Interestingly, many people think that Tabby is a breed of cat. Not true; tabby is actually a pattern and not a breed.
The tabby pattern can be found in many breeds of cat and even mixed-breed cats. There are basically four tabby patterns that are genetically distinct including the mackerel, classic, spotted, and ticked in colors like brown, orange, gray, silver, and red. Mackerel tabbies are the most common and they have narrow striped coats along the sides of their bodies. Classic tabbies have a swirling pattern and often have distinctive bulls-eyes on their sides. Spotted tabbies have a more spotted pattern and ticked tabbies have individually striped hairs rather that striped coats. Most tabby cats have the distinctive M-shaped mark on their foreheads.
Some of the most famous tabbies of all time include Morris the 9 Lives “spokes cat”, cartoon cats Heathcliff and Garfield, and Theodore Roosevelt’s gray polydactyl tabby. A recent addition to the list of most famous tabby cats may be the most famous of all. She is a gray tabby cat named Nora, who was rescued from a NJ shelter and became an overnight UTube sensation. Her 2007 debut video showcased her piano playing skills in a duet with her owner. This video has been viewed over 15.8 million times to date and two sequel videos have been released since that time.
Do you have a special tabby cat in your life that you would like to see featured on the PETS 911 Facebook page? Submit a video or photo and a short note about what makes your tabby special to info@pets911.com.