LEGO is no stranger to controversy, but the company's latest animal-themed release has sparked a surprisingly intense debate within its global fan community. Positioned as a companion to the popular LEGO Tuxedo Cat, the recently revealed LEGO Orange Cat set has quickly become one of the most polarizing LEGO releases of late.
At first glance, the Orange Cat LEGO set seems to follow a proven formula. It's a brick-built display model designed mostly for adult fans, it leans heavily towards realism and it's clearly aimed at pet lovers rather than traditional play-focused builders. But what initially looked like a safe follow-up has instead sparked discussions about design reuse, color accuracy and how effectively animal LEGO sets can represent one's furry friends.
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LEGO's orange cat set has divided the fan base and the color may be the real culprit
A familiar building with minimal changes
One of the main points of contention is how closely Orange Cat mirrors the previously released Tuxedo Cat LEGO set, which became one of the best-selling LEGO sets. While LEGO hasn't marketed it as a simple repaint, many fans were quick to note that the underlying structure is largely unchanged. That said, there are differences, even if they are subtle.
Key Differences Between Orange Cat and Tuxedo Cat Sets
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Minor changes to facial details, including slight adjustments to the eye contrast to match the lighter fur
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The Tuxedo Cat set had a piece change option to have an open mouth, while the Orange Cat set has an opening piece for the mouth
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Some pieces on the side of the Orange Cat set are slightly spiky to give a more realistic feel to the fur, while the Tuxedo Cat set is “flatter” and rounder overall.
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Reverse position of the tail, wrapping around the cat's left side instead of the right side of the Tuxedo Cat set
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The headpiece no longer rotates 360 degrees and now has a stop mechanism
Who is that character?
Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
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Identify the silhouettes before time runs out.
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Despite these tweaks, critics claim that the overall silhouette, posing, and building experience are nearly identical, making the set feel less like a new model and more like a cosmetic variant, especially compared to other 2026 LEGO sets. This even led some social media users to say that for the cost of the set, you can just adopt an orange cat from your local shelter.
Why the color choice for the orange cat set means more than LEGO expected
Interestingly, the biggest criticism isn't about the reused design, but rather about the specific shade of orange LEGO chose. Unlike black and white, orange is not a universal shade in real cats. The shade used in the set is more like bronze or cinnamon than orange, almost red/brown in shade, representing only a relatively small subset of orange cats. Many true orange cats are:
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Deeper, darker ginger
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Brighter and more saturated
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Muted with brown or reddish undertones
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Plain orange fur without white parts, or at least lighter orange instead of white
Technically, cats are not “orange”, but rather the official definition is red.
As a result, some fans feel that the set fails to capture the diversity typically associated with orange cats, making it harder for owners to see their own pets reflected in the model. It doesn't help that LEGO's adorable animal sets are pretty sparse overall, so there isn't much else to choose from in this category.
Why the tuxedo cat avoided this problem entirely
The comparison to Tuxedo Cat is inevitable and possibly revealing. Black and white coloring is highly standardized, both in nature and in LEGO's existing color palette. There is little ambiguity in what a tuxedo cat should look like, which allowed LEGO to bypass the issue of color accuracy entirely. While there are many examples of tuxedo cats that look different, some with more white than black, others with more irregular patterns and so on, the color palette is not up for debate.
With orange, that margin of error disappears. What worked flawlessly for a bi-chrome animal suddenly becomes much more complex when warmth, saturation and realism come into play, especially for a LEGO adult set aimed more at collectors.
The fans are split down the middle
On the one hand, supporters argue:
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The LEGO set is beautiful, charming and visually appealing
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LEGO never aimed for perfect realism
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The model still functions as a decorative, stylized piece
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Both the Orange Cat set and the Tuxedo Cat set can be combined to make a calico kitten
On the other hand, those who are unhappy with the set claim:
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The orange shade feels flat and artificial
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The design does not justify an almost identical rebuild
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LEGO missed an opportunity for modular color variations or pattern options
This breakdown highlights a broader issue LEGO is increasingly facing: adult fans expect both emotional resonance and design ambition, especially at premium prices. Ultimately, the LEGO Orange Cat set isn't a failure, but it's also not the slam dunk that its predecessor was. By leaning too heavily on an existing design and underestimating how personal color representation can be, LEGO may have overlooked what made the Tuxedo Cat more universally appealing.
For some fans, it's a cozy, lovable display model. For others, it's a reminder that when realism is the goal, details matter more than ever, and it's hard to buy this set for those pet owners who think the chosen shade of orange doesn't look like their furry friend's. Meanwhile, some social media users believe a gray cat set would do wonders, and the same goes for a tabby cat set, so there's clearly an audience for these “recolors” anyway. So if you're wondering if the Orange Cat set is one of the 2026 LEGO sets you shouldn't sleep on, the answer might be if you think the orange shade is fine and you don't frown on the recolor.
