Tabby cat is also comparable to the Spanish word "ataviar", which means "to decorate or to dress or wear" and often implies luxurious clothing. Usage of the term "tabby cat ," which means "one with a striped coat", began in the 1690s and was later shortened to "tabby" in 1774. The notion that tabby is indicative of a female cat may be a reference to the feminine proper name Tabby, as a shortened form of Tabitha. There are four tabby patterns that have been shown to be genetically distinct: Mackerel, Classic, Spotted, and Ticked. A fifth includes tabby as part of another
Rusty-spotted cat where rodent densities are high. In December 2014 and in April 2015, it was photographed by camera traps in Kalesar National Park, Haryana. In March 2012, a rusty-spotted cat was photographed for the first time in Bardia National Park, and in March 2016 also in Suklaphanta Wildlife Reserve, both in Nepal. In Sri Lanka, there are a few records from montane and lowland rainforest. There are two distinct populations, one in the dry zone and the other in the wet zone. Very little is known about ecology and behaviour of rusty-spotted cats in the wild. Captive ones are mostly nocturnal