Did you know that orange cats get their hue from the same pigment redheads do? Orange cats are certainly one of the most charming types of house pets to have. In addition to that, they are found to be friendly and affectionate compared to other cats.
Today, I will talk about the most popular orange cat breeds. Whether you are planning to adopt or are just a fellow cat enthusiast, you’ll certainly appreciate all the facts!
Abyssinian Cat
We are starting off with the oldest known orange cat breed, the Abyssinian. They are believed to be of Egyptian or Ethiopian origins, although scientists still haven’t figured out where they are truly from. I, for one, can definitely imagine this exotic breed getting worshipped by ancient Egyptians!
Abyssinian cats have short coats, with deeper orange and brown tones to them. They tend to be athletic, playful, curious, and sociable. These qualities make them great family cats. But they are not the cuddliest, so they don’t make good lap cats.
They are very active, which makes them perfect for training to do cool tricks. However, because Abyssinians are such active cats, you will have to find ways to keep them engaged. This could be done by interactive games or toys. Their short coat makes them less maintenance, as far as cleaning is concerned.
Bengal Cat
If a beautiful coat is what you are looking for, this is the breed you must check out. Bengal cats are a hybrid breed. They get their genes from several types of cats, including the domestic shorthair, Egyptian Mau, and the Asian leopard cat, which is a wild cat.
These cats are loved for the distinct spotted or marbled tabby pattern on their coat, which makes them look like a jaguar or a leopard. Because of the wild cat genes, Bengals have a high prey drive. As a pet, however, they are very gentle and loving. So, they are the perfect combination of gentle yet wild for big cat lovers.
Bengal cats are playful and active, so you can spend hours with them during playtime. They tend to be on the larger side, weighing around 9-15 pounds. They are intelligent cats, which makes them highly trainable.
Their coats come in a range of colors from brown and blacks to orange and cream hues.
Maine Coon Cat
The Maine Coon cat breed are one of the U.S.’s most popular domestic cats. It is also the largest domestic cat breed, holding the Guinness world record for the longest cat. It is easy to see why they are loved – they are large, fluffy, and extremely friendly.
These cats can grow around 9 to 20 lbs. Some can even go as big as 35 pounds. The growth is slow. It requires 3-5 years to get this big. Do not get alarmed by the large size, though, because they love people very much. Some people refer to Maine Coons as the gentle giants because of their people-loving nature.
These cats come with long, fluffy, and silky coats, which makes them look even bigger. The fur is water repellant and has ebony, orange tabby, cream-tabby, brown hues. This coat is high maintenance, however. They have to be regularly groomed and checked because they are susceptible to diseases.
Are Maine coon cats hypoallergenic? They are considered a good choice for people who have cat allergies as they produce less dander than other cats despite their long fur!
One unique thing about Maine Coons is that, unlike most cats, they love water. They can scoop up food and water with their paws.
Persian Cat
The Persian cat breed is one of the most popular cat breeds, and besides orange, they come in other colors such as grey, black, and white. These luxurious and elegant cats have been loved for decades. The combination of the adorable fluff and laid-back personality is the reason for such popularity.
They are very peace-loving, quiet, gentle, and affectionate cats. This is a breed that enjoys lounging all day, basking in the warmth of sunlight.
Traditionally, Persian cats had round faces and regular noses. However, many flat-faced varieties can be found now, some of whom have serious health concerns. The short muzzle is cute, but look out for the health of your kitty.
Persian cats are medium to large, weighing around 8 to 12 lbs. Their long fluffy hair requires a lot of maintenance. If you are looking for a long-haired ginger cat, this is probably the cat for you. They need to be brushed daily in order to prevent matting. You should also bathe them monthly to preserve the soft and luxurious feel of their furs.
British Shorthair
These might just be the cutest cats featured in this. British shorthair cat breed is loved for their adorably big & dreamy eyes, plush build, and cute round face. They are sometimes compared to stuffed teddy bears because of the thick fur, which needs regular grooming.
