Ginger toms are friendlier and more confident that other domestic cats

It is dangerous to generalise but I think that it is fair to say that the general consensus among cat aficionados and perhaps some experts is that ginger tom cats are or tend to be more confident and more friendly than your typical domestic cat of other coat types and colours. But the "evidence" is largely anecdotal. That means there's no hard scientific evidence behind this claim. Although if enough people say it then you could argue that that is good evidence derived from personal experience.

Confident and friendly ginger tom cat at a supermarket.

RELATED: ginger cats are almost 18 times more predisposed to skin cancer than other domestic cats excluding white cats. Why? Find out my reason by clicking on the link below:

Pheomelanin in ginger hair greatly predisposes ginger cats to skin cancer.

A BBC article quotes Roger Tabor a broadcaster and naturalist and an expert on cats. He said the following on this topic:

"To be a ginger cat, a female kitten has to inherit two copies of the ginger gene, but males only have to inherit one. Measurements have also shown that generally male ginger toms are heavier than most cats of other colours. Male ginger cats tend to be both taller and broader than most other moggies - apart from the North American Maine Coon."

It could be that if ginger tabby cats are a little larger than average this makes them more confident and therefore more fearless which improves the possibility that they might become "leaders" in a cat colony. It also might make them more outgoing. So there may be a scientific connection here.

From my perspective, I remember meeting a ginger tabby cat in Malta who was indeed a leader of a cat colony. A colony of cats rescued by the lady who owned the house where he lived. Her name was Martha Kane. She has passed over the rainbow bridge to meet her beloved rescue cats there but her website is still on the Internet and I refer to it out of respect for her.

On the Internet there are a lot of stories about ginger cats looking very confident and liking the attention they draw when in public places such as a ginger and white tabby called Nala who likes to sit on ticket scanning devices at a station in Stevenage in Hertfordshire. No doubt he likes the heat from the devices but he probably also likes to meet the people passing through the devices.

And there is a ginger and white tabby cat in a branch of Tesco in Norwich, beloved of the public, but the management are not quite so sure about his presence. He likes to sit on self-service checkout machines looking for a bit of attention. 

And in Ely, Cambridgeshire, another ginger tabby called Garfield became very popular in Sainsbury's. After his death a eulogy was held in the city's cathedral and a brass monument was erected in his memory.

Here are some other points provided by my assistant:

Ginger cats, also known as orange or marmalade cats, are indeed quite special! Their striking appearance and unique coloration make them stand out, but it’s their temperament that truly captivates cat lovers. Let’s explore why ginger cats are often described as friendly, sociable, and outgoing:

• Friendly and Affectionate Nature: Ginger cats are known for their friendly and affectionate behaviour. They thrive on companionship and love engaging in playtime and interactions with their human counterparts. If you’re looking for a feline companion who enjoys cuddles and attention, a ginger cat might be a great choice!

• Sociability: These cats tend to be more social than some other coat types. They often seek out human attention and enjoy being part of family activities. Their outgoing nature makes them wonderful companions for households with children or other pets.

• Independence with a Dash of Charm: Beneath their sociable exterior, ginger cats also have a streak of independence. They strike a balance between seeking affection and having their own space. Their playful and curious personalities add to their charm, making them delightful pets.

Remember that individual personality and temperament can vary among cats, regardless of coat colour. While ginger cats generally exhibit these positive traits, there are always exceptions. If you’re considering adopting a ginger cat, spend time getting to know the specific cat’s personality to ensure a good match for your home and lifestyle! 😺🧡.

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P.S. please forgive the occasional typo. These articles are written at breakneck speed using Dragon Dictate. I have to prepare them in around 20 mins.

Cat-liking journalist killed by Russian missile when covering the Ukraine war

The tweet is very sad. Arman Soldin was an AFP journalist. And it would appear that he was an ailurophile - a cat lover or at least a cat liker. According to the Defense of Ukraine tweet (a great Twitterer by the way) he was killed by a Russian missile attack on Chasiv Yar, Donetsk region of Ukraine. 

Arman Soldin an AFP journo was killed by the Russians in Ukraine. Image: Twitter.

The Defense of Ukraine tweeting authors always spell 'Russia' without capitalising it. I believe this is a deliberate sign of disrespect and I agree with them. No one should respect Russia anymore. 

Putin says that the West wants to destroy Russia and that the West has started the war. It is complete mumbo-jumbo. He is constantly feeding misinformation to the citizens of Russia. He calls black, white and white, black. He is a consummate liar and I think that he believes his lies. If he could have made friends with the West it would have protected Russia. His actions are jeopardising Russia; making it more vulnerable

The Defense of Ukraine tweet concludes: "Our heartfelt condolences go out to his family and coworkers. He dedicated his life to informing the world about the truth. His legacy, as well as his cause, will live on."

RIP Arman. God speed. And I love the ginger tabby cat on your shoulder. I hope the cat was not with you when the missile struck. I wonder what happened to this cat?

