The color of the tabby today is quite popular, which is not surprising. Cats of a similar color scheme look very unusual and beautiful. But a tabby is not just some specific pattern and color. Types and shades of its extraordinary variety. About the diversity of tabby and talk in this article.
What color is called tabby?
The color of the tabby is very bizarre. The muzzles of such cats are decorated with exquisite marks, and their bodies are “dressed” in necklaces, bracelets, medallions, buttons, etc. A great variety of patterns is a distinctive feature of the tabby. Marks are located in various places, at different angles and can take a variety of shapes. In addition, the pattern on the cats will always be unique, there are no two identical tabby colors. Even animals of the same subspecies will differ in the location and brightness of the spots.
Tabby is a color characteristic of several feline breeds, including the British. Now let's find out where the tabby came from and what variants of this color exist.
Where did this color come from and why is it called
The question of where the cats of such a bizarre color came from, and even of different breeds, will certainly arise if a British kitten appears in the house. The color of the tabby, most likely, was inherited by domestic cats from their wild ancestors - Nubian Bulan. It is from this feline variety that all of our short-haired pets came from.
As for the term “tabby” itself, there are several versions about its occurrence. The most beautiful sounds like this. Somewhere at the beginning of the XVII century, silk fabrics, valued at their weight in gold, were first brought to England. Their pattern was very similar to the feline color and was called “tabbis”. And when they later started to breed cats with a similar color, they were called tabby. In addition, cats of such a color, like silk, were very expensive, because it is extremely difficult to breed them - it is difficult to get the necessary pattern, shade and eye color that matches them.
Mandatory Elements
The color of the tabby, despite many variations, has a number of unchanging elements:
- Ticking - in fact, the presence of the drawing itself. In this case, the hairs of the coat should be monophonic to the base.
- On the forehead of such cats there is always a pattern resembling the letter "M", the so-called scarab sign.
- A fingerprint-shaped stain should be placed on the back of the ear.
- The nose and eyes should be circled. The color of the stroke should be the same as the main color.
- A drawing, if any, necessarily includes the following elements: “necklace” - three closed stripes on the chest; "Curls" on the cheeks; on the tummy two rows of double spots. All drawings should be clear and rich, and the color deep.
- There is also a characteristic eye color for tabby - it is golden, orange and copper. If the color is silver, then the cat’s eyes should be green.
If the Briton has a blurry color, and the patterns are unclear and merge with the main color, then this is a marriage. Most likely, one of the parents was a tabby, and the other was plain.
Spotted tabby
A spotted Briton (tabby color) must have the letter “M” on his forehead; “Necklace” on the neck; rings on the tail, and the tip is dark in color; bands on the paws; spots on the tummy of various diameters; intermittent strip on the back, turning into spots; eyeliner for the nose and eyes. The picture should be contrasting and clear.
Spotted British cats are also called spotted, which translates to "leopard". But, in principle, all these names designate the same species. Spotted tabby is the most common color variety. Such a kitten can be born from parents of any tabby color.
Tiger Tabby (mackerel, striped)
The tiger color of the tabby (photo of it can be seen in this article) has approximately the same standards as the spotted one above, except that the line on the back should be clear and unbroken, and there should be clear, non-overlapping and continuous stripes on the sides. In a striped British, the stripes should begin at the ridge and go to the very paws. They should be narrow and frequent - the more often, the better.
However, when choosing such a kitten, it is worth considering one important fact. Even if the chosen Briton has clear and long stripes, this does not mean that by the year they will not stretch and will not turn into spots. That is, a striped kitten can turn into a spotted cat. This is the only kind of tabby that can change so much. The remaining species remain virtually unchanged throughout the life of the cat.
The tiger color of the British is quite common, but not as much as spotted.
Marble Tabby
Marble color tabby in cats is the most beautiful, bright and complex. In addition, it is the rarest because of difficulties in mating - a striped or spotted kitten can be born from two marble individuals. Such Britons wear three parallel stripes on the back and large closed circles on the sides, inside of which there are bright shades of spots. Such a pattern should not intersect or interrupt. In addition, the marble Briton must have the following marks:
- A pattern on the back of the head and shoulders resembling a butterfly.
- Patterns on the cheeks that start from the very corners of the eyes.
- Pattern in the form of an "M" on the forehead.
- Neck and chest are decorated with necklaces - the more of them, the better.
- There are specks on the tummy.
- Paws and tail should be ringed.
- The circles on the hips are necessarily closed.
Color is rejected if the picture is not sufficiently contrasted, or is a residual faded stripes.
In a British cat, a marble color can be determined from birth. However, the final alignment and clear rendering occur by two months. Therefore, if you want to get a real marble British, wait for this period, and do not take a kitten earlier.
Ticked tabby
Ticked or Abyssinian color of tabby in British cats can be confused with one-color, as patterns are uncharacteristic for him, however, he is quite beautiful. The name comes from the breed of Abyssinian cats, which are characterized by a similar color. The color of the coat should be even, and the upper part of the hairs should look like a kind of “spraying”. If you push the hair of such a cat, you can see that each hair has two colors. In this case, the undercoat of the Briton will correspond to the main color. Of all the marks characteristic of tabby, ticked kittens have only patterns in the form of curls on the cheeks and a scarab mark on the forehead.
If the color contains spots, rings or the coat is unpainted evenly with two or three colors, then the individual is rejected.
The “spray” of Abyssinian Britons has an apricot, brown and sandy yellow hue. Despite this, the basis of this color is black.
Color tone
The color of the tabby has, in addition to varieties, several tones. Here are the main ones.
Black or brown tabby - characterized by marks of saturated black. The main color is copper-brown, covering the entire body, including the chin and lip area. The nose is brick red or black. Paw pads in black.
Chocolate tabby has marks of a deep chocolate hue. The main color of the cat is bronze. The paw pads and nose can be pink or chocolate.
The blue color of the tabby cat is marked by saturated blue marks. In this case, the main color is slightly bluish, much lighter than the shade of the spots. Paw pads and nose pink or blue.
Purple tabby - characterized by bizarre purple markings. The main color is beige. The paw pads and spout are pink.
Cream tabby has marks of a deep cream shade. The main color of the coat is pale cream. Paw pads and pink nose.
In addition, there are silver tabby. Ideally, the main color of the coat of such British is light silver, and the pattern has a more saturated and vibrant color. Nevertheless, British cats in the shade of silver tabby come with labels of various colors: black, cream, chocolate, red, purple.