8 Facts You Didn't Know About Tabby Cats

Did you know all of these facts about tabby cats? Do you have any stories about a special tabby in your life?

I never grew up with any pets - not even goldfish. I got my first pet (a cat) a year ago. When I went to the shelter, I was actually pretty determined to not get a tabby cat because I thought they looked too basic because the coat pattern is so common. But then I met a mackerel tabby that I thought was just one of the most gorgeous animals I've ever seen. And he really liked me right away. I ended up taking him home the next day. Several months later, I got a second cat (he's also a tabby), and a few months after that, I got a kitten (she's grey, but her tabby markings show up in bright light). My first "plain" tabby turned me into a crazy cat lady so fast.

I know a fact about one tabby cat: she wants to go outside and I’d rather she didn’t rn it’s raining 🌧️

I just found 3 tabby babies (6 wk old) in my backyard. My dog had been watching over them for three days before I decided to go check on what the fuss was all about. All three are mackerel; one brown, one light blue and the other dark blue. The cutest, most playful, warm and affectionate cats imaginable. And of course, inseparable; always sleeping in a cuddle puddle. We are keeping all three.

Oh and I do have a story. It's about my grey Tabby, named Gypsy, that I was so blessed to have years ago. I have to say it's more a story of her sheer determination and the kind of resilience that cats often exhibit. I rescued this very young kitten from some teen boys who had brought her into the woods to dump on their father's order. He, their father, had run over her in his truck. When I looked in the box where she laid, I heard her purring. She looked at me so sweetly and you may not have noticed right away how much she was suffering. The physical pain she must have been in, was heartbreaking. I realized her delicate tiny body had been crushed from the hips down. I rushed her home to my mother, who was a nurse, and she was shocked as well - and still Gypsy continued to purr! I really feel she knew we could and would help her. We called our vet's office, as it was near closing time, and we rushed her right over. He examined her and said that her entire pelvis was shattered and there was not anything that could be done to fix her. We took her home, we fed her, and we tried to make her comfortable, but we really felt she would not make it through that night. My mother stayed up watching over her all night. Only in my wildest dreams, could I have guessed she was still with us. My mother was bathing her in warm water, she dried her carefully and proceeded to exercise her legs. Gypsy never objected as we worked with her. I taught her to jump to my shoulder, to further strengthen her hips and legs. She progressed remarkably; even the vet was amazed. She grew to a normal size and mostly overcame her handicap. She did retain a pronounced limp and had some digestive issues with her bowels, but she lived to be about 14 years old. She'll always be the best success story, in my life, but it was all absolutely due to her will to survive and to thrive!

I recently adopted a dark haired tabby kitten. And I must say that he was one of the best things happened to my life. I've been struggling with anxiety and depression for a long time. But ever since I met him, I started to sleep better. And I often find myself laughing and feeling happy again. He gave me a sense of purpose and comfort. I believe that the key to the happiness is to have something/someone to be responsible for other than our own selves.

we just adopted a black tabby kitten! it was the coolest thing to us seeing her pattern in her black fur. we can’t wait to see what she looks like when she’s all grown up

I’ve only ever owned tabby cats. It just happened to work out that way. I love my baby tigers 😊

Finn is a Classic orange tabby. Wild as heck, too!!

I have enjoyed being the mama to a lovely pair of tabbies, brother and sister, for the past 17 years. even as kittens, the boy, Espresso, was a sweet, big old cuddle bum, while the girl, Colada, was exactly half his size and twice his feistiness. She has always been my favorite though, as she grew to be the size of a large kitten, then just stayed that way. While my other cats have gotten to be a little fat in their advanced years, she has retained her kittenish size and spryness, though she does nap a little more. Oddly enough, she is my dad's favorite cat too. He never fails to ask about her when I visit, and always enjoys the pictures I take of her. He says she reminds him of himself when he was very young (he is 85); very thin, wiry, and with nervous energy.

