Download ArticleLearn to spot different types of the classic feline "breed"
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This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
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Contrary to popular belief, tabbies aren't actually a breed. Rather, any cat with tiger-like stripes can be called a tabby! All tabby cats also have a distinct "M" pattern on the forehead, and typically have thin "pencil" lines across the face. We'll show you how to spot 5 different kinds of tabby, and how to tell them apart.
Things You Should Know
- Recognize a tabby by its trademark tiger stripes and the distinctive "M" marking on its forehead.
- Mackerel tabbies have a thick line all down their spines. Ticked tabbies have stripes on each individual strand of hair.
- Spotted tabbies have broken stripes that look like dots. Tortoiseshell tabbies have stripes that smoothly blend into the rest of their fur.
Steps
Look for blotchy patterns. Classic tabby cats tend to have blotchy patterns across the body, leading some people to colloquially refer to classic tabbies as "blotched tabbies".[1]
Look for wide stripes. The stripes on a classic tabby cat tend to be wider and thicker than on other varieties of tabbies. Those thicker lines can contribute to the blotchy pattern that is characteristic of classic tabbies.[2]Advertisement
Observe swirling lines. The distinct tabby lines appear circular or swirling on classic tabbies. On some cats they may even resemble a bullseye pattern.[3]
Check the color. Typical tabby cats have black stripes over an otherwise brown coat. Other color variations do occur, but these typically have the qualifying color added before the word tabby, such as a ginger or red tabby (shades of orange and white) or a blue tabby (gray and white).
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Look at the spine pattern. The most distinct characteristic of mackerel tabbies is the spinal pattern. The stripes that run down the length of the body all extend from a single stripe that covers the cat's spine. Because of the way the cat's body stripes branch off from the spinal stripe, some mackerel tabbies bear a slight resemblance to a fish skeleton, hence the name mackerel.[4]
Look for thin stripes. The stripes on a mackerel tabby tend to be very narrow, unlike the wide, swirling stripes of the classic tabby.[5]
Notice the unbroken pattern. Mackerel tabbies typically have unbroken lines that are evenly spaced. These stripes tend to run down both sides of the body in a top-to-bottom formation.[6]
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Look closely at the hair. Unlike other tabbies, ticked tabby cats do not typically have body stripes. Instead, each individual hair on a ticked tabby has stripes or bands of color variation. This is the tell-tale sign of a ticked tabby.[7]
Look for unmistakable facial patterns. Though ticked tabbies may not look like a typical tabby cat, they still exhibit the same distinct facial patterns. Look for the "M" on the forehead and light pencil marks on either side of the face.[8]
Observe the semi-transparent quality of hair. Not all ticked tabbies have translucent coats, but some, like those in the Abyssinian breed, do have semi-translucent hair.[9]
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Notice the broken lines. Spotted cats earned their name because of the broken lines in their coat patterns. This "broken" coat pattern may cause the lines to appear as spots, though this cat is still very much a tabby.[10]
Observe the variance in spots. The "spots" on the spotted tabby's coat can come in a variety of shapes and sizes. They may be large or small, and may appear to be round, ovular, or rose-shaped.[11]
Don't confuse the spotted tabby and mackerel tabby. Though every spotted tabby's coat will be slightly different, some may be easily confused with a mackerel tabby. Certain spotted tabbies may have "spots" that extend from a spinal stripe, like the mackerel tabby. The difference is that a spotted tabby will still have a more blotchy or spotted appearance.[12]
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Notice blended characteristics. Tortoiseshell/patched tabbies typically have tabby markings combined with another type of coat pattern. Tortoiseshell tabbies may exhibit any of the primary four tabby markings as the tabby component of his coat.[13]
Look for hints of brown and red tabby combined. Your cat is a tortoiseshell tabby if its coat has hair that is definitely ginger in addition to brown tabby spots or stripes.[14]
Observe the legs and head. The telltale tabby markings are typically most prominent on the legs and head of a tortoiseshell tabby cat.[15]
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- QuestionAre tabby cats affectionate?
Pippa Elliott, MRCVSDr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
VeterinarianAll cats are individuals with their own character traits. However, tabbies don't have a reputation for being feisty (as in 'naughty torties' with tortoiseshell cats being naughty) so a lack of a bad reputation is an encouraging sign. - QuestionWhat is a tabby cat color?Pippa Elliott, MRCVSDr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
VeterinarianThe tabby coat coloration is a variation on brown and black markings. Traditionally, these are stripes, but you can also get 'blotchy' tabbies, where the black markings are patches on a brown background. - QuestionWhat is the difference between a tiger and a tabby cat?Pippa Elliott, MRCVSDr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years.
VeterinarianAlthough tabby cats and tigers both belong to the Felidae group, the similarities stop there. There are many genetic differences that separate them, perhaps the most obvious being for size, and that tigers can't purr and cats can't roar.
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References
- ↑ http://www.catster.com/cats-101/tabby-cat
- ↑ http://www.petmeds.org/petmeds-spotlight/the-types-of-tabby-coat-patterns/
- ↑ http://www.catster.com/cats-101/tabby-cat
- ↑ http://www.catster.com/cats-101/tabby-cat
- ↑ http://www.petmeds.org/petmeds-spotlight/the-types-of-tabby-coat-patterns/
- ↑ http://www.catster.com/cats-101/tabby-cat
- ↑ http://www.petmeds.org/petmeds-spotlight/the-types-of-tabby-coat-patterns/
- ↑ http://www.catster.com/cats-101/tabby-cat
- ↑ http://www.catster.com/cat-breeds/Abyssinian
- ↑ http://www.petmeds.org/petmeds-spotlight/the-types-of-tabby-coat-patterns/
- ↑ http://www.catster.com/cats-101/tabby-cat
- ↑ http://www.catster.com/cats-101/tabby-cat
- ↑ http://www.petmeds.org/petmeds-spotlight/the-types-of-tabby-coat-patterns/
- ↑ http://www.catster.com/cats-101/tabby-cat
- ↑ http://www.catster.com/cats-101/tabby-cat
About This Article
Veterinarian
This article was co-authored by Pippa Elliott, MRCVS. Dr. Elliott, BVMS, MRCVS is a veterinarian with over 30 years of experience in veterinary surgery and companion animal practice. She graduated from the University of Glasgow in 1987 with a degree in veterinary medicine and surgery. She has worked at the same animal clinic in her hometown for over 20 years. This article has been viewed 315,905 times.
Co-authors: 15
Updated: February 2, 2024
Views: 315,905
Categories: Cat Breeds
Article SummaryX
All tabbies have an “M” pattern on their foreheads and stripes on the sides of their faces, so check the body pattern to determine which specific kind it is. Wide, swirling, somewhat blotchy stripes indicate that it’s a classic tabby, while one thick stripe down the cat’s back with thin, evenly-spaced stripes all the way down the body mean it’s a mackerel tabby. Not all tabbies have stripes, though, so if you notice the “M” on the forehead but none of the telltale stripes on the body, it’s a ticked tabby. To learn how to identify other unconventional cats, like spotted and patched tabbies, keep reading!
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Reader Success Stories
"My cat was a stray. She has some of the strangest markings that I have ever seen. Her ears and tail are deep brown, her face and legs have deep brown and off-white tabby stripes with orange spots on her toes. Her fur is also unusual, as it is short on her face, legs, and chest but long on the rest of her body with a plume-like tail. I now know that she is a tortoiseshell tabby, thanks to your article."..." more
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