The patterns work as a camouflage when they're hiding in tall grass waiting for their unsuspecting prey. On the wilder side of the feline spectrum, the same genes give tigers and leopards their tabby pattern which helps them be such successful hunters. If you've ever looked closely at any cat in the sun, you probably noticed the subtle tabby markings starting to show up. This means that all cats are secretly tabbies - it's just more noticeable on those with patterned fur. The tabby pattern itself is the work of three types of genes that can be found in all domestic cats.

To mark their special place in the feline world, all tabby cats from then on were rewarded with an 'M' on their forehead.īut the true explanation for the letter 'M' mark tells us that it all comes down to genetics. Whereas in one Islamic legend, a tabby cat named Muezza saved his master Mohammed from a poisonous snake. In gratitude, his mother Mary stroked the cat's head and left an 'M' mark on its forehead. In Christian folklore, a tabby cat dutifully showed up to comfort baby Jesus. One story has it that the 'M' is related to the word 'mau' which in Ancient Egypt meant 'cat'. It's not the coat but the hairs themselves that are striped. Although their coat stripes are very thin and barely visible on legs, face or tail, these are tabby cats through and through. Ticked tabby cats exhibit hardly any stripes or spots. This tabby shows off their distinct round spots against a background of lighter fur and might even display a faint necklace line. The next two tabby cat types have decided to do without the stripes (or the food comparisons). Similar to the mackerel type, this pattern hasn't escaped food comparisons either as many people liken it to a marble cake. They have wider stripes that tend to curve to form circular patterns and three large stripes running from the shoulders to the base of the tail. This patternis the most common of all the tabby cats. It is believed that this pattern was the original one for tabby cats. With long narrow parallel stripes running up and down the sides, they are said to resemble a fish skeleton, which is where the pattern's name comes from. There are a few groups of tabby cats - the secret is the coat pattern! Mackerel tabby cat What does a tabby cat look like?Ī tabby’s look depends on their group. They sport different colours and sizes, exist across many breeds and wear different coat patterns. In fact, tabby cats will not let themselves be easily crammed into definitions. Many people think that tabby cats are a particular breed but what makes a cat a tabby? Tabby actually refers to the coat pattern, which can be present on lots of different breeds. In fact, once you get to know them, there is nothing dull about these kitties. But as familiar as they are to us, there are plenty of tabby cat facts far from the ordinary.

Tabby cats are adored all over the world, but do you know where their name comes from or what are the marks of a true tabby cat? Find out all this and more here.įrom stripes to whorls and spots, the tabby cats strut their patterned fur all over the globe. You've heard of them and no doubt you've seen them time and again.

Red and black tabby cat