Cats are one of the cutest creatures that exist on earth, undoubtedly. They are adorable and can play on their own without disturbing their owners.

One of the most beautiful features they have is the soft fur that you can run your hands through.

Out of cat's families, a type that is very outstanding but popular is the fluffy orange tabby cat. With their orange coats, have you ever wondered what makes them so special? Look no further.

We have carefully picked, analyzed, and broken down these 9 fun and interesting orange tabby cat facts about our beloved fluffy ginger tabbies!

Let's learn some amazing and interesting facts about them.

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• Fact 1: Ginger tabbies don't have solid color coats
• Fact 2: Most are males
• Fact 3: They are known to have black freckles around there nose
• Fact 4: Ginger tabbies aren't their own breed
• Fact 5: Their color comes from a pigment
• Fact 6: They come in four patterns
• Fact 7: They are famous!
• Fact 8: They are usually low energy
• Fact 9: Certain breeds are more likely to have an orange hue
• Commonly asked questions

#1 Orange Tabbies Don’t Have Solid Color Coats

It can be strange to think this as other colored cats have coats that are plain solid colors. However, this is not the case for orange cats.

Their orange coats come in different patterns, such as agouti, swirled, mackerel striped, and spotted tabby.

The variation in feline ginger-colored hues goes from red to orange. The reason for this variation is because of pheomelanin, which is common and responsible for the pigmentation in cats, although of course, in this case, there are orange genes carrying these particular shades. This factor also shares striking similarities with the part that produces red hair in humans.

#2 Most Are Males

How is your cat’s sex-linked to its fur color? For every 80 males, there are only 20 females. The males outnumber the females 4 to 1.

Scientifically, there are no conclusions as to why most of them are males and researchers are still trying to pinpoint why this is the case.

The common permutation on the ongoing study is that the female double chromosomes X and would require only one orange gene from XY to get the ginger orange pattern.

In most tenable cases, this might be the reason for the gender variation.

#3 They Are Known To Have Black Freckles Around Their Nose

Have you ever watched your cat closely to watch and admire their body features?

Most orange tabbies will develop freckles around their nose due to a genetic condition called Lentigo.

The freckles can be noticed along the kitten’s face, surrounding the gum, lips or noses. Cats with freckles may seem unusual but Lentigo is fine and harmless to humans. When noticed in your cat, however, a vet should be seen or spoken with.

#4 Orange Tabbies Aren’t Their Own Breed

There are a number of mysteries as surrounding cats’ nomenclature. Have you ever wondered how they were first called pussy cats? Well, the same is the case with “orange tabby”.

The word “Tabby” refers to a specific coat pattern, meaning that tabby is not a cat breed in itself, it is not entirely about the coat color, either.

Not all tabbies are orange; however, only tabbies can be orange. This makes them a very special and unique cat to own.

Tabby is a word taken from a silk fabric made close to Baghdad with a striped appearance.

#5 The Orange Colour Comes From A Pigment

Similar to humans, the red hair comes from a pigment known as pheomelanin.

This pigment causes the hair to grow out in different hues that range from red to cream and to orange. That is why the color intensity of one tabby can be different from another. It all depends on the hue that the pheomelanin in each one produces.

Don’t be like some people who think the furs of these cats are dyed. No, they are not, neither do they have any health deficiency. Their nature only dictates the type of hair they have.

#6 They Come In Four Different Patterns

Fluffy tabbies come in four major patterns, none of which are solid orange.

These patterns include:

• Striped – This incredible mark pattern makes your kitten bear the resemblance of a tiger. These mackerel tabby cats categorized here have an “M” mark on their forehead. Personally, this one is one of our favorite tabby patterns. Also, they share the Garfield look!
• Classic Swirled – Cats that follow this pattern have the tie-dye looking appearance. Their colors might be a bit mixed, but you can always tell that they are a member of the tabby family.
• Spotted – Some of our regular fluffy orange tabbies also have spots on their bodies. Their spotted appearance usually has an alternating pattern on the fur. The alternating spots on the fur are between white and orange.
• Agouti – The agouti cats are members of the tabby that have some parts of their bodies as solid colors while other parts are spotted. Also known as a ticked tabby, these cats characteristically have two main patterns. There are also non-agoutis; for these ones, the allele is recessive.

#7 Ginger Cats Are Famous

One major factor that brought attention to them is their color. They are adorable and likable. In this age of social media frenzy, many people pride in taking pictures with their cats. However, orange kitties are also all over the media far beyond just the likes of Garfield.

In case you have not noticed, this particular species has been featured to take leading and supporting roles in blockbuster films such as Orion from Men in Black, Puss in Boots from Shrek, Milo from Milo and Otis, Jones from Alien, Crookshanks from Harry Potter and Spot from Star Trek.

In fact, it’s not just the cats that are famous, but there are plenty of famous people who have had ginger cats. Winston Churchill, for example, had an orange tabby called Tango!

#8 They Are Normally Low-Energy

Just like Garfield, the orange tabbies, like most cats, don't normally get much exercise.

Many owners would even agree their tabby orange cat is just plain lazy! Maybe not lazy, they are just not your typical high-energy and all-over-the-place kitties.

Like most cats, they love to sit around and eat food! You want to see them jump in excitement? Give them food or a small toy to play with.

#9 Orange Fur Is Found More Often In Certain Breeds

Some cat breeds are much more likely to have an orange hue to their coat than other breeds. Some of these include the American Bobtail, Bengal, British Shorthair, and Maine Coon cats to name a few.

Commonly Asked Questions

Are They More Friendly?

Yes, according to sources such as Berkeley News they are more friendly than most felines.

They are not so troublesome, either. Although there is currently very little evidence to explain why the color of a cat plays a part in their personality.

We like them just the way they are and their positive cat personality traits make them a truly great pet to own. They are easily likable, really. 

What Is An Orange Cat Called?

The red tabby is often called ginger, orange, yellow, butter, butterscotch, marmalade, and caramel.

Are Ginger Cats More Affectionate?

They tend to be more affectionate and less shy than the average house cat as they have an even temperament. As with all cats, affection, however, is a relative term!

Do They Have More Health Problems?

All cats are prone to getting health issues as they get older, orange tabbies are more likely to suffer from allergies/skin conditions, dental disease, and heart disease.

Across all types of cats, they are positioned somewhere in the middle with the total amount of health problems that can affect them. So, the risks are neither high nor low. This, however, does not mean they are incapable of healing from mild injuries. Also, the sooner you take them to the vet when they have an issue, the better the chance of recovery.

Why Do They Have Freckles?

Lentigo is a genetic condition that causes cats to have nose freckles of those that have orange coloration. Although it is popular on the nose, it can be anywhere around the nose, the sides of the mouth, or of the face. 

The genetic condition is linked to the genes of cats that can be found on tortoiseshell, flame point, calico, and orange varieties.

Know someone who owns a cat? We have perfect custom gifts for any pet owner, visit our store to see more. We would also be glad to answer any questions concerning any of the items in our store.

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Do You Own A Ginger Cat?

We’d love to hear about them in the comments section below! Share some amazing tips.