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Mackerel Tabby Color Pattern

Fishbone Tabby Family: Felidae

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Felis domesticus Photo © Animal-World: Courtesy Justin Brough

Description
  The Mackerel Tabby pattern is one of five tabby patterns. The other four are the Blotched Tabby, Spotted Tabby, Ticked Tabby, and Patched Tabby. The basic tabby pattern is comprised of a mixture of light and dark banded hairs and black hairs. The black hairs are clustered together in patches or apparent stripes to create the tabby pattern. In the Mackerel Tabby, the resulting pattern is of dark stripes on a lighter background. The stripes are long, thin, mostly vertical, and moderately curved. They often break into short bars or stripes on the sides and stomach of the cat. This pattern often cause two interesting markings. First, an "M" shape, formed by the dark hairs, is often found on the forehead of these cats. Second, they also often have a "peppered nose", where black dots are found on the otherwise pink nose. The only striped coat pattern seen in domestic cats is the Mackerel Tabby pattern.

The Mackerel Tabby is found in many different color variations, which can be divided into three basic categories. The first is the basic Mackerel Tabby, comprised of dark stripes on a light background. This category includes the Blue Tabby, Blue Silver Tabby, Brown Tabby, Cameo Tabby, Dilute Cameo Tabby, Chestnut Tabby, Chestnut Silver Tabby, Chocolate Silver Tabby, Cinnamon Tabby, Cinnamon Silver Tabby, Cream Tabby, Cream Silver Tabby, Ebony Tabby, Fawn Tabby, Fawn Silver Tabby, Lavender Tabby, Lavender Silver Tabby, Red Tabby, and Silver Tabby. In the second group, the basic tabby pattern is accompanied by areas of white. These include Tabby and White, Blue Tabby and White, Blue Silver Tabby and White, Brown Tabby and White, Cameo Tabby and White, Cream Tabby and White, Red Tabby and White, and Silver Tabby and White. Finally, the last category is made up of tabby patterns that are restricted to the extremities on an otherwise purely white cat. This variation is known as the "Van Tabby Pattern" and includes the Van Tabby, Van Tabby and White, Van Cream Tabby and White, Van Parti-color Tabby and White, and Van Red Tabby and White. Though Tabbies can have patches of white, or even be mostly white, white is the only color that the Tabby pattern has never shown up on. Even though Black is not named in this list, occasionally a very faint Tabby pattern can be seen on a black coat.

Background - History
   The Mackerel Tabby pattern is the original tabby pattern. It is believed to have originated from the African Wild Cat (Felis sylvestris lybica) and the European Wild Cat (Felis sylvestris sylvestris). Both of these wild cats have a pale, striped tabby pattern. But when the breeds mix, the result is a much more prominent Mackerel Tabby pattern. At first, the Mackerel Tabby was common in all types of domestic cats. However, other Tabby patterns arose from mutations and selective breeding of the Mackerel Tabby. The most common of these patterns is the Blotched Tabby, which is more widespread than the Mackerel Tabby today.

Genetic Features
  Though it is not obvious all the time, all cats possess the tabby gene. However, some also possess genes that either mask or suppress the tabby appearance. Solid black and blue cats always have a gene combination that suppresses the tabby pattern, but sometimes there is still a faint striping that can often be seen in the sunlight. This is called "ghost striping". On the opposite end, orange cats possess a gene that suppresses the tabby-suppressing gene from being expressed. Therefore, you will never see a solid orange cat, but only orange Tabbies.  

Breeds That Exhibit This Color Pattern
  Though the Tabby is often mistaken as a breed, it is not a breed, but a coat pattern. The Mackerel Tabby coat pattern is accepted in many different breeds, including the Manx, Norwegian Forest, Persian, Siberian Forest, Turkish Van, Angora, Maine Coon, British Short and Longhair, Oriental Shorthair, Tonkinese, Cornish Rex, American Bobtail, Cymric, Devon Rex, Scottish Fold, American Short and Longhair, American Wirehair, Exotic Shorthair, Sphynx, American Curl, and the European Shorthair. 

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Latest Comments
I have known tabby cats all my life, from the striped with the M in the forehead, to the calico and the all black with faint stripes. Tabbies are the best breed in the world, very friendly and sweet. I find the black variety are more offstandish, especially the females. Still, I would never want any other kind than a tabby, they are the purrfect pet. Madonna Simmonds 2008-10-10

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