Orange is one of the most common colors in cats and can appear in many different breeds. It is due, among other factors, to human selection, since people have a certain preference for orange cats[1] It also seems to be related to the sexual preferences of cats[2]
In this way, orange felines can be very different. Many are tabby cats, that is, they have stripes or spots that help them camouflage. Others have a more uniform color, or have patterns that only appear in females, such as tortoiseshell and calico[3] Do you want to know them all? Don't miss this article about the orange cat breeds or, rather, those in which individuals of this color appear.
Persian cat
Among the orange cats, the Persian cat stands out, one of the oldest cat breeds in the world. It comes from the Middle East, although it is unknown how long it had been there until its existence was documented. It is characterized by its long, exuberant and flowing hair It can be of very varied colors, including various shades of orange.
American Bobtail
The selection of the American bobtail began in the mid-20th century from a short-tailed cat found in Arizona. Today, there is a long-haired variety and a short-haired variety. A large number of colors can appear in both, but orange tabby or marbled patterns are very common.
Toyger
The toyger or “toy tiger” is one of the most unknown orange cat breeds. It is due to its recent selection, which took place at the end of the 20th century in California. His breeder obtained a striped pattern very similar to that of the wild tiger, that is, with rounded stripes on an orange background
Maine coon
The Maine coon cat stands out for its enormous size and striking fur. It is one of the largest cats in the world and also one of the most appreciated. It originated on farms in the state of Maine as a working cat and is now the official breed of the United States.
The Maine coon has a long and abundant coat, which can have various patterns and colors. The orange tabby is quite common.
Oriental Shorthair
Despite its name, the Oriental Shorthair cat was selected in England in the middle of the last century. It was made from the Siamese, so, like this one, it is a elegant, elongated and stylized cat However, it differs very well due to its great variety of colors. Orange tones with various patterns, such as brindle, tortoiseshell, and calico, are common. For this reason, we can include them among the main orange cat breeds.
Exotic Cat
Again, the name of the exotic cat does not do this breed much justice, since it is native to the United States. There, they crossed the Persian cat with other types of cats, obtaining a robust-looking cat However, their fur is shorter and denser and they can be of different colors. One of the most common are light orange or cream tabby cats.
European cat
The European is probably the oldest cat breed. It was domesticated in ancient Mesopotamia from the African wild cat (Felis Lybica). Later, he arrived in Europe along with some of the trading towns of the time.
This breed is characterized by its enormous genetic variability, which is why many different colors and patterns can appear. Among them, the color orange stands out, which appears in solid tones or patterns brindle, tortoiseshell, calico, etc.
Munchkin
The munchkin is one of the most distinctive orange cat breeds. It is due to its short legs, which arose as a result of a natural mutation. In the 20th century, some American breeders decided to select and cross a series of short-legged cats, giving rise to the current characteristics of this breed. However, they retain an enormous color variability, many of them being orange.
Manx
The Manx cat comes from European cats that traveled to the Isle of Man, probably along with some British people. There, in the 18th century, a dominant mutation arose that made them lose their tailsDue to isolation, this mutation spread throughout all the populations of the island.
Like their European ancestors, Manx cats are highly versatile. In fact, orange individuals are one of the most common, and all the usual patterns can appear.
Mongrel cat
The mongrel cat is not a breed, but it is the most frequent in our homes and streets. These cats reproduce following their free will, driven by their natural instinct. Therefore, they present a large number of patterns and colors that give them a very unique beauty.
Orange is one of the most common colors in stray cats, so they should be part of this list of orange cat breeds. So, if you want to adopt an orange cat, we encourage you to approach an animal shelter and let yourself fall in love with one of their felines, regardless of whether they are of race or not.
Other orange cat breeds
In addition to the above, orange individuals can also appear in many other races. For this reason, all of them deserve to be on this list of orange cat breeds. They are as follows:
- American shorthair
- American wirehair
- Cornish rex
- Devon rex
- Selkirk rex
- German rex
- American curl
- Japanese Bobtail
- British shorthair
- British wirehair
- Kurilean bobtail
- LaPerm
- Minuet
- Scottish straight
- Scottish fold
- Cymric