They look like the bones on a fish skeleton (where “mackerel” comes from). The stripes on the sides are narrow and parallel. Mackerel: This is the most common tabby coat.You’ll also see this called a “blotched tabby” (though classic sounds better). Classic: The cat shows dramatic swirls on the sides and butterflies over the shoulders.Put them all together, and you get the detailed patterns that make every tabby so unique. You can also see bars around the legs, buttons on their stomach, a spine line, and rings around the tail. But the special stripes of a tabby cat don’t stop there. This is the famous “M” on the forehead that highlights around the eyes. And every tabby has mascara markings on their face. It’s a coat pattern plenty of different breeds sport. And lucky for you, we have 118 tabby cat names that do just that! Tabby CatsĬontrary to popular belief, tabbies AREN’T cat breeds. Those stripes and patterns may help them hide out in the background, but their names? They deserve to stand out.
Of course, tabbies also make up a large part of the feline population.
Think about it: how many more tabby cats do you see compared to other coat patterns? There’s something about those stripes we adore. This is probably why so many tabbies make their way into literature, television, and movies. And the more elaborate the pattern of their markings? The more magical and unique these cats appear. We still think of them as the miniature version of the monstrous feline. Even without the orange coloring of a tiger. Striped cats hold a special place in our hearts.