Today we celebrate the tortie. How many of you have ever had or currently have a tortoiseshell cat—this is a bi-color cat in shades of black/gray and red/ginger with no white? We considered Sophie (pictured) a tortoiseshell (or tortie), but she wasn’t really, because she had a small swatch of white on her stomach, which
technically made her a calico.
As with the calico, the tortie is not a cat breed, but a color, and as with the calico, the tortie has a reputation of being feisty and contrary. Some calicos and torties certainly do have large purr-sonalities. Sophie, on the other hand, was just a sweet, gentle soul.
Tortoiseshell Cat Appreciation Day came into being just three years ago. It was suggested by a fellow cat enthusiast I’ve known (via the Internet) for years, Ingrid King. Yes, you can apply to have a particular cat or a particular aspect of cats made into a “holiday” or at least to be acknowledged. I may apply one day, although there are already so many aspects of cats celebrated each year. There’s even a day called, “If cats had thumbs day.” Oh my.
