There’s something peculiar about orange cats. Maybe it’s because their fur resembles that of a tiger, or maybe it’s because we grew up with one of the most popular orange cats worldwide – Garfield.
One thing is clear: we all love the orange cat breed. The iconic character Garfield has made us believe that orange cats are social and friendly yet lazy, presenting them as the perfect domestic cat.
Whether you plan on adopting a cat for the first time or already have a ginger kitty at home, you may be curious about their temperament, personality, and anything orange cat-related.
Ahead, we’ll explore the most common 12 orange cat breeds that will charm you with their meows. Each cat breed has distinctive colors and patterns on their fur.
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Top 12 Cat Breeds with Orange Coats
1. Persian Cat
Image credits:KlausHausmann
Although the whitePersian catsare perhaps the most iconic and widely recognized, orange Persian cats shouldn’t be overlooked. Known for their calm, gentle, and affectionate personality, they’ve become one of the most adorable cats. They make your heart melt once they’ve sat on your lap and covered you with their long, silky, thick double coat.
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Next, we have one of the oldest orange cat breeds ever known. Originating in Egypt, they resembled the Sphinx of the time. With their pointy, large, and wide-set ears, they are always alert and pay attention to any movement.
3. Maine Coon
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Maine Coonhas earned the title of one of the largest domesticated breeds and one of the oldest North American felines. Because of its enormous size, yet its loving and outgoing personality, this cat breed has earned the nickname “gentle giants”.
While we can account for this cat for being friendly, affectionate, extremely intelligent, and a fan of water, you may struggle to give them a proper bath. Although they have a wide range of coat colors and patterns, most of these cats are orange tabbies, but they can also be solid or even bi-color.
4. Devon Rex
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Probably the most unique-looking feline we’ll have on our list is the Devon Rex.
How did this breed come to be? These cats originated from Devonshire, England (hence the name) when a stray cat gave birth to an odd-looking kitten, which then became the father of an entire breed.
5. Selkirk Rex
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Next on our list, we have the Selkirk Rex, a cutie-pie mixture of a stray Montana cat and an elegant Persian cat. But don’t get this breed mixed up with the Devon Rex. Besides their ongoing and deeply affectionate personality, there’s nothing that relates them both.
One originates from Montana, and the other from Devonshire. One has a thick, curled coat and eyes that stare deep into your soul, while the other has a thick coat and looks for any chance it gets to warm itself up.
If you have a Selkirk Rex at home, you’ll agree with us:
6. Munchkin
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You know the sausage doggo. Now it’s time to introduce the sausage cat. This breed has a long torso but very little, tiny, short legs. Some even say it’s the first dwarf cat breed.
Even the nameMunchkinalludes to the fact that we are going to talk about a cutie pie that’s extremely friendly and playful and loves humans (children included). Once you’ve got yourself a Munchkin at home, you are gonna love the interactive play, and the purring on your lap.
7. British Shorthair
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When we think of cats, we think of cute cartoon cats with big expressive eyes like glass, round heads, and a stocky body. Well, guess what? TheBritish Shorthair, one of the most adorable orange cat breeds, looks exactly like that.
8. Scottish Fold
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Have you ever seen aScottish Foldup close? If so, you cannot deny the love at first sight. Their folded-over ears and soft round faces only add to their cuteness. And don’t get us started on the Scottish Fold kittens… Oh men, oh men, how cute are they. With their squishy face and thick fur, you’ll want to cuddle with them all day long.
9. American Bobtail
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This breed loves to play, and guess their favorite game? Fetch, duh. They can play fetch for hours on end without getting bored.
10. Turkish Angora
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Surprised to see the Turkish Angora as part of the 12 orange cat breeds that will charm you with their meow?
It’s very funny how they act like humans in most cases. That may have to account to the fact they are one of the oldest domesticated cats.
11. Bengal
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Resembling leopard fur, you can notice aBengalcat even from a distance. Their distinctive appearance will surely elicit looks of awe even to onlookers.
12. Egyptian Mau
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We leave the best for last. Extremely rare and often mistaken for a Bengal, the Egyptian Mau is one of the rarest cat breeds on the list. It is a bit smaller than the Bengal, but both share certain personality traits.
The Genetics Behind Orange Cats: What Makes Them So Special?
Before we discuss the different breeds as perfect additions to your family, we have to say that orange cats have long fascinated veterinarians and scientists. Why? Primarily because of their genetics.
Orange cats are the result of a specific coat color gene known as pheomelanin. That gene is responsible for the cat’s orange, ginger, and even red fur. The color gene, just like people (although less common), produces reddish and even orange pigment.
We have to say that orange cats are not a breed in itself, but think of it this way: just as there are differentcat breeds with black fur, the same applies to orange cats. The spectrum is quite large, and there are plenty of options to consider if you plan on adopting an orange cat.
Are orange cats extremely rare?
The X chromosome contains the gene responsible for the cat’s coat color and the ginger gene. This chromosome also determines the kitten’s sex. So, since the ginger gene is located on the X chromosome, there’s a high chance that the cat will be male.
Males have one X and one Y chromosome (XY), while females have two X chromosomes (XX). It turns out that males only need one X chromosome to get that gorgeous orange fur, while females need two X chromosomes to have that beautiful ginger coat.
As a matter of fact, most of theorange cats are males.
Top 7 Fascinating Facts About Orange Cats
There are many fun facts associated with orange cats, but we’ll briefly mention a few that we think are funny and extremely cool.
FAQs:
Should you adopt an orange cat?
The answer is a definitive yes. But look at the breed as well, not only the color. If you like a lap cat, go with the one and only Maine Coon or the British Shorthair.
What is the rarest color of a cat?
There are cats with purple hues or leopard spots, but the rarest color of a cat remains to be albino. Although it’s a genetic mutation, and it’s extremely rare to see an albino cat (all white with blue eyes), it doesn’t mean it’s exciting and that you shouldn’t have one at home.
What is orange cat syndrome?
What breed is the ginger cat?
A ginger cat is not a specific breed but rather a color that can occur in various breeds. For instance, Persian cats and Turkish Angoras, among others, can have ginger-colored coats, but they are distinct breeds that come in many different color variants.
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