What really is a tabby cat?

I have been so confused about this. I now confirm that the forehead M and stripes is the most tell-tale sign of a tabby. They do come in colors other than gray and brown .... as I had thought ... but my new webpage for tabbies can only hold so many! ;) For those who have tabbies other than brown and gray, I will soon be making a page for Orangies .. and may go further with color patterns as well.

OK ... here is a website that explains colors, patterns, and etc....

http://www.devons.com/tabby.html

Kim

Down here orangies are called ginger cats or red tabbies. Cat show people are more likely to call them red tabbies.

I had no idea there was so much variety in tabby patterns. I thought they were all like the classic and striped one shown. I didn't know they could be ticked, etc. I have seen them in several colors, though. I've also seen Calico tabbies ... if that makes any sense.

My Inka is a grey tabby, but with lots of white too; her chin and nose, part of her belly and her paws.
http://users.pandora.be/bernardgabri...0-%20super.jpg
http://users.pandora.be/bernardgabri...se-ups%201.jpg

I recall reading many years back, that genetically every cat has tabby in them. Not sure how much truth in in that, but I've noticed often with 'solid' black kittens that if sunshine hits their fur just right, they appear striped. :eek: There's so many variations it boggles the mind! :eek:

I thought that Tabbies had a blending of colors.I know Michael is an Orange Tabby,but Is Nugget who is a solid Gold Color?
This is confusing to an Old Cat Lover.
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v6...icture1000.jpg
A Nugget more [precious than 24 Karat Gold!

Chester and Amy are what I call "Tabby & White". If I had the choose WHICH tabby I liked the best I would have a bad problem deciding. They have that "M" thing on their forehead. When Samantha had kittens, her little solid black ones seemed to have stripes, like Jan said... when the sun hit them right.

I just know that God knew what he was doing when he created cats and their many colors and patterns.

Gary, I do believe that Nugget is a tabby. I can faintly see his "M" marking on his forehead. Heck, I would venture to say that every cat here on PT is a tabby in one form or another! :p I had just mostly associated tabbies with the brown and gray colors, sorry I made my website page exclusively for those ... but I do have limited space ... I have to pay for more! ;)

Jan ... you were right, that site also said that all kitties carry the tabby gene.

Kim

Queen Scoop Alot and I must have read the SAME book, because I recall "that all cats are tabbies," too! Our Tuxedo, Tina Peepers, when in the sun, you can see the faint stripes on her!!! I have read about the CLASSIC, BLOTHCED, and Mackeral striped tabbies. The blotched has the swirls, the mackeral the stripes go 'round the body, and the classic has stripes, but I do not remember how they go!!!! Sandra

My Felix is Tabby & white :D

Here is a page that describes the different tabby patterns!

http://www.devons.com/tabby.html

Well that was very interesting to read Kim. I thought the Classic Tabby was the one with the stripes and the Mackerel had the swirls like our Chipper.
That's what I love about this site. I have learnt so much in the years I have been here.