The Asian tabby is the most variegated representative of the Asian group of cats. These royal-looking individuals are sedate and wise. They are not capricious either when choosing food or during hygiene procedures. One look at the cat's smart face will be enough to understand that this is an ideal pet. Asian tabby cat kind and sociable, but this is by no means a meek, weak kitty. She is not aggressive or vindictive, but can stand up for herself. He is friends with everyone - both people and animals.
Key facts
The Asian tabby is the most prominent representative of the Asian group of cats. These wise, sedate, regal-looking animals are not picky in their choice of food and daily care.
Cats are the perfect combination of sociability and kindness, as well as strength and courage. Animals are not aggressive or vindictive, but will always be able to stand up for their offspring and themselves. They are friends with small children and other pets. Thanks to their calm nature, animals can easily tolerate prolonged loneliness.
Description of the breed The Asian tabby combines an original appearance and an accommodating, peaceful character. These pets feel equally at home in large houses and small city apartments. They are quite mobile, prone to active games and climbing - which is why they need a large number of jumping equipment and soft toys.
Characteristics of the Asian tabby cat breed include interesting facts:
- Country of origin: Great Britain, 1982. The short-haired Burmese cat was crossed with a Persian chinchilla. The resulting hybrid was bred with an Abyssinian, then again with a Persian, and as a result they got a medium-sized cat with short and thick hair.
- The Asian tabby's personality traits are friendly and they get along easily with cats and dogs. They do not occupy a dominant position, but they can always protect themselves and their offspring.
- With proper care and nutrition, the life expectancy of an Asian tabby is 15-18 years.
- Daily grooming is not necessary - due to the short hair of pets, it is enough to brush them once every 7-10 days with a soft brush. Teeth should be brushed several times a week.
Elite breed cats sense their owner’s mood and are always ready to provide emotional support. They quickly adapt to new living conditions, love affection and attention, but never show intrusiveness. Over the years, the cat becomes the favorite of the family; at the same time, it treats strangers with indifference.
Appearance
Externally, they look luxurious and very expensive. This breed can be found in various colors: from black to beige. A distinctive feature of such a cat is dark eyeliner around the eyes and a small spot on the forehead. In addition, all the owners say that these cats look “from under their brows.” Sometimes it seems that you are not her owner, but she is yours.
Head
Among breeders, especially valuable individuals of this breed are those that have the correct head shape. The muzzle should also not be too large, meeting established standards. Also, your face should have flirty cheekbones. The shape of the head resembles a wedge in appearance, and the muzzle has a rounded shape.
How much can it weigh?
In terms of weight, they are quite large, with strong limbs and a developed body, so their minimum weight is 4 kg. The maximum weight for males is 9 kg. There are, of course, people with different weights, but these are already deviations from the norm that need to be dealt with. Most often, obesity occurs, which is caused by the owner’s negligence and improper nutrition of the animal.
Body
The cat is very graceful, it has a powerful chest, a straight back, and a muscular body. The belly, in this case, is never saggy, only toned. The body is always of medium size, proportional to other parts of the body. In general, it is the representatives of this breed who never encounter diseases with bones and body.
Tabby color
History of the origin of the Asian tabby
The emergence of a new breed is the result of persistent and many years of work by scientists who set themselves the goal of breeding a cat with a graceful and athletic physique, a graceful gait, wide eyes with an amber tint, a proud, independent and peaceful character. The dream was realized by the British in the early 80s of the 20th century.
The progenitors of the Asian tabby were the shorthaired Burmese cat, the Persian chinchilla and the Abyssinian cat. The result exceeded all expectations - the animal had the athletic physique of the Burmese, the reserved and aristocratic character of the Abyssinian and the gloss and beauty of the Persian. Asian tabby cats have inherited the best features from the charming “trinity”.
In the 90s of the last century, the new breed received international recognition. At first, cats had three color options: silver, light solid color and rich brown. Many other coat colors have been produced by crossing different individuals.
Today, every breeder can choose a shorthaired tabby cat to suit his own taste. The breed is popular in many countries of the world, but in the Russian Federation Asian tabbies are extremely rare and it is quite difficult to buy them here.
