Tuxedo Cat Information

Tuxedo cats are attractive and fun to have around. While not specifically a breed, the specific coat pattern of tuxedo cats makes them immediately identifiable.

  1. Definition

    • A tuxedo cat is a cat with a black body and white feet, chest and belly, sometimes also with white areas of the face or tail. Tuxedo cats resemble someone wearing a tuxedo, thus the name.

    Breed

    • Most tuxedo cats belong to the cat variety American shorthair, although some have longer fur due to interbreeding with longer haired breeds.

    Genetics

    • The tuxedo cat is a type of cat known as a bicolor, having two colors. The white spotting gene is what gives the tuxedo cat its distinct white markings on a black background.

    Personality

    • Over the years, many people have linked cat colors to specific personality traits. Some beliefs about tuxedo cats include that they are friendly lap, soft-hearted, lazy, moody and friendly wanderers.

    Pop Culture

    • Tuxedo cats show up often in popular culture. They were featured in T.S. Elliot's 1939 "Old Possum's Book of Practical Cats," in the cartoon Tom and Jerry, as Sylvester from Looney Tunes and as the official White House cat Socks of the Clinton administration.