That Fabulous Tabby Cat Personality
Some say that tabby cat personalities are distinct from other cats 
in the sense that they are more like the personalities of dogs. Tabby cats love to play and explore. They’ll follow you around like a puppy and some will even teach their humans to play fetch.
Tabby cats are also considered to be more intelligent than those of other types by many. If you do a simple search online, you’ll see that tabby cats are often rated as being of higher intelligence than other types by both breeders and cat enthusiasts. They are amusing, clever, warmly affectionate and make wonderful companions.
What is a Tabby Cat?
Southern African wildcat, Leonemanuel, CC BY-SA 4.0
Tabby cats are often mistakenly thought of as being a particular breed of cat, but it is the coat pattern that is known as “tabby.” Today’s house cats originated from the African wildcat which has similar markings to those we see on tabby cats, an effective form of camouflage. The tabby gene is more dominate than any other coat color gene. This is one of the reasons most second or third generation feral cats are tabbies. Natural selection made the tabby gene more dominant because the tabby coat is better camouflage than solid or bicolor coats, and thus an individual with a tabby coat would have better chances of survival because it could hunt and avoid predators more easily.
The gene for the tabby pattern can be found in all domestic cats. 
Look at a “solid” black cat in the sun some day and see if you can find the hidden tabby markings. And have you ever seen a solid red or orange or cream cat without the familiar tabby markings? You won’t, because the gene that makes a cat red or cream also makes the tabby markings visible. The tabby pattern is so popular that it can be found in many pedigreed cats today, and is accepted in a number of breeds by the most popular registries.
There are many variations of the tabby pattern and tabby cats can be found with stripes, spots, ticks and swirls, and in various colors – brown tabbies, silver tabbies, ginger or orange tabbies, gray or blue tabbies and red tabbies Although there are many variations of each, the tabby pattern falls into four basic classes. A fifth includes tabby as part of another basic color pattern, e.g. the “patched” tabby, which may be a calico or tortoiseshell cat with tabby patches (the latter is called a “torbie”).
Tabby Coat Patterns
Classic
It is this pattern that appears most often on tabbies. The classic has large swirls or blotches that end in a circular pattern or “target” at the sides. Three broad lines run from the neck to the tail, and around the neck there are wide bands of color known as a necklace. Classic tabby cats’ tails have broad bands, as do their legs, and the belly will have a row of vest button blotches. On the shoulders are patterns that are very similar to butterfly wings.
Mackerel
Mackerel tabby markings closely correspond to the patterns seen on African wildcats. Some people suggest that mackerel tabbies should have been called classic, because their coat pattern was the original, and more reminiscent of the domestic cats origins. Mackerel tabbies have narrow striped rings around their tail and legs, solid or broken stripes down their sides and one or more ‘necklaces’ on the front of their chests. Along the belly of the mackerel tabby you will find a double row of ‘vest buttons.’
Spotted
The dark blotches of the coat pattern of some tabbies are formed into oval or round spots. Sometimes the spots run in lines, this is often known as the interrupted mackerel pattern, however whether these spots developed from mackerel tabbies, or are a completely separate mutation remains unknown. Spotted tabbies usually show a faint trace of a necklace and have a line of spots, or sometimes blotches, running from the neck to the very tip of their tail. The Ocicat, Bengal and American Bobtail are good examples of the spotted tabby pattern.
Ticked
Cats with ticked coat markings do not display the usual stripes, blotches or swirls of the tabby pattern and do not at first glance seem to be tabby cats at all. A closer look will show that the hairs are in fact striped with light and dark colored bands, these are known as agouti hairs, most tabbies will have some agouti hairs that make up part of their coat pattern. The faces of ticked (or agouti) tabbies will show the traditional ‘M’ marking, and ticked tabbies may show a faint necklace. The Abyssinian cat is a very good example of a ticked tabby and their coats often appear to shimmer in the sunlight due to the agouti hairs.
