Are Orange Cats Almost Always Male

Melanin decides the final coat color and an orange fur results from one gene changing the expression of another which can change black pigment into orange.

Are orange cats almost always male. While it is a fact that there is a higher ratio of orange tabbies that are male the exact percentage is actually about 80 percent toms to 20 percent queens. We have many female orange tabby cats in my practice. Most orange cats are male and most calicos are female.

The gene for coat color is carried on the X chromosome so male cats need only inherit one copy while female cats need two. Most orange tabby cats are male due to their unique genetics. This cat is almost always male despite the extra X-chromosome.

Calico and tortoiseshell cats however are almost always female. This gives the impression all orange cats are male when this isnt actually the case. Calico cats are almost always female because the locus of the gene for the orangenon-orange coloring is on the X chromosome.

Most but certainly not all orange tabby cats are male. This is because the genes that code for the calico color pattern are carried on the female or X sex chromosome. The reason that a cat is red or black is due to his or her genetic makeup and the chromosomes the cat inherited.

The gene that codes for orange fur is on the X chromosome. Random X-inactivation during early development results in patches of orange and black. As you may recall from high school biology mammals have two chromosomes that determine their sexXX for females and XY for males.

If you spot a male calico its highly likely that this cat is sterile or unable to reproduce. The gene responsible for the orange color is sex-linked resulting in a much higher likelihood that an orange cat will be male versus female. TIL calico cats are almost always female and orange cats are almost always male.