[header] How to identify a tabby cat [title] Look for blotchy patterns. [step] Classic tabby cats tend to have blotchy patterns across the body, leading some people to colloquially refer to classic tabbies as " blotched tabbies ". [title] Look for wide stripes. 
[step] The stripes on a classic tabby cat tend to be wider and thicker than on other varieties of tabbies. Those thicker lines can contribute to the blotchy pattern that is characteristic of classic tabbies.