Naming Identity

Kucing tabi or better known as the tabby cat internationally in English is a type of domestic cat which scientifically in Latin is called Felis catus.

The word “tabby” comes from the Arabic word al-'Attābiyya, a region in Baghdad that produced fine striped silk taffeta in the 16th century AD (Klein, 2021). Attābiyya itself is a name that refers to the governor of Mecca from the Umayyad dynasty, Attab ibn Asid. Then when silk cloth became popular and spread to England the word tabby became commonly used in the 17th and 18th centuries AD. Use of the term tabby cat for cats with striped fur began in the 1690s and was shortened to tabby in 1774 (Etymonline, 2020).

Taksonomy

Origin and Distribution

It is still not certain where this type of cat came from. However, looking at the striped pattern on its fur, it is very likely that this type of domestic cat comes from its direct ancestor, namely the striped wild cat from the East or more specifically from Ancient Egypt (The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica, 2023).

Characteristics

Tabby cat is a domestic or pet cat with the main characteristics of a striped or striped pattern on its fur and a line pattern that forms an 'M' that marks its forehead. The striped pattern of the tabby cat is formed naturally and has a direct relationship with its ancestors and close relatives which include the African wild cat (Felis lybica lybica), the European wild cat (Felis silvestris), and the Asian wild cat (Felis lybica ornata) all of which have fur. which are similar in both pattern and color.

Physically, tabby cats can generally grow to a body length of up to 100 cm and a body weight of up to approximately 8 kg. Variations in fur color include brown, gray, orange and black while color variations consist of green, golden yellow and blue (Syufy, 2023). The length of the fur tends to be short according to the breed.

Another characteristic of tabby cats is their friendly, independent and adventurous personality. Tabby cats are also said to live up to 18 years old.

Types of Tabby Cats

Based on the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), as written by Syufy (2023), several cat breeds have a tabby cat pattern. Among them are:

• Abyssinian
• American bobtail
• American curls
• American shorthair
• American wirehair
• Burman
• Colorpoint shorthair
• Egyptian Mau
• Exotic shorthair
• Javanese
• LaPerm
• Maine coons
• Manx
• Norwegian forest cat
• Ocicat
• Oriental shorthair
• Persian
• Ragdolls
• Rex (Devon, Selkirk, and Cornish)
• Scottish fold
• Siberians
• Singapore
• Somali
• Turkish Angora
• Turkish van