After my precious baby made her way to the Rainbow Bridge, I began to notice that one of the shelter cats I've bonded deeply with also possesses some of these qualities. Not only does Mango look like Jewel, but she is also intelligent, loves to talk, and is loyal to those she loves. Mango is a dilute tortoiseshell cat, and a few people had told me that Jewel was a dilute torbie - a tortoiseshell cat with tabby markings.
I just figured that Mango reminding me so much of Jewel was a coincidence. Of course Jewel and Mango have unique personality traits, but the fact that they share some personality traits really intrigued me.
Photo courtesy of Ingrid King.
In Tortitude: The BIG Book of Cats with a BIG Attitude by Ingrid King, I learned why it is that Jewel and Mango share some similar personality traits - they have tortitude! What is tortitude exactly? In her book, King says:
They (tortoiseshell cats) also have a reputation for unique personalities, often referred to as "tortitude." They tend to be strong-willed, a bit hot-tempered, and they can be very possessive of their human. Other words used to describe torties are fiercely independent, feisty and unpredictable. They're usually very talkative and make their presence and needs known with anything from a hiss to a meow to a strong purr.
She also notes:
While there are some commonalities between torties when it comes to personality, there seem to be wide variations in the degree of tortitude and in how it is expressed. Some cats appear to have read the book on tortitude, displaying all the traits attributed to cats with this coloring. Others may vary in temperament, and only demonstrate certain aspects of it. All cats are individuals, and torties are no different in that respect, with the possible exception that they are far more demonstrative of their unique personalities than cats of other colors.
Not only will you learn about tortitude in this book, you'll also learn about tortoiseshell genetics and folklore. I found the section on genetics very interesting, and I definitely learned a lot from it.
“Excerpted from: Tortitude: The BIG Book About Cats With a BIG
Attitude by Ingrid King ©2015”
"Cats are dangerous companions for writers because cat watching is a near-perfect method of writing avoidance." -Dan Greenburg
"There are few things in life more heartwarming than to be welcomed by a cat." -Tay Hohoff
If you are a cat lover, I believe you will love this book - whether you've ever had the pleasure of being owned by a tortie or not.
Tortitude: The BIG Book of Cats with a BIG Attitude is currently available for purchase on Amazon. The book will be available through other online retailers and physical bookstores beginning February 5th. For each book ordered before February 5, 2016, $1 will be donated to the Jackson Galaxy Foundation to help at-risk cats!
I am truly honored and thrilled I had the opportunity to review this book, and I'm confident that you'll love this book as much as I do!
Photo courtesy of Ingrid King.
FTC Disclosure: I received a complementary copy of, "Tortitude: The BIG Book of Cats with a BIG Attitude" in exchange for a fair and honest review. Receiving the book did not influence my opinions in any way. All opinions expressed on Fur Everywhere are my own.
Mom says that this is a must have book for her. XOCK, Lily Olivia, Mauricio, Misty May, Giulietta, Fiona, Astrid, Lisbeth and Calista Jo
ReplyDeleteI would LOVE to read it as Mom to Admiral!!! xoxo
ReplyDeleteIngrid is such a cool lady! There's not much that can compare to some serious tortitude!!!
ReplyDeleteI want to read that book. My Penny definitely has tortitude. :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like an interesting book.
ReplyDeleteI've never had a tortie myself, but I've sure known some, and "tortitude" is definitely a real thing. This sounds like a great read!
ReplyDeleteOur mom simply must find a way to afford this book! Most people don't know that ginger girls are more often than not born to tortie moms and usually have that same tortitude that their moms have. And we have an abundance of that in our house!
ReplyDeleteI have never heard of tortitude. How utterly interesting.
ReplyDeleteAh yes, the tude of the torties! My aunties Snowdrop and Primrose were torties and I know of the tortitude, well. Lovely kitties, to be sure. WONDERFUL that someone has written about this tortiness and got it all down on paper. Gotta check out the book, for sure. purrs
ReplyDeleteMy mum had a tortie some time before she had me and Eric, and she says she had tortitude by the barrow load.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book! Sophie is a dilute tortie, but I must say that she does not fall into the stereotypical "tortitude" category. I had a tortie growing up though, and she DEFINITELY fit the bill. MOL! She was very talkative and stubborn, and she only bonded with me. If anyone else tried to pet her, she would bite them. I always thought it was hilarious. haha. Anyway, thanks for this great review. I'll have to check it out!
ReplyDeleteThis is Binga's favorite book of all time!
ReplyDeleteYou can only imagine how much we love this book!!!
ReplyDeleteWhat a wonderful book! My Lucy was a torbie. I loved her tortitude! The genetics sections sounds interesting, and judging by these pics, I bet all the pictures are beautiful.
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a wonderful book! We'll have to check it out, for sure!
ReplyDeleteIts great to have a book all about that kind of kitty 'style'!
ReplyDeleteThat sounds like a beautiful book! A must have for real :) Pawkisses :) <3
ReplyDeleteThank you for this wonderful review!
ReplyDeleteYou KNOW that we LOVED this book! catchatwithcarenandcody
ReplyDeleteWe think Ingrid is one of the wisest cat ladies we know!
ReplyDeleteOMC - Tortitude Rules! -Annie May, a very Tortie Cat.
ReplyDeleteHey, this will make a great gift for our neighbor who has a super cool Tortie!
ReplyDeleteI've had several torties and they all had unique and rather crazy personalities!
ReplyDeleteTortitude sounds very much like the terrier personality in dogs!
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great read! When I was in my twenties, I rescued a tortoiseshell Manx cat that was hanging around my office. She was beautiful. Brought her home and a few days later she had kittens right in my Mom's closet! She had lots of "tortitude" too! A wonderful girl...and we kept several of her babies, too!
ReplyDeleteThis sounds like a great book! My aunt would love to read it! :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book - I've never had a tortie, so am sure I'd learn lots.
ReplyDeleteVery interesting! There are many sites that share information about dog breeds but I haven't seen very much about cat breeds.
ReplyDeleteTorties are truly special kitties. :) I love how Jewel's markings were a mix of of tortie and tabby - a unique look. This sounds like a wonderful book! :)
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book!
ReplyDeleteI love reading a book from an author that understands the breed they are writing about.
ReplyDeleteI've always loved Torties & Calicoes! I think mostly because they're so beautiful & unique looking. This sounds like a really interesting book, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLove & biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
I've always loved Torties & Calicoes! I think mostly because they're so beautiful & unique looking. This sounds like a really interesting book, thanks for sharing!
ReplyDeleteLove & biscuits,
Dogs Luv Us and We Luv Them
I recall that tortitude wielded by a barn cat who arrived one day and decided the service was good enough to stay. Sounds like a great read! Thanks for the excellent review =)
ReplyDeleteI need to get this book! Sweet Praline was a beautiful tortoiseshell Persian. She was a little Diva with attitude.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a great book. Nala was a mix but sure had attitude and was fiercely loyal.
ReplyDeleteSounds like a good book for cat lovers!
ReplyDeleteThey're so gorgeous, too! I hadn't heard of tortitude before, I just love it.
ReplyDeleteI have experienced Tortitude first hand while volunteering, but I love cats with personality!
ReplyDelete