Orange tabbies or ginger cats are not a breed but cats with a distinctive coat pattern and a unique personality. Read for more info and interesting facts about this beautiful cat.
What is a tabby cat?
While "tabby" does not refer to a specific breed of cat, it does reflect one of the most frequent, distinctive coat pattern observed in both wild and domestic cats.
Tabby cats have a coat that is made up of stripes, dots, or swirling patterns. The pattern is most commonly seen in brown or gray fur, but can also appear in a variety of other colors such as red, cream, or even blue.
Tabby cats are not rare and can be found on many cat breeds. The tabby pattern is a result of the agouti gene, which determines the distribution of pigment in each hair on the cat's coat.
The 5 types of a “tabby” cats
The tabby pattern can be restricted to patches or certain body regions, or it might cover the entire body of the cat, depending on the breed and its particular characteristics.
The tabby design comes in five different variations:
- Mackerel (tiger-like stripes)
- Classic (which gives a swirled look)
- Spotted
- Ticked (hair that alternates with light and dark bands)
- Patched
You can read more in the article the 5 tabby cat patterns by catster.com.
While tabby cats come in a variety of patterns as we have established, most of them have some sort of striping on their coats.
The stripes on certain orange tabbies may be bright and going down the length of the cat's back and body. Striping is much more modest in other cats or appears only on the cat's legs and tail.
The mackerel is supposed to be the gene acquired from the domesticated cats’ wild parent and offers fantastic camouflage in high grasses, allowing them to sneak up on their prey.
Traditional tabby cats frequently have the same solid orange tabby pattern all over their bodies, although orange tabby cats are sometimes found in a bicolor pattern.
These tabbies have tabby patches that are darker in color than the rest of their bodies. An orange tabby cat with pure white patches is a frequent example of a bi-color orange tabby.
How to identify a Tabby
In order to identify an orange tabby there are a few qualities that you should look for.
Specifically you need to be mindful of an M-shaped mark on the feline’s brow.
Another identifier is the lining around the eyes that is either white or dark. Not only around the eyes but there are lines in a thin “pencil” shape mainly on the cat’s face.
These faint stripes, known as ghosting, are sometimes more visible in kittens.
Besides shapes and lines, take a close look into the cat’s color. You may notice color on the paws and the lips of the cat or on the contrary a pale skin tone on its’ chin and belly.
The last clue is the banding on the legs and tail.
According to science, the reason why the tabby cats carry the “M” mark on their brow is due to nothing other than their DNA. The “M” marking is encoded by the same gene that produces the tabby pattern.
How long do they live?
Domestic tabby cats live an average of 12-18 years. When compared to outdoor cats, this is rather lengthy. Cats that live on the streets have been reported to live for two to five years at most.
Tabbies have survived to be some of the oldest cats on record, including "Creme Puff," a tabby who lived to be 38, and "Puss," a tabby who lived to be 36.
Taking proper care of your tabby cat is the key to its lifespan, health and happiness.
Tabby cat personality
Tabby cats are very famous not only for their unique appearance but also for their unique character. Orange tabbies, sometimes known as ginger tabbies or marmalade cats, have a reputation for having huge appetites, besides their personalities.
While each marmalade cat is unique, many of them have a strong couch potato gene, which means their ideal day consists of snoozing, stretching out in the sun, and generally being fairly sloth-like.
Fun Facts about tabbies
Here are 7 fun facts about tabby cats that you probably do not know!
1. They are adored in Hollywood.
Orange cats are popular in both movie and television. The most famous depictions of tabby cats on the big screen are the ones of Garfiel, and the one of “Puss in boots” from Shrek.
Notable mentions include Orion and Orangey.
Orion in the original Men in Black is a reddish tabby mix. And, while his presence in the film appears unimportant at first, in a clever play on words, Orion is the key to unraveling the interstellar riddle. Orangey is the ginger cat from Audrey Hepburn's 1961 romantic comedy Morning at Tiffany's.
Orangey's acting paid off, as he has received two PATSY awards.
2. They are not completely orange.
Cats receive a mix of genes from both parents, but the great diversity of hues seen in cats is due to just two major colors: black and orange (or red).
A cat receives two copies of each gene (one from each parent), and each gene might be dominant or recessive.
Because the gene for orange coloring is dominant (O), a kitten only needs to inherit one copy of the orange gene to have some orange color in its coat.
However, because the dominant orange color gene (O) inhibits the aa genotype , there is no such thing as a completely orange cat!
The pigment pheomelanin is responsible for the orange tabby cat's colour, and it is also responsible for red hair in humans.
You can read more related information in the article cat coat colour genetics by animallabs.com
3. The tabby pattern is determined by whether a kitten receives a dominant or recessive agouti gene.
Agouti hair is distinguished by alternating bands of light and dark pigment, giving it a speckled or "salt and pepper" look.
Kittens with a dominant agouti gene (A) will have a noticeable striped pattern, but kittens with a recessive gene (a) will not.
Solid-colored cats can still have a slight tabby pattern, sometimes known as "ghost striping," if they have two copies of the recessive gene (aa).
4. It is a male tabby’s world!
The majority of orange tabbies are male. Because a female orange tabby must have two X chromosomes to be female, an orange kitten has only approximately a 20% chance of being female.
5. Cuddling tabby.
Gary Weitzman, chief veterinarian at the San Diego Humane Society, suggests that personalities are linked to coat color.
There is no competition when it comes to which type of cat is the most social, with orange tabbies coming out on top. They're some of the most appreciated feline companions, with their bright attitudes and talkative personalities.
While there is no hard and fast science to back it up, it has long been assumed that male cats are friendlier than female cats, which might explain why orange tabbies have a reputation for being particularly loving.
6. Freckled cats.
In terms of marking or spotting, there are freckles around an orange tabby's mouth, lips, or nose.
The most prevalent cause of these black freckles is lentigo, a hereditary disorder that causes an increase in the number of pigment-producing cells. Lentigo is also prevalent in tortoiseshell and calico cats and is normally not cause for concern.
7. The bigger the better.
While there isn't much of a distinction between marmalade cats and the rest of our feline pals, they are significantly taller and frequently broader.
It's unclear if this is due to tabby cats being genetically inclined to being taller than other breeds, or whether it's more likely due to the fact that most orange tabbies are males.
Mayer Finkelstein says
Most interesting article. I love my Goldy, the sweetest, most people friendly cat I've had. Goldy loves dogs, not other cats. He's sweet, vocal, has a coat like ailk
Alexand says
Hello, looking for female yellow cat
[email protected] says
Hi!
Unfortunately we can’t help, this is an informative site only 😊