Orange Maine Coons are a sight to behold—fierce Vikings in a flame-colored coat. The Cat Fanciers Association calls them “red,” while others call them ginger or marmalade. Whatever you call them, orange Maine Coons are stately and distinctive creatures with many variations of eye-catching orange.
Orange Maine Coons owe their color to their genes, which they inherit from their parents, and are all tabby cats in one form or another due to the interaction of the orange color alleles and the agouti stripe gene. This orange color gene is sex-linked to the female X chromosome, which is why most gingers are male.
Orange cats are iconic: think Garfield, Puss in Boots—now combine the color with the majestic Maine Coon, and you have a masterpiece! The secret to red Maine Coons lies in the mysterious world of genetics and the O gene, which results in a wonder array of ginger-coated kitties. Let’s take a deep dive into the world of these carrot-colored cuties.
Contents
The O Gene and the Vibrancy of Orange Majestic Felines
To understand the process of inherited traits such as the orange-colored coat, one needs to understand alleles. Genes are part of the DNA that encodes specific proteins and RNA, which control critical biological functions. Alleles, on the other hand, are variations within these genes that lead to a host of particular traits, such as eye and coat color.
The trick of creating a flame-colored Maine Coon comes down to their inherited genes from both parents. Every cat and human has a genotype comprising all its genes and is responsible for the variety in their appearance and biology.
The term allele describes the different gene versions found in a particular genomic location or loci. Two alleles may exist at one location, which is the result of inheriting two copies of the genome—as the kitten will inherit one from each of their parents. These are called paternal and maternal alleles, and how they combine results in unique characteristics such as the orange coat of a Maine Coon.
When these two alleles are the same from both the cat’s parents, these are known as homozygotes, and when the two inherited alleles are different, they are called heterozygotes.
For example, if your parents both had blue eyes, your eyes would be blue. But, if one of your parents had blue eyes and one brown, your eyes would be brown, as brown is the dominant allele.
In the case of ginger coat colors, the orange allele is O and is codominant with non-orange (o). Because the O gene lies in the X chromosome, orange cats are primarily male. Unlike females, they don’t have two pairs of the X chromosome, so they don’t require two orange alleles. Males with only one X chromosome need only one orange allele to display an orange coat.
How the Orange Pigment Works？
Melanin is behind the wide variety of colors in Maine Coon coats. Pigments in your cat’s coat come in the form of granules and contain either eumelanin (black) or pheomelanin, which is yellow.
Now, these granules have different shapes, with black being more oval and absorbing the light entirely. Red pheomelanin granules are shaped like teeny footballs and reflect light in the yellow and orange spectrum. The true red (orange) gene converts the black eumelanin to pheomelanin, resulting in those gorgeous red-orange coats.
Why All Ginger Feline Giants Are Tabbies？
The agouti gene is responsible for the swirls, stripes, and spots you find on several cat breeds. The agouti gene is a wild-type allele that causes the banded effect on a cat’s hair shaft of alternating black and yellow coloration (which includes the spectrum of browns and greys)
A red/orange cat will show the tabby pattern regardless of whether the agouti gene is dominant or recessive, even though the stripes might not be noticeable. A closer look at ostensibly solid orange coats under certain lighting conditions will still show ghost stripes.
Ginger Maine Coons 2.0: Coons Diluted
A mutation exists in the melanophilin gene (MLPH) to make things even more complicated! This mutation causes the dominant color in a coat to become lightened, much like a genetic bleach. You get two flavors of this dilute gene: dominant (D) or recessive dilute (d). It takes two recessive (d) alleles to create dilution in the Main Coon ginger coat. The black pigment becomes gray/blue, and the vibrant red becomes a delicious cream color.
Here is a gorgeous dilute Maine Coon for you to enjoy:
Codominance and Color Pairing
As I mentioned, the gene that codes for pheomelanin is the O gene, which has two alleles: dominant O and recessive (o) non/orange-red allele. Like a well-matched couple, the alleles in the O gene are codominant, meaning both alleles can be expressed together.
This codominance means that both traits may co-occur with the result of both black/brown (o) and the red O. Because the X chromosome carries the orange/red gene, the female will have two copies, resulting in these possible color combos.
| Female Cat Allele Combination | Color Expression |
|---|---|
| Homozygous Dominant (O/O) | A full expression of red/orange |
| Homozygous Recessive (o/o) | A full expression of black/brown |
| Heterozygous (O/o) | Both orange/red pheomelanin pigment and black/brown eumelanin pigment, AKA Tortie |
What About the Boys?
