There are actually four basic tabby cat coat patterns: mackerel, ticked, spotted, and classic, which is also referred to as marbled. Cats have always been fashion forward! Tabby cat coats arenвЂ™t just one pattern. The term вЂњtabby cat,вЂќ meaning вЂњone with a striped coat,вЂќ likely came into usage in the late 17th century. This can be traced even further to the Arabic term attabiya, which references Attabiy, a neighborhood in Baghdad where such silk cloth was originally made. The English term вЂњtabbyвЂќ comes from the translation of the French phrase вЂњstriped silk taffeta,вЂќ the root of which is tabis, which means вЂњa rich watered silk,вЂќ according to the Online Etymology Dictionary. Tabby cats are popular as pets because they have a friendly disposition, they get along well with people and children and most of all, they are sociable, affectionate and intelligent.The term вЂњtabbyвЂќ is believed to have originated from Baghdad. Remarkably, it was a tabby cat named Himmy which holds the unofficial record as the worldвЂ™s heaviest cat. Tabby cats can grow to as much as 18 pounds and their height may reach up to 16 inches or more depending on the breed. The early tabby cats were given the name вЂњtabbyвЂќ as they were compared to silk which came from the region of Attabiy in Baghdad and from the 14th century Middle French term вЂњatabisвЂќ which became вЂњtabisвЂќ and ultimately became the word вЂњtabbyвЂќ. From there, tabby cats spread throughout Europe and transported through ships en route to other continents. Their task was to keep rodents away from the crops of their owners. Tabby cats are said to be the first tame pet cats, most probably as petsВ of Mediterranean farmers. Also, biologists note that personality traits are somehow linked to a catвЂ™s coat color as well as their specific breed. Interestingly, the coat color of orange tabby cats correlates with its gender since most orange cats are males. Tabby cats are outgoing, friendly, affectionate and loving to their owners.

The common color markings of tabby cats include orange, grey, ginger, brown, black, red, cream, blue, silver and tan while the patterns include the classic swirl, mackerel, ticked, spotted and patched. Due to this gene, some cats have hairs with more than one color distributed on the hair shaft. This gene controls the color expression along the length of each hair shaft and the dilute and eumelanin genes that also influence coat color. Those with recessive agouti genes are non-tabby cats and will not have any markings. Their patterns have their own historical and genetic origins.Д¬ats may possess markings if they have the agouti gene or if part of it is dominant. Many cat breeds can have a tabby-type coat such as the calico and tortoiseshell cats along with its tabby patches. What makes a cat a tabby one?ДЄ tabby cat is not a breed but a coat pattern represented by stripes, spots and whorls or spirals. Check out our earlier article on how long do tabby cats live for more information. The entire life cycle is usually from 10 to 15 years while some may even live beyond that age given the right care and nutrition. Tabby cats grow at the same rate as with other domestic cats of the same breed. On the other hand, smaller cat breeds that feature a tabby coat pattern include the Russian Blue, Devon Rex, Cornish Rex and Singapura. The worldвЂ™s heaviest tabby cat, Himmy from Australia, weighed 46 pounds and 15.26 ounces. Large-sized or heavy cat breeds that feature the tabby coat pattern include the Ragamuffin, Bengal, Turkish Van, Maine Coon, Persian, Siamese, British Shorthair, Ragdoll, Burmese, Norwegian Forest, American Bobtail and the Egyptian Mau. They are considered adult upon reaching one year old and become fully grown when they reach 18 months of age although some breeds like the Maine Coon may grow up to five years old. Male cats weigh more compared to female cats since they are usually two to four pounds heavier. Their maximum height is about 16 inches.ДЄverage adult tabby cats may weigh around eight to 12 lbs depending on the breed. They can grow into a maximum weight of more or less 18 pounds. How big a tabby cat can get depends on the breed of the cat. A tabby cat is not a breed but a coat pattern and the size of a tabby cat varies depending on the breed. They get along well with people and children but sometimes they are also a handful. Tabby cats are special because of their unique coat patterns along with a dynamic and affectionate personality.

Grey tabby cat