Tabby cats are very common across almost all cat breeds. They’re cute and have pretty interesting personalities that make them great companion. Although, tabbies come in a variety of patterns and colors and some say that these affect their personalities as well. So, for this post, we’ll discuss orange tabby cats in particular(You can also read about orange tabby cats here).
What’s with Orange?
Orange tabby cats are quite distinct compared to other tabbies. One interesting fact that you may not realize is that all orange cats are actually tabbies. Others may have light markings but they still have the tabby coat pattern.
Another fact is that almost all (about 80%) orange tabbies are male. This is because of genetics. The orange coat color is brought by X chromosome. Since females possess two Xs, they need both parents to pass the orange genes. Meanwhile, males have XY so they only need the orange gene from their mothers.
More so, you’ll also notice that the markings of orange tabbies don’t come in the same hue. Some are already reddish, others brighter orange, and there’s cream-colored hue. This is caused by the pigment called pheomelanin. The more pheomelanin there is, the darker hue is their markings. Such is also the same pigment that produces red hair in humans.
Although they are generally perceived as orange, the Cat Fanciers’ Association doesn’t recognize orange as one of its standard colors. For the said Association, orange is considered red. They would describe orange tabbies as those with deep, rich red markings.
Other Names
To distinguish orange tabbies from the black tabby variety, they are also called as marmalade, ginger or marmie. These are also the common names of orange tabbies in different households, in addition to Big Red and Tangerine.
Other names for orange tabbies that you may also know are: Garfield the cartoon and Morris the cat food mascot. You may have also seen Orangey from the movie Breakfast at Tiffany’s, and Orion the cat wearing a galaxy from Men in Black.
Another well-known orange tabby is Tango, Winston Churchill’s orange tabby.
Orange Tabby Traits
It has been observed that in general, orange tabby cats love to eat. The cartoon Garfield who loves lasagna very much is a pretty good depiction of orange tabbies. It’s also probably the reason why one of the popular cat food mascots is an orange tabby.
As such, if you have an orange tabby at home, it’s wise that you monitor its eating habits. Otherwise, your pet may be obese and suffer health problems such as feline diabetes, cancer, and joint damage.
More so, orange tabbies are not seen to be very active. Rather, they prefer to lie or sit around, and eat their food. They are great lap buddies making them more prone to obesity.
However, remember these traits are not solid hard truths to every orange tabby cat. Remember that they are from different breeds, and these largely influence their personality. Another factor is their upbringing. If the family they belong to regularly takes them out for exercise, then the orange tabby may be more active.