Interesting facts about tabby color
- According to the beliefs of many peoples of the world, tabby cats promise their owners good luck in all endeavors
: from love affairs to financial success; - There is an interesting legend regarding the origin of the name “tabby”
. Allegedly, the name of the color was given in honor of the Attabiya quarter of the Iraqi city of Baghdad, from where in the 17th-18th centuries. fabrics of amazing beauty with unusual moire patterns were supplied to English cities. Some people thought that the stripes on a cat’s fur coat looked like fabric patterns with fancy patterns; - Tabby color is considered the most ancient, natural color
. It was with these characteristic patterns that cats existed in ancient times. But they didn’t need the stripes for beauty, but for camouflage from potential victims and larger predators; - In the popular dream book of Felomena there is an explanation that seeing a striped cat in a dream
means unexpected luck or a date with a wonderful, unusual person; - Many felinologists and cat lovers believe that tabby-colored pets have the best health
. And all thanks to a special gene, which is responsible for the wild striped color, and is also directly related to the animal’s immunity; - All cats with red (red) and cream fur have stripes on their coats
. It’s just that sometimes they are not expressed too brightly, and therefore it seems as if the animal’s color is monochromatic and solid, but this is not so.
Similar cat breeds
Bengal cat
Egyptian Mau
Savannah
American shorthair cat
What does an Asian tabby cat look like?
The Asian tabby cat is a medium-sized short-haired animal that weighs 4-8 kilograms. Cats have a more massive body, and their external features are a little rougher. Females have a light and petite build; in adulthood they weigh about 5 kg.
Muzzle
As you can see in the photo, the head of an Asian tabby cat is medium, wide, and flattened. The outlines are smoothed and very soft. The chin is powerful, the cheekbones are strong, the cheeks are well defined.
The nose is small, the ears are widely spaced on the top of the head, slightly tilted forward, tapering to a rounded tip. The rounded eyes are set quite deep, while being accentuated by the contrasting color of the coat along the edge of the eyelids; they can be light lemon or gold.
Body type
The neck is short and dense. The body is strong, elongated, with a strong frame. Developed muscles are clearly visible during active games or walking. The back line is straight, the paws are small, rounded, with 4 toes on the hind legs and 5 on the front legs.
The straight and thin tail tapers to a rounded tassel. All parts of the body are proportional, the cat has an elegant and noble appearance, beautiful posture.
Coat and color
The main decoration of the animal is a luxurious fur coat. The coat is dense, soft, smooth and shiny. The varieties of Asian tabby are quite diverse in terms of color range - they range from soft blue to dark red. You can find animals with apricot, cream, lilac, gray, black or tortoiseshell coat colors.
Particularly popular among breeders is the original pattern, in which spots and horizontal and vertical stripes merge.
Classic Asian tabby color:
- spotted
– the animal’s light fur is decorated with dark spots of different shapes and sizes;
- marble
– spiral-shaped symmetrical stripes form a chain of original prints;
- brindle
– with dark vertical and parallel stripes of dark orange color;
- ticked
– the hairs are colored in a contrasting manner: the dark part alternates with the light part, the cover is uniform and without contrasting spots; graphic elements are located on the tail and limbs.
The Asian tabby cat's forehead is decorated with the “scarab mark.” The mouth, nose, round eyes are outlined with a thin black line, and there is a luxurious “necklace” on the neck.
Disqualifying features of the breed are: long hair, too variegated color, lack of a tabby pattern on the face.
Coat color
There are several basic colors, but any color can be used. There are blue, cream, red, purple, black and other shades. The main thing is the presence of the tabby pattern, after which the breed is named.
brindle tabby
Vertical stripes are placed parallel to each other. The brindle color has a pronounced dark chocolate or black color. The color is also called “mackerel”, because The fish carcass is just as striped. The red and smoky tabby looks very beautiful with this color. The smoky shade, together with the stripes, looks like the color of the British.
ticked
The fur is monochromatic. Thanks to ticking, beautiful iridescence is formed on it. This is a color in which each hair has several shades. The guard hair has a base of one color, and the tip is colored in a contrasting shade. The cats have a noble appearance, the color seems to have been applied with powder. Black, cream, red, smoky colors are more common.
Interesting!
The dark color of the tabby is nicknamed “black smoke”. He is in great demand among breeders.
