A tabby is not a breed of cat, but it is a type of coat. More cats have a tabby coat than any other type of coat. It is seen in almost all lines of domestic cat. The term ‘tabby cat’ was first used in the 1690s.
A tabby is a domestic cat that has an M shape on the forehead. It may also have stripes by the eyes, across the cheeks, on the back, and around the legs and tail.
There are four main types of tabby patterns. These include mackerel, classic, ticked, and spotted.
The mackerel tabby is the most common seen. They are also called ‘fishbone tabbies’ or ‘tiger cats.’ They have stripes that run from their spine down their sides and on their legs and tail similar to a tiger’s stripes.
The classic tabby is also known as blotched or marbled tabby. They have thick bands in a swirled pattern and a mark on each side of the body that looks like a bullseye.
The ticked tabby doesn’t have stripes on the body, but instead has a salt-and-pepper or sand-like appearance. They may have stripes on the tail and legs.
The spotted tabby has spots on the body instead of stripes and may have stripes on the legs and tail.
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