Why are Orange Cats the Color Orange?
By: Alfred and Miss Patches Marie Kitty
Orange cats are like calico in that the gene that causes the
coloring of the cat is located on the gender chromosome.
Most orange cats are male. Only one out of three orange cats
is female.
Orange cats are unique and many people prefer this color of
cat over any other breed or color variation. The orange cat
color can vary and include the colors of: ginger, marmalade,
tangerine and even red.
The genes that determine gender in the cat are made up of a
pair of chromosomes just as they are in humans. This pair of
genes determines whether the cat is male or female. When the
chromosomes are XX this makes the cat a female.
When the chromosomes are XY the cat is male. A kitten will
always get one X from the mother cat and the male cat will
give the kitten either an X or a Y and so determine what
gender the cat will be.
The gene that makes a cat orange-colored is on the X gene
that is passed down through the mother cat. The orange color
on the X gene overrides any other color that cat could have
been. Because the male cat has the one X, the kitten that
gets that chromosome will be orange, period.
A female cat has to pass on the orange color on both X's to
ensure that her female kitten will be orange. This is
because the cells concerned with the two X's will deactivate
one of the X's, considering the extra X to be superfluous.
This is done in a random fashion and can't be determined.
Because of this random possibility a male cat is three times
more likely to be orange than is a female cat.
So why do some orange colored cats have tabby markings if
the orange color on the X overrides any other coloring?
This is because the white tabby markings are not actually
color. They are rather an absence of color, and are stronger
than even the almighty orange color on the X chromosome.
These "absence of color" markings have a gene that
suppresses color. That is why white cats often have colored
kittens, because the suppressor gene wasn't passed on.
Gift Items
for Orange Cats & Orange Cat Lovers
All Calendars
Feline Tips & Kitty Stuff
Pet and Animal Site Map
We often have had Orange cats at the farm
One was this huge tom kitty that was a stray Alfred's
human grandmother took in as a kitten, then entrusted
the care of to us. In memory of him, Alfred made this
web page
Have the courage to follow your dreams.
It's the first step towards attaining your destiny.
Copyright ©
Pet Care Tips /
Choose To Prosper LLC.
Custom Search