Many moons ago I found a kitten that looked like star shards in the night sky. Today I share the tale of the “Carey” cat plus some interesting facts, myths and thoughts about the Tortie kittys.

Their intricate coat may confuse your heart… but hold with me, you will change your mind about that.

Torties (Tortoiseshell cats or Torbies) are considered exotic but misunderstood… being the least adopted cat color in shelters according to our local vets.

The beautiful lady in the pictures is Lumi, and we’d like you to spread the legend of the Carey cat, as we believe they also deserve the magical treatment black cats have started to enjoy in the last few decades.

THE LEGEND OF THE TORTIE CAT ☀️ 🌑

Legend has it, several centuries ago, the Sun begged the Moon to cover him for a while, to give him an alibi to be absent from the sky, to come down to Earth and be free, if only for a moment.

The Sun wanted to stop being the center of the heavens, wanted no one to notice his presence, to go unnoticed and feel released from so much pressure. The Moon, before so much pleading, agreed, and one day in June when the sun was shining the brightest, the Moon approached the Sun, and covered it, little by little, so that the mortals of the time would not be surprised by the darkness all of a sudden.

The Sun, which had been watching the face of the Earth for millions of years, did not hesitate, so to feel free and go unnoticed, it became corporeal in the most perfect, fast and discreet being that there was; A BLACK CAT.

The Moon, lazy, immediately felt tired, and without warning her friend Sun, went away. When Sun realized it was already too late, he ran away to Heaven, and so fast he fled, that he left part of him in his momentary abode; hundreds of Sun’s rays remained inside the Black Cat.

Since then, all the cats that were born of this Black Cat were what we call CAREY CATS.

Their dark mantle is broken by hundreds of red, yellow and orange rays. And what people also don’t know is that their solar origin attributes magical properties to them, as they attract good luck and positive energies.

So if you happen to be the human of one of those beauties, how blessed you are!

ABOUT TORTIES

Their main color is black, with yellow/orange and white spots intertwined, looking like the “concha carey” (spanish for tortoiseshell).

They are different from calico cats, although they also have three colors in their coat, the predominant color is white.

FACTS ABOUT THEir MANTLE:

• It’s a somewhat rare fur coloration and can be found on all cat breeds and coat length.
• Cats with this combination are almost all females as this is derived by XX chromosomes (except for males with Klinefelter gene).
• The patches vary in size appearing closely mixed or separately combined along the body (or both).
• Each tortie’s coat is completely unique.
• For their coloration they are associated with tortoiseshell or turtles all around the world, for example”Schildpad” (= turtle) kat (= cat) in Dutch or “Écaille de tortue” in french.
• In my opinion, they have a fluffier feel in the coat, but maybe that’s just me!.

TORTOISESHELL CAT MYTHS

All my closed ones grew fonder for Lumi after I told them the legend, and other tortie owners I’ve shared this tale with have loved and embraced it. This legend, first heard in my native language is still not enough known in spanish even less in english. The “carey cat legend” has been shared in various online sources and platforms, but couldn’t find precise information on its historical or geographical origin. (Hey if you know more about it please share below.)

FINAL THOUGHT

The distinct Tortoiseshell cat’s colorful coat represents a balance between energies, like yin and yang, or the fusion of day and night.

I see in this particular type of coat so much mystery and magic… to me it resembles yellow stars twinkling in the dark… or as if blessed by a fire volcano cat.

Tell me about your solar Tortie kitty in the comments!