Orange cats have been stealing the hearts of cat lovers for a very long time. Their beautiful coat color with various different patterns is really fascinating and has gained them a lot of popularity among different cultures.
Their orange coat color resembles wildcats such as tigers, which gives them a unique and exotic appearance.
Luckily, many cat breeds have an orange coat color, so you can choose the cat breed that suits you according to their personality, activity level, and lots of other characteristics and still have the beautiful orange coat color that you love.
So, if you’re a fan of ginger cats, here’s the ultimate list of orange cat breeds. Check it out, and see which cat breed with an orange coat color is your perfect match!
READ ALSO: Black Cats With Orange Eyes + Black And White Cat Breeds
17 Orange Cat Breeds
To make it easier for you to find a perfect orange cat breed, here’s a list of 17 orange cat breeds. Check it out and hopefully it will help you find your future feline friend!
1. Abyssinian
| Size: | medium |
| Activity level: | active |
| Personality: | sociable, curious |
The Abyssinian cat is a medium-sized, short-haired cat breed that has rich orange colors. It’s believed that they originated from Ethiopia or Egypt. These cats are very active, and as far as their personality goes, they’re very sociable and curious cats.
This cat breed is unique for having only one coat pattern, known as the ticked tabby. This means that this cat doesn’t have traditional stripes like other tabby cats have, but agouti hairs.
To make it clear, agouti hairs have multiple bands of pigmentation. That means that the hair is light at the base with bands of darker color toward the tip.
This banded pattern is actually on each individual hair rather than across the whole cat’s body as is the case with the tabby pattern.
Interestingly, the original color of this cat wasn’t actually orange but a mix of red and brown with black ticking. However, nowadays this unique orange coat color has developed due to genetic mutation.
This cat breed does exist in a long-haired version too. So, if you like the personality of this cat but would like her to be more fluffy, then the Solami cat could be your ideal match.
2. American Bobtail
| Size: | medium |
| Activity level: | calm |
| Personality: | affectionate, sociable, bold |
The American Bobtail is a unique cat breed, popular for its small, rabbit-like tail. These cats may appear in different coat colors such as lilac, black, white, cinnamon, cream, blue, and orange.
They can be short-haired or long-haired cats. They’re also famous for having a wide range of patterns. For the orange American Bobtail cat, the tabby pattern is the most common. As well as the tabby pattern, other frequent patterns are the bi-color and calico.
An interesting fact about these American Bobtails is that their wild appearance and dog-like temperament has earned them a reputation as the “golden retrievers of cats”.
Many people think that these cats are related to Japanese Bobtail cats, however, this is not true.
It’s true that both of these cat breeds have unique short tails, but they’re not related. The main difference is that American Bobtails have slightly longer, more flexible tails than Japanese Bobtails.
3. American Curl
| Size: | medium |
| Activity level: | active |
| Personality: | affectionate, sociable |
The American Curl breed of cat may appear in an orange coat color with various patterns. The possible coat patterns in this cat breed include tortoiseshell, calico, ticked, and the most common – the tabby.
The coat length of the American Curl may vary from cat to cat; some have long hair, while others have short hair. However, despite their coat color, pattern and length, these cats have the silkiest and the softest coat of all cats.
American Curl cats are very distinctive for their curled ears. They have soft ear tips that fold backwards. While they are popular for their folded ears, it can also be very challenging as they can experience ear issues.
4. Bengal Cat
| Size: | medium |
| Activity level: | active |
| Personality: | affectionate, sociable, bold |
Bengal cats are one of the most popular cat breeds as they have unique and exotic looks. Their striking appearance is due to being descended from the Asian leopard cat, Egyptian Mau, and other domesticated cat breeds. However, their personality is quite similar to that of the average domestic cat.
As far as coat color is concerned, Bengal cats may be brown, silver, or ‘snow’ coat color. Now, you may be wondering why the Bengal cat is on this list if they don’t have an orange coat color!
Well, the truth is that brown Bengals have the most orange-colored fur. An orange-brown color is most common in Bengal cats, and this stunning coat color is emphasized with dark rosettes in brown or black.
