Ginger Cat Appreciation Day

Do you have an orange kitty? If so, you’ve got a pretty adorable little pet! Our feline friends come in all sorts of colors and patterns. While we think they’re all adorable, this is a purrfect time to let redheaded felines shine. A vet discusses these miniature lions below.

Boys Club

Whenever you see or meet a new ginger cat, the odds are pretty high your new feline pal is a boy. The gene that is responsible for Fluffy’s ginger color is on the X chromosome. Since girls are always XX, they would need two copies of the gene to be redheads. So, what does that mean? If your ginger is a female, both of her parents were gingers. If your kitty is a boy, only one of his parents had to have been a ginger. However, his kids could be either gingers or tortoiseshell.

Purrsonality

Cats are all very, very unique individuals, and they all have distinct ‘purrsonalities.’ That said, many ginger cats do seem to have some traits in common. The boys tend to be chatty, bold, and active, and perhaps a bit opinionated. Your little red buddy may yell at you for being late with his dinner, or to tell you to play with him right meow. Girl gingers, on the other paw, are usually much more gentle, cuddly, and laid-back. They’re also not *quite* as talkative.

Fluffy’s Fashion Sense

Fluffy can have either long or short fur. Some ginger cats even have curls! There are also several variations in the patterns orange kitties wear. These include classic, or swirled, as they are sometimes called; mackerel, or striped; patched; spotted; and ticked. Another interesting fact about ginger cats? They’re all tabbies! However, not all tabbies are gingers.

Famous Gingers

We can’t really discuss ginger kitties without talking about the most famous one of all: Garfield! The beloved ‘Flabby Tabby’ was born way back in 1978, in the back room of Mama Leoni’s Italian Kitchen. It didn’t take the little orange ball of sarcasm long to realize that lasagna is pretty much the best thing ever. Garfield’s rapidly growing appetite for the classic dish almost put the restaurant out of business! Fortunately, Jon Arbuckle adopted the Monday-hating furball. The rest is history. Of course, we can’t forget to mention Morris, the cat food spokeskitty (or technically, spokeskitties) that captured millions of hearts back in the 80’s.

Do you have questions about your ginger cat? Contact us, your animal clinic in Fonthill, ON, today!