The Light Tabby Cat: A Feline's Unique Charm

Tabby cats are not a specific breed but are instead distinguished by their unique coat patterns and colouring. The term 'tabby' refers to a set of characteristics that can appear in many different breeds and colours. The pattern is defined by an M-shape on the forehead, with alternating light and dark bands of colour along the hair shaft, and darker spots, stripes, or whorls. The colour variations include brown, silver, red, and cream, with the brown and silver tabbies being the most common.

Tabby cat colours

Tabby cats are not a specific breed but are instead distinguished by their coat patterns. Tabby cats can be found in a wide range of purebred and mixed-breed cats. The pattern may present itself on a variety of coloured coats, with grey, brown, and orange being the most common.

Tabby cats are characterised by an "M"-shaped marking on their forehead, with stripes by their eyes and across their cheeks, along their back, and around their legs and tail. Tabby cats can also be identified by their agouti hairs, which have alternating light and dark segments.

There are five distinct tabby patterns, each with a sound genetic explanation: mackerel, classic, ticked, spotted, and patched.

Mackerel tabbies, also known as tiger cats, have one solid dark stripe along their spine, with more stripes branching off. This pattern resembles the skeleton of a fish, hence the name.

Classic tabbies, also referred to as blotched tabbies, have the 'M' pattern on the forehead and whirls or swirls of darker colour on a lighter base throughout the body. These swirls usually resemble a marble cake and may form a bullseye pattern on each side of the body.

Ticked tabbies, also known as Abyssinian or Agouti Tabbies, look the least like stereotypical tabbies. While they have the standard forehead markings and may have stripes on their faces, their coats appear solid from a distance. However, upon closer inspection, their agouti hairs exhibit the standard light and dark banding typical of tabbies.

Spotted tabbies have the striped face of a classic tabby but with oval or round spots along their bodies. The spots can resemble broken stripes, similar to those of a mackerel tabby.

Patched tabbies, also known as Tortoiseshell (or Tortie) Tabbies, have patches of dark or greyish-brown and patches of red or orange with the tabby pattern throughout. The brown and orange spots resemble those seen on the shell of a tortoise.

Tabby cat patterns

The term "tabby" refers to a cat's coat pattern rather than a breed. The pattern is common among non-pedigree cats worldwide and is found in many cat breeds. The four known distinct patterns, each with a sound genetic explanation, are the mackerel, classic or blotched, ticked, and spotted tabby patterns. A fifth pattern is formed by any of the four basic patterns being included as part of a patched pattern.

Mackerel Tabby

The mackerel, or striped, tabby pattern is made up of thin vertical, gently curving stripes on the sides of the body. These stripes can be continuous or broken into bars and short segments/spots, especially on the flanks and stomach. Mackerel tabbies are also called 'fishbone tabbies' or 'tiger cats' due to the resemblance of their pattern to the skeleton of a fish. They have rings around their tails and legs and bands of solid or broken stripes around the rest of their body.

Classic Tabby

The classic tabby, also known as the blotched tabby, has thick curving bands in whorls or a swirled pattern, with a distinctive mark on each side of the body resembling a bullseye. The colours of the coat create dramatic swirling patterns that are easy to identify and are often compared to a marble cake. The gene responsible for the colouring of a classic tabby is recessive.

Ticked Tabby

The ticked tabby pattern is due to even fields of agouti hairs, each with distinct bands of colour, which break up the tabby patterning into a salt-and-pepper appearance that makes them look sand-like. There are few to no stripes or bands. Residual ghost striping and/or barring can often be seen on the lower legs, face, belly and sometimes at the tail tip, as well as the standard 'M' and a long dark line running along the spine.

Spotted Tabby

Cats that have spots instead of stripes are also included in the tabby cat category. The spots can be different sizes and cover the cat’s back, neck, and sides. The spots typically run in an organised line or pattern. These cats can sometimes look like mackerel tabbies with broken stripes. It is thought that the spotted tabby pattern results from a modifier gene that breaks up the mackerel tabby pattern and causes the stripes to appear as spots.

Tabby cat history

The word "tabby" comes from the 14th-century Middle French term "atabis", which referred to "a rich watered silk". This term can be traced further back to the Arabic word "ʿattābiyya", which is the name of a district in Baghdad known for its striped cloth and silk. The use of the term "tabby cat" to refer to a cat with a striped coat began in the 1690s, and was shortened to "tabby" in 1774.

