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Orange tabby cats are often well-loved in the cat community. Many of them are known for having sweet dispositions and being affectionate. But did you know there are a lot of other interesting things about these orange cats? After doing some digging, we found 10 fun facts about orange tabby cats.
1. Males are More Common
Up to 80 percent of orange tabbies are male, making only 20 percent of them female. This is because the gene that produces orange fur is on the X chromosome. As a throwback to Biology 101, females have two X chromosomes and males have an X chromosome and a Y chromosome. Since females have two X chromosomes, female orange tabbies need two copies of the gene to become ginger, while males need only one.
2. They are Not a Breed
Contrary to popular belief, orange tabbies are not a breed. The term “tabby” actually refers to specific coat markings, not a breed. As for their specific markings, all tabbies have a distinctive ‘M’ shaped marking on the forehead. However, their coat patterns vary depending on the tabby type. In fact, there are 5 different tabby coat patterns:
- Classic: Has marbled, swirled, or blotched patterns.
- Mackerel: Has rings around their tails and legs and bands of solid around the rest of their body.
- Spotted: Has bands of spots that vary in size.
- Patched: Has patches of brown and orange with the tabby pattern. They are also called Tortoiseshell Tabbies because the brown and orange spots look like the shell of a tortoise.
- Ticked: Has bands of light and dark coloring if you look at their individual hairs closely.
3. Certain Breeds are More Likely to Have Orange Fur
Although orange cats are not a specific breed, certain breeds are more likely to have orange fur than others. Some of these breeds are the Persian, Exotic Shorthair, Munchkin, American Bobtail, British Shorthair, Bengal, Maine Coon, Egyptian Mau, and others.
4. There are No Solid-Colored Orange Cats
You read that right. Believe it or not, there is no such thing as a solid orange cat. This is because all cats with orange fur carry the tabby gene. As we already learned, tabby cats have various markings, none of which are solid. Some breeders have found ways to dilute the orange color so that it appears solid, however, tabby markings will still be there, even if they are faint.
5. All Orange Cats are Also Tabby Cats
As mentioned during our last fact, all cats with orange fur carry the tabby gene. This means that all orange cats are also tabby cats. However, not all tabby cats are orange cats.
6. They Tend to Develop Freckles
Many orange tabbies develop dark brown or black freckles. These freckles develop on the head, especially around the gums, lips, nose, or even inside of the ears. This condition is known as “Lentigo Simplex”, and is completely harmless. Oftentimes, the freckles grow in size as the cat gets older.
7. They Share a Pigment with Red-Heads
As we learned earlier, orange tabbies are genetically prone to freckles. In fact, this is similar to why human-red heads are prone to freckles too. But that’s not all that orange tabbies have in common with red-heads. It turns out that the pigment responsible for an orange cat’s color is called “pheomelanin.” This same pigment also causes red hair in humans. Pheomelanin is also responsible for the rusty look of most freckles.
8. They are Part of a Legend
There is a legend as to how orange tabbies got their distinctive “m” mark on their foreheads. Legend has it that the “m” comes from their encounter with Jesus, the son of God.
As the story goes, when baby Jesus was lying in the manager, he began to shiver and cry from the cold. After trying to keep him warm with a blanket, his mother, Mary, didn’t know what else to do. So she asked the animals in the manger to move closer to the baby to keep him warm with their body heat. However, Jesus continued to shiver and cry. Then, a tabby cat came into the manager and cuddled next to baby Jesus. The baby stopped crying and fell asleep. To thank the cat, Mary marked her initial on the cat’s forehead so that tabby cats would forever remind the world of how one of their kind had comforted the newborn Jesus.
NOTE: For our faithful friends, this is simply a popular legend. There is no evidence of this story in scripture.
9. They Have Several Nicknames
Orange tabbies have many different monikers. After “orange tabby,” they are most often referred to as ginger cats or marmalade cats. However, they have also been nicknamed: orange, yellow, butter, caramel, and butterscotch cats.
10. Many Orange Tabbies are Famous
Many cats in movies and television shows are orange tabbies. Some of the most well-known ones are:
Garfield (from Garfield), Crookshanks (from Harry Potter), Orangey (from Breakfast at Tiffany’s), Puss in Boots (from Shrek 2), Spot (from Star Trek: The Next Generation), Goose (from Captain Marvel), and Orion (from Men in Black).
Resources
https://www.biologyonline.com/dictionary/pheomelanin
https://coleandmarmalade.com/2019/12/18/cat-freckles-why-kitties-get-them-and-what-it-means/
https://coleandmarmalade.com/2018/12/22/8-fun-facts-about-ginger-tabby-cats/
https://www.felineliving.net/orange-tabby-cats/
https://www.litter-robot.com/blog/2018/09/01/8-orange-tabby-cat-facts/
https://www.rover.com/blog/orange-cat-breeds/
Disclaimer: The Purring Journal is not in the medical field. This post is made for entertainment purposes only. Use the information presented in this article at your own risk. Always seek medical advice from licensed veterinarians.
