What are tabby cat breeds? best and complete list
Tabby cats are a type of cats with specific fur coats with stripes ,dots, and bland markings. Tabby cats have a distinct form of coat pattern which commonly involves stripes in it's legs and having a signature"M '' marking in it's forehead. Apart from the striped markings, tabby cats also have dots (especially in its abdomen) ,flecked, swirled and bland. Tabby cats are not a special type of breed, they are cats who have a distinct coat pattern which differentiates them between other cats.
Below are a list of the well known tabby cat types.
1. Classic tabby
Classic tabby cats have thick and well recognizable swirls across their body and this type of bullseye shaped pattern resembles the clouded leopard and classic tabbies are unique and beautiful when it comes to having this coat.
Below are a list of the well known tabby cat types.
1. Classic tabby
Classic tabby cats have thick and well recognizable swirls across their body and this type of bullseye shaped pattern resembles the clouded leopard and classic tabbies are unique and beautiful when it comes to having this coat.
2.Mackerel tabby
Mackerel tabby cats are a very common form of tabby cat who, like all the other types of tabby cots, have a clearly recognizable "M" mark in their forehead and there are stripes in their legs up to the torso and neck and the coat color is dark to light grey in color. Mackerel tabbies are the most common among all tabby cats.
Mackerel tabby cats are a very common form of tabby cat who, like all the other types of tabby cots, have a clearly recognizable "M" mark in their forehead and there are stripes in their legs up to the torso and neck and the coat color is dark to light grey in color. Mackerel tabbies are the most common among all tabby cats.
3. Ticked tabby
Ticked tabbies are comparatively rare and the coat pattern involves a brownish grey with dots or stripes.
Ticked tabbies are comparatively rare and the coat pattern involves a brownish grey with dots or stripes.
4. Spotted tabby
Spotted tabby cats have dark spots on the body with a light to dark grey coat. The other coat colors are brown, reddish and silver.
Spotted tabby cats have dark spots on the body with a light to dark grey coat. The other coat colors are brown, reddish and silver.
5.Orange tabby also known as ginger tabby
Ginger tabbies are thought to be very friendly towards human beings and the Ginger tabby resembles the mackerel tabby with the difference being its orange color. The orange color is either dark or washed and has stripes and dots in its body.Tabby cats are beautiful felines and their special markings have drawn humans who prefer these types of cats. There is anecdotal evidence of tabby cats showing more affection than cats with normal coat patterns. Biologically, there is no hard evidence to prove that ginger tabbies are more affectionate than other cat types.
Ginger tabbies are thought to be very friendly towards human beings and the Ginger tabby resembles the mackerel tabby with the difference being its orange color. The orange color is either dark or washed and has stripes and dots in its body.Tabby cats are beautiful felines and their special markings have drawn humans who prefer these types of cats. There is anecdotal evidence of tabby cats showing more affection than cats with normal coat patterns. Biologically, there is no hard evidence to prove that ginger tabbies are more affectionate than other cat types.
6. Abyssinian
Abyssinian tabby cats are another breed of cats who is believed to have originated from Ethiopia, hence the name. Abyssinian cats have a slender body compared to other tabby varieties and this is a distinctive feature that is present in them. The coat is generally ruddy in complexion and sometimes reddish to a bland brown color. There are also silver, cream, reddish copper, chocolate and other varieties and like all the other tabby cats, Abyssinian cats have the distinctive "M" mark in their forehead.
Abyssinian tabby cats are another breed of cats who is believed to have originated from Ethiopia, hence the name. Abyssinian cats have a slender body compared to other tabby varieties and this is a distinctive feature that is present in them. The coat is generally ruddy in complexion and sometimes reddish to a bland brown color. There are also silver, cream, reddish copper, chocolate and other varieties and like all the other tabby cats, Abyssinian cats have the distinctive "M" mark in their forehead.
7. American Short hair
American settlers from Europe are thought to have brought the american short hair with them on board of their ship to kill mice and it is believed that from Europe, these cats came to the United States settling with the pilgrims. American short hairs are known for their hunting skills and are ideal when it comes to catching rats and mice. American short hairs are very loving tabby cats and are ideal pets for children and elderly people. Having a stocky physique and healthy muscular body, they are easy to keep as pets and the distinctive coat patterns are generally with thick tiger like stripes or sometimes light grey in color.
American settlers from Europe are thought to have brought the american short hair with them on board of their ship to kill mice and it is believed that from Europe, these cats came to the United States settling with the pilgrims. American short hairs are known for their hunting skills and are ideal when it comes to catching rats and mice. American short hairs are very loving tabby cats and are ideal pets for children and elderly people. Having a stocky physique and healthy muscular body, they are easy to keep as pets and the distinctive coat patterns are generally with thick tiger like stripes or sometimes light grey in color.
8. Maine Coon
Maine coon tabbies get their names from the U.S state of Maine and are known as the "gentle giant" because of its massive size and loving nature. Main coon tabby cats have a large body with fluffy fur and a lion like mane around its neck. Main coon cats are wonderful pets because of their gentleness and soft temper .
