Ginger Cat Appreciation Day falls on 1 September. Like many cat days, it’s unofficial and nobody’s sure who started it. But ginger cats hardly need an excuse. They’re the cats people seem to remember, and the ones the internet can’t stop talking about.
Three facts about every ginger
- Most are boys. About 80% of ginger cats are male, because the orange gene sits on the X chromosome. Our story why most ginger cats are male explains how.
- All are tabbies. Look closely and you’ll find stripes, swirls or spots on every one, and the M on the forehead.
- They’ve long been lucky. PDSA notes that in Ancient Egypt, orange fur was linked to the sun, and with it good fortune.
Famous gingers
- Orangey was a Hollywood star of the 1950s and 60s. He’s the only cat to have won two PATSY awards, the animal Oscars: one for the film Rhubarb in 1951, and one for playing Cat in Breakfast at Tiffany’s in 1961.
- Bob was a London street cat who chose a busker, James Bowen, and changed his life. Their book, A Street Cat Named Bob, sold over a million copies. Read his story in famous street cats.
- Garfield, the lasagne-loving cartoon cat, has been ginger since 1978, and did a lot for the reputation.
Are gingers really friendlier?
Lots of people think so. In a 2012 survey, people rated orange cats as the friendliest of five coat colours. But it measured what people believe, not how cats behave. There’s no good evidence that colour decides character. A ginger street cat can be just as shy as any other, so approach every one the same way. Our guide to approaching a shy cat shows how.
What to do on 1 September
- Count the gingers on your street. Then try to find the girls: about one in five.
- Check them for an ear tip. Ginger toms who haven’t been neutered roam, fight and father a lot of kittens.
- Look under parked cars before you drive off. It’s where the gingers sleep in the late summer heat.
Snap the gingers on your street with Island of Cats. There’s always one more than you thought.
