Are All Ginger Cats Male?

Are all ginger cats male? It’s a commonly persisting myth you’ve probably heard before. And while it’s based in fact, it’s not entirely true. We thought it was a good time to look at our autumn-hued cat friends in a little more detail. Read on, orange tabby cat lovers!

We’re all in love with ginger cats

Did you know that Ginger Cat Appreciation Day happens on the 1st of September every year? Because these special, orange-toned kitties deserve their very own day. Lasagne-scoffing Garfield would be proud, we reckon!

And now you know 1 September is dedicated to ginger felines, there’s no excuse not to celebrate your favourite ginger cat (male or not). Maybe a gift like a new bed or catnip toy? (Find out: what does catnip do?) Or pamper your pet over a whole day? You could even push the boat out with some homemade cat treats.

In honour of how awesome ginger cats are, we wanted to get down to the nitty gritty behind ginger cats and why so many of them seem to be boys.

Are all ginger cats male?

Someone has definitely told you before at some point that all ginger cats are male. We’re not sure where exactly this idea started to gain traction, but it’s now a common misconception. And lots of people believe that all ginger cats are male. But it’s not true.

There are ginger female cats, but they’re far less common. For every female ginger, there’s around three ginger males. Cats, that is. So why are the ginger boys so much more common than the girls? Let’s find out…

Why are there more male ginger cats than female?

Ok, ready to go back to Biology class? We’ll try and keep it interesting; we promise!

Our genetics are responsible for our physical appearance. Your genes are why you have brown hair or green eyes. In animals, it can get complicated, especially when it comes to colour.

In cats, the ginger gene is found only in the X chromosome. Male cats have one X chromosome and females have two. So female cats need the ginger gene on both of their X chromosomes to be ginger, whereas male cats only need it once. In addition, the ginger gene comes in two variants. “O” produces the ginger pigment and ‘o’ doesn’t.

Because of this, ginger cat males could have a mother who is ginger, calico, or tortoiseshell mothers. But females need to have a ginger father as well as a mother who is ginger, calico or tortoiseshell.

So, if you have a ginger female cat, they’ve hit the genetic jackpot!

Ginger cats are tabby cats – male and female

So now you know the answer to the “are all ginger cats male?” question.

But next time the topic comes up, you can impress people with your general knowledge. Because another cool fact is that ginger cats are always tabbies. They might not always appear it at first glance but if you look you’ll find spots, strips, or whirls on their coats.

Some people mistakenly believe tabby is a breed, but it’s actually a coat type featuring agouti fur. That’s what makes the beautiful patterns of the tabby cat! Every strand of fur has light and dark segments that catch the light differently.

Speaking of beautiful, each ginger cat (aka orange tabby cat) in this video is super adorable. And hilarious!

Orange tabby cat facts

Here are some fast facts to fill your ginger cat cup:

• Dark freckles tend to appear on orange tabby cats’ nose and mouth by the age of two years – this is a very common marking in tabbies.

• The M-shaped forehead marking is one of the most distinctive features of tabby cats. Outside of the world of DNA sequences, humans have attempted to explain the “M” through a series of tales and legends.

• According to the Christian story, when Mary (the mother of Jesus) was at her most desperate, a friendly tabby cat curled up next to the baby. Its purring lulled baby Jesus to sleep as its body warmed him. Mary stroked the cat’s forehead and left behind her own initials, marking tabby cats forever for their kindness and comfort.

• Stubbs, a ginger cat, was appointed as an honorary mayor of Talkeetna in Alaska. As a means of bringing tourists to the town, this political feline star held office for two decades until it passed away in 2016.

• Winston Churchill‘s private secretary, Sir John ‘Jock’ Colville, gifted him a ginger cat named ‘Jock’ for his eighty-eighth birthday.

• Due to the wide variety of breeds that exhibit the tabby coat pattern, it’s difficult to generalize about tabby cat personalities. Knowing your tabby’s breed is the best way to predict its personality.

• Garfield is a Persian ginger tabby cat, one of the world’s most popular cartoon characters. There’s no end to how much everyone loves this grumpy ginger cat who hates Mondays, loves lasagne, and sleeps like it’s his profession. Read more about Garfield in our Most Famous Cats in History article.

There are five types of tabby cat markings

Let’s look at the five fab markings of the ginger cat:

• Classic (classic tabby patterns are common in the American Shorthair breed)
• Mackerel (the mackerel tabby is also known as the tiger cat or the striped tabby)
• Spotted (in contrast to stripes or swirls, spotted tabby cats are covered with spots of different sizes)
• Ticked (a blend of agouti hairs gives the ticked tabby coat its salt-and-pepper appearance instead of clear stripes)
• Patched (this isn’t a type of specific marking, but a pattern or colour combination of tabby cat markings)

Cat insurance for cats of all types

If your cat’s a girl or boy, a ginger or a not, cat insurance can always help protect their health. Whether it’s a case of the curiosity getting the best of your clumsy cat or an unexpected illness striking, having award-winning pet insurance helps lighten the financial load.

PD Insurance specialises in low cost, high value pet insurance. The kind that’ll cushion you against hefty vet bills for tests, treatments, medication and more. Our three simple policies have the quality protection your ginger feline family member deserves, with no lock-in contract. You can go to any vet of your choice, and you can upgrade or downgrade your plan.

Why not give us a go?