Much like Persians, British Shorthairs are also not very demanding. In fact, they are one of the laziest cat breeds, preferring to stay inactive most of the time. That doesn’t keep them from being friendly and highly affectionate, however. You will enjoy owning one for sure.
Some British Shorthairs have Sunfire or orange eyes, which look absolutely gorgeous. The orange tabby British Shorthairs are not very bright orange. Rather, they have the ‘cream’ orange color, which is a diluted variety of the orange gene.
Devon Rex
In contrast to the previous breed, Devon Rex is one of the most active and sportiest cat breeds out there. You can always find them exploring the surroundings, jumping, and climbing something.
They are restless and always up to something, which earned them the name ‘monkey in a catsuit.’ In fact, they act more like a dog than their own species. Their coats can take the pattern of any kind imaginable, but the tabby is the most common and comes in a variety of colors from orange through to greys and blacks.
These cats have a rare type of coat. It is short, sparse, and wavy. They are one of several curly haired cat breeds. This unique-looking coat earned them another nickname, the ‘Poodle cat.’ Because of this type of fur, they often get cold. So, don’t forget to make warm beds for your Devon Rex.
Turkish Angora Cat
Hailing from Turkey, the Turkish Angora is one of the most ancient domesticated breeds. Their lineage traces back to the 17th century. These cats have a muscular build, tall ears, and medium to long coats.
Originally, Turkish Angoras were all-white cats. But you can find many different orange coats on them now. In terms of coat patterns, you will find many varieties. These cats can have calico markings, tortoiseshell markings, tabby patterns, and even a solid uniform color.
Turkish Angoras are fond of people as well as their surroundings. They will greet your guests at the door and not shy away from them. This social and playful behavior makes them a very desirable breed. In the case of surroundings, they do not react to changes well. So, it’s better if they are kept in permanent homes.
They are also highly intelligent, which makes them trainable. Since they are very playful, you do need to spend time with them regularly to keep them occupied, but the result of that will be a lifetime bond. So, it is worth it!
American Bobtail
These cats have the cutest bobbed tails you’ll ever see on cats. This tail is a result of a genetic mutation. It is also the reason for their popularity, as the genetic mutation also gives them short legs and a stocky build, making them extremely cute.
These friendly cats are intelligent and trainable. You can teach them to walk on a leash, and they will make good walking buddies. They are playful and energetic, too.
American Bobtails are known to create strong emotional bonds with their humans. They are devoted and loving and require constant attention from people.
Interestingly, American Bobtail cats do not meow much. Instead, they prefer to ‘talk’ to people by making cat noises. They even chirp, click, or trill sometimes when they are happy.
Arabian Mau
These are a rarely spotted breed of playful cats. Arabian Maus originate from, you guessed it, the Arabian peninsula. They have a medium build, with a white and orange coat.
The coat has a base color of ginger with white stripes on top. It is short, so they do not need much grooming. Apart from the stripes, they may also have spotting like Bengal cats.
Arabian Maus are very quick and agile, accompanied by an athletic body. In fact, they are the fastest domestic cat breed. You need to have enough space for them to move around and exercise.
These full-of-energy cats are also very fond of people, making delightful friends. They greet people at the door and are known for being sweet to their families. However, it takes a while for them to warm up to new people.
Somali Cat
The Somali Cat is essentially an Abyssinian cat with long hair. The breeders of Abyssinian’s felt the long hair kittens diluted their breed so rejected the idea of classing them as Abyssinian in their own right. However, long hair kittens found favor with some breeders who wanted to celebrate the variation, so the long hair variety was established as its own breed.
Rather than name the cat breed the long hair Abyssinian, breeders went with Somali as geographically the country in Africa borders Abyssinia which is part of modern-day Ethiopia. It was felt that this would create enough of a difference that both groups of breeders would be happy.