Male kitties typically have one X and one Y chromosome, and as the O gene is expressed on the X chromosome, they can only carry one allele of the orange gene. This allele would either be dominant O or recessive non-orange o, so the tortie O/o combination would be rare. Thus, most torties are female by genetic default.
Oops, It’s Epistasis: Genetic Ginger Surprises
You might feel quite smug that you can now confidently predict the coloration and gender of your Maine Coon kittens. You expect them to be solid black or brown. Then, SURPRISE! You find yourselves with a ginger tabby. You might be a victim of epistasis, the unseen war of the genes, in this case, between the agouti gene and the Orange/red O gene.
The O gene quite brutally “stands upon” or suppresses the eumelanin black/brown in the A gene in a process called epistasis. Somehow, this causes a deletion at the agouti locus, which changes even non-orange agouti coats to display the tabby striped patterning.
This patterning may appear even in the solid-appearing red coats, called a ticked pattern. A ticked coat seems solid, but in fact, it comprises hairs with individually banded color.
Shades of Flame: Variations of the Orange Cat
We already discussed Maine Coon tortoiseshells, those Harlequin-like beauties with glorious red and black patches. Let’s explore some more Coon coats that show orange in them.
| CFA Show Names: Coat Coloration | Color Display |
|---|---|
| Calico | Large orange and black unstriped patches over a white undercoat. |
| Red Tabby | A background color of red with deep red markings in ticked, mackerel, or classic |
| All Cream Variations | Cream is a version of the dilute red gene. |
| Brown Patched Tabby | Otherwise known as a torbie, this coloration sports an undercoat of brilliant coppery brown. This color shows markings of dense black with patches of red. |
| Cameo Tabby | Cameo tabbies have an off-white undercoat with red tabby markings |
| Shaded Cameo | These cats have a white undercoat with a mantle of red-tipped hairs shading the sides, head, and tail. |
| Shaded Tortoiseshell | This tortie has an undercoat of white with a mantle of black and red shading on their sides, face, and tail. |
| Shell Tortoiseshell | This color has an undercoat of white with red and black tipped back, flanks, and tail with shades of red. |
| Cameo Smoke (Red Smoke) | This color has an undercoat of white with a red mantle of shading on the head, sides, and tail. |
| Shell Cameo (Red Chinchilla) | An undercoat of white with red tipping on the back, sides, head, and tail. |
| Shade Cameo (Red Shaded) | Once more, this color has a white undercoat with a mantle of red-tipped hairs down the sides, face, and tail. |
| Cameo Smoke (Red Smoke) | Cameo Smoke has a white undercoat with deep red-tipped hairs that appear red when the cat is still. Movement reveals the gorgeous white undercoat. |
| Tortie Smoke | A white undercoat, deeply tipped with black with patches of red or soft areas of red on the body and legs. |
| The Above Colors With White | All the above hues, including tortoise, with a sparkling white bib, belly, and all four socks. They may or may not show white on the face. |
If you’re curious to learn more about the captivating fur color of orange Maine Coon cats, don’t hesitate to check out on our website.
Do Orange Maine Coons Have a Different Personality?
Although characters like Garfield and Puss in Boots give red cats a street cred, orange is a color, not a breed type. Although people see red cats (and red-haired humans) as fiery and spirited, personalities will follow a breed type more closely than the coloration of a cat coat.
Although this might be true, my gingers have all been headcases, off-the-chart distinctive and oh-so quirky!
Did you know that orange Maine Coons have another feature that sets them apart from other colored cats?
Ginger Maine Coon’s Can Get Freckles!
Did you know that ginger cats can get freckles just like human carrot heads? These feline freckles are called lentigo and are usually harmless and cute. These dark spots may extend to the mouth and around the eyes and give the ginger Coon even more of a cuteness factor.
Closing Thoughts
Orange Maine Coons are a beautiful sight, especially with their daunting size and piercing gaze. Although color does not necessarily predict personality, plenty of Maine Coon lovers will insist that orange Coons are different, often quirky and single-minded. Now that you are in the know about how genes create this fantastic color, you can set about making your own tribe of Maine Coon Ginger Ninjas!
