8 Facts You Didn't Know About Tabby Cats

Want to learn more about tabby cats? In this video, we’ll explore 8 fascinating facts about tabbies. From the 4 types of tabby patterns to the origin of the word “tabby”, these facts just might make you look at your tabby with a new appreciation. Illustrations provided by Messybeast-check out this site for in-depth charts, illustrations, and knowledge on cat genetics, breeds, and more. messybeast.com
Sources:
Atabi history: www.iranicaonline.org/article...
Tabby (silk weave) explained: skosmos.silknow.org/thesaurus...
How tabby cats get their stripes: www.nationalgeographic.com/an...
Study on cat coat developmental genetics: www.nature.com/articles/s4146...
Sign up for our free recall alert program: cats.com/recall-tool-email
Video Navigation:
0:00 Introduction
0:10 What is a Tabby Cat?
0:26 1. Tabby is a Coat Pattern
0:45 2. There Are 4 Types of Tabby Patterns
2:56 3. All Tabbies Have an "M" on the Forehead
3:28 4. Tabby is the Most Common Coat Pattern
4:06 5. The Agouti Gene is Responsible
5:51 6. Some Solid-Looking Cats Are Secretly Tabbies
6:17 7. All Orange Cats Are Tabbies
6:50 8. The Name Comes From Silk
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[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Did you know all of these facts about tabby cats? Do you have any stories about a special tabby in your life?

[@kn8373]

What's the difference between an Egyptian Mau and a tabby?

[@cattyandfriends]

I have 5 tabby stray cats. They always turned out tabby even when their dad was pure bred Persian.

[@jmlewis435]

I have a female mackerel tabby and a male patch tabby. She is my first female cat, all the boys have been more affectionate than she. She showed up 12 years ago on a cold March day on our deck and we took her in when it started snowing and covered her fur. We went to have her spayed, and she was already fixed, and we looked for her owners and we had her scanned but she had no chip. She has been aloof most of the time she has spent with us, but is getting older now, and is starting to warm up to us and sleeps at the foot of my bed every night. She loves to be outside, and in her younger years she would get in trees and on the roof of our house and our neighbors. All in all she has been a great cat and we are so glad she showed up at our home.

[@cattyandfriends]

@@jmlewis435 such a heart warming story ❤️

[@icyskater9607]

I did not know that all orange cats were always tabby. I have two mackerel patterned cats one orange and one grey. I would love to know facts about how different eye color happens in cats. Oh and by the way my orange tabby is super crazy and thinks everything is going to kill him to include air. LOL! They grey one is very chill and loves to play board games with us. :0)

[@6852660]

I never grew up with any pets - not even goldfish. I got my first pet (a cat) a year ago. When I went to the shelter, I was actually pretty determined to not get a tabby cat because I thought they looked too basic because the coat pattern is so common. But then I met a mackerel tabby that I thought was just one of the most gorgeous animals I've ever seen. And he really liked me right away. I ended up taking him home the next day. Several months later, I got a second cat (he's also a tabby), and a few months after that, I got a kitten (she's grey, but her tabby markings show up in bright light). My first "plain" tabby turned me into a crazy cat lady so fast.

[@iricandescence]

Welcome to the club! 😹🤗

[@amischair1906]

Love it! I am certainly a crazy cat lady myself. Crazy about my tabby! ❤

[@robbiet8583]

There is personality difference, I believe.

[@frostyjim2633]

I once went to the shelter to get not-a-tabby-cat and came home with a tabby cat, too.

[@mischapiru9514]

Good for your. I hope you pay attention to their diet. Kibble is horrible.

[@mahdedarmo]

I know a fact about one tabby cat: she wants to go outside and I’d rather she didn’t rn it’s raining 🌧️

[@iankinnell5643]

One of my Tabby females will sit outside when it's raining my other one she wants inside fast

[@PlasticBeach10]

Sounds like a tabby cat I know as well, lol. When it's raining, she has to check both the front and back door to make sure it's raining on both sides of the house, lol. Once she realises both doors lead into wet weather, she will admit defeat...for a few hours anyway, lol.

