my wife calls him he goes to her, I want to know how I can get him to come all the way to me and I also need to know how can I keep him from scratching my funiture.
I also rescued a stray from a neighbors home he was locked in their basement and he called out to me from an AC vent. I have since taught him to sit, turn around and “sit like like a prince” and to give me high fives with both his paws. Each truck took me about thirty minutes with dental treats as rewards. Amazing.
I have a tuxedo kitty named Boots, for his little white booties. He also has a little black moustache. He is 13 and I love him to pieces. He has been there for me through every breakup and heartache and sickness. He is sure moody sometimes and HATES to be brushed, but he will show his love by sleeping right beside me every night. He is a very strong kitty and I know he is getting very old, I cherish every moment with him.
My Gizmo lived to 23
You should check out on YouTube Sylvester the talking cat anyways I have a very sweet but yet a temperamental cat he is a Tuxedo gent he loves scratching me and biting my hand with all of his might then I end up swelling but over all he is a handsome cat but has a devilish personality! I love him with every piece of me it would really hurt if anything bad happened to him my goodness 2020 has been a real pain in my booty!
Yeah!! I have had my Tuxedo Baby since she was a little Kitten!! When ever i come home from a long day of work, she follows me around the house for a good 20 mins after she snuggles with me for ages??? She is super smart and intelligent and caring and i love her with all my heart!!!
My tuxedo cat is quite smart. Sometimes like a dog. Macky Z or McKenzie Collette and bro the red striped fox Stu or Stuart Stephen. He is actually a cat. Both seniors living with a senior. LOVE CATS esp. mine.but love all animals. Wished I could talk to the animals like Rex Harrison.
My tuxedo cats have never been “sprayers” in the house. I’ve had trouble with yellow cats spraying which can be a real problem if you have a nice house.
I inherited Rocket and Groot from my niece when she moved into an apartment. While not identical, the brothers are both classic Mask and Cape Tuxedos.
I am pretty much a hermit, and the “Twins” keep me both occupied and entertained. They appear more intelligent than the majority of people in Congress, and are definitely more concerned about my well-being. They are insistent on being affectionate, when one is not stalking the other, anyway. They get along extremely well, with Rocket being the dominant male currently. Oddly, Groot was dominant prior to both being neutered.
Both were used to roaming the countryside prior to adopting me and moving to town. They have adapted to being indoors only very well, except for refusing to use Any of the many scratching pads and posts provided. Same doorpost for both….while furtively looking over their shoulders because they both know better.
I wouldn’t trade them for anything.
See My tuxedo cat is very smart, affectionate, definitely vocal, and Idk if I found a broken cat, but she is very psychotic
I have a Tux cat his name is Baba he was adopted at a ladies home he hissed ths first time my sister picked him up when he was a kitten he cried his little heart strings out all night when he got older he was an outdoor hunter cat he would bring home dead squirrels then he would crush the squirrels skull you could hear it make several cracking noises he can have a short temper at times he is very sweet when I am sad he loves hanging out with me he has hurt me before many scratches and he has bit me a couple of times from temper aggression but overall he is my best friend he means everything to me it would really hurt if he died!
My cats name is miah she’s so beautiful sometimes she’s like a dog lol.. And yes Mike is true she also using the toilet.. She also use the bath to do ice skating..im not speaking a word of a lie..
I wondered about the bathroom thing, honestly, because I have a 4 month old tired l tuxedo cat and she is overly obsessed with watching people pee and is very interested in the toilet!
I’m fostering 2 tux kittens. The older one is OBSESSED with the litter box
– when younger one uses it, she runs over to watch, then jumps in and checks the poop/pee and makes sure its covered property
– when we empty the litter box she comes over, sits and watches… she watches each and every scoop get lifted out and put in the poop bag, like a tennis match, her head goes back and forth watching the scooper
– when she uses the litter box, she digs the hole as deep as possible and is VERY thorough in covering it up
– sometimes she just goes over to the litter box to make sure its all in good condition!
Whoever gets this little cat will never have “inappropriate elimination’ problems!!
