To help you better understand the differences between the four patterns, I’ll be discussing each of their characteristics, appearance, personality, and coat genetics in a more detailed manner in the succeeding sections. The tabby coat is the most common among the four existing cat patterns. Numerous breeds of domesticated cats, purebred and crossbred, showcase this cat pattern. Surprisingly, this is also observed among wild felines such as tigers and leopards. The tabby cat pattern is easier to distinguish compared to tortie, torbie, and calico. This coat is characterized by distinctive stripes, dots, spots, whorls, or swirls distributed throughout the body.Īside from the stripe patterns, tabby cats also have distinctive face marks which canine fanciers call mascara markings. They are called as such because they highlight the eyes just like how mascara does to a person. A mark on the forehead that resembles the letter “M” is also a trademark of the tabby coat pattern. The tabby coat consists of two different hairs. Usually, the base of a tabby cat has a lighter and unique fur called agouti. If you look at the individual strand of an agouti coat, you will see multiple bands of color. Meanwhile, the second type of hair on a tabby is usually darker which creates a striped pattern. Unlike calico and tortie cats that are mostly observed on female felines, the tabby coat pattern is inclusive for both male and female cats. Interestingly, most cats with the ginger tabbies color are male. Interestingly, it can also appear along with other patterns such as the tortoiseshell and calico giving birth to new cat patterns known as “torbie and calby.” The tabby pattern can be observed in numerous cat breeds including the Abyssinian, American Bobtail, American Curl, American Shorthair, American Wirehair, Birman, Colorpoint Shorthair, Egyptian Mau, Javanese, Maine Coon, Manx, Norwegian Forest Cat, Ocicat, Oriental, Persian, Ragdoll, Scottish Fold, and Siberian cat. Tabby cats can come in a variety of colors. And as mentioned earlier, their patterns can also vary.Ĭat fanciers have classified the possible patterns of tabby cats into four - classic tabby, mackerel tabby, spotted tabby, and ticked tabby. The tortoiseshell or tortie was named after the speckled or mottled shell of a tortoise. The tortie pattern is bicolor and is not an exclusive pattern for any specific breed. Its colors are usually black and red although the red color can be substituted by cream, yellow, or orange. Tortie cats do not have stripes or spots, unlike tabby kitties. Rather, they have patches of either red, orange, yellow, or cream mixed with their black coat. You can also tell a tortie apart from a calico cat by looking at the concentration of white fur. Most tortie cats only have two colors other than white. They may have a small number of white speckles but not large white patches like the calico.Ī tortie that has two different colors present on each half of its face is called a chimera.
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