Spotted
The spotted color is characterized by the presence of a large number of small spots of dark color. They are scattered in a chaotic manner. There are cats with large and wide spots. They are clearly visible on the light fur, which is clearly visible in the photo.
Sometimes the spots match the color of the main coat, and when mixed, they look like smoke. For a purebred spotted tabby, this coloring is considered a defect.
Marble
The stripes are located on the sides. They are absolutely symmetrical and have the shape of spiral strokes. Sometimes the pattern looks like stains on marble. This color is more common than others. There are many varieties of marble colors, each of them is unique.
Asian tabby personality
Shorthair cats are sociable and friendly. They are calm, kind, agile and cheerful. They get along well with children and other pets, including dogs.
Animals are not vindictive, they quickly forget an insult and, in general, are not aggressive. Asian girls are easy to train: by the age of one they know how to and how not to behave in the house.
Tabby has impeccable manners and rarely causes unnecessary trouble to his owner. Cats are suitable for busy people, as they can easily tolerate long periods of loneliness and do not require increased attention. The animal is unobtrusive, meows gently and quietly, perfectly senses the emotional mood of a person, easily becomes attached to family members, so over time it becomes a friend to everyone.
Of particular note is the sensitive nature of the Asian tabby towards cruel treatment - rudeness is taken to heart, which can lead to mental trauma. At the same time, cats are usually calm, and it is almost impossible to get them angry.
The Asian tabby is a very active and playful cat breed. From an early age, babies love to jump, run and play pranks; they carry small things in their teeth and hide them in a secluded place, and also gladly involve family members in active games. But over the years, pets become calmer, preferring to relax in a cozy place and chase the ball.
Care and maintenance do not cause much trouble, and tabbies feel great both with a single person and with a large family.
Tabby care
Natural cleanliness, accuracy and tact make this cat an almost ideal pet. It will not be difficult for the owner to look after and care for her. But certain recommendations from experts in caring for Asian tabbies must, of course, be followed. So, you need to raise a cat from early childhood. She is very intelligent, so she quickly figures out how to use the tray and what the scratching post is for.
Asian tabbies need to be washed only when absolutely necessary and always with a special shampoo. Frequent contact with water can cause allergies and skin irritation in your cat. After all, there is almost no undercoat, and the fur itself is quite short and not very thick. To keep it clean, you only need to comb your pet once a week, and when it sheds, 2-3 times.
Raising an Asian tabby cat
In order for a pet to bring only joy in adulthood, you need to train it in the general sense of the word. It is better to start raising an Asian tabby from an early age. Kittens up to 1.5 years old are well trained, and the baby acquires basic skills up to 3 months.
Getting into the house, the baby must immediately learn who is the boss, what can and cannot be done. Punishments for misconduct at this age are ineffective - the kitten has a short-term memory, and after 15 seconds he forgets what caused the dissatisfaction of others.
It is better to prevent a bad act. When your kitten is about to do something wrong, lightly clap your hands or spray him with water. It is recommended to repeat the procedure until the animal learns the rules.
If this does not help, you can take the kitten by the withers, lightly lift it and shake it (as mom once did) or gently hit it on the back with a newspaper or a rolled up towel. Leave your hands for affection.
Do not shout loudly at the animal - it is better to explain the offense in a rude, threatening, growling tone. Although cats do not understand human speech, they quickly learn gestures and facial expressions. Having developed a certain gesture for a particular command, it will be easy to explain to the animal its unreasonable behavior.
And don’t forget about a lot of rewards for doing the right thing, encouraging praise and petting - this will help reinforce good behavior in your pet. The most important thing is that all members of the family must make the same demands on the pet, otherwise the cat will get confused in the rules.
BRITISH STRIPED COLOR (BRINCH, MACKERL)
The striped color of the British (British brindle tabby) must comply with all the same standards as the spotted one, only the pattern on the back and sides must have clear and uninterrupted stripes. In the color of a British Tabby Shorthair cat, the stripes should start at the spine and extend all the way to the paws. The stripes of a British brindle cat are narrow and frequent (and it is believed that the more often the better). Mackerel stripes (mackerel) should not intersect each other, be strictly vertical and always contrasting.
