Butters The Bean

The tabby cat is probably the most common cat you will see in homes and shelters. Here are a few facts about the darling tabby cat.

People often think a tabby cat is a breed, but it is not. Tabby is not a breed, but a fur pattern. Tabby patterns occur in many breeds like the Norwegian Forest Cat, Oriental Shorthair and Scottish Fold. Tabbies are diverse when in comes to patterns and colors. The patterns include the classic tabby, mackerel tabby, spotted tabby, ticked tabby, tortoiseshell, brown tabby, red/orange tabby, silver tabby and calico tabby. Each individual piece fur is multicolored which is called agouti hairs.

All tabbies have the signature “M” on their forehead. There are several legends surrounding this marking. In ancient Egypt, cats were called Mau meaning to see, or light. They thought that cat eyes absorbed moonlight to shine like bright pieces of the moon. They believed Khonsu the God of the moon adorned the “M” on their foreheads. The actual reason for the “M” is due to genetics.

The tabby pattern works as camouflage for survival. It enables them to blend in with their surroundings when hunting prey much like the tiger.

Tabbies are known for their friendly disposition. They are very social, intelligent and affectionate toward their humans. The orange tabby are known as the friendliest of them all.