Patched
Cats that have random patches of different colors are known as tortoiseshell (tortie), if the markings are tabby, the cats are called patched tabbies (torbie). Mackerel, spotted, ticked or classic markings can show in the patches, and the tabby pattern usually shows more distinctly on the head and legs. Brown patched tabbies have patches of deep brown tabby markings and patches of red (orange or ginger) tabby markings. Blue patched tabbies have patches of soft blue (gray) tabby markings and patches of cream tabby markings.
How did Tabby Cats get their ‘M’?
All tabbies have an “M” marking on their forehead, and on some this mark is very distinct. The ‘M’ is often referred to as “the mark of the true tabby.” There are several amusing legends about how tabby cats got their “M.”
The most popular of these legends tells us that when the baby Jesus was lying in the manger he started to shiver with the cold. Mary covered the baby with blankets but still he kept shivering. Mary then asked all the animals to move closer to the manger so that their body heat would warm Jesus. The animals stood as close to the manger as they could but the baby Jesus remained cold and shivering. After a time a small cat with tabby markings jumped into the manger and snuggled next to Jesus. Before long the baby had stopped shivering and was sound asleep, contented and warm. In her gratitude to the tabby cat, Mary made the mark of her own initial upon the cat’s forehead so that tabby cats will forever remind the world of how they saved Jesus from the cold.
A legend from the Islamic world recounts that Mohammed had a tabby cat called Muezza who once saved his masters life by slaying a snake that had crawled up Mohammed’s sleeve. Later, when it was time to attend prayers, the cat had fallen asleep upon the sleeve, so to avoid disturbing Muezza, Mohammed cut the sleeve from his garment. From that day on all tabbies were born with the ‘M’ marking on their forehead to remind all that see them that Mohammed loved cats, and that cats should always be respected.
Why are they called Tabby?
The name tabby is believed to have come from the word atabi a type of silk spun in the Attabiah region of Baghdad. This silk was exported in large quantities to the British Isles where it was noticed how similar the stripped pattern was to the coat of the tiger cat. These tiger cats soon started to be called tabbi cats and later tabby cats.
Even yesterday my kitty was a quite small gray kitten, such a Angelin! And now already grew and such an important. I really liked the article. I would love to show you a photo of your cat! Now she is 10 years old. Thanks for the interesting post! I’m always happy when I get to a blog or website about cats. This causes only warm feelings.
I have a tabby name Roxie and she is so sweet! It was cute how she taught us how to play fetch with her and she still plays it. She sometimes will sleep on my pillow and follow me around the house. She is just now taking to my boyfriend and when she’s ready to eat in the morning she comes to my side of the bed jump and lay on me and meow and purr and somes she rubs her face on mine and put her paws on my face to wake me. At first my other female cat didnt like her but now they are best buds.
Even yesterday my kitty was a quite small gray kitten, such a Angelin! And now already grew and such an important. I really liked the article. I would love to show you a photo of your cat! Now she is 10 years old. Thanks for the interesting post!
I have never been a fan of cats until our tabby found us. My husband and son were in the front yard and it walked up and followed them in the house. I remember saying, “Don’t let that cat get on the bed!”, and it hopped up and looked at me like whatever lady. Ever since it has been a fixture in our house. What shocks me the most is this tabby opens doors! I can have my bedroom door close, and he opens it and walks in. So I was amused at seeing the feat as he opened it to get out! He is very smart. He also refuses to use the litter box and prefer to go to the front door and ask to go outside rather than inside. I think someone may have trained it. I placed on Facebook and took it to see if it was chipped but he is not. Boys got too attached so I had to keep him.
Do Tabby cats shed? I have friends who are allergic to cats? What could I do?
Hi Inge. Since tabby is a coat pattern, not a breed, most breeds come in the tabby pattern. Contrary to what most people think, it is not the hair that people are allergic to. What people are allergic to is the dander (dead skin cells that slough off), urine and a protein in their saliva. There are no 100% hypo-allergenic cats but there are a few cats that produce less dander and less of the protein. Here they are:
Siberian (Less of the Fel d 1 protein)
Balinese (Less of the Fel d 1 protein)
Bengal
Burmese
Colorpoint Shorthair
Cornish Rex
Devon Rex
Javanese
Ocicat
Oriental Shorthair
Russian Blue
Siamese
Sphynx
Hope this helps.
