All about Taby cats? A tabby is a cat with a distinct coat pattern, not a specific breed of cat. The pattern is found in many different cat breeds, including mixed-breed cats. All tabby cats have a telltale 'M' marking on their forehead. Tabby Cat: Breed Profile, Characteristics & Care Types of Tabby Cats and Their Breeds 11 Fascinating Facts About Tabby Cats (2025 Update) - Catster Tabby Cat: Breed Profile, Characteristics & Care 10 Fascinating Facts about the Tabby Cat - All About Cats Tabby patterns There are five main types of tabby patterns, which can appear in various colors like brown, gray, orange, and patched. Mackerel: The most common tabby pattern, featuring narrow, vertical stripes along the cat's sides, similar to a fish skeleton. Classic: Also called a blotched or marbled tabby, this pattern has thick, swirling bands that resemble a marble cake or a bullseye on the cat's side. Spotted: This pattern consists of spots instead of stripes, which can be large or small, and sometimes look like broken mackerel stripes. Ticked: In this pattern, the individual hairs have alternating light and dark bands of color, giving the coat a salt-and-pepper or speckled appearance. Ticked tabbies may only have stripes on their legs and tail. Patched: A patched tabby is a tortoiseshell or calico cat that also has a tabby pattern visible in its colored patches. These are sometimes called "torbies" or "calibies". Tabby cat personalities A cat's coat pattern does not determine its personality. Because the tabby pattern can appear in so many breeds, from a tiny Singapura to a massive Maine Coon, their personalities can vary widely. However, many tabby owners describe their cats as friendly, intelligent, and affectionate. Interesting tabby facts Origin of the name: The name "tabby" likely comes from "Attabiy," a district in Baghdad known for its striped silk. In the 17th and 18th centuries, the English referred to this striped silk as "tabby," and the term was later applied to cats with similar coat patterns. Orange tabbies: Orange or ginger-colored cats are always tabbies, though the stripes may be faint. About 80% of orange tabby cats are male. Ancestral camouflage: The tabby pattern is an ancestral trait for domestic cats, acting as natural camouflage that helped them hunt prey and avoid predators in the wild. Since tabby refers to a coat pattern rather than a breed, care for a tabby cat depends on its specific breed and genetics, such as whether it has long or short hair. Do you have a tabby, or are you interested in learning more about a specific pattern, like the classic or mackerel? We could also explore some fun legends about the "M" on their forehead.