Chloe-the-Cat

Queen Chloe on her throne  (KH)

The Single-Wide has a history of being the residence of many of our dilute tortoiseshell and calico cats. Dilute colouring occurs when a cat receives copies of the dilute gene from both parents. The gene changes how pigment distributes along individual hairs making strong colours appear faded. Black cats produce grey offspring, orange ones produce cream. Mostly we just accept these colourings, but the dilute gene is most striking in the mixed-coloured cats – tortoiseshells who are black with a lot of red; calicos who are while with red and black. With the dilute gene from both parents, they can be a wonderful variety of blue-grey, peach, and buff colours.

considering her options, following her return to us  (BC)

I wrote about them first in 2016, and then specifically about the Single-Wide dilutes in 2022. The older ones have all passed – though we are delighted that LittleCat is now living her best life with staff member Karen.
Chloe-the-Cat is a worthy successor to LittleCat, Flash, Noelle and Marie. Without the dilute gene, she would probably be very orange-y with dark markings, but she does have some white patches, which mark her as calico rather than tortie. She certainly has “tortietude”!

Chloe has a real presence!   (AM)

Chloe came to RAPS in 2024 after her owner died, and her family surrendered her. She was not happy with us, and was fostered out with a lady who has given loving care to several of our needy cats over the years.  Sadly, it was not a good match – the fosterer is a fragile senior, and Chloe, though senior herself, is anything but fragile!  She was aggressive, and sent the fosterer for medical care on a couple of occasions – cat-bites can need IV antibiotics sometimes.

(BC)

She was finally returned to us about 6 months ago, and was caged in the Single-Wide with a warning on her cage that she was a very cranky lady, and needed to be approached with caution. We discovered that the crankiness was mostly in connection with visits by the med-staff; like all self-respecting cats, Chloe dislikes being made to do anything, and being medicated is high on her don’t-do list. Visits from KittyComforters with treats and gentle attention were graciously accepted.

You may kiss my paw...  (SM)

She became one of the senior ladies (we reckon she’s c.16-17) who required her own cage to be kept available for her. Like LittleCat before her, she moved into the window-cage, where she holds court for admiring humans, and lets visiting cats know they are not welcome. Most of them have learned; Whiskers and Jinx persist in pushing her boundaries, and her bathroom is no longer private.  On a good day she will descend from her cat tree for some lap-time, and a little gentle grooming; she has her favourite people, but she is a champion at ignoring folks she doesn’t want to see.

(KH)

She is Chloe-the-Cat because we have a Chloe already on staff;  in fact, one of a group of cats who came to us recently as a bequest and are living next door in the SW office area, is also a Chloe, and has been renamed as Clover to avoid confusion.
If you’re visiting and have not already made her acquaintance, please come and do so. Like many of the reactive cats, when things slow down to her pace, when she can decide on whether it’s a petting moment or not, it’s possible to have a very pleasant encounter with her.

(KH)

Photos by Brigid Coult, Kim Howe, Anne Marchetti, Shaelynn Melnyk