I have a silver Bengal and she rarely sheds since she has pelt like coat. My ex was highly allergic to cats but could tolerate my cat just fine.
I’m in Georgia in the country and early this morning, 3am I heard the screams of a cat,a young cat when I opened my door there was a little female tabby that had been dumped, you can clearly tell she was a pet as she was so tame and confused, well I’m happy to say she has found her forever home I’m a vet tech for 25 years now and I’ve seen alot but to dump a little life because you no longer want the responsibility is beyond cruel and karma has a way of coming up and biting them in the behind so they’ll get theres !! At least she now has a warm home with someone who will love her she’s a beautiful little tabby who’s beyond sweet .
I’m so glad she found you. Thank you for giving her a home.
My daughter gifted me a Tabby 18 month old four years ago and I want to know if she would accept a new cat in my home? I don’t want to hurt my Bootsie but would like to have another cat. Any suggestions?
We adopted 2 cats born in barn belonging to my brother-in law in 1998. One was part Siamese and the other, a Tabby. The Siamese, Spooky, was huge and the Tabby, Boo was tiny. We loved both of them and spent much of our time after work with them. They followed us from room to room and often slept on our lap. Boo was one of the gentlest cats that I ever encountered. We never left them
outside alone because of the heavy traffic. Whenever they showed signs of illness, they were taken to the vet. During summer we took them outside and they enjoyed exploring the garden. Whenever I said, “Baby, don’t go too far.” Boo would come back to me to assure me that she wasn’t too far. Spooky was a sound sleeper while Boo would react to all noises at night and go investigating. She brought us immense joy . On Dec. 29, 2017 Boo had to be put to sleep. I am against euthanasia but I was outnumbered in this regard. I was devastated and mourned much. I imagine seeing her everywhere in the house. I find it difficult to cope with this great loss. I am heartbroken.
I am so sorry to hear of your loss. It is indeed heartbreaking to lose one of our beloved pets. I have had to make the difficult decision of euthanasia more than once but each time felt it was the better choice. Just remember all the good times you had with Boo and think about that when you are imagining her around the house.
I found my Tabby under a bush outside my house when he was about 5 weeks old. He’s been with me now for 11 years. He will come up to anyone who visits, he likes everyone. Likes to have his belly rubbed, loves affection and is affectionate. Comes when I call his name. Best cat I’ve ever met, great companion and best buddy.
I think that once you have a Tabby cat your life changes forever,
I have had Tia for four years, and couldn’t imagine my life without her,
Funny to read that Tabby’s are more like dogs. I could swear I’ve read the same about Siamese.
I think they do say the same about Siamese.
I’ve had tuxedo cats all my life and I swear they’re the best. But I just adopted two brothers (kittens) one is a tuxedo cat and the other is a ticked tabby… Very different personalities but I am in love with both of them❤️❤️❤️❤️ My little boy tabby is trouble though, but I love him. Apparently he was the runt of the litter so now that I have him and his brother, he fights for affection, for food, he’s the boss. My black and white loves his brother, & lets it happen. They love each other!
Hi, my name is mysha and for my birthday im getting a cat, i have my eye set on a particular baby tabby, ive always wanted a snuggly lap cat, but also a loyal cat that will play with me and fallow me around and do everything with me, is this the right cat for me?
We have a little Mackerel Tabby Cat called Tia,
We have had her 4 years now, she was is a rescue cat who had a very bad start in life,ie kept in a liitle cage,
Now she is a happy cat that likes being fussed, sleeps on your lap, and does “high fives” for little treats,
they make ther puurfect pet, and a house a home,
I always describe my tabby as a cat-dog! She loves laying on her back in the middle of the livingroom (I have learned this is not her invite for belly rubs lol). I adopted her 2 years ago at 4 months old after having to put my other fur baby of 14 years to sleep. I wasn’t really looking for a cat at the time but my Duchess chose me that day. She stuck her paw out to touch my hand as I was walking away from her cage. After I held her and she leaned on my chest to look up at me, I knew there was no way I was leaving her!! When she lays with me she has to be touching some part of my body. As I type this she is curled up against my leg. Duchess is now the second tabby in our house. My sister’s cat is 16 yr old orange tabby, Tiger, who tolerates her little sister Duchess.