My tuxedo cat picked me & picked up on my epilepsy right away. He has helped keep me from harming myself in seizures by alerting others & even blocking my head from hitting the floor using his own body. He came into the bathroom as I was bathing and started to go into a seizure. Sat & meowed. Last I remember he was meowing but heard my nd asking if ok. Patches stayed until I was out of bathroom & into bed. Cheryl Marcrum
I’m chronically ill too! I don’t have seizures but if I’m having a bad pain day my baby will stay with me even for 18 hours straight! If I don’t leave the bed he doesn’t either! He even sits on the ledge of the bath tub when I take a bath! He never leaves me side! He was a stray that came to my door and I’m so thankful he found me!
We have a tuxedo too. Mr. Bo Jangles is his name and he was a stray and hurt badly when he found us. A blessing from GOD. He bites me on the calf of my leg when he wants his food, and if I ignore him he wraps both paws around my calf and hangs on. I taught him to sit and do pretty kitty. He is the best cat we have ever had. We love him. He plays tag with our 11 year old son.
All these wonderful stories. Id forgotten my best true one. Macky z brought me my Daughter’s mail– not before or since, though daughter is in heaven. She was bipolar. Had had episodes galore to my ignorance . She was to be evicted. Macky bought me the eviction notice and other bad news. She d bern in love in her delusion with a phone stranger. He had even given self away. I was too dumb to realize m. I thought I just hadnt met the bxxxxxd. SHE HADNT. Told me she had been meeting him at Macky Ds. A manic D. lie. But to my daughters –other two; always have a pair and a spare when possible to help each other. (kidding)! Great credit they. helped her. I also. We chipped in. Got her out of a hell. I called the FBI. Anyway, cats can be intuitive, better than dogs sometimes. Cat has never done anything about mail and my girl lived for a few more years til Cancer took her. But she had the sacraments and died in peace. Only early 50s. Her daughter only a young adult.
I have a tuxedo cat whos name happens to be tuxedo! He is sooo affectionate to me and definitely a mama’s boy he loves to cuddle and it night will lay next to me with his arm stretch around my neck like it’s hugging me he’s so sweet and I love him so much he’s not a fighter I have other cats who try to chase him down and he runs and gets up under me
ummm my tuxedo is not so smart he runs into boxes and walls and doors HE IS SO VOCAL HE MEOWS LIKE A KITTEN
He watches tv to and loves fans
Are you aware of how intelligent your cat has to be to perform the comedy that you describe him doing. Oh, and dumb cats don’t watch TV.?
I had a tuxedo cat named Moemoe who thought I hung the moon! Moe would follow me everywhere and have a fit if he couldn’t ! He would let me carry him while he laid in my arms like an infant. Moe would not only sit on the couch with me every time I did but would make me change the channel on the TV if it was something he didn’t like! He was my best friend for nineteen years before he succumbed to liver cancer. I bust out crying as I write this , I loved him so much. Thanks for listening.
HUGS
My tuxedo cat just died.had to bury him today.it was painful.miss him so much
Pray to Jesus to have your cat in your mansion so that you will see him again.
Believe!!
