Famous Orange Cats

Orange cats are more than playful, freckle-faced, and big-hearted companions. History and entertainment have given us plenty of famous orange cats to love, laugh with, and be amazed by:

• The Hollywood star Orangey was best known for his portrayal of Audrey Hepburn’s cat in Breakfast at Tiffany’s. But Orangey acted in numerous other films over his 15-year career, earning himself two Patsy awards—an animal actor’s equivalent of an Oscar—a record number of Patsies for a single actor.

• Morris, the finicky orange mascot for the 9Lives food commercial, made his television debut in 1968. The original Morris died in 1978, but the current mascot is thriving at his Los Angeles home under the care of his handler, Rosie Ordile.

• Winston Churchill received an orange tabby cat for his 88th birthday. He called the animal Jock. The elderly statesmen was so enamored with Jock that he decreed an orange cat should always live at the Churchill home, Chartwell, even after his death. The current feline inhabitant of Chartwell is Jock VI, a marmalade with a white bib and four white socks.

• A ginger cat named Stubbs is serving as the honorary mayor of Talkeetna, Alaska. The town has no human mayor, and Stubbs was offered the post to attract tourists. He’s been so successful that he’s retained his office for nearly 20 years. The feline mayor is given catnip-infused water out of a wine glass every afternoon at a local restaurant.

• Undoubtedly, the world’s most famous orange cat made his entrance to American culture in 1978 and is still going strong. Of course, we’re talking about Garfield. The sleepy, chubby, coffee-loving, Monday-hating feline holds the Guinness Book of World Records title for the most syndicated comic strip.

Did you know that orange is one of the most common colors for cats?

Those of us who love them, however, know that orange cats are anything but common. In fact, we think they’re extraordinary. For example:

• 80% of orange tabby cats are male.
• Orange cats come in four coat types—classic (swirled), mackerel (striped), spotted, and ticked (agouti).
• After a year or so, some orange cats start sporting tiny black freckles around their mouths. This is called lentigo, and it’s harmless. In fact, we think it’s cute.

Orange cats, like those of every other color, can make beautiful, fun-loving companions for any cat-friendly household.