The tabby pattern itself is thought to have originated with the mackerel pattern, which is the natural coat pattern of the African wildcat. The mackerel pattern features thin vertical stripes that curve gently around the sides of the body, with an "M"-shaped marking on the forehead. Other tabby patterns arose from selective breeding and mutations of mackerel tabby cats.

Today, there are five distinct tabby patterns: classic, mackerel, ticked, spotted, and patched. The classic tabby pattern, sometimes called a "blotched tabby", features bold, swirling patterns that resemble a bullseye. Mackerel tabbies, also known as tiger cats, have rings around the tail and legs, with solid or broken stripes running down the sides of the body. Spotted tabbies have large or small spots all over the body, which can sometimes appear as broken stripes. Ticked tabbies, also called Abyssinian or agouti tabbies, lack the stripes or spots of other tabbies, but have tabby markings on the face and agouti hairs—hairs with alternating light and dark bands—on the body. Patched tabbies, often referred to as tortoiseshell or tortie, have patches of dark or grey-brown and red or orange, with any of the previous tabby patterns throughout.

Tabby cat markings

Tabby cats are not a breed but are distinguished by their coat patterns. They are known for their distinctive markings, including an M-shaped stripe on their forehead, stripes by their eyes, and stripes or spots across their cheeks, back, neck, legs, tail, and body. The four most common types of tabby cat markings are:

• Mackerel Tabby: Also known as tiger cats, these tabbies have one solid dark stripe along their spine, with more stripes branching off. This pattern resembles the skeleton of a fish, hence the name. They are the most common among tabbies and are believed to be the original tabby coat pattern, similar to the natural coat of the African wildcat, the ancestor of domestic cats.
• Classic Tabby: Also called blotched tabbies, these cats have swirls of darker colour on a lighter base throughout the body, resembling a marble cake. They have the M-shaped marking on their forehead and thick stripes on their legs, tail, and cheeks.
• Spotted Tabby: These tabbies have the striped face of a Classic Tabby but display spots rather than stripes on their bodies. The spots can be different sizes and cover the back, neck, and sides.
• Ticked Tabby: Also known as Abyssinian or Agouti Tabbies, these tabbies are the hardest to identify as they lack the typical stripes, swirls, or spots. They have the signature M-shaped marking on their forehead, and their individual strands of fur have alternating light and dark colours, known as agouti hairs.

In addition to these four main types, there is also a fifth pattern called the patched tabby, which includes calico or tortoiseshell markings combined with patches of the tabby coat.

Tabby cat breeds

"Tabby" is not a breed of cat but a set of distinguishing physical characteristics that can appear in many cat breeds and colours. Tabby cats are known for their distinctive patterns, often capped by an "M"-shaped marking on their forehead. This "M" is thought to stand for "Mau" (the Egyptian word for "cat"), the Virgin Mary, or Mohammed, who is said to have loved tabbies.

The tabby trait is a pattern that can be found in many different breeds, so a tabby cat's personality depends more on its breeding. Here are some common tabby cat breeds:

American Shorthair

The American Shorthair is a classic tabby cat with a proud history of protecting property from pests. They arrived in America aboard the Mayflower and have since become a much-loved family pet.

Persian

Persian cats are most recognised for their flowing fur and flat faces, but they may also turn heads with a mackerel tabby coat.

Maine Coon

The Maine Coon is the largest domestic cat breed. They often sport mackerel tabby coats, which require monthly, if not weekly, bathing to stay silky and smooth.

Abyssinian

The Abyssinian, or "tabby Aby", is a poster child for the ticked tabby. They are lithe, elegant, and graceful, and they love to shadow their owners.

Ragdoll

Take a look at a Ragdoll cat's head, and you'll see the distinct tabby "M" just above the brow line. Ragdolls are sweet, cuddly companions who love to play or lay, depending on what you're up to.

Egyptian Mau

The Egyptian Mau sports a very beautiful mixed tabby pattern, with striped markings and spots across its legs and torso. Maus are very smart, active cats with a great sense of humour.

Scottish Fold

The Scottish Fold is a rare cat, as round as it is adorable, and makes a great companion for owners living in any sized home.

American Bobtail

The playful, loyal American Bobtail sports a cute tail that is only one-third the size of an average cat's tail. Many American Bobtails have scruffy coats with tell-tale tabby markings underneath.

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