Tabby Cat Information

Of all domestic cats, tabbies most resemble tigers with their stunning stripes and other beautiful body markings of swirls and dots. Tabbies are also the most common domestic cat. Coat colors of tabbies aren't limited to only one shade but have various shades of oranges, browns, grays and ginger. Some tabbies even have multicolored patches. Tabbies are not a particular breed or color but are distinctive by the patterns on their bodies. In fact, the tabby gene is carried by all domestic cats; however, the coat color hides it in cats that aren't considered tabbies.

  1. Common Physical Features

    • Besides their striped markings, tabbies have eyelid skin resembling eyeliner. They're also known for their mascara lines running from the eye's outer corner to the cheek. Their chins are lightly colored and their whiskers are highlighted by dark spots. A classic "M" is stamped on their forehead, and the darkest part of their pattern is the bottom of the paws, going up their back legs to the hock, covering the tail's tip.

    The Mackerel Tabby

    • The mackerel, which is the most common tabby, has thin distinguishing lines beginning from the classic "M" and forming three lines continuing down to the base's spine. Its legs show thin bracelets, with the chest and neck having both broken and complete necklaces. Thin vertical stripes cover the body and shoulders.

    The Classic Tabby

    • The classic tabby is considered the top of the line in pedigreed cats, with its bold, striking lines. This tabby has a pattern of curves and circles forming a large butterfly wing pattern on its body with a smaller pattern planted across its shoulders. There's a large dot known as the bull's eye that sits on the wing of its body.

    The Ticked Tabby

    • An example of a ticked tabby is the Abyssinian with rings on its tail and bracelets on its legs. A necklace extends into the area of the chest with the classic "M" planted on the forehead. Lines travel over the head, blending into the ticked area. Broad bands of ticking run down the spine to the tail's tip.

    The Spotted Tabby

    • The rarest type is the spotted tabby with its small, oblong or round spots resembling those of a wildcat. The spots are not organized in rows or lines but are sporadic. The spotted tabby has bracelets that look like a mackerel or classic tabby, along with vest buttons on the cat's belly. Lines beginning at the tip of head turn into expanded spots that run alongside the spine to the end of the ringed or dark-tipped tail.

    Benefits

    • The tabby's patterns of stripes and swirls have a key benefit regarding their safety. Because of their patterns, tabbies are able to better camouflage themselves from predators. A tabby hiding behind grass blades or in branches of a bush of leafy tree can be almost invisible to any threatening prey.

    History

    • The modern domestic tabby is believed to have evolved from traders who took Egypt's African wildcat to ancient Rome and Greece. The wildcat then spread across Europe, as well as Asia and the Americas, breeding with other wildcats. As time went on, the modern tabby became a dilution of the original wildcat.