20 Purrfectly Wild Pictures of the Extremely Rare Orange Pallas' Cat

Blake Seidel • Managing Editor & Brand Manager

May 6, 2026 2:15 PM EDT

Just when you thought Pallas' cats couldn't get any cuter, we purresent to you: the brainless and clementine-colored version.

If you ever played Pokémon, you understand the concept of a "shiny". A shiny Pokémon is an extremely rare Pokémon that has a very low spawn rate and comes in a custom color that sets it apart from the rest of its kind. Some people search for these shinies for days, weeks, even months before ever catching one. Well, if there was one animal in the world that was truly like a Pokémon, it would be a Pallas' cat, and we just found its shiny version.

The orange pallas' cat, also known as Otocolobus manul ferrugineus, is a subspecies of the regular Pallas' cat that is only found in Iran and other central asian regions. Their clementine-colored coats shine a bright orange during sunrise and sunset, and can be described as more of a rusty, sand color during other meowments.

While these fluffy felines may be orange in color, it doesn't mean that they share their orange-ness with their domesticated brothers (and sisters, but we all know female orange cats are also quite rare). Orange house cats have a tendency to be…. how can we put it nicely? Let's go with "bold and adventurous", but what we really mean is that they have nothing but hot air in between their ears in place of a brain. Orange pallas' cats definitely have more than one collective brain cell to survive in the harsh outdoors.

We collected all the best pictures we could find of these "shiny" kitties, and we hope they purrfectly purrk up your day with a zest of orange feline flavor!

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via @p1nkempress_
This orange Pallas' kitten is extremely friend-shaped, but we feel the need to remind you that just because it is friend-shaped, doesn't mean that is friendly. Even if it would make the cutest, fluffiest cuddle buddy in the world. Pallas' cats are wild cats and should not be disturbed or touched if you encounter them in the wild. Believe us, we know how hard it is to resist their cuteness, but you must be strong. It's for their good, and for yours.
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via CatLand Wild
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via CatLand Wild
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via @p1nkempress_
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via pronhaul2016
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via @p1nkempress_
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via IFP Editorial Staff
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via @p1nkempress_
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via Emmanuel Keller / CC BY-ND 2.0
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via reddit
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via MissRosemaryNight
Here, you can see an “orange” Pallas' cat that's not in direct, warm sunlight. Like we said, when they're not taking selfies in golden hour, their fur is more of a rust color. Purrhaps this is why they retained their intelligence and didn't lose all of their brain cells. Because they're not “true” orange cats.
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via Kivuli
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via snippychicky22
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via snippychicky22
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via snippychicky22
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via 2sandcastles
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via 2sandcastles
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via 2sandcastles
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via 2sandcastles
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via soobnar