Fun Facts About Ginger Cats

Ginger Cat Appreciation Day is September 1st. Quite a few of our patients are gingers, and we love them all! A local San Antonio, TX vet lists some interesting tidbits about these purrsonable furballs in this article.

Most Ginger Cats Are Boys

Most of the time, kitty coat colors are pretty evenly split between boys and girls. There are a few exceptions, however, with gingers being the most notable. The vast majority—as much as 80 percent—of redheaded kitties are males. That’s because the gene responsible for Fluffy’s coat color is on the X chromosome. All girls are XX, so females would need copies from both parents.

Purrsonality

Our feline friends are all unique individuals, to say the least. While there are undoubtedly some shy, quiet ginger cats out there, most of them tend to be, well, a bit extra. Redheaded furballs tend to be quite vocal, and have no qualms about speaking their minds! 

Fashion Forward

Redheaded cats can wear either long or short hair, and can even sport curls. As far as patterns go, gingers are always tabbies, because of their markings. Those fall into five categories: classic, or swirled; mackerel, or striped; patched; spotted; and ticked.

Myths About Ginger Cats

Ginger cats have suffered from a bit of bad pr, though not to the extent of black cats. In the case of red kitties, they are sometimes rumored to be, well, dumb. To be fair, there are some orange furballs out there who are a few sandwiches short of a picnic. However, that can be said of any color or pattern.

M Marks The Spot

Ginger cats are all tabbies, which means they all have that distinctive M on their foreheads. There are some interesting legends about that marking. According to some, the M stands for ‘mau’ which meant cat in Ancient Egyptian. Christian folklore holds that the M appeared when Mary stroked the forehead of a kitty that comforted baby Jesus. We may never know!

What Eye Color Do Ginger Cats Have?

The vast majority of redheaded kitties have amber- or gold-colored eyes. There are some with blue eyes, though these are very rare.

What Breeds Are Ginger Cats?

Ginger cats are not a specific breed. In fact, several different breeds allow Fluffy to sport red fur. These include the Persian, Munchkin, American Bobtail, Bengal, and Maine Coon.

Do you have questions about your cat’s health or care? Contact us, your local San Antonio, TX pet hospital, today!