Tabby cat the flanks and stomach. An "M" shape appears on the forehead, along with dark lines across the cat's cheeks to the corners of its eyes. Mackerels are also called 'fishbone tabbies', probably because they are named after the mackerel fish. Mackerel is the most common tabby pattern. The Classic (also known as "Blotched" or "Marbled") tabby tends to have a pattern of dark browns, ochres and black but also occurs in grey. Classic tabbies have the "M" pattern on their foreheads but the body markings have a whirled or swirled pattern (often called a "bullseye") on the cat's sides. There
Cat body-type mutation Cat body-type mutation Cats, like all living organisms, occasionally have mutations that affect their body type. Sometimes, these cat body-type mutations are striking enough that humans select for and perpetuate them. This is not always in the best interests of the cat, as many of these mutations are harmful; some are even lethal in their homozygous form. This page gives a selection of cat body type mutant alleles and the associated mutations with a brief description. Jb = Japanese bobtail gene (autosomal dominant). Cats homozygous and heterozygous for this gene display shortened and kinked tails. Cats homozygous for the gene