These cats, having wild genes, are very intelligent, and active. However, if you want this cat to be your pet, you will need to know how to discipline a Bengal cat properly, and bear in mind that these cats require a lot of attention.
If you do everything correctly, this cat will be your most loyal pet friend!
5. British Shorthair
| Size: | medium |
| Activity level: | calm |
| Personality: | sociable, intelligent |
British Shorthair cats may have various coat colors. While their most common coat color is blue, these cats can still have an orange coat color.
However, this is not the classic orange tabby coat color that you might picture; their orange color is more of a diluted tone.
This cream diluted orange may occur in several coat patterns, which sometimes may not be visible due to the diluted colors.
Besides their intriguing coat colors and patterns, these cats are characterized by a rounded face, large chest, and big paws. As far as personality is concerned, these cats have an easy-going nature and are typically sociable, intelligent, friendly, and sometimes also lazy!
6. Chausie Cat
| Size: | large |
| Activity level: | very active |
| Personality: | sociable, intelligent, inquisitive |
This unique looking breed of cat is an Egyptian breed of cat with wildcat genes. Their appearance is stunning as they have a muscular body, long tail, and big ears.
These cats are very active, and highly intelligent. They’re also great hunters and can climb up to very high heights.
As far as coat color is concerned, these cats often have a light brown/red color that appears as a rich orange.
7. Cornish Rex
| Size: | small to medium |
| Activity level: | active |
| Personality: | funny, playful, affectionate |
The Cornish Rex cat breed is famous for its unique type of coat. Their coat is curly and very soft because it consists of just an undercoat rather than the three-layered coat that most cats have.
These cats may have different coat colors, including orange, as well as various patterns, such as tabby, bi-color, tortoiseshell, and solid.
These cats are characterized by their big eyes, which appear to be golden if the coat color is orange. They are playful, funny, friendly, and affectionate. So, there’s no need to worry about bonding with this feline if you decide you want one for yourself!
8. Devon Rex
| Size: | regular |
| Activity level: | hyper |
| Personality: | playful, social, daring |
The Devon Rex is a cat breed that is very similar to the Cornish Rex. Both of these cat breeds have unique curled coats, but the interesting thing is that they’re actually caused by different genetic mutations.
The appearance and personality of both breeds are almost the same; both cat breeds are very active, playful, funny, but also friendly and affectionate, and known to form a strong bond with their owners.
These cats may have different coat colors and patterns. When it comes to orange coat colors, the tabby pattern is the most frequent. However, other possible patterns include calico and bi-color.
9. Exotic Shorthair
| Size: | medium |
| Activity level: | calm |
| Personality: | affectionate, social, playful |
The Exotic Shorthair cat is a cat breed with a unique appearance. According to most cat lovers, this cat breed is a short haired version of the Persian cat; they have a similar appearance including a flat nose, small ears, and big eyes.
Moreover, just like Persian cats, Exotic Shorthairs are also sweet, affectionate, and calm in nature.
When it comes to coat color, these cats may have an orange coat color with a variety of different patterns, such as tabby, tortoiseshell, and calico.
Besides their orange coat color, they may appear in cream and diluted shades which is also very unusual and striking.
This breed is great for both its personality and its appearance, and you can choose between different colors and patterns as well, depending on what you prefer.
READ ALSO: Maine Coon Tuxedo Cat–Types, Personality, Appearance & More
10. Maine Coon
| Size: | large |
| Activity level: | active |
| Personality: | friendly, intelligent, social |
The Maine Coon cat is one of the largest cat breeds. These are actually long-haired cats which may have different coat colors and patterns. One of the coat colors that is typical for this cat breed is orange.
This cat may appear in three different combinations that include the orange color:
• Red Smoke – a red smoke combination looks amazing on these giant cats. This combination includes orange fur that has darker tips and a white base, and the result is a wonderful transition effect when the hair moves.
• Solid Red – this combination is the rarest one. It’s unique because it appears that the color is solid, but when you look very closely you may notice faint tabby markings that are barely visible.
• Red Tabby – this is the most common combination. This description refers to a clear tabby marking with light and dark tones. However, there are three possible tabby markings and these include the classic tabby, the ticked tabby, and the mackerel tabby.
