Do all tabby cats have the same markings?
No, tabby cats can have different markings. There are five common tabby coat patterns.
- Blotched tabby: The blotched tabby is the most iconic pattern; it’s sometimes called the “classic tabby” and refers to the whorls of stripes that create a shape that looks like a target.
- Mackerel tabby: The pattern on a mackerel tabby is similar to tiger stripes, with rings around the tails and legs and bands of solid or broken stripes covering the rest of their bodies.
- Spotted tabby: Named for the telltale spots that dot their bodies, the spots on these cats are different sizes and often line up to form bands, making them look similar to the broken stripes on mackerel tabby cats.
- Patched tabby: As their names suggest, patched tabbies have patches of color on their coats. The patches might be dark brown, gray-brown, red, or orange and are arranged in tabby patterns on their bodies. Patched tabbies are also known as Tortoiseshell tabbies.
- Ticked tabby: It’s almost impossible to pick out the tabby pattern in their fur, but each hair has bands of light and dark coloring. Cats with the ticked pattern are also known as Abyssinian or agouti tabby cats.