Is there any truth...orange cats are always dog-like?

The other night I was talking to my mom and a few of her girlfriends about getting a cat. They all told me that Orange cats have better (more dog-like) temperments and are therefore better for first-time cat owners b/c they are more social and unflappable.

I had heard this before-that orange tabbies are more playful, but I don't have any idea if this is true or some old wives tale.

Has anyone ever heard this before, and is there any shreds of truth to it?

I've never heard of it, and it's not true. My parents' orange tabby, who is my baby, is very skittish and only likes me and my mother. Nobody else can touch him and he often won't let us touch him either. He does follow us around like a puppy in the morning, but so do my kittens which are a gray-and-white and a black tabby.

I played with an orange kitten at the shelter that I wanted. He didn't pay any attention to us at all and absolutely hated all other cats. He was cute but he just didn't have the personality I was looking for.

I've heard it. A lodd of bull-hooey! I'd like you to come meet Lola at the shelter. She is an orange tabby. She has got to be the MEANEST cat I've ever met. It's not her, it's just the cage talking. I pity the poor girl. She stood no chance of being adopted...no kids, cats, or dogs. When people were interested in her, she would nip them. She bit one kitten 4 times. She nips people. One guy walks in, says, "I want her". I was like...ummmm....OK. I let him pick her up out of the cage & she nipped him in the face(didn't break the skin). He says, "Yep, just like my Surly that died 5 years ago". He is adopting her Saturday.

Just goes to show that not all orange tabbies are dog like(or even that pleasant for that matter). I am the proud meowmy of a wonderful orange tabby, however, I have a black/brown tabby with the same personality(three of them, actually), a buff/whtie guy with the same personality, a white one with the same personality, a torite with the same personality, & a buff boy with the same personality. It isn't the color, it's the cat!

Not really, but I'll agree they seem to have a nicer/laid back personality - all my red boys did (pedigree and mixed). My favs are the reds and the calicos

Well, it seems to be true in my case. All my guys(3) are sweeties, but the redhead is the friendliest to strangers and much more of a lover to me than his black and white, and grey and white, brothers.

Our first orange cat was the most all-purpose and 'nice' cat there was. Nothing doglike about him that I can remember though. Our present one, a Maine Coon princess, is so undoglike as to be funny! She knows she's a princess, demands to be treated like porcelain and not fussed with (though she's a big fusser herself!) and thinks dogs smell bad (and not a lot more).

I have a friend who is quite the cat fancier. She's an expert, actually.
Nina insists that orange cats are mild mannered and that black and white cats are very friendly and intelligent.
I won't argue with her in the latter case since Gizmo is certainly a very gentle and playful and VERY smart girl...though I don't think it has anything to do with her coloring. The cat behaviour books I've read say that a cat's temperament is determined by that of its father. I am more inclined to believe that than stories about colour and personality.

My first 2 red boys, now gone to the Bridge, were the sweetest, most laid back cats ever. My current red boy, Scooter, is a little stinker. He is getting a little better lately, but he still is not as sweet and cuddly as Webb or Leo.

Oh my, that theory is interesting though I agree with others that it may not have anything to do with color but rather the cat itself. I do have an orange tabby that’s very dog-like in that he’s always at the door to greet us when we come home, or if he is not quick enough to be at the door (maybe just woken up from a nap  ), we’d see him running towards us. Then soon as we say hi to him, he’ll flop on his sides or back -lol. He also follows us from room to room. He’s indeed a very sweet and laid-back kitty!

My parents' cat is another example of how this isn't true. He is an orange tabby and he is not very friendly. The other day I was holding him and all of a sudden he just bit my neck without any warning.

A cat's personality has to do with their genetics and how they're raised and socialized.

However - the funny thing is: My own orange tabby is very dog-like, super friendly and affectionate, outgoing, etc. Same with my older brother's orange tabby.

And, when I go to the shelters, it always seems like the orange tabby's are the ones meowing and purring and trying to get my attention - more so than the others.

Coincidence? Perhaps.

However, that's not to say I haven't come across a mean orange tabby. Just go to a feral colony. No dog-like orange tabbies there!

Originally Posted by elbvc211

However, that's not to say I haven't come across a mean orange tabby. Just go to a feral colony. No dog-like orange tabbies there!

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HA! My Stumpy was born feral and is the most dog-like red tabby that you ever wanted to meet. He truly thinks he is a dog!!

I have a weakness for red tabbies. I live with 7 of them (Stumpy, Scarlett, Bob, Pinky, Spanky, Oscar, Lucky).

Stumpy could be a dog
Scarlett is the perfect princess and love-muffin
Bob is friendly but can't sit still for long (busy cat)
Pinky is a big lump of long haired fluff but a lover boy
Spanky loves anything that crosses his path
Oscar is terrible skittish but still loves his mama
Lucky is feral, but still allows me to pet him at times

I am highly biased towards reds (males are calmer than females), but can also attest to the calmness of grey's and grey & whites. All of my grey cats were actually more mellow and loving than any of my reds. My feral colony simply didn't produce greys or my house would be overrun with those.

It's probably not true at all, but Tiggy, my little decease Orange Boy, was almost the best friend you could ever have--and so if you're thinking of getting a cat, here are some of the key tests (or so I think):

1. If you want an outgoing, down-to-earth kitten, try holding it on its back.
2. If you want a lap kitten, try putting it on your lap after a bit of petting.
3. For a playful kitten, run your fingers back and forth across the cage to see if there's any interest.
4. If you want a shy kitten, repeat #3 only it shouldn't pay any attention.
5. If you want an adventurous kitten, hide somewhere and see if it looks back excitedly at you.
6. If you see Tiggy anywhere, tell me.

I have orange, gray and cream colored cats and my orange boys are by far the sweetest of them all.

Can someone tell me why ORANGE cats are called red and ginger?