Omnipresent in works of fiction (The Puss in Boots in Shrek, Azrael in the Smurfs, Oliver in The Artistocats, or more recently Crookshank in Harry Potter),
red cats
, like black cats, occupy a special place in the imagination. collective.
To discover
Fence and neighborhood: what does the law say?
Red cats are all males: true or false?
False.
But it is true that almost
80% of red cats are males
.
Indeed, the O gene which confers the red color to the cat is present on the X sex chromosome of the cat.
Thus, a male cat, which has one X chromosome and one Y chromosome, will be statistically more likely to be red in color.
The O gene must be present on both X chromosomes for a female to be red.
If crossed, a red male cat (Xo-Y) and a red female (Xo-Xo) will have red kittens.
A non-red male cat (XY) and a red female cat (Xo-Xo) will have red male kittens and female tortoiseshell kittens.
A red cat (Xo-Y) and a non-red female (XX) will have non-red male kittens and tortoiseshell females.
What is tortoiseshell color?
It is about a cat dress also called "tortie", composed of a mixture of red (more or less dark), black, chocolate or cinnamon.
Cats of this color are necessarily females with two alleles of the O gene.
A tortoiseshell cat.
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Read also Black cat: beliefs, myths and legends
Red cats are rare: true or false?
False.
Overall, the red color is quite common in cats.
On the other hand, as seen previously, red-haired females are actually rarer than males.
Red cats are all the same breed: true or false?
False.
While a cat's red coat color is determined by its genetic makeup, it is unrelated to any particular cat breed.
European cat, Maine coon, Persian or even Norwegian, cats of any breed can be red-haired.
European cat, Maine coon, Persian, or even Norwegian, cats of any breed can be red-haired.
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However, no breed imposes this coat color as a breed standard.
Read also5 of the most beautiful cat breeds in the world
There are several shades of red cats: true or false?
True
.
The red color is linked to the presence of a pigment: pheomelanin.
Melanin is responsible, as with humans, for the color of the skin and hair of cats.
In the case of pheomelanin, it all depends on the depth and amount of pigment.
Thus, red cats can be more or less red, ranging from a sandy cream color to a deep red.
They may also have a tabby coat with different shades of red.
Read also5 breeds of cats with blue eyes
Red cats are nicer: true or false?
False
.
No scientific evidence shows a link between the ginger cat and a specific trait.
The explanation behind this popular belief may be linked to the fact that 80% of ginger cats are males.
Indeed, male cats are generally perceived as more affectionate (and this, even more when they are sterilized) than females, who are more independent vis-à-vis their homes.