Orange Female Cat?

I was once told that an orange female cat was so VERY VERY rare, and I am just wondering if this is true. I guess I would have to say that every orange cat I have met, except one, was a male. The people I work with were given a small orange female kitten that was found wondering around alone and very young in a campground. They now have her and she is spayed, and is about 2 years old. JUST GORGEOUS.. and honestly the only female orange cat I have ever heard of or was able to witness at least. The vet actually pondered
'why' they wanted to spay her (She ended up having to abort a few kitties as she was unknowingly pregnant) as she was so rare, but they never thought anything of it and got her spayed anyways (Which I think was the best decision).

What are you opinions on female orange cats? Have you ever witnessed one?

I've seen 4 adults. Something like 2 dozen orange female kittens as well. All but one adult have been strays that came into the local HS.

iv only seen 1 orange adult cat. the rest have been males including my own.

It depends on where you live. Orange females are rare in Germany, though they exist, but quite prevalent in Malta, for example. Having already encountered three hermaphrodites, and a couple of calico males, I'd say little is impossible.

They are definitely out there, but certainly not very common. I think this is how it goes (and I could be wrong...) - there a certain gene that determines colour in cats. This particular colour gene in males causes the cat to be orange, and in females it causes it to be tortoisehell/calico.

And occasionally it mutates (not sure if that's the right word), and causes an orange kitty to be female or a tortoiseshell to be male (which I believe is even more rare than an orange girl).

I believe they're generally sterile, but I would still have them fixed anyway because there's a lot of health benefits with spaying neutering. I'm not sure if them being sterile would stop heat cycles in females, and spraying and territorial issues in males.

The color gene is carried on the X chromosome. Either it is black or orange. The amount of white is carried on another gene. Females get an X from both parents. Males only get an X from the mother.

A male has either a black or orange gene. Only if he is an XXY, can he be a calico.

Females on the other hand can have the following combinations:

X-orange X-orange = orange female
X-black X-orange = torties and calicos females
X-black X-black = black cats, black tabbies, females

So an orange female could have an orange mother and an orange father or a tortie mother and an orange father. Unlike the males with the XXY anomaly, orange females are fertile like any other female.

The X-orange X-orange combination tends to be rarer so you see fewer orange females cats. Whereas a male only needs one X-orange to be orange.

I believe that the ratio of male to female red tabbies is 90% to 10%. I am honored to live with a red female (Scarlett). She rules my house.

Er.. no.

The orange gene is on a separate locus from most other genes. The O gene is linked to the X chromosome. Females, having two Xs, MUST have two copies to be an orange tabby--therefore they must have inherited a copy from both mother AND father. Males, having only one X chromosome, only need ONE copy of the gene to be an orange tabby. If they have three chromosomes (uncommon but certainly not unheard of), the extra being an X, they can inherit an "O" gene from one parent and become a tortoishell/calico/whatever just like females do if they don't inherit an "O" gene from both parents.

Edit: Kata got to it before me.

There are certainly no sterility issues with orange females, as it's only a color, but for males with extra chromosomes, there are sterility issues, as there usually are when one has an odd number of chromosomes...

I've met several orange female kitties. One member here has at least two female kittens and one orange female cat, as well as several orange male kittens and a tortie adult female.

The only reason it's so common for orange kitties to be males is because they only need one copy--which is why you see many more tortie females, as well.

I am not of the opinion that if a female is orange is exempts her from being spayed, as even if you only had orange males (or, alternatively, tortie females) you could easily breed orange female cats. The only reason you will ever see a cat that is not an orange tabby all over that came from two orange parents is if the parents both have recessive genes hiding that effect the orange, such as points.

i also have a orange female, and i have heard, oh my, she is soooo rare!!! and im like, ok,lol.

She is now 7 weeks old, and a purfect clone of her daddy hairwise. dad was a Turkish van, mom was a tortie.

Originally Posted by katachtig

The color gene is carried on the X chromosome. Either it is black or orange. The amount of white is carried on another gene. Females get an X from both parents. Males only get an X from the mother.

A male has either a black or orange gene. Only if he is an XXY, can he be a calico.

Females on the other hand can have the following combinations:

X-orange X-orange = orange female
X-black X-orange = torties and calicos females
X-black X-black = black cats, black tabbies, females

So an orange female could have an orange mother and an orange father or a tortie mother and an orange father. Unlike the males with the XXY anomaly, orange females are fertile like any other female.

The X-orange X-orange combination tends to be rarer so you see fewer orange females cats. Whereas a male only needs one X-orange to be orange.

Click to expand...

Ahhh awesome, thanks for explaining it in detail!!!! I never quite understood kitty colouring genetics

Chichi is a girl Quite fiesty as well I've heard they were rare too. She's going on 19 now

I have an orange female cat....she is in my siggy

Doesn't the "orange" factor also depend on if the cat is longhair? I mean I have never seen a shorthaired red tabby that I can remember, but medium to longhair red tabbies are more prevalent.

I have a medium haired red tabby.

Originally Posted by chichismom

Chichi is a girl

Quite fiesty as well

I've heard they were rare too. She's going on 19 now

Click to expand...

Whoa! I had no idea Chi Chi was a girl, let alone 19! You go ornage girl!

I have an orange female as well... and have owned/fostered MANY orange or orange/white females.

Originally Posted by white cat lover

Whoa! I had no idea Chi Chi was a girl, let alone 19!

You go ornage girl!

Click to expand...

Yup I was 7 years old when I got her- I thought she was more like
17, but my Mom just told me I was more like 6 or 7 when I got her. I am going on 26 now, so that makes Chichi 19! BTW, her mother was a calico and lived to be 22

My JoJo is also an orange/red female.

I was told by a vet when I got her that only 30% of orange/red cats are female... so, not RARE, but uncommon certainly.

Now, a male tortie or calico is RARE. That's a very small percentage.

She's the queen of the household too... but i still control the food!!!

Amanda

During the two years I volunteered for a local TNR/rescue group, we had several orange female kittens and two adult females come through foster care. They were all adopted quickly since they're relatively uncommon.

Originally Posted by Liza24

i also have a orange female, and i have heard, oh my, she is soooo rare!!! and im like, ok,lol.

She is now 7 weeks old, and a purfect clone of her daddy hairwise. dad was a Turkish van, mom was a tortie.

Click to expand...

Liza,

We are compelled to ask,

1. When you say the young female is orange, do you mean 100%, or at least predominately, orange?
2. If so, and she is a clone of her dad "hairwise," if "hairwise" includes coloration, then it would follow that her dad was at least predominately orange.

If so, then one must question whether dad was really a Turkish Van.

When I first started volunteering at the shelter four years ago, there was a tiny little orange fluffball girl there, and I was crazy about her... but she was a holy terror, I must say! Every time I took her out of her cage to snuggle, she made a heroic escape attempt, usually involving a fearless leap from my arms to the side of the cage, where she would wrap her tiny claws around the wires and climb for dear life! What a character she was...