A new Lego set has landed, and while it’s meant to celebrate one of the internet’s favorite animals, not everyone is convinced Lego got it right.
The latest release from Lego is the Orange Cat set, a detailed build aimed squarely at cat lovers. Priced at $99.99, the set includes 1,755 pieces and features customizable eye colors, allowing builders to tweak the final look. Lego has confirmed the Orange Cat will fully release on March 1, 2026, with preorders already available for those eager to get started early.
On paper, it sounds like something the community would adore. Still, in reality, the set has left the Lego community sharply divided, with many fans arguing that the design looks nothing like a traditional orange cat. In contrast, others say the criticism is wildly overblown and misses the point of the build entirely.
Lego fans clash over the Orange Cat design
The debate picked up steam after one fan took to the Lego subreddit to share their disappointment with the new set. “This is not an orange cat lego,” they wrote. “Seriously, as an orange cat owner, I am massively disappointed.” The post included a photo of their own orange cat, which they argued looked nothing like the Lego version.
Plenty of commenters were quick to back them up. “Need stripes, never had an orange cat without some kind of stripes,” one user said. Another added, “There actually aren’t ANY ginger cats without stripes, some are more subtle though. This is just so lazy for no reason.”
A third commenter tried to clarify the core issue behind the frustration, writing, “OP isn’t talking about the shade of orange. OP is saying this is simply an orange tuxedo, not an orange. Some oranges do have that big white spot, but MOST oranges don’t have that pattern,” therefore leaving out a large portion of pets, meaning the set doesn’t represent what fans want.
Not everyone agreed with the backlash, however. Other fans jumped into the thread, sharing photos of their own cats that closely resembled the Lego set’s design. Some also defended the creative choices behind the build. “Yeah, but make it all orange, and it’s a pretty bland set. Try to add striping in, and it’ll look rubbish. I think it’s a decent compromise,” one fan argued.
Another orange cat owner took a more practical approach. “As an orange cat owner, it’s sad it doesn’t have stripes, but I fricken love this set.”
As the debate rolled on, some fans leaned into humor, joking about the infamous single brain cell orange cats are known for. “What I want to know, though, is the one brain cell included? Like a little pink 1×1 plate? Or is there only one brain cell piece between ALL copies of the set, and everyone has to only have it for a couple of days before mailing it to the next person?” one user joked. Another added, “I know, not even a 1×1 round plate representing the single brain cell all orange cats share.”
Whether it is a faithful tribute or a creative compromise, the Orange Cat set is already proving to be very popular among pet owners.