Such a great, touching story. I love the bond you two have created. Thanks for sharing.
I have a male tabby and he is the most affectionate and playful cat I have ever had. He comes when you call his
name and lies down like a dog and wants his belly petted. Most of the time he wants to be with his mom or dad and shies away from people he doesn’t know.
I love hearing people’s stories about their tabbies. I’ve known quite a few over the years and they have all been amazing.
I have a brown female tabby named Sophie. I got her at a PetSmart. I always said she acts more like a dog than a cat. She follows me around, is very close to me, whereas my other solid black female cat “Mouse” is more aloof. Sophis is a clown too. I am very fortunate to share my life with these two cats. They have taught me a lot.
Tabby cats are playfull and very loving. My girl is 6 years old and still behaves like a 8 month old kitten. I like that about her. My little furball.
We have a beautiful, loving, kind and beyond words Tabby. He is adorable and very smart as this article says he fallows us like a baby and he loves to get cuddles. He amazed me how a cat can communicate.
I have a sweet mackerel tabby named Maggie that I rescued from a local shelter a few years ago when she was only 12 weeks old. I have struggled with severe depression and anxiety my entire life and shortly after moving into my first apartment with my boyfriend who is now my husband, I began to start getting worse. My husband suggested that maybe a pet would help me and took me to go look at the shelter, they set me up in a room with nothing but a table and a chair and brought me this tiny brown striped kitten that immediately climbed into my lap and demanded to be pet. Ever since that day Maggie has never left my side, even as I type this she is curled up next to me under the blankets on my bed purring away. She follows me wherever I go, comforts me when I don’t feel well, and drags toys into my lap to tell me she wants to play. My sweet little Maggie is one of my greatest loves, she taught me pure unconditional love and has helped me get healthy. I don’t know if it’s because she is a tabby or if she is special but this cat changed my life for the better and I will never be able to repay her for all she has done for me.
Awesome story! Thanks for sharing. I truly believe that animals actually save us when we adopt them.
So sorry to hear about your depression Alicia,
my wife Jacky went into depression when our home was flooded Xmas morning in 2012, things were pretty grim, she went to stay with Sam our daughter while our house was refurbished, Sam has three cats.
We decided to adopt a cat from the local animal sanctuary,
We have had Tia now for three years and she has changed our lives.
Albeit we can never go on holiday together we love our little Tabby,
and Jacky is no longer on medication and certainly is not depressed.
I would say to people who have a problem ” get your life back get a tabby cat”
Mick
Ooh, I would really love to have one, but I am allergic to cats.
I rescued a 6 week old mackerel tabby when I moved to a rental. She rescued me as well. She follows me a lot of time and loves to play fetch. I throw a milk carton ring and she runs to get it and bring it back. She is better then a dog. She has a bed on my bed next to me. When I wake up, I reach over to pet her and I know right where she is. She makes my life worth living. I named her Precious and that she is. I am lucky to have her. Grateful to read your story and blessed to know how much you love your cat. I know many people don’t understand the connection but we do! God bless you and keep your family and your sweet Maggie safe. Merry Christmas!
I have two tabby’s when we first moved in we took in a stray kitten that lost his mom and siblings. I didn’t really know what type of cat she was until I read this and now I know she’s a tabby she is really protective of her family specially the baby of our family here recently we added another tabby so she could have a friend. He is a little younger than her but they are so different. He is more of my cuddler. They make my day when I come home from a long day.
Great story. Glad you got your girl a friend. Thanks for sharing.
