Scientists finally decode what makes orange cats so unique
Story by Vishwam Sankaran
Scientists have finally narrowed down on a long theorised elusive genetic mutation that makes orange cats so unique, unlike any other mammal.
]
While the orange fur colour can be seen across mammals, including tigers, golden retrievers, orangutans and red-headed humans, only in domestic cats is the colouration linked to sex, appearing much more often in males.
This pattern has pointed to an unknown "orange gene" on the X chromosome in cats but identifying this gene has eluded scientists for over a century. Now, a new study published in the journal Current Biology finally unravels this gene, explaining the peculiarity of ginger cat genetics.
They found that all orange cats shared a specific deletion in the ARHGAP36 gene, while the non-orange cats did not.
https://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/orange-cats-mutation-unique-ginger-b2752315.html
= new reply since forum marked as read
Goes with the decor
Headed to his Zoom meeting
In his outdoor magnificence
Guarding the front entrance
And I'm passing this on to a fellow orange kitty lover... 
They all had different personalities, but they all were all stunning cats and very friendly. The last 2 were brothers.
I didn't intentionally choose them, my pets seem to find me. I adopted my uncle's 2 cats when he died and the other 2 I rescued myself. one was a tiny kitten. I lost him 2 years ago at only age 8 which was obviously tough. So my friend whose daughter rescues cats offered to give me Nicky who is a gray tabby with green eyes. I had made a fuss over him before since he looked so much like the first cat I ever knew. He was at my grandmother's and I loved him so much, but I was really little and he didn't like me. He really belonged to my Dad's younger brother who had him since he was a kitten, but he was away at school. My Dad's whole family are animal lovers. And fortunately Nicky likes me, he's a very sweet cat.
Last edited Wed May 21, 2025, 05:46 AM - Edit history (1)
Last week he got in trouble for scratching me. I told him off at the moment he scratched me and scolded him throughout the day.
My neighbor asked if he was in trouble with me. I said why yes as a matter of fact he is. The neighbor responded that he had been over to his house and had been awfully friendly.
Looking for a new house in case things get really bad. 
Note: self deleted post was a dupe.
Ty for sharing him with us.
A question that has been plaguing me for decades has, at long last, been answered. 
For the record, we have two female cats who were litter mates. One black (Bandit), and the other a gray, tan, and white calico (Smokey).
