Pattern & Color

1. In this diagram the different kinds of tabby patterns are shown.  The primary patterns are:  mackerel tabby, classic tabby, spotted tabby and ticked tabby.  Tabby colors always depend on the background color and not by the color of the stripes or markings.  Remember, tabby is not a breed but a pattern.  Genetically, all cats are tabbies but you don't always visibly see the markings even if a cat is a solid color like black, white or blue.

​

2. The first picture is the mackerel tabby noted by the narrow barring along side the chest, much like the bones of the mackerel fish.  In this picture the background is white or silver.  Therefore, this is a silver mackerel tabby cat.

​

3.  The second picture is a classic tabby, noted by the bullseye on each side of the chest, stripes down the back, butterflies on the shoulders, and rows of spots on the belly.  The background is red, therefore this is a red classic tabby cat.  Also, the letter "M" is on the forehead between the eyes on all tabbies.

​

4.  The third picture is obviously a spotted tabby, though not an American Shorthair.

​

5.  The fourth picture is a silver classic tabby kitten.  This kitten is exceptional to the standard and one of the best we have ever seen in the American Shorthair breed.

​

6.  The fifth cat picture is a brown patch tabby.   The red blotches throughout the coat makes it a patch tabby.

​

6.  The last picture represents a ticked tabby .  This is a silver ticked tabby American Shorthair.

​

​

​