Why cats are orange (and tortoiseshell and calico)

Nine thousand years ago, humans began domesticating cats. Nine hundred years ago, before the advent of intentional cat breeding, a genetic mutation gave rise to the first orange cat. Days ago, Stanford Medicine researchers revealed exactly which gene created the fuzzy fodders for Garfield, Puss In Boots and Toulouse from "The Aristocats," to name just a few.

Unlike any other “ginger” mammals, orange cats’ coloration owes to a sex-linked gene, which is why 80% of orange felines are fellas.

The unique sex-linked orange genetic mutation remained enigmatic for years while scientists tried to figure out what induced cats’ pigment cells to produce yellow, orange or red coloration instead of the usual brown and black.

Researchers from Brown University, the Frederick National Laboratory for Can