Amongst humans, it has become a magnet for ridicule and discrimination. But it turns out being ginger is actually quite cool - for cats.

New research shows ginger moggies are cat owners’ favourites, because they are perceived as friendly and lovable. In contrast, white cats are seen as aloof and distant, tabby cats as intolerant and black cats - as befits their depiction in folklore - as unlucky and mysterious.

The study, by researchers at University of California, Berkeley, set out to examine the reasons why, in previous investigations, it was found that dark cats were more likely to be put down because their owners were unable to cope and that tabby cats were often handed over to shelters because they had too much ‘attitude’.

The team behind the latest results say they are important because so-called ‘feline typecasting’ can have a negative effect on adoption rates at animal rescue shelters.