Tabbies are NOT a specific BREED of cat, but Tabby actually refers to their COAT color/pattern. Tabbies come in all kinds of colors, from orange to buff, to brown, if you look at some black cats in bright sunlight, you can see stripes and
even Queen Nellie (who was a lilac point siamese) had tabby stripes (and the M) if you look carefully. While tabby is not a breed, the tabby pattern itself is considered one of the oldest and most natural feline coat patterns, dating back thousands of years to ancient times.
The tabby pattern comes from the African wildcat (Felis lybica), the ancestor all domestic cats. These striped markings date back thousands of years, with many cats in Ancient Egypt appearing in paintings with similar markings.
More about Tabbys!
"Original" Cat: Because the tabby pattern is so common and found in wild ancestors, they are sometimes described as the "original" cat pattern.
"M" Marking: A key feature of true tabby cats is the "M" marking on their forehead, which is believed to be one of the oldest genetic markings in cats.
Most Common Pattern: The tabby gene is still highly prevalent today, with up to 80% of domestic cats worldwide having some form of tabby pattern.
I, Marvelous, do have some Wildcat in my genetics! Mom thinks that is why I still have some feral tendencies!
Me? I think I am the KING of Midway! Even the big old ferels run when I am out!
Tell us about your Tabbyness!
oooh we love the nelly wisdom... and a happy tabby cat day to all mini tigers...
ReplyDeleteSo many interesting facts about tabbies, Marv! Happy Tabby Cat day to you and to all of the tabby's!
ReplyDeleteMarv we have decided that you are a unique tabby cat and a whole category of your very own. Underneath Precious's gray onesie I can see some striping here and there. Even though she's officially a Maltese Queen.
ReplyDeleteHari OM
ReplyDeleteYAAAYYY for the Tabbies of the world, say I! Hugs and whiskeries YAM-aunty xxx
We LURV tabby cats, and of course you are the big man on campus, Marv.
ReplyDeleteSo far we've been owned by four housepanthers, two cow-colored kitties, one tuxie, and two tabbies. The Cat Distribution System at it's finest!
Tabby cats rock!!! MOl we're tabbies so we should know!
ReplyDeleteYou tabbies sure are popular. Both the kitties across the street from us (that my mom took care of one week this winter) are both tabbies and sweeties too.
ReplyDeleteOona: "Oona is a stealth tabby! When she was younger you could see her black-on-black stripes in most light, but now it has to be pretty strong sunlight hitting her at just the right angle, otherwise she hides them completely. LIKE A NINJA."
ReplyDeletemarv, yoo r spek-tack-yoo-lur!!
ReplyDelete