A brindle (striped) British kitten, even with very clear stripes, can “stretch” its color by adulthood and, if the stripes begin to be interrupted anywhere, the color is reviewed by experts and assigned - spotted. The full color of a British brindle kitten will be formed only by the age of one year (other tabby colors are not subject to such changes and most often do not change the appearance of the tabby pattern in adulthood).
British tabby cats are not as common as spotted cats, but more common than marbled cats.
The eye color of British tabby cats can be copper (golden, orange) or green (gold, occasionally silver).
Chocolate tabby British kitten: photo of California
Asian Tabby Health
Short-haired tabby cats inherited excellent health from their parents. They do not have any hereditary diseases. A balanced diet, proper daily care - and the animal can live up to 18 years. For a happy home for gentle, beautiful cats, you should adhere to the following rules:
- A clean home is the key to health and safety.
- Complete nutrition: food should be given in small portions several times a day, preferably at the same time.
- Availability of fresh water.
- Timely prevention of parasites, vaccination and annual medical examination.
If treated well and given proper nutrition, the health of an Asian tabby cat throughout its life will not cause any concern to the breeder. Regular visits to the veterinarian are recommended to conduct a general examination, identify and effectively eliminate possible problems.
Possible diseases
Asian tabbies are prone to colds - perhaps this is their only weak point. There should be no drafts in the house, but it is also better to avoid stuffiness and heat.
In old age, a tabby, like a cat of any breed, may develop unpleasant illnesses:
- joints;
- kidneys and genitourinary system;
- the risk of stroke increases.
All these troubles can be avoided if you regularly take your cat for a medical examination and donate blood for analysis. Many diseases in the first stages are asymptomatic, so there is a risk of starting them. It's better to play it safe and get a veterinary examination.
Reproductive health
The Asian tabby enters reproductive age at 6 months of age. But the first few heats should be skipped; the ideal mating period is 1 year. On average, shorthair cats give birth to 4-6 kittens.
If you need an animal for communication and admiration, take care to sterilize the female or castrate the male. Timely surgery will not affect the pet’s health: the operation is performed under local or general anesthesia in a specialized clinic.
Having decided to continue the cat family, the breeder must check the pedigree of the cat and the cat, the availability of a veterinary passport with vaccinations. It is worth asking about the fate of previous litters, which will make sure that the animals being crossed are purebred and there are no genetic diseases.
Sterilization and castration
If you are getting an animal and do not plan to breed it, we recommend spaying or neutering it immediately. Thanks to this, the pet will not suffer at all due to the fact that it cannot continue its family. This is due to the fact that after the operation, sex hormones cease to be produced. Both types of surgery are performed using anesthesia. Surgery should be performed before 1 year of age; the younger, the easier it is for him to undergo surgery and recover. If you have a female, it is best to have her spayed before she gives birth at least once. It will be much easier for her to bear it.
- According to statistics, sterilized animals live several years longer. Moreover, the procedure minimizes the risk of developing diseases such as: oncology of the genital organs;
- polycystic disease;
- hydrometer, etc.
Castration is especially important for males, since cats often suffer serious injuries in the process of “hunting for a female.”
Features of feeding and diet
In order for the Asian tabby cat to receive all the vitamins and minerals necessary for the body, a proper, balanced diet is required. It is recommended to give your cat natural products:
- lean beef;
- boiled turkey, chicken;
- cereal porridge;
- boneless fish;
- fruits vegetables;
- skimmed milk;
- dairy products.
If it is not possible to feed your animal natural food, make sure to choose food that is at least premium. Cheap food will ruin the health and appearance of a purebred beauty. Choose food according to the condition and age of your pet.
No less attention should be paid to the weight of the cat, because this is the key to comfortable well-being, the opportunity to demonstrate to the owners their natural beauty, elegance and grace.
Important! Neutered cats gain weight much faster and are also prone to urolithiasis, so their food should not contain a lot of magnesium and phosphorus. Feeds should be low-calorie, and their quantity should be reduced.
Play with your cat more often and try to stimulate him - physical activity will return him to his former shape.
Types of drawings
Tabby is not one specific pattern, as many people believe. There are several varieties of it, and all are considered standard. The pattern appears due to the A gene (agutti). A British female with the color formula “AA” gives birth to only patterned kittens, and with “Aa” the ratio of patterned kittens to plain ones is 50%. Cats with the formula “aa” will be monochromatic.
