15 Fascinating Facts About Red Tabby Cats (Vet-Verified)

Plenty of us adore the gorgeous markings and fiery color of a red tabby cat, so whether you already own a red tabby cat or are planning to choose a sweet new kitten, we’ve collected our favorite facts about the beautiful red tabby, from exactly how they get their coloring, to famous owners, and the fact that these red cats seem to be the most talkative of them all!

The 15 Fascinating Facts About Red Tabby Cats

1. Red Tabby Cats Aren’t a Breed

Red tabby cats can be found in many different cat breeds. The tabby is a coat pattern rather than a specific breed and can also be seen in other colors, including grey, brown, caramel, and silver. Cats with red tabby coats can be found in breeds such as Maine Coons, Persians, British Shorthairs, Abyssinians, and more!

2. Red Tabby Cats Also Have Other Names

You might call your cat a red tabby, but they can also be called orange, ginger, and marmalade! They all mean the same thing, that your cat has a beautiful bright red coat with darker tabby stripes.

3. Red Tabbies All Have a Distinctive Pigment in Their Fur

Perhaps your red tabby cat is a bright and fiery color, but you may have seen other red tabbies with a softer glow. Each red tabby may have its individual shades, but they all have a pigment known as pheomelanin in their fur. This pigment also creates red hair in us humans.

4. Red Tabbies Can Have Patches of White Fur

Some red tabby cats will be patched tabbies, where their tabby coloration is interspersed with patches of white. They may have a white chest, stomach, paws, legs, or even a white tail tip.

5. Red Tabbies Often Have Freckles

These are adorable additions to your gorgeous red tabby cat! Many red tabbies develop pigmented spots on their noses, lips, and eyelids, known as lentigo. These spots can begin to appear as early as 1 year of age and may continue to develop throughout the cat’s life.

6. The Tabby Pattern Comes from Wild Cats

Yes, red tabbies do look like gorgeous little domestic tigers, and their coat pattern even comes from their wild cousins! The tabby pattern occurs naturally and can be found in many different wild cats, including the Asiatic Wildcat, European Wildcat, and African Wildcat.

7. Red Tabbies Can Have Five Different Coat Patterns

Any color of tabby cat, including red tabbies, can have one of five different patterns. Classic tabbies have concentric circles on their sides and a darker stripe down their backs. Spotted tabbies have oval or rosette markings over their sides instead of the classic stripes. Ticked tabbies—which are only seen in some breeds, like the Abyssinian—have tabby markings on their faces, and the rest of their body has lightly ticked fur. Lastly, mackerel tabbies have tiger stripes.

8. The Agouti Gene Is Responsible for the Tabby Pattern

Coat color genetics can be pretty complex, but we do know that the agouti gene plays a key role in whether a cat’s tabby pattern is visible.  This gene causes individual hairs to have alternating bands of dark and light pigment, which creates those stunning tabby patterns. The gene is dominant, meaning it can be inherited from either parent to be expressed in the offspring.

9. Red Tabbies May Be the Most Vocal Cats

While there haven’t been any scientific studies to prove the hunch of many cat owners, red tabbies do seem to be more vocal than any other color of cat. In fact, orange or red tabby cats frequently seem to be louder and more outgoing than some other cats. If you’ve got a red tabby, maybe you’ll agree with this statement or decide that your cat doesn’t follow this particular trend.

10. The Name “Tabby” Is Inspired by a Type of Striped Silk

One theory is that the tabby name comes from an ancient region of Baghdad called “Attabiyah.” This area was famous for its high-quality striped silk. By the 14th century, the word seems to have been shortened to “Atabsis,” which was the root of the French word “taffeta,” which is a striped silk. By the 1960s, the phrase “tabby cat” was being used to describe our cute striped cat friends, and it was then shortened to simply tabby.

11. Their Eye Color Can Vary

While all cats, including red tabbies, will be born with blue eyes, the color of a red tabby cat’s eyes will start to change as they grow older, from approximately 7–8 weeks of age. Red tabbies will usually mature to have green, bronze, copper, or golden-colored eyes.

12. Female Red Tabbies Are Rare

Most red tabbies will be male, with only 1/5 of red tabbies being female. This is because the X chromosome is responsible for that red tabby coloration. Female cats each have two X chromosomes, so they need to inherit the red gene from both their parents in order to have a red tabby coat color. Male cats have XY chromosomes, so they only need to have the ginger gene passed on via the X chromosome from their mother cat. That means there’s a higher chance of male cats being ginger.

13. There Are Many Famous Red Tabby Cats

Many cats depicted in TV, film, and literature are classic red tabby cats. This includes Garfield, Puss in Boots, and Dick Whittington’s cat! The creator of Garfield, Jim Davis, said of his decision to create Garfield as a red tabby: “In my head, the sky is blue, the grass is green, and cats are orange.”

14. You’ll Never See Solid-Colored Red Cats

While many cat colors, including black, blue, and white, come in solid coat colors, you’ll never see a solid-colored red cat. They will always have tabby markings on their coat. So, while a tabby won’t always be red, a red cat will always be a tabby cat!

15. All Red Tabbies Have Distinctive Markings on Their Foreheads

Each and every red tabby cat will have an “M” on their foreheads, and there are various legends to explain how that came to be. One story tells how the prophet Muhammad placed his hand on the forehead of a cat, and the marking was left as a reminder. Another says that a tabby cat climbed into the crib of baby Jesus and stopped him from crying. When the Virgin Mary placed her hand upon the cat in gratitude, a marking was left behind. Lastly, another legend says that tabby cats got this marking while they were frowning at a mouse hole, waiting for that elusive mouse to appear!

Conclusion

Red tabby cats are unique cats with distinctive coats and vocal personalities. If you’re lucky enough to find a red tabby cat, try to find some of these physical characteristics on your kitty. Take a look at their eye color, the distinctive “M” marking on their foreheads, or freckles and white coat patches. Whether you’re drawn to their playful nature or unique traits, red tabbies hold a special place in the world of tabby cats. Having a red tabby in your life is sure to bring endless joy and great companionship.

Featured Image Credit: Anna_Zaitzeva, Shutterstock