❤️
Dearest Tom,
I am so very sorry that you lost your precious Mow. I feel so deeply for you and I understand what you are going through. This past June ,I lost my beloved Diesel and I am having a hard time coping with it. Like your Moe,my beloved Diesel was so very smart and a HUGE part of my life. He was everything to me and I have two human children that were indeed jealous of him! On my knees I prayed one night ,just sobbing for a baby and begging Jesus to give me a baby. No one heard my cries because it was a private convo. The next morning my hubby brought me a crying,ugly ,almost hairless black kitten. I did everything I could to meet his needs and still he cried for 3 hours strait! My son was thrilled at first until he wouldn’t stop meowing and called me in there to take him. Frustrated,I grabbed this furry blanket that we had and I wrapped this kitten completely up and I plopped myself into the rocking chair and proceeded to rock him. That is when it happened! He finally stopped crying and proceeded to purr and finally fell asleep. Something bigger than that happened ,though! As I was humming “Silent Night” to him,I remembered the tear soaked prayer from the previous night. I had begged God for a baby. It dawned on me that my prayer had just been answered! I laughingly aloud “But God I wanted a HUMAN baby!!!” My laughter was reduced to tears in no time as I thought about what God had just done for me! I just was frustrated and annoyed because of three hours of meowing. How could I have tolerated an infants cries for hours upon end? God answered my prayer in His way because He knew what I needed. I thanked God for His most gracious gift for 15 short years. Diesel was my shadow and a constant reminder that God was listening to me. He was a physical hugs and kisses from a most gracious God in my deepest times of sorrow and joy. He pulled me out of a deep depression and replaced sadness with so much happiness. Three years later,we welcomed a baby girl to our family. Diesel progressed from leaning over us in the chair,to somehow fitting himself on the small pillow when I fed my baby girl her bottles! He never scratched or bit her and was always right there as she learned to crawl and walk. We had some great times together ,indeed. My 11 year old baby girl was in the vet’s office with me when she said that he was dying and only had a couple of months to live. I screamed in horror because I had no idea he was sick with kidney disease. I thought he was just losing weight because he was old. I almost put him down on our birthday,but I decided to wait until a few days after that to not have it always be a constant reminder of the day I lost my angel. My daughter was in the room when I had to put him down. This may sound morbid,but we took photos with him after he had passed. My husband told me not to,but I did it anyways and I am so glad that I did. It has been a few short months and I have since gotten a new kitten black and white kitten. I wanted an all black cat ,but I picked out my Dasher because he had the same black stripes that my Diesel did and I had never seen it before. Getting this kitten has enabled me to at least get out of my bed and smile again. Without my Diesel ,I was lost ! I know how you feel because I still cry and I will always cry and long for the perfect gift from God because of a tear filled prayer holding my Bible. I pray that God comforts you and that you receive this reply. Animals are so amazing and some really are sent here to help us weather the storms through this cray life. They are so very special and give us the physical hugs from our Creator. I hope this message finds you in good cheer and great health. Your Moe was here for a purpose and like my Diesel ,they have gone on to help someone else in need. My Dasher could never replace the angel that was my Diesel ,but I am sure proud to be his momma !
Blessings from Texas ,
Ami L.
We just lost our tuxedo Billy 4 days ago. I’m a 63 year old man who’s run businesses and faced a lot of challenges and tough times, but I’m crying now thinking of my little buddy. Billy was somewhat dog-like insofar as he’d come when called… mostly. I never knew a more affectionate critter, and some human mothers are included there. He oozed personality. Billy loved power tools and came running if I was using one. He’d role around in sawdust and get absolutely filthy, then return all clean and dapper. Dang, he was a good looking gentleman! Athletic, too. A great hunter. He and his sister were indoor/outdoor cats. We think it’s kinda mean to force a cat to be inside, but that’s us. His sister Jackie disappeared one day. Didn’t come home. She was 12 years 8 months old. Billy was 12 years 10 months and HEALTHY. He was way nicer than his calico sister, but Billy took her loss hard. He clearly missed her, was depressed at times, but his fun loving nature would eventually win and he’d be ready to play. In fact, he was playing with string with us when we had to run out for a couple hours. We came home and found him dead. He had been putting on his winter weight, was active, healthy, apparently happy, and we figure he had a heart attack. All I know is I’m broken. I cry like a little boy still. I want my Billy.
If you were sad or lonely
You could go hug Billy
If you needed to feel loved
You could go hug Billy
When you needed to fell loved
You could go hug Billy
When you needed to feel needed
You could go hug Billy
When you needed to be playful
You could go hug Billy
When you needed a pillow
You could go hug Billy
When you needed a friend
You could go hug Billy
What are we going to do without Billy?
We adopted a Norwiegen Forest Cat we named Baby G. One day he came home and meowed like crazy; when we looked out the window, he had brought home an abandoned Tuxedo kitten! We named him Taz and he turned out to be the most intelligent, affectionate, humanlike cat. Loved to be around people and his older “brother”, they even groomed each other (so cute to watch). He shared love with his daddy and me by cuddling all the time. He would sit on my lap during dinner and share a meal with me. So patient, he would lay on the kitchen counter to keep me company while I did the dishes. Playing hockey by batting back a plastic bottle cap, could fetch and like others never had an “accident” or scratched or anything else negative. He passed away at 5 from anemia (too many flea bites) so be forewarned. I miss him EVERY DAY.
