Cat Fact Files

Quick Profile Overview

Origin

Tabby domestic shorthair cats are one of the oldest pet cats to have been around. There are references of presence of tabby cats in mid 17^th century which were owned by Archbishop of Canterbury which was a big cat lover.

Body type
Tabby shorthair cats not only have short coats but they also are small cats with small legs and paws and equally small tail.

Coat
Tabby shorthair has a short coat that often becomes thicker during winters. These cats have a distinctive pattern like dots, swirls or stripes

Colors
Shorthair tabbies comes in the same colors as tabby Persians like red, cream, silver, blue, cameo, cameo cream, brown and blue cream. Most of these cats have bright green or flaming copper colored eyes.

Size
These are small sized cats and appear to be slim because of their short coats. Shorthair tabbies males are heavier than their female counterparts.

Average life span
Tabby shorthair has an average lifespan of about 15-20 years.

Details
Shorthair tabbies are believed to have been brought to England by the Romans. These easy going cats are excellent companions and preferred housemates as they don’t require extensive grooming. The popularity of Tabby shorthair grew after the Second World War Most of the domestic shorthair tabby has a distinctive M marked on their forehead. Silver tabby shorthair appears as a brand ambassador for many of the popular cat food brands in UK.

History
The documentary evidence shows the presence of the beautiful tabby shorthair cats right in the beginning of the 17^th century where this cat was owned by Archbishop of Canterbury. Some also believe that these cats were initially found in Attibah District of Baghdad where there patterns inspired carpet weavers to come up with beautifully crafted carpets which were sold by the name “tabbi” which is the reason behind these domestic shorthair cats being called tabby.

Appearance
The most distinctive feature of tabby shorthair is the presence of M on their foreheads. These shorthair tabbies are known for their broad head and wide set eyes. These cats also have widely spaced ears which are of medium size. The neck is medium sized and is in proportion to the body and these shorthair tabbies have tapered tails which are wide at base. These cats have a short coat that tends to become thicker in winter.

Traits, personality and behaviorPlayful affectionate and not terribly demanding is how the pet owners define their short hair tabbies. The shorthair tabbies prefer staying indoors and love to laze around in the homes when the owner is out.

Physical development
Not much is known about the physical development of tabby shorthair cats.

Looking after
Tabby shorthair doesn’t require much grooming as their hair doesn’t get matted because of short coat. However as these cats prefer staying indoors special care should be taken related to their diet as they have the tendency to gain weight.