[@RorySmith-Dube-fm7ll]

Mine wants outside allll day long

[@debrab4934]

Oh and I do have a story. It's about my grey Tabby, named Gypsy, that I was so blessed to have years ago. I have to say it's more a story of her sheer determination and the kind of resilience that cats often exhibit. I rescued this very young kitten from some teen boys who had brought her into the woods to dump on their father's order. He, their father, had run over her in his truck. When I looked in the box where she laid, I heard her purring. She looked at me so sweetly and you may not have noticed right away how much she was suffering. The physical pain she must have been in, was heartbreaking. I realized her delicate tiny body had been crushed from the hips down. I rushed her home to my mother, who was a nurse, and she was shocked as well - and still Gypsy continued to purr! I really feel she knew we could and would help her. We called our vet's office, as it was near closing time, and we rushed her right over. He examined her and said that her entire pelvis was shattered and there was not anything that could be done to fix her. We took her home, we fed her, and we tried to make her comfortable, but we really felt she would not make it through that night. My mother stayed up watching over her all night. Only in my wildest dreams, could I have guessed she was still with us. My mother was bathing her in warm water, she dried her carefully and proceeded to exercise her legs. Gypsy never objected as we worked with her. I taught her to jump to my shoulder, to further strengthen her hips and legs. She progressed remarkably; even the vet was amazed. She grew to a normal size and mostly overcame her handicap. She did retain a pronounced limp and had some digestive issues with her bowels, but she lived to be about 14 years old. She'll always be the best success story, in my life, but it was all absolutely due to her will to survive and to thrive!

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

That's a wonderful story! Thank you for sharing. 😻

[@mmh290]

Omg, you and your mom are angels! I’m going to go pet my cat right now🥲💞

[@stellamariss3335]

Aww that’s awesome bless you and your mother

[@NeffyCat]

That is absolutely heartwarming! Thank you for never giving up on her. It is so precious that she survived! Years ago, my family took in 3 kitties who had almost the same thing happen. Children literally walked up to my sister and I and told us that the dad was going to drown the cats if no one took them. We took them!!! Nabisco was our grey tabby and he was a smart little guy. Gingersnap was our orange tabby. The other sibling was a black and white spotted kitty that we called Oreo. All 3 lived healthy, adult kitty lives. Thank you for being the light in your kitty's life. Thank yo for sharing your experience with us too!

[@lavinanolan6851]

❤

[@rayrack5416]

I just found 3 tabby babies (6 wk old) in my backyard. My dog had been watching over them for three days before I decided to go check on what the fuss was all about. All three are mackerel; one brown, one light blue and the other dark blue. The cutest, most playful, warm and affectionate cats imaginable. And of course, inseparable; always sleeping in a cuddle puddle. We are keeping all three.

[@dhdjdjhfdjfj3365]

awww im happy for u , i wish them great health for u and ur family and all ur pets. this is sl cute im sure theyre more than 5 weeks old by now and growing up fast before ur very eyes 😭

[@voldimmoral]

My 24 year old tabby passed away yesterday and I opened KZbin and this video finds me 🥹 Thank you for the sign from above me sweet Sally 💕

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

The algorithm is spooky sometimes, isn't it? So glad this video found you, and I'm sorry for your loss-24 years is a great run, and you must have a lot of memories. Wishing you peace. 💓

[@lemonpie1425]

I recently adopted a dark haired tabby kitten. And I must say that he was one of the best things happened to my life. I've been struggling with anxiety and depression for a long time. But ever since I met him, I started to sleep better. And I often find myself laughing and feeling happy again. He gave me a sense of purpose and comfort. I believe that the key to the happiness is to have something/someone to be responsible for other than our own selves.

[@mediumbelly]

we just adopted a black tabby kitten! it was the coolest thing to us seeing her pattern in her black fur. we can’t wait to see what she looks like when she’s all grown up

[@steveberkson3873]

I miss my two tabby cats

[@robertlittlejohn7394]

I had two tabby cats, both of them female. One was an orange tabby who was very docile and physically knew when I got up to go to work and would run to the door when I came home. My other female tabby had a grey and white coat. She too was so docile and would give me head bumps on my right side in the morning or nuzzle her head under my right armpit of all places. My girlfriend, who bought the cat but had me carry it home in the cat carrier, used to remind me that she bought the cat, or she would claim that I was stealing her cat. I told her that yes, she bought the cat, but I carried her home, and she somehow remembered me doing that, so she naturally gravitated towards me.

