12 Types Of Tabby Cat Colors

1. Brown Tabby

Unbeknownst to many, brown tabby is indeed the most commonly available color and pattern in domestic cats, spreading among a wide variety of breeds. Their unique coat, which resembles a tiger's coat pattern, is designed to provide camouflage and skip detection by prey and predators in the wild.

A brown tabby cat usually features a brown base color, often of light or medium intensity, that is accompanied by darker swirls, spots, or stripes. Following the norms of regular tabby cats, a brown tabby cat possesses all characteristics consistent with its types, including a M-shape on its forehead, darker stripes, and more.

2. Gray Tabby

The gray coloration in tabby is mostly due to a dilute gene that removes the black pigment from its fur. This pattern is only inherited by cats who were born from two gray cats.

With gray as the base color, these tabby cats are available in multiple coat patterns. The Mackerel gray tabby resembles a tiger with its narrow stripes and ring pattern on the tail and legs. Meanwhile, spotted gray tabbies possess striped or oval spots all over their bodies.

Besides their unique color and patterns, gray tabbies also feature a variety of eye colors, such as green, color, blue, hazel, and yellow.

3. Orange (Red) Tabby

Orange tabby is an attractive coat color that is often associated with the likes of pop culture figures like the iconic Garfield cartoon. Although all orange cats are considered tabby cats, not all tabby cats are orange in color.

Orange is a trait that is mostly common in male cats; in fact, only about 20% orange tabbies are female. Likewise, the orange coloration is usually caused by a dominant gene. Unlike the gray tabby pattern, only one of the parents needs to be orange for a kitten to be born orange.

Also known as ginger cats, orange tabbies are friendly by nature. However, the personality of these cats might be more influenced by breed than the feline's colors.

4. Silver Tabby

Silver tabby is considered a relatively rare color pattern in house cats. Native to the UK, silver tabbies are primarily recognized by their two key features: a silver coat made over attractive by the accompanying green eyes.

When it comes to coat colors, silver tabby cats usually have a silver base with dark gray stripes or swirls. Known variations of this coat typically feature shades like cream silver, red silver, or blue silver.

Unlike the orange tabby cat, the silver tabby pattern is more equally distributed in both genders, meaning around 50% of silver tabbies are male and the rest 50% are female.

5. Tortoiseshell Tabby

Often resembling the shell of a tortoise, the tortoiseshell pattern consists of coats that feature two colors. Meanwhile, tortoiseshell tabby cats, otherwise referred to as torbies, carry the genetic characteristics of tortoiseshell and tabby cats.

These felines have the traditional stripes of a tabby cat, combined with the bi-color feature of the tortoiseshell cat. A cat's color is usually determined by the X chromosome as it carries the genetic color code. Female cats have two X chromosomes, whereas a male cat only has one. This is why, most tortoiseshell tabby cats are female.

On the other hand, a male cat will require XXY chromosomes to be a tortoiseshell tabby. However, this is incredibly rare, with only 1 cat in 3000 inheriting three chromosomes from its parents.

6. Fawn Tabby

The term "fawn" refers to the pale beige or light cream color of the coat, occurring as a result of the dilution of the cinnamon gene in cats. So, a fawn tabby cat is simply a domestic cat with a dilute coat color and a distinct tabby pattern.

The coat patterns of a fawn tabby are characterized by darker markings that contrast with the lighter fawn base. For instance, in a fawn mackerel tabby, stripe-like lines run vertically along the body, resembling fishbone patterns. Meanwhile, in a classic tabby, swirling or blotched patterns create a marbled effect.

Additionally, the nose leather and paw pads of fawn tabbies are often a pinkish tone, complementing the warm fawn color. Their eyes are typically green, gold, or hazel, adding to their striking appearance.

7. Black Tabby

Most black cats are technically tabbies; it's just that the stripes match the base color so closely that you may be unable to notice the difference. While many black kittens show slight stripes during their initial months, most grow up to appear all-black.

Although not conclusively proven, black tabbies are found to be extremely social animals. They love human companionship and are extremely loyal and affectionate with their families.

Similarly, black tabby cats often get along well with young kids and other household pets. They are not usually selective when forming strong bonds with humans or fellow pets.

