Orange is one of the rarer colors found in cats. Interestingly, orange cats are most often male cats. This is due to the unique genetics involved with the orange pigment color (it’s associated with the X chromosome). If you have a female cat who is orange, you have a very rare cat indeed!
Orange cats come in a wide range of hues, from very pale orange to deep reddish orange. Orange cats are also found in a variety of patterns, including solid orange, orange tabby, orange spotted tabby, orange ticked tabby, orange spotted, and bi-colored (orange with white).
Orange cats are sometimes referred to as orange tabby cats (if they have classic tabby markings), ginger cats, or marmalade cats. Calico and tortoiseshell cats also have some orange colors in their coats, but in these coat patterns orange is primarily an accent color.
Many popular cats from pop culture have red hair, including Morris the Cat (mascot of the 9Lives cat food brand), Garfield, the oversized cartoon cat, and the lead cat in the 2011 film Puss in Boots, and Milo, the cat in the 1986 movie The Adventures of Milo & Otis.
If you love cats with orange fur, you might be wondering which cat breeds come in orange. Many of the 45 pedigreed cat breeds recognized by the Cat Fanciers Association come in orange. The International Cat Association recognizes 73 pedigreed cat breeds, many of which are also orange hued. Read on to meet some of the most popular orange cat breeds.
Abyssinians come in four coat colors (ruddy, cinnamon, blue, and fawn). One of the colors, cinnamon, is a red-orange color. In the breed standard, the color is described as a rich, warm, glowing red color ticked with brown.
The Abyssinian has a unique ticking pattern called agouti. Each individual hair has two to six different bands of color. The color bands are lighter at the root and darker at the tips. The Abyssinian’s coat is soft, silky, and fine in texture, with a lustrous sheen. This breed is active, playful, curious, and very athletic. Abyssinians love people and are extremely loyal to their favorite human companions.
#2 American Shorthair
The American Shorthair comes in a variety of colors and patterns, with several orange hues, including solid red, red tabby, red tabby and white, and bi-color (white with red). The coat is short, thick, even, dense, and hard in texture.
The American Shorthair developed in North American from descendants of the cats that European settlers brought along with them. American Shorthair were valued as working cats, killing rats and other vermin that threatened food stores.
American Shorthairs also developed friendly, easy-going dispositions, and soon found their ways into the hearts of families all over the United States.
#3 Cornish Rex
The Cornish Rex has a unique coat that is extremely short, curly, and close lying to the skin, with a tight marcel wave. The soft fur feels like warm velvet and is addicting to pet.
The Cornish Rex comes in a variety of colors, include some orange shades, such as red, red smoke, red tabby, bi-color (red and white), and red point. Although Cornish Rex do shed a little, it’s very minimal compared to some other cat breeds. The breed is active, friendly, and people-oriented.
#4 Exotic Shorthair
The Exotic Shorthair is a close cousin to the Persian. However, unlike the Persian, which is known for its long, luxurious coat, the Exotic is shorthaired. The coat is dense, plush, and soft with a thick undercoat. Though the Exotic’s coat still requires brushing, the level of grooming is much less it is for a Persian.
Exotic Shorthair cats come in a rainbow of colors and patterns. Orange colors include solid red, red smoke, red tabby, red tabby and white, and flame (red) point. Like Persians, Exotic Shorthairs are quiet, sweet, and extremely affectionate. They are always happy to climb up into your lap for a cuddle, but also have a playful streak.
The Ocicat is a shorthaired spotted breed that was developed by interbreeding between the Abyssinian, Siamese, and American Shorthair. Like it’s ancestor the Abyssinian, the Ocicat has agouti ticking in its coat, with each individual hair banded in color (lighter near the body and darker at the hair tips).
The breed comes in several orange-hued colors, including tawny, which features black or dark brown spotting on a ruddy or bronze background) and cinnamon, which is cinnamon spotting on a warm ivory background.
The coat is short, smooth, and satiny, with a lustrous sheen. Though it looks a bit like an ocelot (and in fact, was named for this spotted wild cat), the Ocicat has no wild blood. The Ocicat is very docile and has been described as dog-like.
#6 Scottish Fold
The Scottish Fold comes in many different colors and patterns, including several orange hues: solid red, solid cinnamon (a light reddish brown), cinnamon shaded, cinnamon smoke, red tabby, cinnamon tabby, bi-color (white with patches of red), and flame (red) point.
The Scottish Fold’s dense, plush, soft coat comes in both shorthaired and longhaired varieties. The breed’s standout feature is its small ears that fold foreword and downward. The ears, coupled with the breed’s large, round eyes, give the Scottish Fold a sweet expression and the appearance of an owl. This breed is quiet, calm, and very affectionate.
The Somali is a longhaired cousin of the Abyssinian. Like the Abyssinian, the Somali comes in four colors (ruddy, red, blue, and fawn), with the red color a deep reddish orange. Also like the Abyssinian, the Somali has an agouti-ticked coat.
Each individual hair is color-banded, with lighter bands of color near the base of the coat and darker bands of color on the tips of the hairs. The Somali’s medium-long double coat is very soft, fine textured, and dense.
The Toyger was developed to resemble a miniature tiger. Although Toygers are technically tabby cats, the exact pattern is unique among all cat breeds, and is called a modified mackerel tabby pattern.
The vertically aligned tiger stripes are black or brown in color, standing out in contrast against the coat’s dark orange or reddish ground color. The Toyger’s coat should also have some glitter, which is a term used to describe a specific type of hair that reflects light and makes it look as though the cat has been sprinkled with glitter.
The Toyger’s short coat is thick, luxurious, plush, and extremely soft. Despite the breed’s exotic looks, the Toyger is a 100% domestic cat breed with no wild blood. This breed isfriendly, outgoing, and affectionate.
Frequently Asked Questions
What cat breed is orange?
Many different cat breeds come in orange, though some breeds are known for their orange coloration. Some popular orange cat breeds include the Abyssinian, Ociat, Somali, and Toyger. Other breeds of cat that come in orange (among other colors) include the American Bobtail, American Shorthair, Bengal cat, British Shorthair, Cornish Rex, Devon Rex, Egyptian Mau, Exotic, the Maine Coon cat, Manx, Munchkin cat, Oriental, Persian cat, Scottish Fold, and the Turkish Angora.
What is an orange cat called?
An orange cat may be called a ginger cat, a marmalade cat, or an orange tabby if the coat is striped. Orange-colored cats are also sometimes called red or flame (as in the flame-point Himalayan).
Can any cat breed be orange?
Many different cat breeds come in orange (among other colors), but some cat breeds never come in orange. Some breeds that do not come in orange include the Bombay, Burmese, Burmilla, Chartreux, Havana Brown, Khao Manee, Russian Blue, Siamese, Singapura, and Tonkinese.
Are orange tabby cats rare?
Orange is one of the rarer colors found in cats (black, white, and brown are more common). Because orange cats are most often male, female orange cats are extremely rare.