My grandma has a grey tabby cat named fextus
A gray tabby had 4 kittens at our lake house. We couldn’t get near the mother or three of the kittens, but one gray one began to follow me around after I put food out for them the night before. I was able to pick her up easily. I already have six parrots that were mostly rescues, and my boyfriend has said often, “NO MORE ANIMALS!” But he took one look at the purring tabby nuzzling under my chin, and said, “Well, we better get to the store for food and a litter box.” We named her Gray Girl, and she is so attached to me…a total love sponge. I was not prepared for how expensive shots and spaying would be, but I went to the local animal shelter to get advice. In North Carolina where we live there are traveling vets who discount the prices substantially. Unfortunately, our cat was diagnosed with giardia parasites and lung worms. Slugs carry the lung worms, mice or birds eat them, and the cat eats a bird or mouse. Giardia can be in dirt or water. Neither was surprising in a feral cat. And thank goodness, people cannot get these lung worms from cats. I am treating her with medicine for them now. Thankfully, she did not have feline leukemia. We went back to the lake about a month ago and found the mother cat dead and half eaten. (We have seen a fox around there several times.) The only sign of the other three kittens was seeing the back legs of what could have been one of the other gray tabbies jumping over a wall in the semi darkness. If they are alive, I’m sure they have lots of parasites too. I still put food out when we are there. Something is eating it, but we have not seen the kittens. Our Gray Girl is so loving and tame. Took right to the litter box. People say she chose me, and that feels true to me. I hope we spend many years together in close companionship.
Our mackerel tabby is about 4 months old and crazy! We’ve had her for 2 months already. Nobody can hold her or pet her, she will scratch and bite.
She’s a true scardy cat, she runs through the house like she’s in a race.
When will she calm down??
Hey Cindy-
I’m not a “cat expert”, but in my experience it takes a while for young cats of all types to settle down. I’ve seen one year old cats that bite, squirm and scratch, that later become calmer. I’d say just be patient with your kitty.
If you want to “train her” to accept being held go slowly. Start with simply putting a hand on her back. When she’s comfortable with that, try two hands. Try holding her in place on the ground. Then try picking her up. At each step, wait until she squirms and then let go- if you force her she’ll see holding as an act of dominance instead of love. It takes a long time but will build up trust and hopefully calm her down in general.
Best of luck for you and your kitty!
Hi Cindy. I agree with Katie except for when she says let her go when she squirms. You want to try to anticipate the “squirm” and let her go before she does.
Play with her but use toys not your hands. I always put my hands out to smell. If I try to pet her she runs or goes after me. I got my mackerel tabby 2 and half years ago and she was probably about 6-8 weeks old. I still can’t pick her up but she jumps in my lap a lays down on my legs and let’s me pet her. I think she was feral and never learned socialization. She means everything to me. They need a lot of play time and that age. If you get animal planet watch my Cat from Hell with Jackson He shows you how to make life better with very difficult cats. My cat would jump up and bite me on the arm when I would talk on a cell phone. They don’t understand punishment. Patience is a key and my cat now sleeps about 16 hours a day but still needs play time a couple times a day for 20 minutes or so. Good luck!!!!
My gentleman tabby “buddy” is the smartest, lovingest, sweetest, biggest cat I have ever had. If his dish is only
A little full he will wake you up and let you know…only drinks from the sink and always by me.
My tabby is soon to be 19 he was left on a rubbishy tip as a kitten he is beautiful does not look his age he has slowed down and drinks lots and lots of water and will sometimes bring the water back up , any ideas why plz
We have got a stray male Tabby cat that we been feeding for two months.
During the night he comes through the Flap and helps himself to biscuits
When we first saw him he was a tatty scruffy cat. and was always fighting with another cat.
Now he is quite smart and a friend of Tia our Tabby cat.
Very informative article. Now I know why my tabby Spot acts like a dog. I’ve described him as a “cat-dog” to others. He’s such a smart boy & brings home “gifts” regularly. I love his fun personality; he pounces in front of me when I least expect it & then runs away. He makes me laugh! He’s constantly rolling on his back with belly up. That surprised me how often he did that in the beginning but had read that it was a sign of vulnerability. Loves his belly rubbed. He’s my buddy.
He sounds wonderful, Sue. Just reading about him made me smile.
Very nice information on the wonderful tabby cats nice story on how the tabby cats got the M on there forhead. Much love
We have a Mackerel Tabby called Tia we adopted her from a cat sanctuary.recently she has made friends with a feral cat another Tabby.during the night it comes through the cat flap and helps himself to some food.over the last few days he has smartened up and looks a different cat.