Although these cats are large, they still have an easy-going personality; they are typically affectionate, loving, and friendly. That’s why they are often called “gentle giants”.
These cats are an excellent family pet because they can get along with both children and other pets. However, before getting one, make sure that you have enough space for such a large cat, and all of the necessary equipment and accessories.
11. Munchkin Cat
| Size: | small |
| Activity level: | active |
| Personality: | intelligent, social, playful, affectionate |
The Munchkin cat breed is famous for its unusual appearance. They are small cats, characterized by short legs that have occured in the breed as a result of genetic mutation.
These cats can appear in a variety of different coat colors and patterns. The list of Munchkin coat colors includes orange with the typical, beautiful tabby marking.
Even though these cats have short legs, they’re very playful, and nothing can stop them from running and jumping around. Still, they adore cuddles and snuggles in your lap.
12. Ocicat
| Size: | medium |
| Activity level: | active |
| Personality: | sociable, affectionate |
The name Ocicat might seem like this is a sort of wild feline, but in fact it’s quite the opposite. This cat breed developed as a result of mixing three other breeds together: The Abyssinian, the American Shorthair, and the Siamese cat. The goal was to produce a domestic cat with a wild appearance.
One thing that this cat inherited from the Abyssinian cat is an agouti coat. The Ocicat may appear to have an orange coat color, which is actually called cinnamon. This color is characterized by a light orange base and dark orange markings, accompanied by pink paw pads and nose.
13. Oriental Shorthair
| Size: | medium |
| Activity level: | active |
| Personality: | affectionate, sociable, friendly |
The Oriental Shorthair is another unique-looking cat which may have different coat colors, including orange. The spotted tabby patterning is the most common pattern for orange cats.
As well as this pattern, spotted, ticked, mackerel, and classic patterns are also possible. As far as color is concerned, an orange color in Oriental cats should be rich and warm without any visible white hairs.
These cats are short-haired and characterized by their big green, golden, or yellow eyes.
They’re also unique for their big pointed ears, and their slender limbs. So, if you want a unique-looking cat with beautiful orange coat colors, consider the Oriental Shorthair.
14. Persian Cat
| Size: | medium, large |
| Activity level: | calm |
| Personality: | affectionate, social, gentle |
Persian cats are one of the most popular cat breeds. They’re known for their elegant appearance and thick coats.
The thick coat of the Persian cat can be many different colors and patterns. This breed is another that can have an orange coat color.
However, before getting this cat, you need to know that Persian cats require a lot of attention when it comes to their coat.
They have long, fluffy hair which is quite prone to mats and tangles. Therefore, you need to brush your Persian cat’s coat on a daily basis. These cats also require bathing at least once a month, in order to keep their coats soft and healthy.
These ginger cats may require a lot of attention for their coats, but when it comes to their personality, you can relax! These are easy-going cats; they are very affectionate, friendly, and gentle. Persian cats make wonderful furry friends.
15. Scottish Fold
| Size: | medium |
| Activity level: | high |
| Personality: | affectionate, friendly, gentle |
The Scottish Fold is another unique cat breed. The “fold” in the name refers to their small, folded ears.
These cats are characterized by their small ears that are folded forward due to a genetic mutation. They are very recognizable for this distinctive appearance, which is adorable with their round face and eyes.
The first cat that had this genetic mutation was called Susie, and she was found in Scotland on a farm… That’s how the breed got its name!
Moreover, these cats can appear in many coat colors including orange, often called red. Red Scottish Fold cats tend to be entirely orange with golden or copper eyes to complete the look.
As well as red Scottish Folds, these cats can have coats known as “shell cameo” or “red chinchilla”. This color description refers to when the chest, stomach, chin, and ears are white in color, while the back and tail are orange.
According to the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA), this specific breed can be any combination of possible colors and patterns as well, so you have a variety of choices when looking for your perfect cat friend.
16. Somali Cat
| Size: | medium |
| Activity level: | hyper |
| Personality: | social |
The Somali cat is actually a long-haired version of the Abyssinian cat, but it’s recognized as its own breed. They share almost all the same characteristics except their coat’s are different.