[@rosea2350]

I saved a tabby kitten from a flood; I heard meowing and found her drowning under a truck. I grabbed her and took her inside and wrapped her in a warm towel. She’s now a chubby girl and her name is Pickles. ❤

[@xKittenKissesx]

I’ve only ever owned tabby cats. It just happened to work out that way. I love my baby tigers 😊

[@mirandaduffy4367]

Yes! They are tiny little tigers! I have one and I think I’ll continue to always adopt tabbies in the future. I love all cats, but there’s just something so special about those tabby babies!

[@judyheinz3256]

Finn is a Classic orange tabby. Wild as heck, too!!

[@cleoclaus69]

I have enjoyed being the mama to a lovely pair of tabbies, brother and sister, for the past 17 years. even as kittens, the boy, Espresso, was a sweet, big old cuddle bum, while the girl, Colada, was exactly half his size and twice his feistiness. She has always been my favorite though, as she grew to be the size of a large kitten, then just stayed that way. While my other cats have gotten to be a little fat in their advanced years, she has retained her kittenish size and spryness, though she does nap a little more. Oddly enough, she is my dad's favorite cat too. He never fails to ask about her when I visit, and always enjoys the pictures I take of her. He says she reminds him of himself when he was very young (he is 85); very thin, wiry, and with nervous energy.

[@janicejacome]

Beautiful l'm so glad you are so very blessed n great parent!

[@a990dna]

Bebe is a Classic Tabby... silver/grey. She's smart. Likes to chat. Goes on walks. Herds us up for pack night. Wants her bath. Hot towel and rolls over for tummy rubs. She'll be 18 soon. 🎉 Bebe on her morning walk kzbin.infoJGfcmMhdM0w?feature=share

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Cute!

[@a990dna]

@@AllAboutCatsYT Thank you! See the link I attached of Bebe going on her morning walk. Imagine this little scamper 16 years ago when she was Feral with five kittens. I rescued her. She's been diagnosed with CKD. I love her dearly. How's your kitty doing with CKD? I hope the best for both.

[@MotherOfCats75]

She's beautiful. Old cats are my favorite.

[@agentcarter8469]

One kitty is a brown, gray, black classic tabby. He has beautiful marble fudge swirls and our second kitty is an orange mackerel tabby with adorable white socks. 😻😻

[@hollymollyjamz]

Well I’ll be! My black puma is a tabby! She’s always had the sweetest, most subtle stripes around her neck. Now I know. How interesting! 🐈‍⬛

[@jennazombotti881]

I have a classic tabby and also a mackerel tabby with white feet/belly! Tabbies are my favorite!

[@amicaaranearum]

We have a standard-issue cat (a grey mackerel tabby with tawny undertones). It’s amazing how well camouflaged he is outside. Sometimes I miss him even though he is only a few feet away. A year ago, he appeared in the brush at the end of our driveway as a 9-week-old kitten. As soon as my husband picked him up, he would not leave my husband’s side and would cry when separated. We named him Mr. Meeseeks because of how vocal he was that day, but he is actually rather quiet and doesn’t meow. (He occasionally trills.)

[@maribelfarnsworth4565]

Thank you for including in this delightfully informative video the origin of the name "tabby".

[@samaraosborne1585]

-> I have a mackerel tabby Kitty, & help feed an outside Kitty that has the spotted tabby coat.. Also, I have a White fluffy Kitty with some dark grey on head, tail, & back right rear patch, but there's tabby striping within those patches, but, No Orange.. Ditto, Very Informative Video!! 👏🏼 Love All Tabbies!! Divine Angelic Safeguarding, & Many Blessings, ALL!! 😻🙇🏻‍♀️🙏🏼🕊️👼🏻🌻🌄🌞

[@allison4644]