My husband just brought home a baby he found under a dumpster at a job site. I would say it’s maybe five or six weeks old. Thanks to this I now know I have become the mom of a beautiful little tabby.
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Hi
My tabby is stray and scared of strangers and sudden jump sound. How do I get her to be a lap cat. I just to want hug her but she doesn’t like it….
Gaining trust of a scared animal takes a long time. Go slow and be patient. Some cats never become lap cats but if you are kind and patient with her, she will most likely eventually reward you.
Hi my tabby is a stray or feral and i adopted when she 7months or do. She is very skitty and scared of people except me. Not a lap cat or play fetch. I wife is more interactive and come close to me. 🙁
yes they do have good presenality and are freandly with kids
I adopted a tabby cat about 6 months ago. She is sooo friendly & affectionate. And yes, she has may canine traits! She follows me everywhere and licks my hands. I live alone & she has brightened my life no end. She loves to cuddle up on my knee. Her name is Daisy. She was already named when she came to me, so I saw no point in changing it.
Aloha to you and Daisy! My tabby cat is named Rajah. I named him after Jasmine’s tiger in Aladdin! Rajah definitely follows me around. He’s not a lap cat though. He’s still young. He will sit or lie next to me and let me pet him for a while. I adopted him when he was almost six-months-old. I renamed him. His former name was cheesewhiz. Rajah has definitely brightened my life too! Smile!
Lauren-
I named my now 7-year-old tabby Raja too – after the tiger in Aladdin! Mine’s a total cuddle magnet. Anyway, Raja and I say hi to you and your Rajah! 🙂
P.S. Did you know Rajah means “prince”? You have a little bit of royalty living with you!
My mackerel tabby is called Lily
She follows me everywhere and loves to sit on my knee and on me when I’m in bed…better than a hot water bottle.ive ne ear known a more friendly cat like this…
WHAT Is our Lily a mackerel kitty sneaking out and going to your house? She is sometimes sleeping on my daughter’s lap like a hot water bottle. My cat used to go 2 houses away and a lady would feed her, let her in the house. At the same house another family lived there and my cat had kittens there.
We took good care of our cat feeding her but she went outside and had a lot of kittens. Now we have 2 kittens now about 9 months old, Lily and her sister Claudia a gray and light gray striped kitty. They act so much alike and do follow me to do laundry, open the inside door so they can see outside, sit in the windows as they are indoor kitties. The vet suggested reasons to keep them safe inside. I am pretty sure Lily stays in.
I’m thinking about getting a Tabby kitten for myself and I was wondering if they are friendly cats and have good personalities? Any feedback would be appreciated?
Tabbies are healthiest cats owing to their dominant genes. Low neuroticism, easy going, great companions. Have much fun with your tabby!
Tabby cats are very friendly and they have lovely personalities. As in playful, truly quiet, and like to explore. I got a tabby her name is cleo and she’s only 12 weeks old. I’m not sure about you guys but she likes to sneak up behind me and bit me a till I get off “her” chair.
I just got a grey tabby today. He showed up on a friend’s front porch and I decided to take him. He walked in, sniffed around and made himself at home. I have now had him for about 3 hours and he rubs up against my leg, sets in my lap and already has used the litter box. What a gentleman! I named him Avery. He is truly a delight.
So happy for you and him. Are you sure he doesn’t have an owner, though?
We adopted a little Mackerel tabby cat that had been abandoned by her owners when they had lost their home in the recession, she was kept in a cage for a year, we have had her for two years now she is a lovely cat,
and rules the home, she is lucky as we live in woodland where she is now free to roam,
Deserve to lose your home if you keep an animal in a cage for a year.
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I worked at a Animal hospital when I saw my Tiger Tabby Tortie she was a spunky 8 week young kitten, and THEE most active kitty in the bunch that came in for spay/neuter. I loved her pattern, her long hair in her ears, her golden spot on top of her ‘M’ , her paws, her eyeliner eyes (lol she almost looks Egyptian) everything about HER I found the lady that was adopting those kitties out and adopted her THAT day!! She and my other cat got along really well and quickly, she is VERY smart and yes she plays fetch with me!! It surprised me when she did it the first time I only threw her toy mouse again to see if she was actually running to retrieve and return and uhhh yeah, she was! Lol awesomeness. She cuddles and STILL kneads her purrs are loud and soothing along with her vibrations. She gets so comfortable she drools lol…I’m so happy we adopted each other, she’s definitely one of a kind ❤
Thanks for sharing your story!
