My roommate and I have had an on-going discussion about how we never see female orange cats. I got curious as to why this was and did some research. This cute little article explains it pretty well.
Cat coloration is very complex. There are a lot of combinations that can happen, which makes sense when you consider there is not only color involved but also fur type, patterns, and density. Cat variations have always been something I loved to look at, one of the many things about those creatures that makes me adore them.
Anyway, the reason why it's more likely for you to find a male orange cat than a female one has to do with gene inheritance. For a cat to be orange, every X chromosome it has needs to have inherited the code for orange. In a male cat, this means it only needs one, as they only have one X. In a female cat, she needs to have two. Female cats who are orange, tortoiseshell, or calico can yield an orange gene, but only male orange cats can.
The article is, like I said, informative and pretty cute. If you're interested in cat genes, it's a fun little read. And, as always, the internet has educated me.
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