Tiffany have his eyes checked .. he may have vision issues
Our tuxedo Tiffany recently had 4 kittens a grey and white Tuxedo she kitten, black Tom, Tuxedo tom with more white and a tuxedo tom. We named them Misty Midnight Panda and Jasper, THERE SO CUTE!!! At the moment they are 6-7 weeks and honestly when Tiffany became a mom, she ate A LOT and now can’t stop trilling! The kittens also pee everywhere and make a mess too! At the moment our house is a CATtastrophe!
I have an 9 yr old tuxedo named Tiffani as well. She was surrendered to animal control due to her owners death 2 years ago. We adopted her over a year ago and was told she had been for 6 months and at several pet stores where she was overlooked. She was grieving her owner, but she has adjusted and has fallen in love with me. Now she is at my side day and night. I feel very blessed to have her.
Thank you so very much for taking an older cat! I feel so terrible that your Tiffani suffered the death of her companion ,but then had to be traumatized in pet stores just scared to death. You are an angel and I am so happy for the both of you! ❤️
I just adopted a grey and white tuxie kitten that I named Misty. She’s 10 weeks and I’ve had her less than a week. I’m really struck by the fact that many of us seem to have a disability. My lower right leg has chronic nerve pain after I shattered it several years ago…I initially thoughtI might be imagining that she was more cautious around that leg until reading all of the comments in this thread! Also – she didn’t have much to say at first but is now becoming more vocal by the day!!
I thought about that too as I was reading through these! I am so sorry to hear about your disability. I got a bad back surgery when I was only 29 years old and had them another to try and help me after the first one was severely botched! I know have auto immune problems like Fibromyalgia. I just had to put down my 15 year old black cat . I was so lost without my constant companion and I could not get out of the bed or do anything . I was looking for a black cat like my Diesel was and I found this little black kitten with white “socks” and this white spot on the left side of his little face . It’s funny because nature seemed to have messed up by placing it on the one side and it looks like milk is running down the left side of his neck ! I say messed up ,but he is so perfectly marked ! I searched for days and days for any sign of the cat I had lost and then one day there was a pic of a kitten sitting so regally under the sun like my Diesel used to sit. This kitten had black stripes in his black fur just as my Diesel did and I figured it was a sign because I had never seen that before until I got my beloved Diesel cat. So I drove the 2.5 hours to get him and here we sit on my bed messaging you right now. I spend most of my time in bed and I re mom a lot of us on here do too. I was just saying in another reply that animals are physical hugs and kisses from God when we need something more than prayers and faith. ❤️
My tuxedo cat is not at all like what you said what is different?
We had to put our beautiful baby boy tuxedo cat, Mittens, to sleep. He was only 6 years old but was diagnosed with severe kidney disease. He used to be a big cat with a muscular body but he lost so much weight and was so dehydrated he was nothing but bones. He used to have such a voracious appetite but when he got sick barely ate. He was very vocaI and even though he was full grown he meowed like a baby kitten but when he got sick he barely meowed. So playful and extremely lovable Mittens loved tummy rubs. He was the best cat and I love him and miss him so very much. I yearn for the day when I can see him on the rainbow bridge and we can be together forever!
Julia I am so sorry for your loss. I know it’s been awhile since you posted this,but this kind of pain lasts a lifetime. I just recently had to put my black cat down for kidney disease. He was HUGE cat and he wasted away to nothing ,but bones. I cannot believe how young your mittens was! I have suspected the food that I had my Diesel on ,but I was fortunate to get 15 years of life from him. I hope that you were able to get another cat to help fill the void and heal your sorrow. I am on this thread because I now am the proud momma of a little black and white kitten named ,Dasher,who has filled my life with love,laughter and hope again! God bless you ❤️
??????
I’m a little worried about my tuxedo cat, she’s stopped eating and is very up and down she now backing off from me and I’m spiritual I have another tuxedo and she totally fine.. she has different markings.. daisy has a bow and a moustache.. white nose and white front..
One day she’s ok then another she not she was just eating treats due to not eating now we can’t even do that.. she went loopy around the house at midnight which she hasn’t done in a while thinking we got our daisy back.. but noo.. just wondering what’s wrong.. can you help please..
