Tuxedo Cats - Black And White Feline Beauties

Tuxedo cats are not a cat breed. They just have a very unique coat pattern and colouring.

In fact, tuxedo cats are bi-colour cats. They are true black and white feline beauties.





What is a Tuxedo Cat?

• The term refers to those cats with a specific colour pattern on their coat, which appears like a tuxedo. In order to be considered a tuxedo cat, the feline must have a solid black coat with white patches on the paws, belly, chest, throat and chin. The white patches must be limited to those regions.
• These cats can be easily identified with their special coat pattern and the white-collared 'V' on their chest. Tuxedo cats are also known as black mask cats, as they have black colouration around their eyes that looks like a mask. In some regions, these cats are known as 'Jellicle' cats or 'Billicat'.
• Many cat breeds have tuxedos, which are commonly seen in both domestic short hair and long hair varieties. Some of those cat breeds which have tuxedos are American Short hair, British Short hair, Manx, Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Scottish Fold, Persian and Bombay. You can find tuxedo cats in mixed breeds too.

Tuxedo cats have the following characteristics:

• Solid black throughout the entire body (except for a few white patches).
• The white patches must be on the chin, chest, belly, and paws.
• Must have more black than white.
• Tuxedo cats look as if they're wearing a tuxedo. That's why they are called tuxedo cats.

It is important to note that not all black and white cats are tuxedos. There are some bi-colour, black and white cats that are not tuxedos. Some of these cats, for example, may have more white than black, or be half black and half white, or have solid white throughout their bodies and just have a few small patches of black. They are not considered to be tuxedos.

Personality It is a common belief that tuxedo cats are more friendly, smart, affectionate, vocal and intelligent. They are very popular and can be seen in movies, as cartoon characters and even in literature.



Some well-known tuxedo cats.

• Tuxedos were immortalized in Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats, a poem by T.S. Eliot in which a tribe of black and white cats are the protagonists.
• It is said that famous personalities like William Shakespeare, Beethoven and Sir Isaac Newton owned tuxedo cats.
• It was a tuxedo cat (named Sparky), that inherited over 6.3 million dollars in 1998. This was the largest inheritance ever left for a cat.
• The only cat that climbed Mt. Everest was a tuxedo named Roderick.
• Other famous tuxedos include Sylvester the Cat (of Looney Toons fame), Felix the Cat (that wonderful, wonderful cat who became a star of the silent era and beyond), and of course Socks, former President Clinton's cat. Socks joined the list of the many cats who have called the White House their home.
• During the World War II, the military officers awarded a medal to Simon, a tuxedo cat. The award was for protecting the soldiers' food from pests, like mice, lizards, and insects.

Tuxedos make wonderful and loving companions.