Cats: Colors and Personalities

I decided it was time for me to do some reading on feline genetics.  I knew some of the basics about genetics, but how the rules applied to coat color or other genetic traits, I was a bit uncertain.  So, I got a copy of Robinson's Genetics for Cat Breeders and Veterinarians, by Roy Robinson.  This is the standard feline genetics book and is used in vet schools and by breeders the world over.  I'm about half-way through it for a second time (skimmed it quickly the first time) and it's fascinating.  But I have one major question left:

Is there a relationship between a cat's coat color and its personality?

Based on this book and on genetics, the answer really should be no.  But when I talk to people, owners, rescue people, and breeders, I get the same answer -- yes, there is a relationship between color and personality.  Here's a few of the color/personalities:

• Solid red -- shy, easily spooked
• Red tabby or red bicolor -- clownish
• Tortoiseshell and calico -- wild, outgoing
• Silver -- quiet, reserved, sweet
• Blues -- loyal, calm

So is there a relationship or not?  At some point, someone usually then states that it's how the cats were raised which make a big difference.  And for a while I agreed with this and I still do in part. But,...

Kami

This is Kami, a shaded cameo.  She's friendly, outgoing, and somewhat fearless.  She adjusts to new situations easily.  She comes for pets and scratches and did so from day 1.  

Khloe

This is Khloe, a solid red.  She's very shy, nervous, and scared of lights on the ceiling!  Her method of adjusting to new things is to hide, for days if necessary.  She does like to be petted but you have to slowly reach into her hiding place and pet her.  One week later and she's finally coming out of her cupboard, but only at night.

These two girls are polar opposites in terms of personality, yet both have the 'red gene' and the real interesting part, they are sisters!  They were from the same litter, raised by the same person, and have always lived together.  So, on the nurture vs. nature debate, they had the same 'nurture', which then would suggest it's 'nature'.

But that brings us back to my original question -- are personalities really genetically tied to coat color in some way we have yet to figure out?

Anya's Peeing

Well, I spent most of yesterday cleaning the carpets in the bedroom and in my studio.  They really needed it in general, but the reason I did it was because this room began to smell.  With a bit of warmth from the sun, it was bothering me, and I'm not terribly sensitive to smells.

And what was the smell?  Cat urine... from Anya.

Anya is my 14 year old, one-eyed, lilac-point himalayan cat.  She also has herpes and on/off nasal infections, which I can control with lysine and echinacea.  But she's quirky at times.  She'll be asleep, wake up, stretch, and then howl.  She's also very loving and affectionate.

She just doesn't always use the litter box.... And this is probably part of the reason she was dumped at a shelter.  Anyway, sometimes she will go for 2-4 days with no accidents and then sometimes she will go 2-4 days without using the litter box.  Well, you know a cat has to pee, so she does it on the floor.  (And she occasionally poops on the floor too.)

Normally, peeing outside the box normally comes down to 3 causes:

1. Urinary tract infection -- Cats relate the pain of peeing to the litter box, so will pee outside the box.  The pees are usually small and frequent.  Maybe with a drop or two of blood.
2. Dislike of litter/box -- Some cats object to deodorizing crystals in litter, or the size of the grains, or the height of the box, or ...  If the cat doesn't like the box, the cat will find a place and substance it likes to pee on.
3. Dirty boxes -- Many cats object to using a dirty box.  And if you think about it, it's like going into a public toilet and finding "stuff" in the toilet.  With these cats, you need to get more boxes and/or scoop frequently.

None of these fit Anya.  So, I'm left with the more exotic causes:

1. Incontinence -- Cats can lose control of the bladder sphincter.
2. Dementia -- Older cats forget where the box is.
3. Medication -- Oral steroids can cause sudden urges to pee.
4. Not trained -- I know there are some cats who never were trained by mom or the breeder to use a litter box, but I personally think these are few and far between.
5. Tumors

The dementia and incontinence fit to some degree because she will walk along, pause, pee, and continue walking.  If I see her pause and especially if she's pawing at the carpet, I can call her name and usually that is enough to interrupt her and THEN she will use her box.  But I really can't sit here 24 hrs a day!  This is why puppy pads won't work -- she will pee anywhere and not just one spot.

I also wonder with her if her nose isn't a factor.  Cats are attracted to places to pee by smell.  Since I clean the litter box and remove the smells, the carpet ends up being smellier.  Now that I cleaned the carpet (and 90% of the smell is gone), I'm hoping she'll be more attracted to the litter box.  So far, it is working... knock on wood.

I know many people wouldn't tolerate this and... well, I don't know what the alternatives would be.  Dump her at another shelter?  Put her to sleep?  Lock her in a bathroom with hard floors?  These just don't seem viable options to me.  When I adopt an animal, it's for their lifetime, come good or bad.  Putting up with this problem does not make me a saint -- I just love her for who she is.

But she has helped me clean my house... win-win for both of us!