Grey Tabby Cat – Facts And Fun About Your Tabby

Contrary to popular misconception, a grey tabby is not a breed of cat, but a color and pattern that can be seen in many breeds. Ever since my parents read me Judith Kerr’s books about Mog the cat when I was a child, I’ve always loved Grey Tigers, and the idea of one day having my own Mog is very appealing. But where should I look for a suitable pet and what do I need to know about the health and temperament of silver-striped kittens? In this article, I have collected the latest experience on how this pattern affects and does not affect the cats who wear it.

Types of Grey Tabby Cat

Are you surprised to hear that a grey tabby isn’t just one type of cat? This is true! The breed “grey tabby cat” does not exist. Instead, many pedigree cats, mixed breeds, and cats of unknown parentage may have a silver-striped coat. In addition, grey tabby cats can be classified by exact color and type of stripes, and (or instead) by pedigree. But don’t worry if this seems a bit tedious to you, now we’re making it easy for you!

color

Grey tabby cats may have:

• Black stripes on a dark grey background.
• Black stripes on a light grey background (aka Silver Tabby).
• Dark grey stripes on a light grey background (also known as blue-silver brindle).

They can also have white spots or be color point breeds like the Siamese. Gray point tabby cats have a visible tabby pattern only on the face, legs, and tail.

Breed

Many well-known and lesser-known cat breeds can have grey tabby coats. For example:

• American Bobtail
• American Wirehaired Pointer
• British shorthair
• Bengal
• Maine Raccoon
• Manx
• Norwegian forest cats
• Persian

This also applies to many mixed-breed cats and cats of unknown origin (e.g. domestic cats with short and long hair). It is estimated that more than 9 out of 10 domestic cats are crossbred, so most gray tabby cats also fall into this category.

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There are four grey tabby patterns

Finally, it is possible to group grey tabby cats based on the type of stripes they have. The four options are:

The coat pattern of the grey tabby cat comes in three variants: mackerel, classic, spotted, and ticked.

• Mackerel tabby: Also known as the “tiger cat,” the Mackerel tabby is the original wild-type pattern and consists of a dark stripe down the back and a herringbone pattern down the cat’s side. Mackerel tabby is the most common tabby pattern and is dominant, meaning the cat only needs to inherit one copy of the Tm gene to be a mackerel tabby.

• Classic tabby: Also known as spotted or marbled, the classic tabby pattern is recessive to mackerel, meaning the cat must inherit one copy of the classic tabby gene from each parent in order to have the pattern. Grey classic tabby coat consists of a silver background with dark swirls and a round porthole on the sides. The classic tabby pattern first appeared in the Middle Ages.

• Spotted: The spotted gray tabby is a variant of the tabby, but a modifying gene breaks up the characteristic tabby stripes into spots.

• Spotted: Also known as tabby agouti, spotted tabby cats have a gene that hides the tabby stripes, leaving only the agouti coloration underneath. Each hair has streaks of color along the hair shaft. There are few if any stripes on the body, but some faint, thin stripes can be seen on the face, legs, and tail. This can be more noticeable if the cat is heterozygous, meaning her genetic makeup is Ta/Tm or Ta/tb

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The temperament of the Grey tabby cat

All tabby cats have personalities as unique as their stripes. There are cats that love contact, cuddles, and even learning tricks, while others prefer to be independent, exploring and observing their human family from high perches. Interestingly, researchers have looked for associations between coat color and temperament in cats. One study reported that grey and white cats are among the cats most likely to become aggressive around people, in daily interactions, and at vet visits. However, in another study, neither gray fur nor tiger stripes were associated with a significant increase in any behavior.

So the question of whether grey tabby cats have certain personality traits has not yet been clarified. And some scientists are convinced that predictable differences in cat behavior are due to their breed rather than their color.

Why are there so many grey tabby cats?

So these adorable kittens come in all shapes and sizes, and there’s a lot of variation in their exact color and stripe pattern. But how did it come about that the grey tabby pattern is so diverse and widespread? One of the reasons for this is that the brown-grey brindle coat was the cat’s “original” coat. In other words, it’s the fur of the most recent wild ancestor of all domestic cats: the African wildcat. So it came about that striped and grey pigment also spread to domestic cats.

Since then, random genetic mutations have caused variations in the arrangement of the stripes and also eliminated the production of the red pigment, so the once-brown coat has turned grey instead. And these mutations have spread, in part because we love them and find them beautiful. That is why we have made great efforts to reproduce them in new generations of kittens.

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The health of the grey tabby cat

Grey tabbies come from all walks of life, which is reflected in their health and life expectancy. As far as I know, there is no evidence that their fur puts them at higher risk for any specific diseases. Since many cat species can be grey tabby, there are some interesting patterns in cat health in general:

• The most common feline health problems presented to veterinary clinics are dental and gum disease, flea infestations, obesity, traumatic injuries, and skin conditions.
• Non-pedigree cats are more likely to be diagnosed with abscesses and hyperthyroidism than purebred cats.
• A coat disease is diagnosed more frequently in pedigree cats than in short-haired and long-haired domestic cats.
• But overall, neither group has a higher rate of illness.
• When it comes to life expectancy, mixed-breed cats have an advantage. Mixed-breed cats live an average of 14 years, compared to 12.5 years for purebred cats.

We also know that important factors in a cat’s health are:

• A high-quality, age-appropriate diet.
• maintaining a healthy weight.
• Exercise.
• spiritual stimulation.
• Opportunities to practice natural behaviors, such as B. scratching.
• Regular preventive health care, such as flea and worming treatments.

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Is A Grey Tabby Cat Right For You?

Since this coat is possible in so many types of cats, I think there’s probably a grey tabby for every cat-loving family!

Although they have a reputation for being aloof and independent, it’s wise to realize that some cat breeds are quite the opposite. For example, Persians are generally very affectionate. And Bengals and Siamese cats are often described as almost canine-like in their love of people and play. So think about the extent to which your cat should or must be independent before committing to a specific breed.

I also think that the specific health issues of some cat breeds deserve special attention. For example, it is known that Manx cats are more likely to suffer from spinal disorders due to the lack of a tail. And cats with flat faces, like Persians, are more likely to have respiratory problems, eye injuries, and dental problems.

Where does the word tabby come from?

The name tabby derives from the 17th-century French word tabis, which in turn comes from tabi (or attābiyy), a type of silk made in Al-ʿAttabiyya, a neighborhood of Baghdad named after the Umayyad governor of Mecca, Attab ibn Asid. This silk was exported to England and on one occasion its patterns were compared to the marks of what was then called the striped cat or tiger cat. As a result, these cats soon became known as tabby cats, later shortened to tabby.

Harrison Weir further elaborates:

The word tabby comes from a type of taffeta or ribbed silk that is given wavy lines during calendering, or what is now called “watering”. In the olden days, this fabric was often referred to as “brindle,” so a cat with streaks or spots in its coat was said to be “brindle.” They could also, one might surmise, be called “taffety cat” with equal justification unless the calendering of “taffety” made them “tabby”. What is certain is that the word “tabby” referred only to markings or stripes, not to absolute color

Your grey tabby cat

What is your favorite grey tabby breed? Tell us what you think in the comments below!