April 30, 2025, 12:33 pm | Read time: 4 minutes
Orange cats are a bit crazy but affectionate. White cats prefer to keep to themselves. Is this all just a stereotype, or can a cat’s fur color actually reveal something about its character?
It is often heard that a cat’s fur color can affect its personality. This stereotype is so widespread that statements about cats with certain fur colors are often accepted as absolute truth on social media. Cats with red or orange fur are frequently said to have a mind of their own. Sometimes they are even described as particularly gluttonous, likely due to the world’s most famous Exotic Shorthair, the cartoon cat Garfield. But is there scientific evidence to support this? PETBOOK explains more below.
How Different Fur Colors Are Said to Affect the Personality of Cats
It is often read, even on veterinary websites, how fur colors in cats are supposed to affect their personality. These include statements such as the following:
- White cats are said to appear particularly elegant. They are also described as calm and serene, but they apparently need a lot of affection and actively demand attention from their owner. Some perceive them as aloof.
- Orange, red, and red-white cats are considered gluttonous, tend to exhibit unusual behavior, are curious, and are very attached to their owner.
- Gray cats are considered particularly playful and curious but are said to have rather low self-control.
- Black cats are said to have unpredictable characters and be shy around strangers but are very affectionate toward their caregivers.
- Calico or tortoiseshell cats are said to be particularly playful but also easily irritable.
- Tabby or striped cats are said to be especially adventurous.
- Black-and-white cats are said to be particularly intelligent.
- Brown cats are said to be very intelligent and playful, but according to stereotypes, they also meow a lot.
But how much truth is there behind the various statements about fur colors and personality? Especially with red or orange cats, it should be noted that they are mostly male, so their personality traits might be more influenced by their gender than by their color.
Fur Color in Cats — the Study Situation
There have been a few studies on the topic of fur color in cats and whether they really affect their personality. However, there is little scientific evidence for personality traits or behavioral associations in cats with different fur colors. The assumption that fur color influences behavior is more culturally driven than statistically provable. For example, prejudices about black cats lead to them being adopted less frequently.
Science has focused more on the widespread prejudices of owners. A 2012 study by the University of California, Berkeley showed that owners attribute certain fur colors to attributes and personality traits. The study of 189 cat owners found that they believed orange cats were friendly, white cats were dignified and distant, and tricolored cats were less tolerant. All cats — regardless of their fur color — were described as stubborn.
What People Believe Has Serious Consequences for Cats
In a press release from the university, the study’s lead author, Mikel Delgado, commented as follows: “There is little evidence so far that these perceived differences between cats of different colors actually exist, but it has serious effects on cats when people believe that some cat colors are friendlier than others.”
In another study from 2015, no significant difference in the aggression potential of cats with different fur colors could be demonstrated. For this study, an online questionnaire was created, which again showed prejudices against certain fur colors. However, these could not be proven during a visit to the vet, daily interaction, or dealing with the owner.
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Sources
- Petdoctors.at, “8 Fur Colors of Our House Cats & What the Fur Reveals About Their Personality” (accessed on 10/16/2023)
- PawsandClasVet.com, “Does Color Play a Role?” (accessed on 10/16/2023)
- Magazin-Tierheimhelden.de, “What the Fur Color Reveals About a Cat’s Personality” (accessed on 10/16/2023)
- Delgado, M. M., Munera, J. D., & Reevy, G. M. (2012). Human perceptions of coat color as an indicator of domestic cat personality. Anthrozoös, 25(4), 427-440.
- Elizabeth A. Stelow, Melissa J. Bain & Philip H. Kass (2016) The Relationship Between Coat Color and Aggressive Behaviors in the Domestic Cat, Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science, 19:1, 1-15