Did you know orange tabby cats are typically male? In fact, up to 80 percent of orange tabbies are male, making orange female cats a bit of a rarity. According to the BBC's Focus Magazine, the ginger gene in cats works a little differently compared to humans; it is on the X chromosome.
Only about 1 in 5 orange cats are female, so if you have an orange girl cat, consider yourself blessed with an extra special pet! Of course, a rare cat like an orange girl cat deserves an extra-special name.
*This is because the “ginger gene” which produces the orange color is on the X chromosome. Females have two X chromosomes and so need two copies of this gene to become ginger, whereas males need only one. This means there are roughly three males to one female ginger cat.
Interestingly, orange tabby cats are usually male (about 20-25% of orange tabby cats are female).
Only about 20% are female, but it's rare to find one. Cat coat colors and types are passed down from the parents, and most orange tabby cats are male.
Only about 1 in 5 orange tabby cats is female
Because females possess two Xs and males possess XY, male cats only need the orange gene from their mothers to become a ginger—making them much more likely to carry on the trait.
Is every orange tabby cat male? While it's true that a higher percentage of orange tabbies are male, the ratio is actually about 80 percent male to 20 percent female. And it's not some sort of magic — it's genetics. The X chromosome is responsible for the orange coloring.
Albino. We'll finish out our list of rare cat colors with the rarest of them all: albino. This is when there's no coloring at all, and it impacts not just a cat's fur, but also its eyes and skin.
According to owner responses, female cats with orange in their coats are considered the most aggressive and irritable toward unfamiliar people, mainly when being handled.
Because the genetic determination of coat colors in calico cats is linked to the X chromosome, calicoes are nearly always female, with one color linked to the maternal X chromosome and a second color linked to the paternal X chromosome.
Garfield is an orange tabby cat of an unspecified breed. The official word from his creator, Jim Davis, is that Garfield isn't one particular breed or even based off of a singular cat. Some people theorize that he could be a Persian, British Shorthair, or Maine Coon.
Nearly all orange cats have stripes, spots and/or patches of white fur. The rare exception is a solid red Maine Coon, whose fur is uniformly reddish-orange from ear tip to tail.
The dilute version is cream or buff. Most orange cats are male, though females are not unheard of. Orange cats are usually outgoing and friendly. They tend to have more health issues than many other colors, including a tendency to develop allergies, dental disease and heart disease.
Females must have two copies to be orange. So while female orange cats are not rare, females are just as likely to inherit genes for other colors, making them tortoiseshells or patched tabbies.
Fun Fact #8: They tend to be low-energy
In fact, many owners of orange tabbies will fully admit that their cats are just plain lazy. This is especially important to remember given what we already know about these orange felines—that is, they love to sit around and eat food.
Ginger cats are prone to obesity.
Speaking of food, orange tabbies love eating so much they go obese. Garfield, a cartoon mascot, is one of the examples of how much this breed enjoys food. Even though the biggest snugglers and cutest lap buddies, tabbies tend to grow lazy over time.
Orange cats were regarded as the friendliest by respondents, while white cats were labeled aloof, and tortoiseshell cats were thought to have too much "attitude." The subject was revisited in a University of California Davis study a few years later. This time, results were tabulated from 1,274 completed surveys.
Fun Facts About Orange Tabbies
Some orange tabbies are so affectionate that they are often cat-egorized as “velcro” kitties. They are also chatty kitties. Orange tabbies are known to be quite talkative. All orange cats are tabbies, but not all tabbies are orange.
Female ginger cats are very rare because of genetics. The red colour is in fact dependent on the Orange gene with a dominant 'O' and a recessive 'o' gene. Its peculiarity is that it can only be transmitted by females.
Entirely or primarily black cats will be less likely adopted—and more likely euthanized—than cats of other colors.
Generally, an average tabby cat lifespan is estimated at 10-16 years. It can live as long as 20 years when taken good care of. It is not the pattern that decides a cat's longevity. An orange tabby lifespan can be as long as a brown tabby cat lifespan, with a proper diet and care.
Researchers found that only 17 to 22 percent of white cats with non-blue eyes are born deaf. The percentage rises to 40 percent if the cat has one blue eye, while upwards of 65 to 85 percent of all-white cats with both eyes blue are deaf. Some of these cats are deaf in only one ear.
The actual, scientific fact of the matter is that most calicos and torties are female. There are some rare exceptions! According to a study by the University of Minnesota College of Veterinary Medicine, only about 1 in 3,000 calico cats are male!