Helen
Helen, thank you for your comment. This does sound worrying; I’d encourage you to please take your Daisy to the veterinarian. Not eating is one of the clearest signs that a cat isn’t feeling well and can point to a variety of issues ranging from dental disease to stress and more serious conditions. Wishing you and your cats all the best.
– Mallory
My tuxedo cat is quite smart. Sometimes like a dog. Macky Z or McKenzie Collette and bro the red striped fox Stu or Stuart Stephen. He is actually a cat. Both seniors living with a senior. LOVE CATS esp. mine.
I foster over 70 cats in my shelter. All sterilised, vaccinated with regular check ups. The only cats that messed up with anything, pooping on other cat’s food bowl or in the stairs. None of my 15 tuxedos ever use their litter boxes despite how clean and all type of litter substrate. They almost don’t understand a thing. I don’t blame them, they are animals. But don’t tell me that they are intelligent. They are the worst in term of doing toilet, fighting with other cats. They are affectionate, yes but the messiest cats ever. So this article is not complete and need a good research.
I’ve had many cats (currently have 3) and our Tuxedo may be our favorite ever. Definitely super smart, chatty, personable. High intelligence, high energy. However we do have SO MANY litter box issues with him. It’s pretty predictable – if he is understimulated or has the zoomies or whatever, he is guaranteed to go outside the box. We started letting him outside for part of each day, which has helped, but he is still a turd about peeing where he isn’t supposed to. Very frustrating.
I would agree! Molly is so smart. She communicates so effectively. She is my world!!
Hi Dan,
Thank you for the information on Tuxedo cats as firstly we were lucky due my 5yo son wanting a kitten for his birthday as he loves them far more than most other animals and sees dogs as the enemy just like cats. The kitten we received was given to him by a young lady and who couldn’t keep the kitten (it was 4 weeks old) as she was moving houses and if she couldn’t find someone to adopt it from the kitten it would have to go to a cat home. We felt very lucky as the kitten had beautiful markings and was completely black and white with a what looked to be a black mask. My partner and others thought the kitten was a male even though I beg to differ about what sex it was. this was later dispelled, but our Gumball, would play with what looked like another tuxedo, in our backyard constantly. This cat was black and white with distinct markings like our cat. in the end, our male kitten turned out to be an adult female and had 4 kittens all with very distinct markings just like the ones that have been explained in this article others. Thank you very much as we knew the kittens were special due to them being so beautiful and distinct as well as being very intelligent beautiful little gifts. thank you for letting us know the gifts we’ve been blessed with.
I have a tuxedo cat named Cato he would scratch at the door when I was using the restroom sometimes I would be laying in my bed sick or watching youtube and he would get his other tuxedo brother Casper and they would both lay with me I love Cato he is very old he is 13 years old
I have a masked tuxedo and have had cats all my life. My tuxie is by far the most vocal and the smartest cat I have ever owned. He gets bored very easily and figures out cat toys and interactive treat dispensers in a snap! They need constant stimulation and play time. My kittie needs to run off his excessive energy!
I haven’t done any research but I have a Tuxedo cat. She is so smart its actually spooky at times. She just knows how to do things. Some I have taught her, some I have not. She comes when called, sits, gives you five, fetches, lays, when told, even at the vet. She dragged her empty box of cat litter out in middle of room, when I ran out and her litter box was dirty. I am serious, this cat is incredibly smart. I don’t tell people some of the things she does, because I don’t think they would believe me. I do spend a lot of time talking to her, and believe that’s part of it.
I have a tuxedo cat named Dutch. He is also longhaired. When he appeared in our neighborhood, we had just lost a lab mix dog named Ebony, 16 1/2 , longhaired with white here and there and my teenaged son believed Dutch to be a reincarnation of her because he is a lot like her, dog/like, very smart, very verbal, and very loving. Also, I am a rock artist and had just finished making a rock of a tuxedo cat, but short-haired. I have other cats, at one point 7, all rescued from my yard – very hard and at one point I had 4 dogs, all rescues too. Dutch, no matter who the newcomer was, cat, dog or teenagers, has always been very patient and most kids loved him the most. He is about to turn 15, Very patient with a new chihuahua mix I recently got after losing the dog I had to lymphoma, very fast. He gets grouchy sometimes and verbalizes it. I pray he will make it to,15 and me 73. I am suddenly blessed with 2 feral tuxedo cats in my yard and a small all black cat that one takes care of with food and snuggling in my old doghouse. I can pet the two,tuxedos with caution and the baby eats close to me now. No one will,want them so I am exploring pet food donations from the food pantry, meals on wheels because with the 5 Cats I have and a small dog I am struggling. Any suggestions, let me know. I believe it’s my mission in life to care for them, my grandchildren and all other wildlife that come to my aid.
