There’s no denying that tuxedo cats look like they’re always prepared for a formal event. But that doesn’t mean they’re the stuffy, stuck-up type. In fact, they’re known for letting lose and enjoying a good play session.
When it comes to facts about tuxies, there might be plenty you don’t know, even if you have a tuxedo cat snuggling up with you at home right now. Luckily, CatTime is full of cat facts to help you learn and appreciate our feline friends even more!
Aside from always being ready for the Met Gala, tuxedo cats have a lot of interesting qualities about them. Here are some facts about the elegant-yet-playful tuxedo cat!
The Name Means Exactly What You Think It Means
You can probably guess that tuxedo cats, affectionately known as “tuxies,” are named after their dapper appearance. They have black and white coats that makes them look like they’re wearing, as the name suggests, tuxedos.
Most of a tuxie’s coat is black with a “bib” of white on their chest. Sometimes there can be white on a tuxies paws, or there can be a black spot on the “bib” of the chest, making it look like a little bow-tie on a tuxedo.
Tuxedo Cats Are Not A Breed
Much like calicoes and tortoiseshell cats, a tuxedo cat is not a breed of cat, but rather a genetic fur pattern that can occur in many types of cats.
No pedigree breeds specifically require kittens to have tuxedo coat patterns. This doesn’t mean, however, that tuxies are rare. Tuxie kitties appear within tons of breeds, such as the Cornish Rex, Maine Coons, and Norwegian Forest Cats, to name a few.
Scientists believe the reason why so many types of breeds can turn out to be tuxies is that piebald cats, or two-colored cats, form their coloring through a process before birth that is completely randomized.
This means that nearly any kitten has the chance to be a tuxedo cat — or any kind of two-toned cat for that matter.
Tuxedo Cats And ‘Tuxie-tude’
Tuxedo cat parents often claim that their tuxies have a distinct personality, much like tortoiseshell cat lovers talk about “tortie-tude.”
While torties are notoriously finicky and sassy, tuxies have a different type of attitude, or a “tuxie-tude.” They’re anecdotally affectionate and playful.
Some tuxedo lovers even go as far as to say their tuxedo cats are smarter than your average feline. Tuxedo cat lovers have been quoted as saying their cats are actually 200 percent more intelligent than normal non-tuxie kitties. However, there may be some bias at play.
There Are Lots Of Famous Tuxedo Cats
You may not even realize it, but a lot of kitties in pop culture are actually tuxedo cats.
Looney Tunes‘ own Sylvester is a tuxedo cat. Of course, he provided us with lots of laughs in his rivalry with Tweety Bird.
President Bill Clinton had a tuxedo cat in the White House named Socks. Socks was so famous that he inspired children’s books, made guest appearances in comic strips, and was even featured on a special stamp series in the Central African Republic!
Not only are there famous tuxedo cats, but it seems like famous humans liked to keep them. Sir Isaac Newton, Beethoven, and Shakespeare allegedly all had tuxedo cats.
Maybe this is why tuxedo cats get such a reputation for being so darn smart.
Do you have a tuxedo cat? Does your tuxie have the “tuxie-tude?” Let us know in the comments below, and feel free to share a picture of your dapper tuxie, too!
