Cat coat genetics basic pattern of stripes that underlies the coat. The basic wild-type tabby gene, "Mc", produces what is called a "mackerel striped" tabby (stripes look like thin fishbones and may break up into bars or spots), while a recessive mutant, "mc", produces a blotched or "classic" tabby pattern (broad bands, whorls, and spirals of dark color on pale background usually with bulls-eye or oyster pattern on flank). The classic tabby is most common in Iran, Great Britain and in lands that were once part of the British Empire and Persian Empire. The gene responsible for this differential patterning has been identified
Bengal cat rosetted spots occur only on the back and sides, with stripes elsewhere. The breed typically also features "mascara" (horizontal striping alongside the eyes), and foreleg striping. The eyes of a Bengal cat are relatively large and are usually bright blue or green. The Bengal cat is usually either classed as brown-spotted or snow-spotted (although there are more colors, brown and snow are the only colors of Bengal that the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (UK) recognize). Within brown Bengals, there are either marble or spotted markings. Included in the spotted variation is rosetted, which consists of a spot with