Are All Ginger Cats Male?

Being around a ginger (orange) cat is something special. They're absolutely lovely. It's said that all orange cats are male, but is that true?

Facts About Orange Cats

Orange cats are a type of tabby. Tabby is not a cat breed—it's a coat pattern. There are several different tabby patterns possible, but they all have stripes or swirls and a letter M on the forehead.

All cats have tabby cat markings, but some have other coat patterns or colors that hide them.

Orange cats always have visible tabby markings because the gene that makes the fur red or orange also makes the markings more prominent.

So, all orange cats are tabbies!

What About All Orange Cats Being Males?

It turns out that the gene for orange color in cats is on the X chromosome, so a male cat only needs one copy to be orange, while a female cat needs two. Because of that, upwards of 80% of orange cats are male.

Are Orange Cats All Friendly?

Ginger cats have a reputation for being talkative and friendly. But is that warranted? There isn't much research on this topic, but there have been surveys done that ask cat owners questions about their cat's personality and characteristics. These surveys indicated male cats are a bit more likely to be friendly than females. So, the perception that orange cats are friendlier may have to do with that.

However, the idea that orange cats are friendlier has a real impact on cats' well-being. In shelters, orange cats are adopted first, leaving other colors, especially, black, homeless. It's well worth the time when adopting a cat to hang out with all of them and determine which has a personality you mesh with than to make a decision based on looks.

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