Instead of having strong lines on their coat they have spots or patches of colour, usually against a background of lighter coloured fur. Spotted tabbies have similar markings to either the mackerel or classic tabby. This classic pattern is often compared with a marble cake. Classic TabbyĪlso known as ‘blotched’ or ‘marbled’ tabbies, a classic coat has circular swirls, usually with a ‘bullseye’ design on the cat’s sides. This is also the most common tabby coat pattern. Mackerel TabbyĪ mackerel tabby has vertical, usually non-broken, stripes that come out from the stripe that runs down the middle of the cat’s back like a fishbone, hence the name mackerel. There are four distinct coat patterns found in the tabby cat which are: mackerel, classic, spotted or ticked. This is centred just above their eyes and is the prominent marking that sets tabbies apart from other cats. The most distinctive and defining feature of a tabby cat is the “M” on their forehead. Colours include brown, grey (also called blue), ginger, plus white or cream. The tabby coat pattern is common to many cat breeds, and there are different colours too. Mackerel Tabbies are the most commonly seen Tabby pattern, and this is the pattern that most people think of when the term Tabby is used.What is a tabby cat? And why do these cats have an “M” on their forehead? Although some people refer to the tabby as a breed of cat, it actually just refers to the pattern of their coat – those lovely striped, spotted and swirled sections of colour that you see in types of tabby cats. They have a single stripe running down their backs that branches out around their bodies, giving the appearance of a fish skeleton, and this is where the unique pattern gets its name. They also have the characteristic “M” marking on their forehead, along with dark stripes crossing vertically up toward their ears and dark lines crossing from the corners of their eyes. The Mackerel Tabby has slender, curving stripes throughout their body, and these stripes may be broken into shorter segments resembling spots, especially on the belly and legs, or continue unbroken. Mackerel Tabby Overview Image Credit: Natalia Baran, Shutterstock They are not overly needy or attention-seeking and are just as happy to spend the day alone as they are interacting with their family. They are affectionate, loving, and easy-going animals that make a great addition to any family home. The Classic Tabby is an ideal family cat. They are playful animals that are rarely aggressive or moody, and since they have been so closely associated with human companionship for centuries, the Classic Tabby makes a great family pet. Although these are somewhat generalized traits, many Tabby owners report that Classic Tabby cats are universally affectionate and loving animals. The Classic Tabby is typically an intelligent, friendly, and sociable animal, no matter the breed. They have thick stripes and bands on the legs, tail, and cheeks, with varying shades of darker colored bands throughout their bodies. In the United Kingdom, Classic Tabbies are the most commonly found pattern, and they are the second most common in the United States.Ĭlassic Tabbies usually have light-colored butterfly markings on their shoulders, with three distinctive stripes running down their backs along their spine, with the center stripe often being thicker and darker than the other two. Like all Tabbies, they have the characteristic “M” marking on their forehead, usually matching the color of the bands of darker color throughout their bodies. The Classic Tabby pattern is also known as marbled or blotched patterning and is defined by the thick, curving bands of color that often swirl into a bullseye on the side of the cat’s body.
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