I got a male tabby today and i am nervous. He is only 1 years old but very large. He meows alot but i think he just trying to get used to the place. Do all tabbys talk like that plus what can i do to make him more comfortable
Tabby cats can be considered as a rare animal. Their skin tells that they’re beautiful and very soft. Having a cat like this can bring good fortune. With their soft skin, you can tell that it is really a gorgeous cat.
I just wanted to say that I really enjoyed the touches of the mythic stories about tabby’s. A very nicely written article indeed!
I have a beautiful Tabby cat named Oscar who is now 13 years old. I got him from the RSPCA and I know another family had him when he was very young because he liked to bite. It had mentioned not to have children with this cat as obviously he didn’t like being pulled around. My cat has done many amazing things in the past. We had building work behind us and as he fell in a hole we got a ladder and he climbed up it and out. He also got stuck up a tree for a few days and when I called him as he was lost he responded and came down. He also use to carry pieces of wood and bits in his mouth along the fence to give to us as a present. He is still a very affectionate cat and he is a very big cat just like a tiger. He has been great fun over the years and still is and loves to play. A great character I would say that the article is correct. I have had other types of cats but he has certainly been more special.
Got a Tabby through kijiji about a week ago. He is 3 months old and damm he is active. He bites and claws quite often but have observed that even when he is biting, he does not intend to harm you but may be its a show of love in his style. Best thing he was poop trained. I heard they are shy and dont poop and pee just anywhere. They will always go to their litter box. I have observed this so far.The only problem is that he is jumping on the dining table and kitchen counter tops which me and my ,kids and my wife is not liking. He really follows us around and sometimes its hard to leave him in the living at night as we are all scared a bit to take him in our beds. Any word of advice from an experienced owner????? Oh did I mention that I never owned a cat before. and that our tabby is continuously messing up with my budgies in the cage and tries to catch them and scare them.
Thanks
Zia
I have had several tabby cats (different colors) for many years since I was a teenager. I absolutely adore them. Many people don’t know that even cats (not just dogs) can be trained. For instance, my latest tabby can walk with me while wearing a harness and leash. None of my cats as kittens were permitted to jumped up on tables or scratched wallpaper or couches. Nip these natural habits in the bud (just tap paws gently whenever you see these habits occurring). Always be gentle and patient when training so that the cat does not grow up being afraid of you. My current tabby is an indoor cat. We have always been afraid of accidentally rolling over her in our bed; so we never allowed her to sleep with us. We were always afraid of accidentally stepping on her in the middle of the night; so she was always confined to the downstairs. She is now 14 years old, has a little arthritis, and I want it easier on her to get to her litter box in the middle of the night. I don’t want to “lock her up” by closing doors; so, instead, I use a doorway to put up a light-weight wooden expandable pet gate to confine her to the kitchen/family room/and downstairs bathroom (where her litter box rests) throughout the night. In the morning I lift the gate out of the way and permit her to move about anywhere she wants. Confining a cat to a specific area of the house is not only safe for the cat but also for the owner(s). Tabbies like to keep close tabs on their owners and like to keep an eye on their owners; so sometimes they are under foot without the owner knowing it. My sister broke her foot while trying to avoid stepping on her cat. One more thing about cats: don’t treat them roughly as you would a dog. Cats like to cuddle and like soft handling. AND–very important–if a cat wants to leave your lap or doesn’t want any more “loves,” don’t hold her back and “force” her to do what YOU want. How do you know that the cat isn’t leaving you because it needs to go to the littler box? When a cat plays with you, it may grab your hand simply to pull it down toward its mouth or nose. If your cat loves you and you love your cat, it will never bite you (unless, of course, you have accidentally pinched it or pulled her hair). One more thing, do not forget yearly checkups and immunizations. Very, very important! After all, you brought the cat home; you are now responsible for its well-being just as you are for your children’s. That kitty is now part of your family; it depends on you for food, shelter, well-being, and companionship. Talk to it; don’t keep silent. And it will frequently meow (“talk”) to you, too. As it ages along with you, you will both “understand” one another. Don’t ignore your cat; it is not a fixture in your home.
