Saturday is Caturday: Tabbies! Share photos, memes, and anything feline related!

Breed: American Shorthair is a breed, not a domestic mixed breed. These are purebred cats that are
bred by breeders and have a strong, remarkable tabby pattern round faces and are silver and black. They do come in other colors but show cats are mostly the pattern and color of the cat above. 

Tabby cats are not a specific breed but rather a description of their characteristic markings. The term "tabby" refers to a cat's coat pattern and has nothing to do with breed. The tabby pattern is the most common pattern seen in domestic cats and can appear in many different breeds with a surprising amount of variation. Tabbies can be brown, gray, orange, or even black, and their markings include stripes, spots, whorls, and bands. They typically have a "M"-shaped mark on their foreheads.

There are five main tabby coat patterns: 

Classic Tabby: The Classic Tabby has stripes on its face and head, with swirls of darker color on a lighter base throughout the body. These swirls are usually quite random and resemble a marble cake.

Mackerel Tabby: Sometimes called a tiger cat, the mackerel tabby cat is believed to be the original tabby pattern. It is characterized by rings around their tails and legs and bands of solid or broken stripes around the rest of their body.

Spotted Tabby: Instead of having bands of stripes, spotted Tabby cats have bands of spots. The spots vary in size and resemble broken stripes similar to a mackerel. 

Ticked Tabby: Often called Abyssinian or Agouti Tabbies, these cats look the least like stereotypical Tabbies. While they have the standard forehead markings and may have stripes on their faces, the rest of their coat looks solid at a distance. Up close, their agouti hairs have the standard light and dark banding standard to Tabbies.

Patched Tabby: Patched Tabbies have patches (hence the name) of dark or grayish brown and patches of red or orange with the Tabby pattern throughout both colors.

Tabby cats are friendly and affectionate cats. They are social animals that enjoy spending time with their owners and are good with children and other pets. 

Some of the most common breeds that often exhibit the tabby pattern include American Shorthair, Persian, Maine Coon, Abyssinian, British Shorthair, Egyptian Mau, American Bobtail, Scottish Fold, Norwegian Forest Cat, and Munchkin.

It's important to note that the tabby pattern can also be found in mixed-breed cats, most often referred to as Domestic shorthair, medium hair, or long-haired cats. Most cats we see are a result of various mixtures, and those are often the lovable housecats that most of us have. They may not be purebreds, but they are just as lovable and as important as any cat and often healthier because they aren't prone to recessive or breed-specific genetic issues. 

Can you name which cat has which pattern?

Abyssians, often called Abys, are an ancient breed,
athletic, slender, and have beautiful slanted eyes. 

Norweigan Forest Cats, have thick, glorious coats that can 
withstand Nordic winters. 

Exotics are short haired Persians and are lovable, cobble bodied
with those famous smushy kissable noses. 

Maine Coon are distinguished by their prominent
muzzles, medium coats, and gigantic size.

Bengals are high-energy cats that bring a little bit of wild into their
homes. Usually, they love water, and some owners even
provide them with baby pools to splash in. 

British Shorthairs are a hearty breed, can be independent, have large
round heads, and look like they are smiling. Purebreds also have
stocky bodies and smiling seeming mouths.