Love the vivacious look that orange cat breeds tend to have? Among orange cats, you’ll find some of the most vibrant, active, and athletic cats in all the feline world.
Many breeds with orange coats are rather sweet and affectionate, but before we meet these cats, we should talk about the difference between Tabby’s and cat breeds with orange coats or any color coat for that matter …
What is a Tabby Cat
A tabby cat is simply any domestic cat that has a coat with stripes, dots, line, or swirling patterns accompanied by the typical tabby M pattern on the forehead. Tabby cats have the distinction of being the most common felines, but Tabby’s are not a breed.
It’s easy to think Tabby’s are a breed since their orange coats give them a very distinct appearance, but alas, they are not. Think of Tabby as a coat type. We think tabby cats are adorable and make lovely companions – breed or not, orange or not.
There are more orange tabby males than females. For some reason unknown to even the smartest amongst us, there are a lot more male orange tabby cats than females. In fact, it’s so statistically skewed it’s estimated that there are around 8 males for every 2 females!
No tabby cat has a solid orange coat. As mentioned above, tabby cats have stripes, dots, or some sort of pattern on their coats. There is simply no such thing as a solid orange tabby….’though there are orange cat breeds with more or less solid orange fur’.
And that’s what we’ll be focusing on in this article: orange cat breeds. As orange as the regular tabby is, a tabby cat is not a cat breed, so won’t be included in this list (sorry, tabby, we love you anyway!). You can however read up on tabby cats by clicking here. Instead, all the orange cat breeds you’ll find here belong to a recognized cat breed.
Did you know the pigment responsible for the color of orange cats is called pheomelanin? This also causes red/orange and ginger hair in humans. Yes, it manifests in a variety of shades in both felines and humans!
Tabby Cat Patterns
1. Classic Tabby Cat (also known as the blotched tabby): Closely resembling a bullseye the classic tabby has swirling, bold patterns across the body.
2. Mackerel Tabby Cat: Often referred to as a tiger cat, the mackerel tabby cat has stripes that run down the side of the body.
3. Spotted Tabby Cat: The spotted tabby has spots (ranging from small to large) that run all over each side of the body.
4. Ticked Tabby Cat: The ticked tabby has neither spots or stripes. This type of tabby can be identified by the tabby markings on the face. Lighter parts of the coat are also striped with alternating dark and light bands known as agouti hairs.
5. Patched Tabby Cat (also known as the tortoiseshell tabby): The patched tabby typically has a patches of both brown and red fur. That’s the identifier. The markings can fall into any of the above fur patterns.
Orange Cat Breeds
There are many cat breeds which use the tabby cat patterns illustrated above including the Abyssinian, Domestic Shorthair, American Bobtail, American Curl, American Shorthair, Maine Coon, Ocicat, and Oriental cat. Regarding Orange coats both the Abyssinian and Somali use the ticked pattern, and the Bengal uses the spotted pattern. Without further ado let’s check these felines out – below is a list of the most popular orange cat breeds.
Abyssinian
Size: Medium, 8 to 16 lbs Personality Snapshot: Extremely active, curious and mischievous, has a fondness for showing off.
I’m a high-spirited stunner with looks that rival the sacred cats portrayed in Egyptian murals. But I’m no elegant lap cat! I prefer to live life on the edge, fueled by my insatiable curiosity to climb to the highest heights of the home, investigate everything my humans are up to and explore anything that catches my ever-alert attention.
Bengal
Size: Medium-Large, 9 to 15 lbs Personality Snapshot: Very smart, craves constant attention, talkative and extremely playful.
Large and exotic, I look a lot like my wild cat ancestors. And like them, I can be a lot to handle with my super high energy levels, exceptional athleticism, and an abundance of smarts. But I am also a load of fun and can be trained, taken for walks and I even swim!
Chausie
Size: Large, 15 to 25 lbs Personality Snapshot: Very active, inquisitive and daring, highly intelligent.
True to my wildcat lineage, I am a fearless orange feline, exceptionally fast on my feet and capable of heart-stopping feats of athleticism, like leaping six feet into the air! I’m clever, too, which means I’ll be able to navigate to the highest, most out-of-reach spots around the house – you better stash away your valuables.
