![]() The cats were compared to the silk which was referred to as “atabis” and later, “tabis” which translated into English as “tabby” giving the cats the name. The name Tabby is believed to come from the name of a striped silk in Baghdad. This is because the gene is on the X chromosome meaning male cats only need one copy of it to be orange while females need two. Orange tabby cats are typically male thanks to genetics. Tabby cats can be a variety of colours, the most commonly occurring is black-based but brown, grey, cream and orange are also very common.Īll in all, there are over 60 possible coat colour variations that can occur. They may also show traits of the other types described above. ![]() ![]() Patched is often used to describe a tortoiseshell tabby. Patched TabbyĪ patched tabby has different colour patches (commonly brown, red, blue-grey or cream) across their fur. The overall look of a ticked tabby is a salt-and-pepper or sand-like appearance without any obvious stripes or bands. They also have the common facial tabby markings. You may not be able to see this unless you look closely at the lighter parts of the coat. Ticked TabbyĪ ticked tabby is also known as Agouti, their fur has faint light and dark alternating bands. The spots can be random or in straight lines. These spots can be small or large and usually appear as blotches. Spotted TabbyĪ spotted tabby has circular or oval-shaped spots on their coat. They also have lines along their chest and solid or broken stripes on their body.Īcross the shoulder and haunches there are faint lines that are in a pattern similar to a fish skeleton which is where the name mackerel comes from. This pattern is also very commonly seen a mackerel tabby has thin stripes around their tail and legs. There are three broad lines running along the cats back and there are normally rings around the cat’s neck.Ī classic tabby also has button-like blotches on their belly, tails and legs (don’t mistake these for a belly button). The side of the cat’s body has bold swirls which are prominent and can appear like large blotches or a “target”. Classic TabbyĪ classic tabby is a very common pattern and is what many people think of when they refer to a tabby cat. While all tabbies have the same facial markings, there are different body patterns you may see.īelow are the most common tabby markings and how to tell the difference between them: 1. Tabby Cat Summary Main Types of Tabby Cat.Rather, the word “tabby” is used to describe the characteristics, coat markings and patterns of these cats. The coat of these cats is typified by swirls and stripes. Typical variants of these cats include the silver tabby cat, orange tabby cat, brown tabby cat and gray tabby cat. Here, the colour refers to the primary base hue of the cat’s coat. ![]() The swirls and stripes of these cats are usually dark.Ī long list of cats show the tabby pattern, especially Abyssinian cats and Maine coon cats, and it is estimated that approximately half of the domesticated cats in the world could be accurately described as the tabby cats. Many breeders of the tabby cats think the distinctive pattern has been around as long as the domesticated cats themselves- in other words, thousands of years. Size of these cats varies according to their breed. Regardless of any particular breed, an adult tabby cat with a weight exceeding 18 pounds is unusual. Swirls, dots or striped typify the coat of a tabby cat. It is also common for tabby cats to have white underbelly, white bib and white “socks” on their legs, regardless of the base colour of their fur. The colour and shape of these cats vary according to the breed, as does the size and form of the ear. Most of the breeds of these cats have tapered tails which are lightly lined with soft fur, though certain tabby cat breeds have bushier, hairier tails and others have narrow, strong, whip-like tails. The tabby cats are known for their wanderlust, curiosity, and aloofness. However, the breeders of these cats hasten to point out that any individual cat’s personality is dependent on various factors, including the home environment in which it lives and early socialization. Though, even highly independent tabby cats grow attached to a specific person in the household and they also seek the daily attention from that individual. ![]()
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |