The genes are the Agouti Signaling Protein (ASIP), Mc1R and Taqpep. Not to get too scientific, but three genes cause the tabby pattern. Their hair shafts are never filled with solid pigment. Tabby cats have a unique pigment in each hair shaft, which is seen in bands of light and dark. While the tabby comes in many varied colors and patterns, all depicting the characteristic stripes, it must be remembered that this is not a breed, and so these cats present in many varieties. The classic tabby pattern or the blotched tabby involves elaborate swirls on the sides and butterflies over the shoulders. Much like calico and tortoiseshell cats, “tabby” refers to a cat’s color pattern. What is a Tabby Cat? Appearance, Traits, and Breeds Mary stroked the tabby’s forehead thankfully, leaving her mark as an enduring sign of gratitude.

Hearing the unhappy baby, a tabby settled into the manger beside him, and the baby snuggled peacefully against the cuddly kitty. Newborn baby Jesus was discontent in the manger of scratchy hay and made his feelings known while Mother Mary was trying to get a well-earned rest. Although our tabby does not earn a mention in the scriptures, this is how the legend goes. To heed the call to prayer, Mohammad carefully cut the sleeve off his robe off with a knife, so as not to disturb Muezza when he left.Ĭhristian symbolism attributes the mark to be a blessing of the Virgin Mary. There is, however, a second attribution to Mohammad which suggests that his favorite cat, Muezza had fallen asleep on the robe Mohammed was wearing. The story goes that a cat rescued Mohammad from a snake attack. One interpretation of the symbolism of the ‘M’, is that it depicts “Mau” (pronounced Meow, of course), which is the ancient Egyptian term for “cat”.Īnother lore has it that the prominent ‘M’ is the mark of the Muslim prophet, Mohammed. All tabbies present markings of thin pencil lines on their faces, expressive markings around the eyes, and a distinct “M” on their foreheads. Symbolism abounds around the common tabby, most of which centers on the marking on their foreheads. 5 Things You Didn’t Know About The Tabby Cats.Male Tabby Cat: Why 80% of Orange Tabby Cats are Male!.The Dilute Tabby Cat: A Special Kind of Cat.From Classic Tabby to Mackerel Tabby Cats: The Many Colors of Tabbies Explained!.What is the Average Size and Weight of Tabby Cats.What is a Tabby Cat? Appearance, Traits, and Breeds.

Gray tabby cat