Devon Rex
Size: Small-Medium, 4 to 10 lbs Personality Snapshot: Daring, very playful, likes to interact with people and animals, extremely active and has a fondness for jumping and climbing.
My large eyes and ears combined with my short, wavy orange coat has earned me a few nicknames, including ‘poodle cat,’ but the most accurate is ‘monkey in a cat suit’ for my dexterous climbing and jumping abilities as well as my people-pleasing performances.
Exotic Shorthair
Size: Medium-large, 8 to 15 lbs Personality Snapshot: Very sociable, affectionate and playful, not very vocal and loves being cuddled.
Love the cuddly good looks of the Persian but can’t deal with all the fur? Then I’m purrfect for you, since I’ve got all the adorable looks of the Persian minus the high-maintenance orange coat. I’ve even inherited the Persian’s easy-going, affectionate disposition, but with another crucial difference, I’m active and playful.
Kurilian Bobtail
Size: Medium-large, 8 to 15 lbs Personality Snapshot: Extremely loving, friendly and laid-back, extremely skilled hunter.
With bobbed tails as unique as human fingerprints, I m a special cat. True to my wildcat looks, I m not opposed to some rumblin and tumblin fun like hunting and going for swims, but despite my powerful appearance, I have the gentle, loving disposition of a kitten and get along with pretty much everyone.
Maine Coon
Size: Medium-Large, 9 to 20 lbs Personality Snapshot: Very friendly, easy going, likes to socialize with people and other pets, an excellent mouser, does not crave constant attention, fairly intelligent.
I’m a true American – big, hearty, and one of the oldest breeds to originate in the US. A rugged sort of cat with a variety of coats including orange, I’m built to survive – and thrive – with my water-repellent fur and top-notch hunting skills I’m a force to be reckoned with. Underneath my brawny good looks lies the heart of a gentle giant though. Don’t tell anybody but I’m as loving and affectionate as a kitten.
Munchkin
Size: Small-Medium, 4 to 9 lbs Personality Snapshot: Very playful, inquisitive, people-oriented, loves running and chasing, likes to be handled, fond of shiny things.
I may be miniature, but I’ve got a big heart. I socialize with everyone and am always open to being adored – even if that translates to being picked up. And my short stature never prevents me from living life to the fullest. In fact, I’m every bit as active and playful as my longer-legged cousins.
Persian
Size: Medium-large, 7 to 12 lbs Personality Snapshot: Very zen-like, quiet and gentle, loves to lounge and affectionate yet undemanding.
I don’t mean to brag, but with orange cat breeds aside I’ve officially been the most popular cat breed for, like, forever. My desirability has both to do with my adorably fluffy looks as well as my extremely laid-back personality. I’m very zen-like, you know – gentle, soft-spoken and capable of accepting every moment with gracious nonchalance.
Scottish Fold
Size: Small-Medium, 6 to 13 lbs Personality Snapshot: Sweet-tempered, easily warms up to people and other pets, doesn’t crave for constant attention, curious, loves to play.
With my huge eyes and droopy ears, I am possibly the cutest orange cat breed that has ever lived. But my cuteness isn’t just fur-deep. I am cute to the core. Sweet, gentle, and good-natured, I get along with everyone and retain my kitten-like playfulness well into adulthood. Oh, did I mention I rock at posing for pictures!
Somaili
Size: Medium, 6 to 12 lbs Personality Snapshot: Very active and playful, clever and curious, wants to be involved in everything around the house, likes water.
I’m a vibrantly orange colored cat with a full-plume tail, I have the cunningness of a fox. Yes, I’m considered one of the more impressive looking orange cat breeds. I’m a clever cat also and I use my smarts to investigate every nook and cranny of the house, learn how to open closed cabinets, and knock various objects off high places to see how they land. I admit, I can be a handful, but good-natured, sociable nature makes me worth the trouble.
Flat face cats
how do you buy an orange red white cat
Awesome page! I particularly like the exotic shorthair.
Thank you! This is a amazing page, I had no idea what breed my cat was. Turns out he is a Maine coon.
You’re very welcome Evie. A Maine Coon – that is quite the breed!