Mackerel Tabby Cat Patterns

So a cat with a t m t m or t m t b genotype sets the basic pattern of thin stripes mackerel tabby that underlies the coat while a t b t b cat will express a classic tabby coat pattern with thick bands and a ring or concentric stripes on its sides.

Mackerel tabby cat patterns. Tabby occurs in several colours the most common are brown tabby silver and orange tabby. Other patterns started coming about as the result of selective breeding as well as unintended mutations. It is believed that these two ancestors mixed producing the mackerel tabby cat pattern we see in our furry friends today. The most common tabby pattern is mackerel and its t m allele at the tabby gene locus is dominant over the classic or blotched allele t b.

It is thought to have originated from african and european wildcat genes. This pattern resembles the skeleton of a fish hence the name. It is believed to have originated from the african wild cat felis sylvestris lybica and the european wild cat felis sylvestris sylvestris. The 5 tabby cat patterns.

Both of these wild cats have a pale striped tabby pattern. It s actually a coat pattern and there are five different types of tabby cats. But when the breeds mix the result is a much more prominent mackerel tabby pattern. What colour is a tabby cat.

The mackerel tabby pattern was the first tabby pattern to appear in domesticated kitties. The tabby cat originally had the pattern of the modern day mackerel variety. So a mackerel tabby cat pattern can appear on many different cat breeds and refers to the arrangement of stripes on the kitty s body specifically that the stripes run vertically down the cat off. Tabby is a coat pattern and not a breed it consists of four patterns mackerel spotted classic and ticked.

Sometimes called a tiger cat mackerel tabbies have one solid dark stripe along their spine with more stripes branching off. Most experts believe that this cat came from african and european wild cats which makes sense given their overall appearance. A tabby cat is not a breed. The mackerel tabby is by far the most common cat coat pattern with the brown mackerel tabby being the one you ll spot the most.

Cats with this pattern can look like little tigers. The background hair consists of light and dark bands intermingled with dark lines spots or swirls layered on top. The mackerel tabby pattern is the original tabby pattern. It consists of narrow stripes that start at the dark stripe along their spines and run vertically down towards their tummies.