Meezer Colors Day: Legend of the Tortoiseshell Cat

Hey everybody, Truffles at the keyboard! Today is Meezer Colors Day, a day for all kitties to flaunt their colors with pride. I had planned to share some fun myths and legends about torties but in helping me with my research, Mommy stumbled upon something she had never seen before (even though she has read *a lot* about torties!)

Tortoiseshell cats are known as gatas carey in Spanish, and they have a very special legend about how we got our unique colors. Many thanks to Yadiri's Crafty Adventures for the loose translation of the Spanish version.

Leyenda de las Gatas Carey

Legend of the Tortoiseshell Cat

Legend says that many centuries ago the Sun begged the Moon to cover him for a while so that he could have the chance to leave the heavens and wander freely around Earth. The Sun no longer wanted to be the center of the universe and wanted to be able to go unnoticed among all the living creatures.

The Sun insisted so much that on a bright June morning the Moon slowly started moving towards him until she covered its light. The movement was slow, so that the creatures below wouldn't be surprised by the sudden darkness.

As soon as the Sun could step down from its place, it headed towards Earth. To avoid calling attention to itself, the Sun took the body of the fastest and most discreet creature around; a black cat.

The Moon quickly grew tired of covering for the Sun and, without warning, started to recede. When the sun realized this, he ran to the skies so fast that he left behind a part of him in his temporary host, hundreds of sunbeams inside the black cat.

To this day, the cats we call tortoiseshell are the descendants of that black cat that long ago hosted the sun during its visit to Earth. Today we can still see hints of the sun in the patches of red, yellow and orange that cover their coats. The split face on some of these cats is further evidence of their dual nature; half cat, half heavenly star.

Some folks say that their solar origin grants these special cats magical properties, they are said to bring good luck and attract positive energy. Also, these cats are very loved and appreciated in Oriental countries; it's common knowledge that whoever possesses one should cherish and treasure her.