Cats that hung around humans had more access to food, water, and prey to hunt, not to mention shelter from the unrelenting elements. Silky-coated tabby cats are some of the friendliest toward humans, perhaps as an evolutionary incentive. This is kind of the opposite of the calico coloration, which is similarly almost exclusive to female cats. About 80% of ginger tabbies are male, with just 20% females. The orange fur gene is tied to the X chromosome, meaning a male cat only needs orange fur in his mother’s bloodline to potentially be ginger. You see, coat color is tied to specific chromosomes. One of the weirdest feline genetic twists of fate is that almost all orange or ginger tabby cats are male. Certain combinations of color and coat type are more common in specific breeds, like how most Bengals have a mackerel coat. Brown and black are common tabby colors, but gray, orange, red, and cream are a few less common colors you may be familiar with.Īs far as coat types go, tabby comes in five forms: ticked, patched, splotched, spotted, and mackerel. Tabby cats come in a bewilderingly vast palette of colors, with no less than five distinct coat patterns under the tabby umbrella. They Come in a Stunning Variety of Colors & Types

The term was quickly shortened to “tabis” and finally the eminently catchy “tabby.” Presumably, the word was eventually spoken to English speakers, who coined the immortal “tabby cat” we still use today.ģ. A lot farther back in history than you’d think-the 14th century Baghdad in Iraq, to be precise! Tabby coats are thought to have been compared to a valuable Iraqi silk called “atabis” in Middle French, produced in the Attabiy district of Baghdad.

The word “tabby” has such a basic sound to it that you probably never stopped to wonder where exactly it came from. From then on, every tabby born was said to bear the M in honor of Muezza and his close relationship with the prophet. The story goes that the tabby saved Muhammad’s life, earning the name Muezza, or “cherished” in Arabic. Most notable is Islam, whose founding prophet Muhammad was said to have the first tabby cat. Interestingly, there are numerous religious interpretations for why they have the M. The exact shape, size, and color might shift a little from cat to cat, but the same basic shape is on virtually every tabby out there. The most unifying mark of a tabby cat is the furrowed “M” shape on their foreheads. To help shed light on all the most fascinating facts about tabby cats, join us below on a tabby-filled adventure. Despite being so popular, you’d be shocked that most people don’t really even know much about our favorite felines. There’s a lot to love about these pint-sized predators, whether your tabby has a striped, flecked, or banded coat. Often confused with a breed, tabby is a common type of coat pattern exhibited by many different individual cat species.

Male orange tabby cat