Keep a water in a spray bottle, if he scratches or jumps on things you don’t want give a small spray on him. As he is a kitten he will learn. Don’t take him to your bedroom if you don’t want, cats are independent, he will learn to sleep in the living area. Don’t play fight with him, and don’t pet him a lot.
He is hyperactive as he is still a kitten, as he will grow up, he will start calming down and will spend most of the time sleeping.
Give him a scraching post and also cover your couches if you can.
I adopted my 1 1/2 year old male neutured tabby on 9/01/15 from a shelter. They believed he was a run away but no one came to claim him so he was placed for adoption. The poor thing was put in a 10 day quarantine cause he nipped at someone who touched him at the shelter. I knew that this cat had a low tolerance for petting when I took him home.
He allows me to pet him longer each day & follows me around from each room. He sleeps in my bed with me but does not allow me to cuddle. He is a biter and when I get up to go to bathroom in the middle of the night he will clamp his teeth down on my arm or leg and literrally try to pull me towards the living room to play.
We are still getting to know one another but I think we are both in agreement that we are a good match. I love my Butterscotch very much, (renamed him from Toby), and wouldnt trade him for the world.
My husband and I just recently adopted a tabby cat, it was like love at first sight. She is to adorable and friendly,very affectionate. ..loves to sleep on us and gets along with my shih tzu. We are very happy and in love with her!
Really glad she fit into your family so well. Happy to hear you adopted.
I got a tabby cat from the animal pound. He just stood out from the other cats with his good natured personality.
He sure is A LOT of fun and entertainment.
Couldn’t have picked a better cat out.
I become the mother figure of 5 baby tabbys after their mother quit feeding them at 2 weeks. I have decided to keep the litter intact and they are great cats (4 months).
Pick up a young Tabby kitten 9 wks. someone dropped it at the country church i attend , after 4 days staying at the church i had to bring it home because it was so friendly , it was certain someone had handled & played with it a lot , i`m positve it had been inside a lot each time a door opened it would run in the church sit on porch & meow constantly , anyway i could not leave it there alone anymore so i brought it home took to barn with my several other cats & it took to them like duck to water, it stays at barn because my rat terrier will not allow cats in my yard period , it`s learned quickly & loves its new home , i handle the kitten each barn trip 3-4 times daily. It is a very Happy kitten now I`m in my mid 60`s & this is my first Tabby sense a young boy. Of the several cats i have it has won my Heart because it is so gentle & friendly .
I have a tabby kitten and I love her to death I never knew a tabby cat saved jesus. I guess I’m lucky maybe one day she’ll save my life when I need her.
Great information on Tabby cats! My parents used to have one when I was growing as a child, I hardly remember him though.
Yesterday, went to Pet Smart to see if there had kittens so my daughter and I recently adopted a tabby cat 2 months old.. we are felling in love tabby kitten… I never had tabby cat but I used Calico cat so lovely too..
Great information here to learn their personality… thank you for sharing.
Thank you so much for visiting and commenting. I’m glad the post gave you some insight into these wonderful kitties. Congratulations on adopting!
We lost our dear son after a long struggle with cancer. When we returned home were devestated. Grand children told us we needed a kitten. Shelter had no kittens and said to check back as they did not call people! I told them they were on my speed diel! A week later the lady at the shelter CALLED. Against rules but she said SHE JUST HAD TO CALL ME! And what a wonderfull tabby kitten we got! She was 12 Wks old, very smart, curious and loving! Sleeps in our bed, follows us around the house, and has really helped us in our time of sorrow! Her purring at night is comforting. (We have always had a cat, but after retireing just never replaced old pet.). Our new kitten is Gray/white and her name is HILLERYand this little kitten has won our votes for TABBIES!
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I wanted to thank all of you who have left replies considering Tabby Cats! The information that you left was very valuable to me, and thanks again.
Jeff McNulty