Maine coon tabbies get their names from the U.S state of Maine and are known as the "gentle giant" because of its massive size and loving nature. Main coon tabby cats have a large body with fluffy fur and a lion like mane around its neck. Main coon cats are wonderful pets because of their gentleness and soft temper .
9. Tortoiseshell tabby
Tortoiseshell cats have various varieties such as tabby and non tabby varieties and the tabby variety has the distinctive"M" mark on its forehead and all Tortoiseshell cats have white or orange patches with black coats or vice versa. A tortoiseshell tabby is called "Torbie" and a non tabby type one is called "calico" to distinguish them. A research published in the "Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science '' from the University of California points out that multicolored cats are more aggressive than other cats. The abstract of the research said the following,
"The authors explored a possible relationship between coat color and aggressive behaviors in the domestic cat. This study used an Internet-based survey to collect information on coat color, affiliative behaviors toward cats/humans, agonistic behaviors toward cats/humans, other “problem” behaviors, and cat and guardian demographic data. A total of 1,432 cat guardians completed the online survey; after exclusions based on study protocol, data analysis included 1,274 completed surveys. Guardians reported sex-linked orange female (tortoiseshells, calicos, and “torbies”), black-and-white, and gray-and-white cats to be more frequently aggressive toward humans in 3 settings: during everyday interactions, during handling, and during veterinary visits. Kruskal-Wallis 1-way analysis of variance was used to compare possible differences between the 2 sexes and among different coat colors. Analyses of aggression due to handling, as well as aggression displayed during veterinarian visits, showed little difference among coat colors in these settings."
(Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science Volume 19, 2016 - Issue 1-https://doi.org/10.1080/10888705.2015.1081820)
Tortoiseshell cats have various varieties such as tabby and non tabby varieties and the tabby variety has the distinctive"M" mark on its forehead and all Tortoiseshell cats have white or orange patches with black coats or vice versa. A tortoiseshell tabby is called "Torbie" and a non tabby type one is called "calico" to distinguish them. A research published in the "Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science '' from the University of California points out that multicolored cats are more aggressive than other cats. The abstract of the research said the following,
"The authors explored a possible relationship between coat color and aggressive behaviors in the domestic cat. This study used an Internet-based survey to collect information on coat color, affiliative behaviors toward cats/humans, agonistic behaviors toward cats/humans, other “problem” behaviors, and cat and guardian demographic data. A total of 1,432 cat guardians completed the online survey; after exclusions based on study protocol, data analysis included 1,274 completed surveys. Guardians reported sex-linked orange female (tortoiseshells, calicos, and “torbies”), black-and-white, and gray-and-white cats to be more frequently aggressive toward humans in 3 settings: during everyday interactions, during handling, and during veterinary visits. Kruskal-Wallis 1-way analysis of variance was used to compare possible differences between the 2 sexes and among different coat colors. Analyses of aggression due to handling, as well as aggression displayed during veterinarian visits, showed little difference among coat colors in these settings."
(Journal of Applied Animal Welfare Science Volume 19, 2016 - Issue 1-https://doi.org/10.1080/10888705.2015.1081820)
10. Brown tabby
Brown tabby cats resemble grey tabbies but have a brown coat and the brown color varies from light to dark.
Brown tabby cats resemble grey tabbies but have a brown coat and the brown color varies from light to dark.
11. Silver Tabby
Silver tabbies have a very beautiful coat color with stripes and dotted markings in their body. Silver tabbies are from a larger breed of the american short hair. Silver tabbies have thick black stripes or dots in their coat on a pale color pattern which is bright silverish. The ground-color fur or the belly area will have white fur which is common in all cats be it tabby or otherwise. Silver tabby cats differ from grey tabbies because the latter one has a darker coat which is sometimes dull and ruddy in complexion and the Silver tabby has a very bright silver colored coat which gives a distinctive beauty by itself.
Silver tabbies have a very beautiful coat color with stripes and dotted markings in their body. Silver tabbies are from a larger breed of the american short hair. Silver tabbies have thick black stripes or dots in their coat on a pale color pattern which is bright silverish. The ground-color fur or the belly area will have white fur which is common in all cats be it tabby or otherwise. Silver tabby cats differ from grey tabbies because the latter one has a darker coat which is sometimes dull and ruddy in complexion and the Silver tabby has a very bright silver colored coat which gives a distinctive beauty by itself.
12. British short hair
British shorthair have a baby face with a chubby, stocky body which only increases its cuteness. Just like the American short hair, which is its cousin, the british short hair is well known for its gentle nature. The main coat color patterns of the british short hair are,
British shorthair have a baby face with a chubby, stocky body which only increases its cuteness. Just like the American short hair, which is its cousin, the british short hair is well known for its gentle nature. The main coat color patterns of the british short hair are,
- Pale grey
- Bicolor blue
- White
- Silver
- Greyish blue
- Gold
Tabby cats are not a distinctive breed but a coat pattern in some cats and these coat patterns take various colors and markings and cat lovers who would love to own a tabby cat can consider which type would suit them after reading this article.