M is for my Mackerel ! 🐈Tabby- Olivia is mostly soft grey & grey stripes with darker bands on her tail, has cream "eyeshadow" lines framing above & below her eyes, her torso has faint light cream stripes on her sides amidst the grey, white paws & white diamond chin to chest, belly has some white with a beautiful grey & light cream striped pattern that appears as spots when she stretches on her back. My mackerel has short legs. Very soft fur- I think you mentioned that's the "glitter" gene in a dif vid. She is my cat-dog, plays fetch, loves to hang out where I am, is chatty, has several meows, trills, chirps, & snores, too. She likes a lil nip of her plant in the morn while I get my coffee. I got her a challenging food box to slow her eating. She especially enjoys the drawer & levers but if she gets her interactive playtime with me, food is less of a concern. If she is not getting enough attention when she wants it, she will resort to deliberately bite a knob, a wire, a piece of paper or something I set down nearby. As soon as I start to ask what she is doing she takes off ! I used plastic straws from flower arrangements to cover the phone cord & that is a lil deterrant. She has had her anal glands expressed at the vet before- do you have a vid on that ? Is that more prevalent with a special breed or are all cats at risk- I grew up with cats & didn't even know cats can have this need just like dogs until a few yrs ago. Best cat I ever had ! 💞😽💞

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Thanks for the idea about an anal gland video; will consider it!

[@geslinam9703]

I have a huge black/silver long haired tabby, he weighs 22lbs. He was a stray at my job, not feral, probably dumped by someone. First time I saw him, he was eating a piece of toast someone had thrown out for the birds, poor thing was so hungry. Took me 6 months and a hell of a lot of rotisserie chicken to catch him. I tried every trap I could get my hands on, including the one where you put a stick under a corner of a box and hide in the bushes, waiting to pull the string to drop the box. He was just too smart for me and my traps. When I finally got him, it was because he just decided to let me. He was so matted and full of fleas and ticks, and had the worst case of ear mites my vet had ever seen. He’s a big sweetie, a very lovable cat with an awesome personality. I’m so lucky!

[@wellingtonsboots4074]

Thank you for this enjoyed it. I'm the loving owner of a classic tabby. Just a beautiful old boy

[@crazitaco]

I've got a torbie manx, she's like 19 years old. I love her so much

[@asky314]

So interesting! When I adopted my cat, Lucy, I was told she was a "torbie," but had never heard that term before. Thank you for really delving into the genetic intricacies of the tabby (and its genetic brothers and sisters). I was fascinated! 💕🤓

[@skidmark316]

Tortoiseshell cats with the tabby pattern as one of their colors are sometimes referred to as torbies or torbie cats.

[@lizzieb6311]

Such cool information! Thank you! 🙏♥

[@Erinselysion]

Black cats that show their tabby stripes in the sunlight are so gorgeous ❤ It's so interesting how nature works!

[@S.t.s-WON]

When I see the hidden stripes on a black cat, I attempt to count the stripes never works. I have never successfully ever counted all stripes on any cat.

[@TamMaree]

My two cats, Rosie and Dorito, are the ticked/agouti gene tabbies (I think). I have always thought their coats looked so different from the other cats in their family, and that chart explains it. And they are sisters, but also have different facial structures. Dorito is smushed face like Garfield and Rosie is a classic cat face. They are my cute little crazy butts. ❤

[@chandracox6814]

I love my Tabby Cat so much!! He is so beautiful and has the sweetest temperament. He lived his first two years of life in a shelter so when I adopted him, he had no clue what life was like outside the shelter. He took some time to come out of his shell but when he did, omg it was the sweetest thing. He now dominates our house and, let's be real, it's actually his house now. He is the owner, not me. 😂😂

[@hallaloth3112]

Both our kitties are mackerel tabbies. One is orange, the other is a nondescript mash of gray/brown/black mixed enough there is no way to pick a 'main' color for his coat. Both of them are such dapper little lads in their own fashion.

[@edschulhof6303]

Entertaining video. When I watched your short video, I thought Colbie was a Spotted Tabby. After watching this, she is more Mackerel Tabby. Her sister, Panda is a tuxedo cat. Their third sister is all black.

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Nice! Glad it helped you decide...I've also had some uncertainty about whether Wessie is spotted or mackerel, too, so I understand the feeling.

[@michime7860]

I love this series ❤

[@nematoadss]

Love tabby cats!! (And all cats) I have two 😊

[@grinergirls210]

This is such a great video! I enjoyed learning all about tabbies! Also, my family watches your videos on the Nintendo Switch most of the time!

