A tabby cat is not a specific breed of cat but rather refers to any domestic cat that has a distinctive coat pattern. This pattern is characterized by stripes, swirls, dots, or a combination of these on a background of a different color.
Coat Patterns
The tabby pattern is a genetic trait found in many different cat breeds and can appear in various colors. There are four main types of tabby patterns:
- Mackerel: The most common pattern, consisting of narrow, vertical stripes that run down the sides of the cat's body, resembling a fish skeleton.
- Classic: Also known as "blotched" or "marbled," this pattern features thick, swirling bands of color that form a bullseye shape on the cat's sides.
- Spotted: This pattern has spots of various sizes scattered over the body, which are actually broken mackerel stripes.
- Ticked: In this pattern, each individual hair has bands of different colors, creating a salt-and-pepper or speckled appearance with a subtle tabby pattern.
Features
All tabby cats share a few common physical features regardless of their specific pattern or breed:
- M on the forehead: Almost all tabby cats have a distinctive marking on their forehead that looks like the letter "M."
- Pencil lines: Many have thin lines on their cheeks that look like they were drawn with a pencil.
- Lined eyes: Tabby cats often have dark lines that extend from the outer corner of their eyes.
Personality
While personality can vary greatly by breed and individual cat, tabby cats are often stereotyped as being friendly, intelligent, and playful.
Made with Bullet