Appearance: This pattern is characterised by narrow, parallel vertical stripes running down the cat’s sides, resembling the bones of a fish, hence the name “mackerel.”.The vertical striping seen in mackerel tabbies serves as a form of camouflage, allowing wild cats to blend into tall grasses and vegetation effectively, which is crucial for hunting and evading predators. The mackerel tabby pattern is the wild-type (original) pattern of the African wildcat ( Felis silvestris lybica), the closest wild ancestor of the domestic cat ( Felis catus). Pheomelanin contains more sulfur and is composed of benzothiazine units, leading to lighter colouration while eumelanin is composed mainly of dihydroxyindole and dihydroxyindole carboxylic acid, resulting in darker colouration. The pigment responsible for the orange colour is known as pheomelanin, which provides yellow and orange colours while eumelanin is responsible for black, brown and grey coat colour. The default ‘ wild type‘ cat is a brown mackerel tabby. The tabby coat pattern is made up of two components the base agouti (ticked) background which is composed of alternating light and dark bands on each hair, and the overlying dark spots, swirls or stripes. Orange tabby is a common coat colour and not a specific breed, it can be found in both random bred as well as some breeds of purebred cat. Many breeders speculate that the first domestic cats tamed from wildcats had Tabby markings, which makes perfect sense.Also known as a red tabby, an orange tabby is a common coat colour that consists of a base colour that ranges from a light cream or yellow-orange to a deep, rich red or ginger, which is a backdrop for the darker stripes, spots, or swirls. This is partly to do with the superior camouflage that the pattern offers and partly because Tabbies may have been the first domestic cats. There are more cats with the Tabby coat pattern than any other in the world. This trait of course also has much to do with individual cats and breeds-and almost all breeds have a Tabby variation-but anecdotally, Tabbies are generally highly affectionate cats. This is especially true of both brown and orange Tabbies, which are universally known for being particularly loving and affectionate cats. While personality is difficult to link to coat color and markings, most cat owners agree that Tabby cats are more affectionate than other coat types. The real reason, though, is genetics, and the “M” is a standard feature of all Tabby patterns. Christians and Catholics claim the same of Mother Mary, who blessed the cat for keeping baby Jesus warm in the manager. Some speculate that the marking came from the Islamic prophet Mohammed, who was allegedly fond of Tabbies and thus gave them the marking as a blessing. There are several different stories and myths of how this came to be, most of them stemming from religious origins. Almost all Tabbies have a distinctive “M” markingĪpart from their striped markings, Tabbies are characterized by a distinctive “M” on their forehead, a trait that can be seen on almost every Tabby in some form, including browns. These markings are perfect for hiding and make Brown Tabbies almost invisible in long grass. They closely resemble their Wildcat heritageīrown Tabby cats are extremely camouflaged in the wild, their brown coloring and unique patterning reminiscent of their wildcat ancestry. ![]() Image Credit: Anna Kraynova, Shutterstock 4. ![]() The most commonly seen coat is the mackerel patterning, which is often referred to as the “original” or “classic” Tabby patterning. These are mackerel, blotched, striped, and ticked. With the different colors come a host of different patterns, and there are four commonly recognized Tabby patterns accepted by most breeders. There are four distinct Tabby variationsīrown is only one of a wide range of colors that Tabby cats can be found in. The Middle French term, “atabis,” was later used to describe this silk, which soon evolved to “tabis” and then to “Tabby.” 3. This can be traced further back to the Arabic term, “attabiya,” which is a district in Baghdad that was famous for its striped silk cloth. ![]() The term “Tabby” comes from the French phrase, “striped silk taffeta,” a woven silk fabric. They were named after Arabic silkĭue to their stripy and silky coats, many theorize that the Tabby name came from owners comparing their uniquely striped cats to silk cloth. Image Credit: Nils Jacobi, Shutterstock 2. Brown Tabby markings can be found in almost any breed, including popular breeds like Maine Coons, Bengals, British Shorthairs, and almost all crossbreeds. The term “Tabby” refers to a type of pattern, not a specific breed.
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