For sure talking to your cat is very important. I’m always talking to the great Pokey and we have a great relationship. She’s the best cat in Ireland. Fact!
tuxes r cool if im a tux IMDB
The comments we use about our Tux is;
He’s too smart for our own good?
I think that’s more opinion than fact. My Bombay liked to swim in the bath, he could open doors around the house, he used the toilet instead of needing a box and could vocalize at least 10 mimicked words by the time he was 2.
Personal experience its the black Bombay that are super intelligent.
That said my wife’s tuxie Katniss is like the Danny Ocean around here. She plans and leads missions every time theres French fries, shakes, or cheesecake laying out with the other two cats and the bloodhound we have.
How is the indoor lifespan 15- 20 years, but outdoor is 5 years? That’s a significant difference, five years old is still so young.. Clarification?
Due to the dangers present outdoors. Predators like fox, birds of prey and crossing roads can play a part in a cats lifespan. Our tuxedo Jack is indoor outdoor and sleeps inside at night when most predators are more active. We live in the country. He came to our house as a yearling and stayed. He asks to go outside to potty and never makes messes inside. He follows me in the woods to hunt and comes into my hunting stand to watch out the windows for deer. He even helped me track a deer by using his nose and smelling its scent. Truly a wonderful companion. He curls up to snuggle with our two terrier dogs on the couch. He has blessed us with with his friendship.
I 100%,believe that! In fact she may be at 500% smarter than I am! I just found that tuxedo cats! Like now! I recently joined Reddit for the cats my husband as well! I have mager bias for our Lucky and say it almost every day there is nothing as beautiful. (I know yours is the most beautiful in yours. So we’ll agree to disagree!!).
I wouldn’t doubt it. I hated cats because I was a super dog kid, raised 5 pit bulls and never thought I would like a cat due to their lack of affection (as I foolishly believed). But I went to a shelter in San Diego with my friend to look at animals. And we saw this 4 month old Tux cat. He wasn’t doing much when others walked by but when we did GOSH he went crazy. Purring, scratching the glass, the works. So the worker tells me “I’ve worked here for over 10 years and this little guy is special. I only met a kitten like this twice.” She asked if I we would like to interact with him. I respectfully decline since I didn’t like cats. But something about him was different he reminded me of when I use to watch my puppies. So I interacted with him and the second the cage open he jumped on my chest! Purring and wanting to be held, he even gave me kisses. After our interaction I was still convinced I can do without a feline overlord in my bachelor pad, but THEN he did something out of a movie. As I started to walk away after declining the workers push for adoption he slowly reached out through the jail like bars of his cage exposing his beautiful solid white arm and paw in a last attempt to grab my shirt. COME ON! either this cat took adoption 1 on 1, or he was a lovable genius. I adopted him and at 11months now he’s opening drawers for food, leash trained, and greets absolutely EVERYONE! Yup the smartest weirdest cat I ever met. He is the definition Mischievous! I saw him once look at me, sloooowly push a cup off the counter, broke it! Looked at the glass, looked at me then jumped into my arms….wtf lol. Anyways he acts like a dog not afraid of anyone or anything and shows everyone including straight up strangers love (kisses, lap sitting, that weird headbutt thing lol). I got a smart cat-dog tux hybrid evil genius and I love him. His name is Vader (evil but you have to love it).
