We’ve listed them below alongside photos of each. There are five types of tabby coat patterns, each possessing its own unique markings. Still others believe it is the blessing of the Virgin Mary. Others think the “M” stands for Mohammed, who loved tabbies. Some believe the “M” is for Mau, the word for “cat” in ancient Egypt. And have you ever seen a solid red or orange or cream cat without the familiar tabby markings? You won’t, because the gene that makes a cat red or cream also makes the tabby markings visible.Īll tabbies have thin pencil lines on their faces, expressive markings around the eyes, and a distinct letter “M” on their foreheads. Sometimes you can see those faint tabby markings on a solid-colored cat who is sitting in the bright sun. All orange cats are tabby cats and vice versa. Other cat colors or patterns may hide those tabby markings, but they’re always present.
Technically speaking, no matter what colors or markings you see on your cat, all felines possess the tabby cat gene. And it happens to be the most common of all the feline coat patterns.
People sometimes call the average domestic cat a tabby, but tabby is not a cat breed - it is actually the pattern of kitty’s coat.
