Mackarel tabby cat coat colour

[Stannywanny]

I adopted a beautiful tabby cat who has just turned one. I had initially wanted a grey tabby and when he was a kitten his coat was grey however as his markings have developed his back still appears a grey shade but his coat around his face ears chest and front legs is a beigey fawny colour he has a spotty belly and beautiful yellow sometimes amber looking eyes...I think he is a mackerel tabby but would be interested in peoples opinions on his coat colour

 

[Katie M]

There are actually two types of "grey" tabbies. You have the brown type. I have the beige type, which you can see in my profile pic.

Personally, I find it much easier to call them by their apparent color

 

[Stannywanny]

So would you say my little fella is a brown tabby?

 

[lutece]

What sweet pictures!

Your cat's color appears to be brown tabby and white; he's not a gray tabby. Brown tabbies have black markings on a beige to brown background; the background color can vary from a "cold" grayish beige, to a "warm" orangey brownish color.

Gray (blue) tabby cats have gray stripes on a light beige background.

I would describe your cat's tabby pattern as broken mackerel, since he has some stripes and some spots. He's a handsome guy

 

[Stannywanny]

What sweet pictures!

Your cat's color appears to be brown tabby and white; he's not a gray tabby. Brown tabbies have black markings on a beige to brown background; the background color can vary from a "cold" grayish beige, to a "warm" orangey brownish color.

Gray (blue) tabby cats have gray stripes on a light beige background.

I would describe your cat's tabby pattern as broken mackerel, since he has some stripes and some spots. He's a handsome guy

Yes he is very handsome such beautiful markings he has FHV which thankfully flares up less and less now he's getting older and his immune system is getting stronger he called Stanley after my dad. I didn't know you could get a broken mackerel, I thought they were either mackerel spotted or ticked?

 

[lutece]

I didn't know you could get a broken mackerel, I thought they were either mackerel spotted or ticked?

The basic tabby patterns, roughly in order of frequency, are mackerel, classic (blotched), spotted, and ticked. This image is from Sarah Hartwell's Messybeast web site:

We also see cats that are intermediate in appearance between mackerel and spotted, because it's normal for mackerel tabbies to have some of their stripes broken up into spots.... and it's also normal for spotted tabbies to have their spots following the underlying tabby pattern, which is usually mackerel. This pattern can be called "broken mackerel." It's seen fairly frequently in domestic cats.

 

[Stannywanny]

The basic tabby patterns, roughly in order of frequency, are mackerel, classic (blotched), spotted, and ticked. This image is from Sarah Hartwell's Messybeast web site:
View attachment 329144

We also see cats that are intermediate in appearance between mackerel and spotted, because it's normal for mackerel tabbies to have some of their stripes broken up into spots.... and it's also normal for spotted tabbies to have their spots following the underlying tabby pattern, which is usually mackerel. This pattern can be called "broken mackerel." It's seen fairly frequently in domestic cats.

View attachment 329145

That makes sense I did think at one point he was a spotted mackerel because he does have a fair few spots on his tummy but also on his body his stripes look less stripey and more spotty if you understand what I mean...he is such a beautiful cat though...i have always wanted a tabby a grey one really but he is perfect in every way

 

[lutece]

Spots on the tummy are a normal part of the mackerel and classic patterns, some people call them "vest buttons."

I agree, he is a beautiful cat and it's perfect that you have each other