![]() ![]() There are a few variations of a Christian legend involving a tabby cat, the baby Jesus, and the Virgin Mary. These ancients believed the “M” was a reference to Mau, or that the mark represented the sacred scarab beetle. Mark of MauĪncient Egyptians called cats “Mau” (sounds suspiciously like “meow,” does it not?). A curious amount of folklore exists around this particular feature, stretching back thousands of years. One of the most distinctive aspects of the tabby cat is the “M” shape on the forehead. (Important for the outdoor tabbies, anyway!) Tabbies descended with these important physical traits intact. It’s no big stretch to say that these wildcats’ built-in camouflage of spots and stripes helped pave the way for their continued existence and evolution. Tabbies may be the world’s “original” catsĪccording to Catster, feline geneticists confirmed “five genetic clusters, or lineages, of wildcats from various parts of the world (such as Africa, Europe, China, Central Asia, and the Middle East) and dating back some 10,000 years to be the ancestors of today’s ubiquitous domestic tabbies.” These findings likely explain how coat patterns are formed on big cats, too, such as tiger stripes, cheetah spots, and cougar ticks. Remember how the “ticked” tabby pattern is primarily displayed on Abyssinian cats? This happens because mutations in the gene Dkk4 result in shorter, thinner strokes of color. This thick-thin skin variation can be detected even before embryos develop hair follicles! Thick patches with more Dkk4 expression are later covered with darker fur, while thin patches with less Dkk4 expression are later covered with lighter fur. Researchers discovered that the gene Dkk4 actually “maps” a pattern of thick and thin skin during fetal cat development. The patched tabby typically features patches of brown and orange tabby patterns, with markings often more apparent on the legs and head.Īssociated breeds: American Shorthair, Birman, British Shorthair, Cornish Rex, Domestic Shorthair, Exotic Shorthair, Japanese Bobtail, Manx, Norwegian Forest Cat, Persian, Siberian, Turkish Van How do tabby patterns form?Ī 2021 study published in Nature Communications answers the question that has puzzled geneticists for decades: how do cats get their stripes, spots, and swirls? What do you get when you cross a tabby and tortie cat, or a tabby and calico? A “torbie” and a “caliby,” respectively. Patched tabbies can show any of the patterns mentioned above, but it’s usually only along the face and head in areas much larger than ticks.Patched tabby - © carolyn.will / Flickr / CC-BY-SA-2.0 Bonus: Patched tabby cat Ticked tabbies are generally one color, however, you’ll find that they have small marks (or ticks) along with their facial structure. Spotted tabbies are spotted like leopards either on one part of their bodies or all over. Classic tabbies have bold, circular, and swirling patterns as if they had a large bullseye painted on them. Mackerel tabbies are among the most recognizable because of their narrow tiger-striped pattern. Tabbies can come in 5 unique color patterns. And there isn’t just one type of tabby cat either. Tabbies are found across many breeds such as the Maine Coon or Norwegian Forest Cat. Tabby simply refers to the color and pattern of their coats. Tabby Refers to a Cat’s Coat, Not the Breed Image Credit: Amaya Eguizábal, Pixabay The 10 Fascinating Facts About Mackerel Tabby Cats 1. Either way, these tabby family members are easily the most recognizable!ĭo you want to know some more about mackerel tabbies and tabbies in general? Check out these 10 fascinating facts! Maybe it’s their tiger-stripe pattern or the signature “M” shape on their foreheads. ![]() ![]() There’s something so iconic about the mackerel tabby. ![]()
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