UPDATE from CBS: "The French judiciary has launched a war crime investigation into the death of AFP reporter Arman Soldin who was killed in Ukraine, anti-terror prosecutors said Wednesday."

Soldin, 32, died when he and his AFP colleagues came under fire by Grad rockets on Tuesday while they were with Ukrainian troops near Chasiv Yar, in the Donbas region of eastern Ukraine. According to the AFP, other reporters with Soldin were not injured in the attack.

 
Hundreds of thousands of animals have been 'murdered' by Putin's forces during this illegal invasion. It is horrible and tragic. Not enough has been mentioned about them.

And many thousands of domestic cats have become feral. They've become homeless as their owners have been killed in their flats. There is a girl who looks after them where she lives. Heroic.

Here she is: 11-year-old girl feeds abandoned cats in devastated Ukraine. The girl's name is Veronika Krasevych. Such an adult character and approach to animal welfare from such a young girl. She sounds like an adult when she talks about cats.

Video screenshot.

Ginger tabby kitten asks for another kiss. Do cats understand kisses?

A super cute video. It seems to all the world that this little fella (ginger tabbies are nearly always males) wants another gentle kiss from his female caregiver and why not? Good idea. The way she delivers it is like the classic, friendly feline nose greeting. So perhaps her kitten interprets the kiss as that. Cats don't understand human kisses! Sorry but that is true. But they understand friendliness, warmth and affection from humans and respond positively to it as we see in the video.

Ginger tabby kitten asks for another kiss. Screenshot.

This is a TikTok video. They allow downloads and uploads. So, this is not my video. Update: I have delete it because Vimeo don't allow it.

It is a very successful one because of the behavior of the charming kitten. It reminds me of another post I wrote not long ago in which I said that cat caregivers should try and find out what their cat particularly likes and give it to them as much as possible and I am not talking about food! I mean, give them the food they like but not as much of it as possible unless you want your cat to become obese.

RELATED: Do cats know what kisses are?

My cat likes the back of his head rubbed and pressure applied to it. I always take the time to place my hand on the back of his head and hold it there. He meows silently to me when I do it with a look of delight on his face.

My cat loves the feeling of pressure from my hand at the back of his head and neck. I give it to him whenever I can. It is reassuring to him.

RELATED: National Kissing Day: Don’t kiss your cat on the lips.

Domestic cats need reassurance all the time I feel. They want to know that all is well. Perhaps this is because we make them feel like kittens even if they are adults. As we provide their every need like a mom, we keep them in that mental state. And kittens always look to their mom for reassurance. They purr to her and she returns the purr when nursing her them.

Spider Cat - ginger tabby demonstrates his prowess (picture)

Just another day in the life of a domestic cat although it looks impressive to many humans. To other humans it might look a bit annoying because you don't know what kind of damage he is doing. I do not think that he is doing damage, actually, because the structure on which he's climbing is suitable for climbing and I don't think it can be harmed by him. And he is having a hell of a lot of fun. It's the vertical movement which cats love. They have to have their daily fix.

Ginger tabby Miko the Samoan cat is Spider Cat. Photo: the owner of Miko the Samoan cat. He lives in Japan.

I just like the photograph. It's nice and symmetrical and this ginger tabby is looking very much like Spider-Man which is a very popular franchised film currently. That is why "spider cat" is a suitable title.

We don't know what happened next. Cats are very good at going forwards and upwards but less good at going backwards and downwards. He must have shimmied down or simply turned around where he was and jumped down.

RELATED: Cats have shock absorber legs.

The poor performance of domestic cats in going backwards i.e. in reverse down trees is one reason why they sometimes get stuck 40 feet up. They race up with not a problem in the world and then scratch their heads and try and figure out how to get down which normally means going backwards. 

RELATED: Cat climbing trees – moving vertically has great advantages for the cat.

The very adept and talented domestic cats race down headfirst using the branches as breaking points. That is mightily impressive and they need their shock absorber forelegs to cope with this and confidence and courage in abundance.

Can you tell the difference between twin cats?

The owner of these charming ginger tabby twin cats says: "People always ask how I can tell my cats apart; and I can never answer how. I just know. Reddit do you spot any differences I can point out to people?"

Well, you can see the faint difference in the 'M' tabby mark on the forehead. It is not a huge difference obviously but there is one. And the cat on the right looks slightly more feminine to me. The owner does not say if they are males or females. 

RELATED: Twin Cats Sleep Facing Each Other.

That is interesting, as it is part of the problem of identifying domestic cats. Can you tell the gender of these twins? They look male to me but I am not sure. Can you always tell a female from a male? I can't. There are often clues, the biggest of which is the size of the cat. And I believe a cat's face can look more masculine or feminine.

Twin ginger tabbies. Photo: u/Lazy-Squish on Reddit.

Between these two, there will be some differences in behaviour I expect. This should help the owner to distinguish between them. I'd expect it to be rare for a good cat owner to fail to be able to distinguish twin cats from each other but it probably happens from time to time. It'll be a spur of the moment mistake, I'd expect.

RELATED: Twin Persian Cats.