There are four main types of tabby patterns: ticked, striped, marbled, spotted.
Ticked (Abyssinian)
At first glance, it may seem that the British ticked coat is a solid color, but this is not the case. The color of their coat is not at all uniform: the whole body has barely noticeable stripes, spots or specks (there are “freckles”), slightly darker than the main tone of the British. The tip of the tail is usually dark. Eyes are golden or green.
Striped, brindle (mackerel)
The British tabby cat is the most popular cat available. The second name appeared due to the similarity with the color of the mackerel fish. The pattern is characterized by frequent narrow, clear stripes throughout the body, especially along the ridge. British tabbys are characterized by necklace-like lines on the chest and a broken stripe on the forehead, reminiscent of the Russian letter “M”. The British cat's full brindle coloration develops by the age of one year.
Classic (marble)
One of the most favorite colors among breeders of this breed is the marbled tabby. It is visible already from the birth of the kitten, it may merge slightly, but by two months it has a clear pattern. The body is covered with wide ornate patterns with clear outlines on the back, sides and vague ones on the abdomen and paws. The color of the pattern contrasts with the main shade of the Briton’s body – a kind of marble on silver.
Spotted (leopard)
A cat of the British breed with this coloring is similar to a representative of the wild - a leopard, but in miniature. Wide stripes are intermittent and represent spots of various sizes. Eye color: copper, green.
Care and maintenance
Asian tabby cats are covered with short, thick hair, which they groom well themselves. The owner only needs to brush the cats once every 7-10 days with a soft brush and remove fallen hairs from furniture and carpets with a wet rubber glove.
Naturally clean animals do not require bathing. This procedure is appropriate if the pet is very dirty or is going to an exhibition. In the second case, it is recommended to bathe a week before an important event, so that the coat has time to fully recover and take on its proper appearance. You need to use a special shampoo to avoid allergic rashes on the animal’s skin.
A tabby cat's eyes require daily care. They need to be wiped with a cotton pad soaked in lotion or strong black tea. The nose is regularly inspected and cleaned of dirt accumulation. The ears are checked for the presence of parasites and, if necessary, cleaned of wax with a cotton swab once every 10 days.
The claws are trimmed once every 14 days with special pliers - they are called claw clippers. The animal scrapes the resulting unevenness on hard objects, therefore, in order to maintain the integrity of furniture, wallpaper, and carpeting, you should make sure that there is a scratching post in the house.
In general, caring for and maintaining an Asian tabby cat does not cause any great difficulties; it is enough to regularly carry out all the necessary hygiene procedures and observe the correct dosage of food volume to prevent obesity in your pet.
Hygiene
Asian women do not like water at all, so they need to bathe no more than twice a year. Or just monitor the condition of the coat; as soon as it becomes dirty, give it a bath. In this case, you should use only high-quality cosmetics that will not cause allergies. Moreover, the skin is extremely sensitive. Clean your ears more often.
Silver tabby
Tips for choosing a kitten
Before buying an Asian tabby kitten, it is recommended to get acquainted with the characteristics of the breed. Like other shorthairs, the tabby cat has characteristic pros and cons. Be prepared for the fact that you will have to use the services of foreign breeders and pay a lot of money for the delivery of the baby. It is better to get to know the breeder personally, find out the basic rules of care, feeding and maintenance.
You should also ask to point to the kitten:
- veterinary passport;
- metric;
- pedigree.
The kitten must be healthy, moderately well-fed, playful and active. The coat should be soft, smooth and shiny. The ears are wax-free, the eyes are clean, the belly is soft, the gums are pink. If the external examination does not cause any concern, feel free to purchase a kitten, and it will become a joy for all members of the family.
Recognizable appearance
The British cannot be confused with anyone else: a muzzle with a weakly defined “stop” and slightly rounded ears, huge eyes of a predominantly golden color and large cheeks that just want to be squeezed. And because of their plush fur, you don’t want to let go of them at all. Short-legged, with a massive body weighing on average 5-7 kg. The coat comes in both long and short hair.
British Shorthair
They have a short and thick six with a healthy shine. It feels elastic and soft to the touch.
British Longhairs
Six british longhair of medium length with thick undercoat. Feels more “plush” than British Shorthair cats.