Oh,Lee,you are so VERY lucky to have not passed up such a magnificent creature!! They were right when they told you that he was special !! He reminds me so much of my beloved black cat that I just had to put down. It’s so hard to find that “needle in a haystack” angel of a cat! I have had MANY cats throughout my lifetime,but my Diesel was like a human and my husband called him my shadow . My angel lived for 15 years until I lost him to kidney disease. I am on this thread because I adopted a black cat that has the same stripes as my Diesel did,but he has this neat white spot on the left side of his nose and mouth. He acts so much like a dog and gets along great with our pit bull/lab mix! I am so happy for you that you were able to trust your instincts and not pass your little guy up!! I love the name you gave him!
You would know the answer if you had a tuxedo cat.
We have a 18 year old Tux and she is the sweetest! Although she is very spoiled she also still super playful and very chill. I’ve have 3 children with her and she has never bit one. All I’ve got to say is they are very loveable buetiful smart cats!
At our home today we are in mourning. Our charming tuxedo, Sasha, quietly passed a few hours ago. She was only turning 8 years old in August. My son found her while he was away at college and she was only 1 month old. Sasha laid down to rest this morning and we don’t know why she didn’t wake up. She was a joy and so much fun. We are devastated. Our beautiful Sasha embraced every characteristic of a tuxedo. I don’t know how we’re going to get by without her sweet kisses and her impish ways. She could dribble a tiny ball and drink water from a faucet. My heart is broken.
I’m so sorry for your loss. I just stumbled across your comment. I have two kitties and one is a tuxedo named Dolly, the other is Madison. I love them both more than I ever thought possible and the idea of losing one drives me to tears, just like your story did. I adopted both three years ago and while I do well i the workplace i was an alcoholic. Somehow, Someway after bringing these two into my life I just stopped drinking. I think they disapproved of my previous lifestyle. Dolly especially. The idea of letting down my two kitties was physcosomatic I think. Please be well and think about getting another kitty when the time is right. Adopt if you can. I wish you the best and hope your heart mends soon.
Dearest Gerri,
I AM SO SO SORRY THAT YOU LOST YOUR ANGEL CAT. Please go up the threat to my reply about my believes Diesel . I feel as though I wrote a very long novel on here about my baby (15 year old) boy. Yours was so very young to have passed . I lost him in June and I could not function. He was black ,but I adopted a little black cat that had the same black stripes,but he has this adorable white spot on the left side of his face and then it looks like milk is running down the side of his neck to a patch on his chest . Although,he will never take the place of my beloved Diesel,he has given me the strength to enter life again. When you are disabled these guys are everything to us because they are always in bed with us and/or at our side. They give us the physical hugs and kisses that God wants us to have . I hope that this message finds you in happier spirits . God bless you and your family ❤️
I sympathize with your loss! I have lived with many cats and lost many. I would recommend adopting another cat, or maybe a kitten. We recently adopted 3 young kittens and I couldn’t be more blessed to have them. They came home several months ago, when my mother lost her favorite cat, just before I started going through some really tough times. I need them so much! Those little fuzzy angels lift me up when I am down and give me hope again – I know I couldn’t do it without them.
If you decide to adopt, remember that you aren’t replacing Sasha with another cat. You are appreciating her memory and trying out something new!
I am so sorry to hear about your sweet Sasha. We too lost our tux, Gilbert, this week unexpectedly. We are heartbroken. He was 8 years old and I found him next to shower…he passed in his sleep. He was never sick and was acting fine the night before. He was our baby and the best and most human-like cat I’ve ever had. I never knew the facts about tuxes until reading now…I feel we hit the jackpot having Gilbert in our lives. Praying for your heart to heal as u think of all the good memories of sweet sasha.
I don’t know about being intellectually smarter, but my tuxedo kittyboi is a real survivor! We don’t keep our cats strictly inside, and sometimes they run away or come across a predator, but many of them are smart enough to stay near the house at night. The tuxie, George, has been the ‘leader’ of his ‘pack’ for so many years, I’m amazed the other cats still ‘defer’ to him. George was always a cuddler and has only gotten sweeter with time. Sometimes he’d run off for weeks at a time, and we were sure we’d never see him again, but at one point or another, we noticed him around the neighbors’ houses. He’s smart enough to take a vacation and eat someone else’s food! Not all our fuzzy bundles of joy can figure that out. (Heck, one cat was stupid enough that only his obesity stopped him from jumping the fence and getting chased by one neighbor’s dog! He grew out of both the dumbness and heaviness eventually.)
