Is your cat an orange kitty? If so, you may want to give your little buddy a special treat: it’s Ginger Kitty Appreciation Day! Cats come in many different patterns and colors, and we think they’re all adorable. However, ginger cats definitely have some raving fans! A vet discusses these miniature lions in this article.
Boys Club
Any time you see or meet a new ginger cat, the odds are that your new feline buddy is a boy. The gene that produces that ginger color is always on the X chromosome. Since girl cats are XX, that means female kitties need two copies of the gene to become redheads. So, what does Fluffy’s family tree look like? If you have a girl cat, then both of Fluffy’s parents were gingers. If your furball is a boy, only one of his parents had to have been a ginger, but his kids could be either gingers or tortoiseshell.
Purrsonality
Cats are all unique individuals, and they all have their own distinct ‘purrsonas.’ That said, ginger kitties do seem to have some traits in common. Boy gingers tend to be chatty, bold, and active. Your little red furball may yell at you for being late with his dinner, or to tell you to pick him up right meow. Girl gingers, on the other paw, are usually more gentle and laid-back. They’re also not *quite* as verbose.
Famous Gingers
We can’t really talk about ginger cats without talking about the most famous one: Garfield! The beloved ‘Flabby Tabby’ was born in a back room at Mama Leoni’s Italian Kitchen back in 1978. It did not take the tiny orange ball of fur long to figure out that lasagna is the best thing ever. The kitten’s rapidly growing appetite for this delicious dish almost put the restaurant out of business! Fortunately, Jon Arbuckle adopted the sarcastic feline. The rest is kitty history. Of course, we can’t forget to mention Morris, the cat food spokeskitty (or technically, spokeskitties) that captured millions of hearts back in the 80’s.
Fluffy’s Fashion Sense
Ginger kitties can have either long or short fur. Some even have curls! There are also several variations in the fur patterns on Fluffy’s coat. These include classic, or swirled, as they are sometimes called; spotted; mackerel, or striped; ticked; and patched. Another interesting fact about ginger cats? They’re all tabbies! However, not all tabbies are gingers.
Do you have questions about your ginger cat? Contact us, your animal clinic, today!