One kitty is a brown, gray, black classic tabby. He has beautiful marble fudge swirls and our second kitty is an orange mackerel tabby with adorable white socks. 😻😻

My 24 year old tabby passed away yesterday and I opened YouTube and this video finds me 🥹 Thank you for the sign from above me sweet Sally 💕

Well I’ll be! My black puma is a tabby! She’s always had the sweetest, most subtle stripes around her neck. Now I know. How interesting! 🐈‍⬛

Bebe is a Classic Tabby... silver/grey. She's smart. Likes to chat. Goes on walks. Herds us up for pack night. Wants her bath. Hot towel and rolls over for tummy rubs. She'll be 18 soon. 🎉 Bebe on her morning walk https://youtube.com/shorts/JGfcmMhdM0w?feature=share

I have a classic tabby and also a mackerel tabby with white feet/belly! Tabbies are my favorite!

Thank you! 😃 ❤ One of my two cats is a tabby and still like an African Wild Cat! 😅 She was feral as a kitten. She wandered into the front yard and befriended my other cat, a Tuxedo, Cookie. Cookie doesn't like other cats in general, but Scamper was so playful and entertaining, but not clingy. So Cookie took her under her wing. Scamper was about 8 or 9 weeks old. I named her Scamper because she used to run and jump, like a rabbit or kangaroo. To this day, I sometimes call her Scamperoo! All this happened at a residence I used to rent a room from. Cookie was actually the owner's cat. She was raised inside, but at a certain point, was no longer allowed inside, except when weather dropped below 15° F. She was mainly fed scraps and got so little attention. 😢 She took an immediate liking to me, and everyday sat on my lap. I would give her little cat massages. Also followed me around. At some point, I started feeding her and Scamper food, Castor and Pollux, no longer in business now. In 2018, I got an offer from a friend to rent a room at his home. He said I could bring both cats. I asked Cookie's owner if I could take Cookie with me. She just said "Sure", like she didn't care one bit. So now, they're both here with me. And they're indoor/outdoor cats. Back to Scamper who's now 5 years old. She's still got that "wild cat" in her! She loves being outside. She's occasionally caught and eaten wild prey. She took to raw food immediately. She's spunky. Also very intelligent. Seems to understand EVERYTHING I say! On the flip side of wild, she's also very obedient. And she has a very sweet nature. She used to meow A LOT and loudly especially when she wanted to go outside, which is very often. And she was more anxious, hyper. But she's calmed down quite a bit. Mellowed with age. Now calmer and little soft meows. The story of my Tabby, Scamper! I love them both! ❤😻😻 They are family!

Both our kitties are mackerel tabbies. One is orange, the other is a nondescript mash of gray/brown/black mixed enough there is no way to pick a 'main' color for his coat. Both of them are such dapper little lads in their own fashion.

M is for my Mackerel ! 🐈Tabby- Olivia is mostly soft grey & grey stripes with darker bands on her tail, has cream "eyeshadow" lines framing above & below her eyes, her torso has faint light cream stripes on her sides amidst the grey, white paws & white diamond chin to chest, belly has some white with a beautiful grey & light cream striped pattern that appears as spots when she stretches on her back. My mackerel has short legs. Very soft fur- I think you mentioned that's the "glitter" gene in a dif vid. She is my cat-dog, plays fetch, loves to hang out where I am, is chatty, has several meows, trills, chirps, & snores, too. She likes a lil nip of her plant in the morn while I get my coffee. I got her a challenging food box to slow her eating. She especially enjoys the drawer & levers but if she gets her interactive playtime with me, food is less of a concern. If she is not getting enough attention when she wants it, she will resort to deliberately bite a knob, a wire, a piece of paper or something I set down nearby. As soon as I start to ask what she is doing she takes off ! I used plastic straws from flower arrangements to cover the phone cord & that is a lil deterrant. She has had her anal glands expressed at the vet before- do you have a vid on that ? Is that more prevalent with a special breed or are all cats at risk- I grew up with cats & didn't even know cats can have this need just like dogs until a few yrs ago. Best cat I ever had ! 💞😽💞

I've got a torbie manx, she's like 19 years old. I love her so much

I had two tabby cats, both of them female. One was an orange tabby who was very docile and physically knew when I got up to go to work and would run to the door when I came home. My other female tabby had a grey and white coat. She too was so docile and would give me head bumps on my right side in the morning or nuzzle her head under my right armpit of all places. My girlfriend, who bought the cat but had me carry it home in the cat carrier, used to remind me that she bought the cat, or she would claim that I was stealing her cat. I told her that yes, she bought the cat, but I carried her home, and she somehow remembered me doing that, so she naturally gravitated towards me.