Black short haired tabby cat skin#

Opportunities to practice natural behaviors, like scratching.Eating a high quality, age-appropriate diet.We also know that important determinants of any cat’s health are: Pets with mixed ancestry live 14 years on average, vs 12.5 years for pedigree cats. In terms of life expectancy, crossbred cats have the edge.But overall, neither group has a higher rate of illness generally.Whereas pedigree cats are more likely to be diagnosed with coat disorders than domestic shorthairs and longhairs.Non-pedigree cats are more likely to be diagnosed with abscesses and hyperthyroidism than pedigree cats.

Black short haired tabby cat skin#

The most common health problems of cats presented at veterinary clinics are tooth and gum disease, flea infestation, obesity, traumatic injuries, and skin disorders.Since lots of types of cat can be grey tabbies, some interesting patterns in feline health more generally are: To the best of my knowledge, there’s no evidence that their coat puts them at a higher risk of any specific ailments. Grey tabbies come from all walks of life, and their health and life expectancy reflect that. And some scientists are convinced that predictable differences in feline behavior can be more accurately attributed to their breed, than their color. So the matter of whether grey tabby cats have any specific personality traits is still unresolved. But another survey didn’t associate gray fur or even tabby stripes with a significant increase in any type of behavior. One study reported that grey and white cats are amongst those most likely to be aggressive towards humans during handling, everyday interactions, and vet visits. Intriguingly, researchers have looked for links between feline coat color and temperament. While there are some cats who adore contact and cuddling, and even learn tricks, others prefer independence, exploration, and observing their human families from high perches. Grey Tabby Cat TemperamentĪll tabby cats have a personality which is as unique as their stripes. So we’ve gone out of our way to reproduce them in new generations of kittens. And these mutations have spread, in part, because we love them and find them beautiful. Since then, random genetic mutations have resulted in variations of the layout of their stripes, and also eliminated the production of red pigment, so that once-brown fur becomes grey instead. They are all recognizable as tabby patterns though, because they all include a characteristic dark ‘M’ on the cat’s forehead. Mackerel stripes are the most common, whilst ticked and spotted stripes are usually only seen in specific breeds. Grey tabby color point cats only have a visible tabby pattern on their face, legs and tail.įinally, it’s possible to group grey tabby cats by the types of stripe they have.

They can even have white patches too, or be one of the color point breeds, such as a Siamese cat.

Dark grey stripes on a light grey background (also known as blue silver tabby).

Black stripes on a light grey background (also known as silver tabby).

Black stripes on a dark grey background.

In fact, it’s estimated that over 9 in 10 pet cats are crossbred, so most gray tabbies will fall into this category too. domestic short hairs and domestic long hairs). So can many crossbreed cats, and cats of unknown mixed ancestry (a.k.a. Lots of well known and not-so-well-known cat breeds can have grey tabby coats. What’s more, grey tabby cats can be organized by their exact color and stripe type, as well as (or instead of) their pedigree. Instead, lots of purebred, crossbred and cats of unknown mixed ancestry can have stripey silver coats. Are you surprised to hear that a grey tabby isn’t just one type of cat? It’s true! There isn’t a ‘grey tabby cat’ breed.