Basically, the Somali cat is the result of a recessive long-haired gene that occurs in the Abyssinian breed. If two Abyssinian cats with the recessive gene mate there is a possibility that a long haired kitten can be produced within the litter, if only one parent has the recessive gene then no long hair kittens will be produced. If two long hair Abyssinian kittens mate then all their offspring will be long hair – and the Somali cat breed is born!
These cats are long hair ticked tabby cats and usually have a golden brown color that is ticked with black markings. They are sleek, muscular, mid-size cat that is proportionally long. They have semi-long hair rather than full long hair and are notable for their ruff, extremely bushy tail and oversized, pointed ears – which has led to them being described as “fox cats”.
They are an intelligent, playful breed, who are extroverted and need plenty of human company to keep them occupied. They are known to have a dog-like approach to their human family, unlike other cats that may be merely human tolerant. These cats are not cats that can be left to their own devices!
Scottish Fold
Unlike the Somali cat, which is predominantly an orange cat breed, the Scottish Fold comes in a wide variety of colors and patterns – one of which is the orange tabby.
The Scottish Fold can be either long or short-haired and is generally identifiable by the ears which flop forward due to a lack of proper cartilage development within the ear.
They are mid-size cats with an affectionate temperament – they become attached to their owners, are good with people, and fit into multi-pet families well. The looks and temperament of these cats have seen a rise in their popularity since the breed came into existence in the 1950’s.
But, here is the rub. This is a very controversial cat breed that has been struck off some cat registries, notably the UK GCCF register. The problem is that the folded ear look comes from a naturally occurring mutation caused by a dominant gene that affects cartilage development in the cat (osteochondrodysplasia). This problem not only affects the cartilage in the ears but throughout the body. This means these cats can be susceptible to huge joint problems from birth.
Despite these issues, the Scottish Folds that have found their way to America have been interbred with British and American Shorthair cats – meaning the Scottish Folds that are available today are most likely to be bred in this manner – although this does not eradicate cartilage development issues arising due to the mutation being a simple incomplete dominant gene.
Basically, these cats are cute, attentive, and good to be around, but can suffer from some pretty horrific health issues.
Manx Cats
Manx cats are another well-established cat breed that comes in many colors and patterns, not just red, but are known to produce orange tabby cat variations, and hence make the cut for this list!
Manx cats are native to the Isle of Man, a small island in the Irish Sea. They are incredibly good mousers and vermin killers and this skill has seen them become a fixture on the island for hundreds of years. The fact they are friendly, social, and easy to look after has also helped their cause!
To all intents and purposes, they are your standard domestic shorthair or longhair cat – except they have a naturally occurring mutation for which they are instantly recognizable and known.
The mutation is that they are often born without tails, sometimes with extremely small tails and otherwise with normal tails. Those with no tails are called “rumpy Manx”, those with short tails are called “stumpy” Manx cats, and those with tails are called “longies”. Only rumpy Manx are entered for shows, even though the other variants are purebred Manx genetically.
Although they may be considered similar to Japanese Bobtails purely on the basis of lack of tail, their tailless traits are in fact, a different genetic mutation and they simply do not share the same DNA. Japanese bobtails have a different head shape, eye shape, and body profile as well as having a stump of cartilage where the tail should be. Manx have a tail suppression gene that when completely dominant results in no tail – the tail is simply missing!
They are one of the oldest recognized cat breeds in the world of cat fancy having been initially registered as a breed in the early 1900s when the earliest cat shows were starting up. They have a depth of interbreeding which means that despite the tail suppression gene they are a healthy cat breed. They make fine pets if you are looking for a cat that makes you look twice!
Final Words
As you may have noticed by now, despite other differences, orange cats are very friendly and loveable. There are more orange cat breeds you can find, but these are by far the most popular ones. Hope you have learned more about these gorgeous feline friends from this article. Thanks for reading!