When it comes to coat colors, this is another cat breed that can be an orange color. However, it isn’t the classic orange tabby, but rather a diluted shade of orange along with thick patterns, like the Abyssinian cat has.
If you are getting this cat, be mindful that they’re extremely active. These cats are highly intelligent – they can even learn some tricks – and they will require lots of attention and playtime.
Remember that these cats require proper training. If you don’t train them properly, you may have a lot of work to do dealing with unwanted behavior.
17. Turkish Angora
| Size: | medium |
| Activity level: | active |
| Personality: | sociable, intelligent, playful |
This cat breed comes from Turkey and it’s one of the oldest cat breeds. The interesting thing is that it’s believed that these cats were the first long-haired cats in Europe.
At the beginning, only a white coat color was accepted, however, today their coats may be different colors such as black, silver, cream, and red.
A Turkish Angora with a bright orange coat usually has yellow or orange eyes, while cream coats may be accompanied with blue, or even green, eyes.
This cat breed may have several different coat patterns such as solid, tabby, calico, and tortoiseshell. However, ginger cats can never be completely solid in color, they will have markings but they may be barely visible, which happens due to genetics.
Aside from the gorgeous look of this cat breed, they’re also very intelligent, playful, and sociable which makes them perfect pets that can quickly form a strong bond with their owners.
READ ALSO: Grey Tabby Cat – Interesting Facts About These Beauties
6 Interesting Facts About Orange Cats
With orange cats being so popular, there are a lot of interesting facts about these ginger beauties. So, have a read and learn even more about these stunning felines.
1. Orange Cats Have Tabby Pattern
Neither orange cats nor tabby cats are a specific cat breed. Orange tabby cats are cats with this combination of coat color and pattern. What’s interesting the most is that every orange cat is a tabby, that means that it has tabby markings.
Some may say that this isn’t true, however, that combination only happens due to genetic mutation, so even if you think that your orange cat has a solid pattern, look closely and you may see some barely visible tabby markings.
2. “M” Marking
All tabby cats have a distinctive marking in the shape of the letter “M” on their foreheads. There are a few popular myths about how this mark appeared.
One myth talks about how the prophet Muhammed chose his favorite cat and laid his hand on its head, hence the marking. While another story tells how the cat stopped baby Jesus’s cries when it started to purr and the Virgin Mary marked its face as a sign of gratitude.
The Egyptian word for cat is “Mau”, and since the cats were considered gods by the Egyptians, the marking “M” is believed to represent the name Mau. And finally, probably the cutest myth is that the mark “M” is just a frown, created by a cat concentrating on a mouse hole!
3. Orange Cats And Their Markings
So, all orange cats have certain marking which can be classified in four categories:
• Spotted – the markings appear as spots.
• Classic stripes – a tie-dye kind of pattern.
• Ticked stripes – pattern with a sand-like appearance.
• Mackerel stripes – markings similar to a tiger’s.
4. The Pigment
Ginger cats have the same pigment that causes red hair in people. The pigment responsible for this color is called pheomelanin. It’s very interesting that cats and people have this in common.
5. Male VS Female Orange Cats
Male orange cats are more common than females. This is because the orange coat carries the gene found in the X chromosome.
Therefore, female cats can get it only if copied twice. In every five orange cats, only one is female, leading to 80% of gingers being male cats.
6. They’re Famous!
Orange cats are very popular in a lot of cultures. Even the British wartime Prime Minister Winston Churchill was a big fan of these cats. Moreover, you probably notice the popularity of orange cats from movies and TV shows such as Garfield, Morris the Cat, Milo, Puss in Boots, and many others.
Because of their popularity, these cats have got many nicknames, so besides orange cats, they may also be called ginger or marmalade cats.
Wrapping It Up!
If you’re a fan of ginger cats, then this article is for you! These cats have a unique appearance that makes them very popular among cat lovers.
So, if you’re looking for one for yourself, then here you can find 17 orange cat breeds with different characteristics, so you can choose the orange cat breed that suits you the most.
Moreover, because of their popularity, there are a lot of interesting facts about these specific colored cats that may help you with your final decision.