[@ogenmatic]

Always well presented & informative. Two of my three are - an orange plus a grey with a subtle tiger coat & he definitely has the signature “M”

[@Scootfairy]

this was exactly what i was looking for! ty

[@MURZBO]

Fascinating information btw which types of flea repellant do you use for Wessie and Forrest since they're going outdoors?

[@shantedewise7345]

My tabby is crazy, now 11, but I love her so much!

[@mirandaduffy4367]

I never knew orange cats were tabbies! I always just thought the classic tan/black ones were!

[@stephengardiner9867]

The "Lady of the house" here is a 10 year old Tortie with the classic half orange, half black nose. I had lost my 22 year old Siamese (who took after the ancestral Siamese... he was the Rottweiller of Siamese cats) and figured that the old guy was the last. Not too long afterwards, a co-worker showed me a picture of a rescued mom and kittens. It was like a pack of allsorts! Mom was a soft furry tabby with some buff patches but with most of the markings nonetheless. Kittens were grey tiger fuzzballs, a couple of tuxedos and... the runt was a tiny Tortie. I had heard of them but never seen one before. I was doomed and now, ten years later, she sits on a shelf behind me watching me type this. She's quite a big girl now and possibly one of the few cats whose coloration is absolutely not "tabby" in any way whatsoever. Live long enough with cats and you know what they are trying to tell you.

[@NeffyCat]

That was absolutely awesome to learn! I have such a big love for tabby's. Neffy is a silver Mackerel tabby. I really love how educational and fun this video was. The editing is great and the kitties are so delightful! Thank you very much for sharing, friend. I really loved this one. I am going to share it with my sister. She has a giant love for tabby cats as well! :)

[@aleciabutler9261]

I have a cat whose name is also Neffy.

[@DEPORTER_SUPPORTER]

Thank you for the work you put in to make these videos.

[@armindalord5686]

I believe will is a long haired mackerel tabby. He is a deep gray color. You can see the stripes in his stockings when he stretches out!! I can't wait to hear about calicos!

[@pjwhite1002]

Our current young girl 3yo?, Juicy, is a gray/black ticked mackerel tabby, pretty much the very classic type one sees everywhere. She's got a beautiful face with white eyeliner around light green eyes, and her fur is like the silk fabric her type is named for. She's a skinny girl but long-legged like a ballerina, and a long whip-like tale. She found her way into our yard and after seeing her here for a couple of months, looking quite thin, I decided to start feeding her. She was very distrusting at first, as you can imagine, but it didn't take long before I was able to pet her, and then she'd jump on my lap after she was done eating for a little while. After a few months of that, husband decided to bring her in one day, and she's been here ever since (with one brief escape and return after a few days on her own). She adores me and sits in my lap and sleeps with me. But I think I'm a little too restless for her as I have to get up frequently and she doesn't really like being disturbed, naturally! She doesn't like to be picked up and held, either, and I think she had some trauma from a man because she still runs or shies away from husband. She and Mickey, our old ginger boy, really don't even interact anymore. Maybe she can sense he's not doing so great and is keeping away. And I really don't know what I'm going to do if/when we need to put her in a carrier cuz the one time I had to was unbelievably difficult! Gonna have to get it down and try to get her used to it somehow so she won't freak out when it's time to go. But she's a little Love with a sweet voice.

[@nini4520]

One day my husband showed up with a surprise of two tabby kittens. I wasn’t excited at first, as I had a very active one year old and i was just getting into nursing school. I wasn’t sure if I could care for them. Fast forward months later, I treat them as my own kids!!! They have helped me more than I thought and I know they reduce my stress more than adding to it. ❤ always give animals a chance. 😭❤️

[@amysprenkle9966]

Sherman is a mackerel tabby, with a dilute M on his forehead. Plaid and cream belly. and 3 1/2 white paws. He was a rescue but is the most chill cat I have ever met. Even the vet ladies love him.

[@davidwayne9982]

I love the way their eyes look OPEN because of the stripes over them and when they're closed- it looks like eyes -- protective for predators!!

[@GloriousSimplicity]

The lynx point pattern would probably have been good to mention as well.

