Tabby Cats

When people think of a cat, most think of a tabby cat. Indeed, the tabby cat is the best known type of? cat. The reason behind this is that tabby cats are the most common of all domestic cats. Actually, the tabby pattern is believed to be the original pattern of the wild African cats, the domestic cat’s ancestors.

Interestingly, tabby is not a cat breed. And it is not a color either. In fact, the tabby pattern occurs in different cat breeds and it comes in a variety of colors.? Tabby refers to a distinct coat pattern.

<b>Tabby patterns</b>

The tabby pattern may include swirls, stripes, whorls, and spots. There are four tabby patterns:? the mackerel, the ticked, the classic, and the spotted.

<b>Mackerel tabbies</b> are the most common. Many in fact believe that this is the original pattern dating back to the wild African cats. Many cat enthusiasts argue that this pattern is the true classic tabby pattern. The mackerel pattern will display vertical stripes at the sides of the body and rings around the legs and tail.

<b>Ticked tabbies</b> are very interesting. At first glance they don’t seem to be tabby cats at all. These tabbies don’t come with the usual whorls, swirls and stripes. They would appear to be of a solid color. Upon a closer look, however, you will see that the fur of ticked tabbies has stripes and swirls.

<b>Classic</b> (also known as blotched) tabbies are one of the most common. This pattern will display swirls and clearly defined stripes all over the body. Usually, a thick band or stripe will run all the way from the neck to the tail.

The spotted tabby pattern is surrounded with controversy. Many experts believe that it is in fact a different version of the mackerel pattern - not a totally unique pattern. The spotted tabby has stripes that are broken into oval spots aligned in a single file.

Tabbies also come in different color variations: you will find red tabbies, silver tabbies, and brown tabbies ? to name a few. The tabby pattern also occurs in different cat breeds, including the Bengal, the Bombay and the Egyptian Mau.