Hey Pet Parents & Pet Lovers,
As you all should know by now, we have our own Calico running around our apartment. Now, every time I tell people I have a Calico they always ask me if she has common personality traits to their own Calico… and it made me question… do Calicos actually have a particular personality? Does every Calico act the same or at least similar? What is it that makes them act similarly? Do they know how rare and special they are?
Short Answer
While there have been plenty of reports that Calicos are dramatic and filled with personality, there is actually no scientific proof that it is due to their colouring. It is important to remember that Calico is not a breed, however a colouring that can be particularly rare, especially for male cats.
Rumoured Personality Traits
Calicos have been rumoured to have a strong-willed, temperamental and fiery personality type. Rumour has it that these personality traits have nothing to do with the breeds that the calicos are, however, have to do specifically with their colouring. It’s also said that Torties or tortoiseshell cats share a similar personality to Calicos. Calicos have also been called stubborn and commonly have difficulties changing foods. Calico cats are also referred to as endearing, sweet, affectionate and warm-hearted. They get into quite a bit of trouble due to their never-ending curiosity and bountiful intelligence. Calicos are usually recommended for families with children, due to their high energy.
Mental Health
It’s weird to talk about a cat’s mental health, however different breeds/species do experience different mental health problems such as stress & anxiety. Calicos are actually considered fairly neurotic. This means that it may be very difficult to actually pinpoint your cat’s personality and you’re going to have a harder time trying to get them to do the things you want them to. Some signs of a neurotic cat include “scaredy-cat syndrome“, avoidance of the litter box, excessive grooming/self-mutilation, spraying, hiding, aggression, poor appetite, restlessness, and incessant meowing. Not all Calicos are neurotic and some show only a few of these signs. For example, Kalista experiences scaredy-cat syndrome experienced poor appetite and hiding.
Kalista’s, Our Calico’s, Personality
It’s true that Kalista is a very fiery and independent cat. She has always been very curious and isn’t a huge fan of being cuddled or held unless she asks for it. Kalista is very high energy, always wants to play and is rarely found sitting still. She’s the type I joke about being untrainable since she has a huge “catitute.” A few weeks ago I posted a video of Kalista running out of our front door, and I have to say that that’s just one example of something Kalista would do just because she could. No matter how much we scold Kalista, it’s hard to get her to stop her from doing what she wants. Whether it’s scratching our couch, to fighting her brother, to breaking into rooms that are “no-go” zones. (I have to tell you some of the stories of how she’s broken into my closet or even in the room that Gary is in to bother him. On the note of being stubborn, this is very true of Kalista, especially when it comes down to food. If you didn’t already know, we struggled with getting her to eat good quality foods.
So Pet Parents, I want to know… do you have a Calico? Do they share any of the quirks above? Let me know in the comments below!
I have heard before that all calicos are “crazy,” and my friend had one several years ago that would literally go from sweet and affectionate to claws-out-homicidal-maniac within SECONDS. I took a chance on adopting one of my own, however, and I couldn’t be happier. My calico loves attention, but prefers it on the floor or when she jumps up onto my lap. She is getting better about being picked up and held, but used to want to jump down right away. Now she stays longer. Every night before I go to bed, she wants pets and belly rubs before I’m allowed to sleep, or she’ll meow for me. She’s a very restless snuggler, though. She’ll take a few pets, walk away a couple paces, turn around, and come back. She’ll flop down and stretch out for belly rubs for several seconds, then get up, walk away, and come back again. Over and over. In the mornings, she has started demanding the same as soon as I come out of the bedroom. She is unpredictable at every other time, though. She is definitely skittish (I think that’s what you are calling “scaredy-cat syndrome?”). She’ll run away randomly even when she seemed like she was asking for attention. So usually I’ll get down on the floor and hold out my hand and call for her, and 95% of the time she’ll come, and headbutt my hand, asking for pets. If I’m not down low enough, it seems to make her nervous. She runs away from my tall boyfriend a lot, even though he has given her nothing but sweet, gentle pets when she has let him. When she’s on my lap, she can’t get enough pets. She’ll lie there calmly, but if I stop, she’ll put a paw on me. That is, until she’s ready to sleep – then she’ll peacefully drift off, usually in a donut shape, or sometimes with her head/paws on my arm. She likes to fall asleep with one of my arms cradled around her, which is just about the absolute sweetest thing in the entire world. She’s getting better about staying on my lap even when I have to adjust my body to change positions, but sometimes she’ll still jump down, wander away for a few minutes, then come back up. She is very playful and inquisitive. She gets into everything, so I have to be very careful of what I leave out (I’m an artist and crafter) and what areas I let her into. She does meow a good bit, compared to other cats I’ve known. She will sometimes have a full “conversation” with me for a few minutes. I like to pretend I’m interviewing her for a celebrity talk show or something. She likes to chew on things like a teething puppy sometimes, but mostly she just likes to lick inanimate objects, like stuffed animals and couch cushions, sometimes railings, windowsills, baseboards. What a goof. She, along with her mother, a long-haired orange tabby, follow me around a lot and want to be in the same room as me as much as possible. They’re darling, and I am so grateful every day that I adopted them. I enjoy my calico’s strange personality; she’s a quirky weirdo like me, which makes us perfect for each other. <3
My calico does not like to be held or picked up, but she is VERY affectionate with head boops and purring. She will also reach out for your pets 🙂 she does have quirks none of my other cats ever had, like her never ending curiosity and the scary cat syndrome, but overall she’s so interesting I adore her!
Haha, your little one sounds so familiar. I say as Kalista headbutts me for attention.
Mi Gata es una calico atigrada igual a la tuya, es muy regalona y mas bien dormilona, sólo en esos momentos le gusta ser acariciada, si ya no le gusta el cariño se va. Y me llama “Mamiau” cada vez que necesita algo. Es bastante indiferente, pero la amo con todo mi corazón 💕
She sounds lovely <3
Mine didn’t have that much of an attitude. However, she had some Siamese in her because of her meow and she had a kink in her tail. She live to be 19 years old.
Amazing that she lived till 19! I haven’t had the opportunity to meet a Siamese kitty in real life yet!
She did have a peculiarity. She liked to sleep under the covers with me. She’d come up and put her cold nose against my neck for me to lift up the covers. She’d then curl up behind my knees and go to sleep (I was a side sleeper then. Because of injuries, I have to sleep on my back now).
With my current kitty, a ginger marmalade, I’ll wake up and she’ll be stretched out over my chest.
My Joanie is curious as was my Angel Lucy. Both are/were loving in their own ways.
<3 <3 <3