[@debrab4934]

Mallory ~~ I LOVE the research behind all your videos. Well, you asked so...I have an Orange Tabby, with the marbled fur pattern you mentioned in your video about orange cats. I have two other kitties that are a bit trickier to describe. One is a smooth-coat short hair Tortoise-shell, but she has black guard hairs, and with proper lighting, beneath this you can see a distinct orange coat with marbled markings. My other kitty looks like she started out as a Siamese (with two blue eyes) changed her mind and decided to throw Calico into the mix - I'd call her a "Cali Point" for lack of a better term. I've heard that Siamese were developed using white cats and orange cats, but even that seems a strange combination to me. Thank you for the links, especially to Messy Beast, and your very interesting and informative videos. I have had cats for more than 60 years, and I'm still learning new things on your channel.

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Thanks for the lovely comment. Your cats sound gorgeous, and I'm learning right alongside you.

[@Jennifer-pl6do]

My Tabby is one of the sweetest cats ever

[@ik7482]

my cat, Lava, is practically black but has also tan, white, and orange-tan tabby markings and the 'M' in her forehead markings. also lime green eyes. very pretty kitty

[@Muncy62]

My shelter kitty I adopted two months ago is according to your information a patched tabby-calico. Thanks for the nice video!

[@marionb6154]

Thank you very much for this information. I have a tabby cat but who also has ginger and white & black. Now I know she is a patch tabby. Tabbies have always been my favourite cats 🐈‍⬛ ❤🙏

[@kitcobain444]

I was just adopted by an orange tabby rescue that has a lot of black fur on his right paw all the way up to his chest. I'm told that this makes him a "torby"? Either way, Kit Cobain is adorable and full of energy! 🐈✨️

[@sarahmargita5085]

My Orange mackerel tabby has apparently stolen all of the brain cells that all the other orange kitties share. The orange tabbies are so loving, super playful and crack head mischief, seekers. There are exactly 4 tabbies in my family. One is a rare marbled gray tabby

[@Nikki7B]

Was just wondering, if my 6 month old Orange tabby can borrow one of those brain cells? Lol When I told my 9 year old son about ginger tabbies all sharing one brain cell, he thought it was hilarious, and now always says when he thinks "Link" may have the brain cell. Lol

[@valp8947]

Thanks for a very informative video. I knew my Lolly is a tabby but wondered what specific coat type she is. Now I know she is a ticked tabby. Not much in the way of stripes except on her legs, and her top has brown, grey, black, and even a little bit of rust. Her belly and under her chin is cream color. She is long haired and her mane is cream and tan.

[@janineshipman]

My cat, Maeve (for the M on her forehead) is what I was told a 'bib tabby' (she's grey and tan tabby-with white on chest/belly). So I guess technically a tuxedo tabby (saw that video-that one is good too!) thank you!

[@ericgraf1127]

Lost my photo album. But, I had a female tabby. American short hair. Female, orange cat. She had perfectly symmetrical markings side to side. Kinda looked like a target, or dart board. Forehead. Was a W. only one I've ever seen. Great cat.

[@bohenriksson2330]

Didn’t realize that my orange Garfield looking boy could be called a tabby! So now I have three tabbies! Thank you!

[@jessicourteous]

I have a beautiful 1 year-old patched calico/tortie tabby cat! Thanks for the video! 😻

[@nisamskreuzer5891]

Fantastic video! My tabby is ticked and has a mottled look with grays and browns. She looks like a brindle coloring with spots on her belly like a bengal. She has the most wonderful, playful and vocal personality and squints her eyes like the buddha kitty greeting cards. I adore her, can you tell? 😁 btw, she's not my only cat and i have had many...once a whole colony of gray feral tabbys.

[@ssjwes]

Just found this channel and really like it! I'd be interested learning more about Calico cats as well.

[@pamspurgeon7298]

i have four calicos, and i would love to hear more about them. 2 of the 4 are tabby as well.

[@judyboyle9232]

This was so interesting. Thank you for explaining all my "Tabbies".

[@Tipi_Dan]

I have had three long-haired black-and-tan tabbies; two mackerel, one ticked. They are the best if you can tolerate the long hair. I was under the impression that the agouti gene covered the black and tan colors on the hair shaft. There are agouti rabbits and other animals that display this color scheme with coats more like that of a ticked tabby and no signs of stripes. The coat patterning is governed by a separate gene that is closely associated with the black and tan patterning, but also with other colors as demonstrated here. Agouti (black and tan) is the "wild-type" coloration. Primitive breeds of horses such as the tarpan and others with primitive bloodlines, such as some American mustangs, exhibit both the coat color and patterning including a dorsal stripe and horizontal stripes on their elbows and forearms--- the "zebra dun" of the old cowboy song. These wild-type genetics are very ancient, as evidenced by such wide distribution throughout mammalian species. We can properly assume many now extinct prehistoric species exhibited similar coat color and patterning.

