![]() ![]() ![]() There are three alleles for the tabby gene that control the coat pattern - mackerel, ticked or classic swirl pattern. But the dominant orange color gene (O) suppresses the aa, so there is no such thing as a solid orange cat! Solid color cats have two recessive genes (aa), hiding the tabby pattern. The agouti gene can also be dominant or recessive - if it’s dominant, it reveals the tabby pattern, while the recessive allele prevents it. The agouti gene is responsible for the tabby pattern. About 75 percent of orange tabbies are males. So while female orange cats are not rare, females are just as likely to inherit genes for other colors, making them tortoiseshells or patched tabbies. Females must have two copies to be orange. This means that males only have to have one copy of it to be orange. The gene for orange color is carried on the X chromosome, making it sex-linked. And you will also see the classic “M” on kitty’s forehead. Sometimes these faint stripes, called ghosting, will be more apparent in kittens. ![]() If it doesn’t carry the tabby gene, it will look like a solid orange cat, but look closely - you will see faint stripes somewhere. The dominant gene for orange color will actually mask black and brown genes and convert them to orange! If a cat also inherits a tabby gene, it will appear to be an orange tabby. The orange gene has two alleles - dominant (O) and recessive (o). A patched tabby is sometimes added to the list - this is a tortoiseshell cat with patches of tabby stripes. Tabby markings come in four recognized patterns (classic, mackerel, spotted and ticked), but all have the typical tabby “M” on the forehead. Orange tabbies, also called red or ginger, are white with any shade of orange, from the palest cream to the deepest red. Tabby cats are, simply put, cats with stripes of white and some other color. ![]() Like cats themselves, cat genetics are not always simple and straightforward. Though your cat might appear to be solid orange, it is still a tabby. Swirled, mackerel, spotted or ticked, enchanting tabby cats have a distinctive, recognizable coat pattern, regardless of breed.
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