8. Calico Tabby

Calico and tabby patterns are vastly different coat patterns; while a calico coat is made up of three separate colors: white, orange, and black, the tabby pattern focuses on the swirls and stripes across the cat's body.

A cat possessing the qualities of calico and tabby cats is called a calico tabby. These cats usually have three distinct hair colors and also contain the signature coat patterns of a tabby cat.

As the coat coloration of the calico tabby is also dependent on two X chromosomes, male calico tabbies are extremely rare. Only about 1 in 3000 cats is a male calico tabby.

9. Classic Tabby

Also known as the blotched tabby, the classic tabby cat has a light base color that beautifully matches the classic swirls, whorls, and stripes. At the same time, these cats also feature butterfly markings on the shoulders, accompanied by three stripes flowing down their backsides.

Additionally, classic tabbies also feature thicker patterns on different parts of their bodies, including tails, cheeks, and legs. Due to its unique appearance and adaptability with humans, the classic tabby is a favorite among cat enthusiasts, regardless the breed.

10. Mackerel Tabby

Boasting unique stripes all over its body, the mackerel tabby closely resembles the coat pattern of a tiger. These cats normally have a single stripe that flows downwards from their backs, looking similar to a fish skeleton.

As the mackerel tabby is only a coat pattern and not the color itself, these cats may come in a variety of colors, including brown, orange, gray, and more. These colors form the undercoat of the cat, whereas the stripes and swirls are usually of a darker tone.

Moreover, the color and coat patterns of the mackerel tabby give them a camouflaged appearance, protecting them in the wild from predators.

11. Spotted Tabby

Instead of the classic stripes or swirls seen in most tabby patterns, the spotted tabby cat is characterized by distinct spots on its coat. Normally, these spots range in size and shape, appearing as small round dots, oval patches, or even rosettes, depending on the cat's genetics.

The spotted tabby pattern can be naturally occurring or selectively bred, as seen in exotic breeds like the Bengal or Ocicat. Due to their fragmented tabby pattern where traditional stripes are replaced by spots, spotted tabbies are also sometimes called broken tabby cats. These spots are often evenly distributed across the body, creating a wild, leopard-like appearance.

12. Ticked Tabby

Ticked tabby cats generally lack the prominent stripes, spots, or swirls that are often associated with tabby patterns. Instead, their fur displays an overall speckled effect due to the unique coloration of each hair; this is caused by the agouti hairs, that are banded with alternating light and dark colors.

Like other tabby patterns, ticked tabbies can also come in a wide variety of coat colors. Some of the prominent ones include brown, blue, and fawn.

Similarly, another distinctive trait of a ticked tabby is the absence of visible body markings, such as stripes or spots, across the torso. However, faint tabby markings may still appear on the face, legs, and tail. This quality sets ticked tabbies apart from other tabby patterns and gives them a more polished look.

What Colors Can Tabby Cats Be?

As tabby cats come in multiple color choices, these felines can be considered one of the most visually striking coat patterns in the feline world. The tabby pattern itself refers to the unique markings - stripes, swirls, spots, or ticking - on the cat’s fur, but the background and marking colors can vary significantly depending on genetics.

The most frequent tabby color is brown, which features a warm tan background with dark brown or black markings. This is the quintessential wildcat look, often associated with domestic tabbies.

Another popular shade is gray (silver), where a pale gray or silvery background is contrasted with black or dark gray markings. Meanwhile, orange tabbies, often associated with male cats, have a bright orange base with deeper red or rust-colored stripes or spots.

What Is The Rarest Tabby Color?

The rarest tabby color available today is fawn, a light cream shade with taupe-colored markings. This rarity stems from its unique genetic requirements, specifically the dilution of the cinnamon gene.

Fawn is a dilute version of cinnamon, which is itself an uncommon coat color in cats. For a cat to exhibit fawn tabby coloration, it must inherit the cinnamon gene from both parents and also possess the dilution gene, making it a relatively rare genetic combination.

As the cinnamon gene is recessive, both parents must carry and pass it on for their offspring to display the cinnamon coloration. Adding the dilution gene further complicates this, as it is also recessive and requires inheritance from both parents. This dual requirement significantly limits the occurrence of fawn tabby cats, especially in random-bred populations.