My 8 yr old male tuxedo cat Chases soccer balls and brings them back. Opens shut doors Right after you shut it, just so i have to get up again. He’s clock work..
He is also my 4th tuxedo cat
I have a tuxedo cat named Helix. Just like a Helix my cats personality is three dimensional and he adopted me as his human some years ago. Helix was a stray originally and found abandoned in a hallway by two friends of mine. They were moving and could not keep him so I took him in. I never owned a cat before always had dogs but helix is the best cat that acts like a dog he is so vocal and affectionate I never knew a cat could be so loving. I highly recommend this breed of cats if you are ever able to obtain one you will be truly blessed.
I don’t think there is proof. My tuxedo cat is sweet, vocal and dog like but NOT smart.
My tuxedo Zoey passed away last year at age 17. She was very smart and such a personality. She could open doors by turning the door knob. If I walked by her she could grab my ankle or my arm if she was up on a table. If I ignored her she would stare at me while she knocked things diwn off a table one thing at a time. She was affectionate and just so cool . Smarter than any dog I had. I miss her so.
I agree with you like they say 200% because my son like I call him some times sence I don’t have kids my Cat is so smart but so smart that @ times it surprise me how intelligent he can be. Also how fast he learns anything that we have teach him. We love him. He has never step a foot outside the house. We love him so much that we don’t know what we gonna do when he’s time comes. Meanwhile we gonna enjoy him all the Way. I know u as well. Thanks for the comment.
My Tomcat Macek is a tuxedo. He was born in Bavaria, Germany. My cat and I have lived in Germany, Slovakia, Austria and now the USA.
Macek is a handsome tuxedo and very calm, intelligent and affectionate. When my female ginger British shorthair died back in 2018, I decided to teach Macek to walk with a harness and leash. He was eight years old at the time. Macek did not need to be trained at all! He immediately let me take him outside for walks. One thing I noticed about Macek is that he’s very domineering. When I would walk him in Austria, he would chase ALL of the neighborhood cats, hiss at them, and basically let them know that he was the boss. Furthermore, Macek ignores dogs. They don’t bother or interest him.
When I moved back to the States, I was so proud of Macek. I bought him a double-size air transport box and did not give him a tranquilizer, which are said to be dangerous for a cat during a flight. He had to ride in two taxis, two airplanes, a ferry and finally my parents’ car.
I want Macek to (hopefully) live to be 20+ years. My first Tomcat was also from Bavaria, and he lived to be over 17, albeit I think he could have lived even longer, with a better diet. I don’t skimp when it comes to buying the best cat food for my tuxedo boy. I give him lots of love and make sure he gets one, two, or even three walks outside – every day, weather permitting. Macek loves to cuddle and he sleeps next to me every night or during a nap.
Yes they are smart asf I love my Eddie great smart kid of mine
We have a tuxedo cat. I saw him when I decided to get our Turkish Van a friend.
What a big mistake. He is sweet to people, but is a terror around other cats.
We have story after story of what an absolute terror this cat is and continues to be
after having him for about 13 years. We have to keep him on Gabapentin in order to
try to control his manic behavior towards the cat that is not the female Turkish Van
(tho right after we got him, he spent years physically tackling her like a football player when he wasn’t tearing up various physical things we’ve had).
When he’s not on drugs, he’s sometimes locked in the front bathroom for bad behavior.
I remember just after we got him, someone online who had a tuxedo cat said something
like “Uh, oh! Boy are you in for a wild ride.” He was right – a wild ride on a constant
roller coaster of troublemaking.
I foster over 70 cats in my shelter. All tuxedos never use their litter boxes. One of the worst!
Close to a year ago we rescued a two year old female Tux (Rosie) . This cat is highly intelligent and thinks she is a dog! Despite being two years of age she also thinks she is still a kitten as she is high energy. She fetches her toy spring on command. By fetches I mean she fetches, brings back and drops at your feet before sitting and anxiously awaiting to repeat. She has learned to unlock the interior doors in our home. She recently learned how to turn on the water faucet to get a drink. She also knows how to somehow open a sliding pocket door despite it having an interior lock. Truly an amazing feline!