While it may be a broad brush to paint all orange tabbies in - we can see that there’s definitely an anecdotal correlation between their coat colors and their personalities. His writing asserts that red-yellow is associated with “warmth and gladness.” He also claimed that yellow-red possesses the highest energy (apparently causing folks in days of yore to freak out if they saw an orangey cloak on a dreary day).Ĭontemporary findings include that orange is the color of adventure, social communication and, yes, stimulating the appetite (Howard Johnson was onto something!). What? The psychology of colors arguably started with Goethe. Orange tabbies are the color of appetite.

He was probably just trying to get some sleep in his own bed when he came up with the famous line. That’s right, Winston Churchill shared his life with an orange tabby cat called Tango. Maybe it’s a little too fitting that the man who said, “Never, never, never give up,” owned an orange tabby cat. Winston Churchill famously owned an orange tabby cat. “I don’t know why he does it but it’s part of what makes him so adorable!” 7. He also likes to sit and stare at Karen’s husband, Brett. Even 18 years later, Tiger’s nightly habit of sleeping on her head is only broken when she’s traveling. “Since the first day my husband brought home Tiger, he’s been the most loving animal,” says Karen. Her house has been filled with all sorts of companion animals for two decades and yet there’s one snuggle monster who is the most in-your-face when seeking some loving. Karen Stephenson echoes these sentiments. It makes no difference whether she’s awake or not! His frequent less-than-stealthy move is to climb up onto her pillow and start climbing around her head for attention. In addition to being a real purr machine, MoMo the orange tabby cat seeks affection every waking hour from Amy, and then some. Photography courtesy Karen Stephenson.Įvery cat is an individual, but orange cats have a reputation for being snuggly attention lovers. Tiger is an orange tabby cat who loves to be loved. Orange tabbies are known for being Velcro cats. “When we rescued him 11 years ago, his constant loud purring could be heard throughout the house.” His name is fitting, and even more so today: “MoMo hasn’t stopped purring since we got him!” 6. “He’s the most affectionate and happiest cat,” says Amy. Guess who won anecdotally “most gregarious?” Of course, every cat’s personality is different, but Amy Wester has lived with many different cats over the years, and “MoMo” short for - you know it! - MotorMouth, is a testament to the findings. National Geographic reports that personality is tied to a cat’s coat color. Depending on the orange tabby’s parental décor choices, this may or may not be the case for the modern tabby. This is seen in all types of tabbies, so it’s not just the orange kitties that boast these cool peeper accouterments! Tabby stripes are probably predominant because of their camouflage properties, so it’s most likely that the markings helped them hide in the wild.

One of the most distinctive markings on the orange tabby cat is the “M” above his eyes. What does that orange tabby cat “M” stand for? But males only need the orange gene from their mothers.

Hence, a female orange tabby cat requires the sire and the dam to pass on the orange genes. Females possess two Xs and males possess XY. The X chromosome is responsible for the orange coloring. And it’s not some sort of magic - it’s genetics. While it’s true that a higher percentage of orange tabbies are male, the ratio is actually about 80 percent male to 20 percent female. So, while all orange cats are tabbies, not every tabby is orange. Even if their stripes are faint, they’re there. Go ahead, Google “orange cats” – they’re all tabbies. Photography ©elenaleonova | iStock / Getty Images. An orange tabby cat with an “M” marking on his forehead. And there are five different tabby configurations: classic tabby, mackerel tabby, spotted tabby, ticked tabby and patched tabby. It’s not specifically an orange cat breed, but the color and pattern of their coat. Specifically, the presence of stripes denotes a “tabby” cat. Tabby is actually a coat pattern, not a breed. They’re infinitely fascinating felines, so here are eight fun facts about the awesome orange tabby cat! 1. But, as anyone who’s lived with an orange tabby cat can attest, it’s really their personalities that make them stars. Their big, bold and brightly colored coats is one reason. Morris and Garfield are just a few of the iconic orange tabby cats that are part of our culture’s collective cat consciousness.

Pictures of orange tabby kittens