Tabby cat in the spine. The Spotted tabby is a modifier that breaks up the Mackerel tabby pattern so that the stripes appear as spots. Similarly, the stripes of the Classic tabby pattern may be broken into larger spots. Both large spot and small spot patterns can be seen in the Australian Mist, Bengal, Serengeti, Egyptian Mau, Arabian Mau, Maine Coon, and Ocicat breeds. The tabby patterns are due to three distinct gene loci and one modifier: The agouti gene, "A/a", controls whether or not the tabby pattern is expressed. The dominant "A" expresses the underlying tabby pattern, while the recessive non-agouti
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