

On close inspection, the individual agouti hairs appear to include light and dark bands made up of several shades. The tabby pattern comes from a dominant gene passed down by a cat’s ancestors called the agouti gene giving tabbies what is known as ‘agouti hairs’. Other types include the European wildcat and the Asiatic wildcat. These ancestors include such felines as the African Wildcat, which is closely linked to the mackerel tabby cat for their classic tabby pattern. The tabby pattern is said to originate from the domestic cat’s direct ancestor as it is a genetic trait that exists within their DNA.

On occasion, a collaboration of different markings can be seen on a tabby’s coat. These tabby markings differ from swirls, stripes, or spots and some even have a distinct ‘M’ in the lines on their foreheads. We’re glad you asked! Besides having loveable, affectionate, and playful personalities, tabbies have an array of different coat patterns. The word ‘tabby’, however, wasn’t formed or associated with the coat pattern until much later. Attabiyah, a neighborhood in Baghdad, was known for the making of a particular kind of silk that had a resemblance to the coat of a tabby cat. The word ‘Tabby’ comes from the Arabic word ‘Attabi’ or ‘Attabiyah’. Tabby patterns can come in various colors including, orange, brown, silver, blue-grey, and many more, and are a common pattern in most domesticated cat breeds. ‘Tabby’ actually refers to a cat’s coat pattern and is not considered an individual breed. Throughout this article is everything you need to know about tabbies including coat markings, color variations, genetics, and some additional information about orange tabby cats and why they exist. You may see a cat with stripes or spots and presume it’s respectively a tabby cat but did you know that tabbies aren’t a specific breed? Have you also noticed that most of these cats have an ‘M’ on their forehead? Did you know that all cats carry the tabby gene? Tabby cats are a common household companion, but there are facts about these kitties that may surprise you.