[@snowpuppies1]

I have a classic orange tabby and a dilute mackerel calibby! My first cat was a black Tom with longish fur and he was exactly as described; when the light hit him just right he had reddish tabby markings.

[@sitori2509]

Fun fact. Bengal cats are a cross of the wild cat and tabby. Bengal breeders try to "break" up the tabby coat pattern to be spots or marbeled.

[@karenk3043]

I have two gib brothers from the same litter. At about eight months old they looked solid white except for their points. They had orange tabby faces, tails, ears and a bit of the metatarsals. If you Google "flame point Siamese" you will get pictures even though, as I understand it, there is no such thing. As adults, their coats patterned out a little differently. Both have more pale orange mackerel tabby markings where a Siamese has darker fur as an adult. One has darker, clearer stripes than the other. With their blue eyes, strangers think they are female because they are so pretty. They are extra large, not enormous. Both weigh about 16-18 pounds and the vet says that is healthy for their overall size. Thanks for your informative videos.

[@PD-zs5wi]

omg this is soo cool 🥺 i miss my tabby kids😭

[@ericd.4460]

Three of us were talking on FB today and we discovered that we each have an orange tabby that you can't hear when they purr.

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

What a fun discovery!

[@Georgiana-g.avrila]

Great video 😊thank you! We have five cat-kids and four of them are tabby- the eldest girl is orange, gray and white, the little one is white, gray and black, one of the boy is a classic tabby (gray with strips) and the other is a tabby in camouflage 😅(black outside and white underneath). All of them have the M on the forehead. They are different personality (the classic tabby is very shy, the black camouflaged tabby and the little girl are playful and the eldest girl is a cantankerous 🙃DIVA ❤). But all of them love to hunt...

[@Dogsnark]

I have a mostly black, 16 year old, long hair tabby with tuxedo patterned face and chest, and white “boots”. He’s so handsome and people often remark on what a beautiful cat he is. He’s quite social and the first cat I’ve had who actually likes to meet visitors to my home.

[@richardsantiago6076]

Got me 2 tabby kittens,brother & sister. Male classic tabby ,female tabby and shimese mix. Love my kittens.

[@nursekazhasaknife9124]

Great video. Love my little orange boy.

[@yurakhant8384]

I had a classic tabby called Holly for 17 years until I lost her due to cancer last year. She was my first cat and will always be my heart cat. I miss her every single day. I now have a gorgeous CaliTabby kitten named Willow. She's the sweetest girl.

[@margaretalbrecht4650]

I have two sisters that are both fluffy gray. One is obviously a tabby. But even the one who looks like a solid gray with white patches, when the sun hits her coat just right I can see the faintest of darker tabby stripes patterning her fur.

[@massimookissed1023]

My ginger/white pinto cow cat has tabby in his ginger patches. My ginger boy has a faint mackerel tabby pattern. My panther boy would get his mother's classic tabby swirl when he'd been out in the sun for a while.

[@jasmineuk8026]

Very informative can you also do British shorthair cat plz

[@Lili-xq9sn]

My cat was a cross of ticked & mackerel tabby. Her skin was powdery baby blue!

[@melissawright5716]

Love it thank you

[@nathanmarsh9503]

Mine is a tuxedo tabbi. My understanding is that these two traits are encoded on different genes. As for tabbi, grey, stripey (rings around legs and tail), but with bronze undercoat.

[@Goosefang]

Your last 3 videos about cats 🐈 are all about my kittah! Orange Tuxedo tabby 😬🥰

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Haha, amazing!

[@jeanmorell1947]

Thanks for the amazing facts about My gray white tabby Pecanpie and his brother dark gray Almondmeal they are 14 years old and the greatest most adorable friendliest family member who meow and greet me every time I wake up. Pecan pie Almondmeal were rescued from a bldg that had gone on fire, from Banfield given to me 9 days after my September 9 birthday 2009. They have rescued me from my illness fibromyalgia which I’m grateful!

