tabby cat

Mackerel tabby, with the distinctive striped pattern and forehead 'M'. A European wildcat (Felis silvestris) bearing a similar coat pattern to that of a tabby cat. It is thought that the tabby pattern originates from the numerous related species of wildcat. A tabby cat, or simply tabby, is any domestic cat (Felis catus) with a coat pattern distinguished by an M-shaped marking on its forehead, stripes by its eyes, cheeks, along its back, and around its legs and tail. Tabby cats display characteristic striped, dotted, lined, flecked, banded, or swirled patterns on the body: neck, shoulders, sides, flanks, chest. The four known distinct tabby patterns are mackerel, classic (or blotched), ticked, and spotted. Each is linked to specific genetics.

"Tabby" is not a breed of cat but a coat pattern. It is common among non-pedigree cats around the world. The tabby pattern occurs naturally and is connected both to the coat of the domestic cat's direct ancestor and to those of its close relatives: the African wildcat (Felis lybica lybica), the European wildcat (Felis silvestris), and the Asiatic wildcat (Felis lybica ornata), all of which have similar coats, both by pattern and coloration. One genetic study of domestic cats identified at least five ancestral founder populations.