Tabby cat

A domestic cat whose coat displays stripes, swirls, spots, or bands of color on individual hairs. Tabby is a coat pattern, not a breed.

Agouti gene: A gene that regulates the distribution of dark and light pigment along hairs in mammals. Its activity produces the alternating pigment bands visible in many tabby hairs.
Mackerel tabby: A tabby pattern with narrow vertical stripes along the body and tail. It is the familiar striped form often associated with the word tabby.
Cat embryonic coat patterning: The process by which spatial patterns of pigmentation are established in a developing cat. It helps explain how tabby markings are organized across the body before birth.
Tortoiseshell cat: A cat with patches of black or brown and red or cream fur, usually without white. Tortoiseshell describes patchwork color, while tabby describes patterned markings.
Melanin: A group of pigments that give color to skin, hair, feathers, and eyes. Different melanin types and amounts create tabby coat colors and contrast.
Classic tabby: A tabby pattern with broad swirls and a bullseye-like marking on each flank. Its bold marbling contrasts with the narrow lines of mackerel tabbies.
Taqpep: A gene whose variants affect the spacing and form of coat patterns in domestic cats. Its variants are associated with the broad swirls of classic tabbies and the stripes of mackerel tabbies.
Calico cat: A cat with distinct patches of white, red or cream, and black or brown fur. Calico is a color arrangement rather than a tabby pattern, though patterns can overlap.
Cat coat genetics: The inheritance of coat colors and patterns in domestic cats. Tabby markings are one outcome of the broader system of feline coat inheritance.
Spotted tabby: A tabby pattern in which markings appear as distinct spots rather than continuous stripes. It shows how tabby markings can break into spots instead of forming lines.

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American ShorthairRelated: The silver classic tabby is among the breed’s best-known coat patterns.