[@Viljuri]

I have had two black cats and one tuxedo. Well, I'm old, even if I was only a child when the first cat came by. So wonderful!

[@carenbouchard4305]

I have 7 kitties and 6 are Tabby, Besty is a tuxedo. I rescue and work in Pet Store that has area that adopts rescues. People always ask about what kind of cats they are. Now I have a better answer then "purrfect!

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

There you go! Happy to help.

[@kzj5r0]

I've been feeding a feral that I've Christened Spotty-Spot-Spot...a beautiful boy who looks as though he wears a long-sleeved white t-shirt . The rest of his body is ginger striped. Only this week I noticed that some of his stripes are actually spots, hence, a spotted tabby. Who knew? Thanks for the information!

[@kellybroady6378]

I have a long haired cat that has the brown tabby pattern and the classic "m", but only a little bit on his head. His body and 4 legs are all pure white. He has bright blue eyes and a big fluffy brownish tail (kind of like a persian). Would he be considered a tabby? Or only part tabby?

[@sunsetarts]

My little girl, Mew, was described by the vet as a black tabby. I'd heard the terms Mackerel and orange tabby before but not black tabby. Her stripes are very pronounced, and very dark. She's also a complete daddy's girl and completely adorable.

[@annlavine3576]

i have a mackerel tabby now but have had the other three too

[@citizentorgo2852]

I don't know for certain, but I was told my tabby is a Tabico. All I know is she likes to spring out of nowhere and scare me lol

[@mikeporro3311]

Thanks for the vid.I have a domestic grey with green eyes ,in the sunlight i can see faint stripes on her rear legs and tail.

[@bookmouse2719]

When I took my cats to the vet, 2 of them they were dubbed grey and white tabby and grey tabby, and they are sort of secret tabbies...(I just assumed they were grey & grey and white).I also have a calico with some tabby marks and a classic tabby.

[@kate8351]

My 13 year old cat is a mackerel tabby. She sleeps cuddled up beside me. She's also very vocal and loves to climb.

[@keturahspencer1211]

I'm a new weaver. A plain weave is also called a tabby weave. I was curious about what weaving had to do with cats. My home has 4 cats. 3 of them are tabby boys and they all look very different.

[@siobhonc]

Great info. After 7 years, I am now quite certain that my cat is a ticked tabby.

[@AllAboutCatsYT]

Nice! Happy to help you figure it out after all this time!

[@Paula-sw2tt]

I have a Tabby Mese mix.

[@incog99skd11]

Wow that must be strange. I had a Siamese and now have a tabby. They could not have been more different personality-wise.

[@Paula-sw2tt]

@@incog99skd11 he is so much fun. Rumer aka Rum Rum is the most stubborn one track minded cat ever. He loves water! He comes when called and fetches. Definitely has the Mese mouth. He is also a very loving cat and enjoys being petted everywhere and snuggling. He is my third soulmate cat. I also have a medium hair black cat Mese mix girl named Gypsy. She too comes when called, fetches and loves tummy rubs. She is much shyer than my almost fearless boy furchild.

[@brendasimmons9045]

My black cat is the most loving of the four cats in my home and the only black one. And my cats are inside all the time. I rescued all of them from my neighborhood.

[@jonibeaulieu3141]

Thank you so much. I didn't quite know how to describe my kitties' coats. They are brother and sister. My boy is an orange tabby who looks very much like the orange kitte at 1:16, only he's darker and my girl is almost the same as the kitty at 1:03. I was wondering if she was a tuxedo. But both have the M so tabby they are! Cool video.

[@thescotsmantechnologyrevie2138]

Do Raggamuffins next please! ❤

[@Slinkylabcat]

My sister and I grew up in apartment complexes. We couldn't have a pet. But when Deede and I had something to eat, locked out after school on the stairs, here comes all the pals. We shared a bit. And they moved on. Let me tell you something, Cats: Felis Catus plays a zero-sum game. And so do I.

[@jennie9]

One of my cats is mostly white but she has brown and black mackerel tabby stripes on her tail, ears and part of her face as well as a few patches on her body that contain the tabby pattern. You can kind of see the 2 outer lines of the M but the middle is hidden in her white fur. She's adorable.