page title icon Silver Tabby Cat – The Most Popular Tabby Pattern

by Linda Mathews Last Updated May 6, 2022

The number of cat lovers grows day by day. Meowing pets become family members of caring owners. One of the most popular coat patterns many people are searching for is the silver tabby. You can find it among many well-known breeds. A silver cat can appear in the Maine Coon, British Shorthair, and Bengal litters.
There are many famous felines with these specific markings on their fur. If you are interested in the he-cats or she-cats with the silver-friendly tabby pattern, take a closer look at this guide. You will find all the answers in the context of this exclusive coloration.

Silver Tabby Pattern

Blue silver tabby, as well as grey silver tabby cats, isn’t a separate breed, it’s just a catch-all name for felines that have this coat pattern. In fact, there are five separate-standing tabby-driven coat colorations (for example, a spotted tabby, a striped bewhiskered buddy, silver cats with gray or red pads and markings on the face, etc.).
An original tabbies’ appearance consists of the various vortexes that are gathering together. The silver coloration is among the most exotic ones. It may resemble a blotched tabby cat, which is covered with rings and stripes around its:

  • Tails;
  • Paws;
  • Legs.

However, the silver ticked tabby doesn’t have any lines or spots. Due to their patches on the coat, they are usually called tortoiseshell tabbies. Most cat owners prefer these bewhiskered buddies to adopt for their unusual look.
One of the features, that is peculiar to all tabbies (including blue silver pets), is the “M” mark on their foreheads. It’s the magic of prepotent genes, that’s why every tabby has this spot! Interestingly, those cats also have different colors of pads. Just lift the paw and you will see the gray, red, or even mixed patterns on the paws.

Silver Tabby Personality

Silver Tabby Personality

American shorthair silver tabbies together with other tabby-friendly breeds are very mellow companions. They get on well with all of the family members, including other pets and small children! This feline will pleasantly lie around or take a nap in its favorite place. However, if you are always on the move, they don’t mind spending time alone!
What’s more, any silver-white tabby cat is very clever and intelligent! So, trained once, you can never mind that your furniture or a served table will be defaced by your domestic animal. You don’t have to hush them, in order to make them obedient.
In practice, for them, it’s a pleasure to play with kids (especially silver tabby kittens)! With younger people, they are naturally more gentle. To sum up, silver-point felines will please you with good behavior. A tabby cat temperament is about a happy blend of playfulness and tenderness.

Health

Health

Tabby cats have the same health issues as other felines. Moreover, it depends directly on the breed concerning the risks and disorders that might take place. The most common health problems of a silver tabby cat are:

  • Vomiting;
  • Lower urinary tract disorders;
  • Fleas;
  • Respiratory infections;
  • Dental issues.

It is worth noting that tabbies love to communicate. That is why numerous health problems have a mental nature. For example, your tabby kitten can feel lonely and eat badly. Therefore, different urinary tract and digestive system issues take place. Visit your vet regularly for check-ups to prevent dangerous disorders.
Additionally, take a closer look at the specific health issues concerning your feline’s breed. Remember that the color pattern is far from the key factor in the context of the sound pet’s health background.

History

History

De facto, felines with the tabby pattern (including a cream tabby kitty or a silver tiger cat) were tamed by a human for the first time over 1000 decades ago! These are the first domesticated wild cats in the world! Only imagine that silver-point bewhiskered buddies can be inheritors of the snow leopard!
Surprisingly, had you known before those tabbies were named after an Arabic silk “atabi”? Some people say that the luxury spotted fabric looked like a shorthair tabby cat pattern, and others suggest that touching it resembled the material!
Singers approved that the breeds of this coat pattern are very musical and even may attempt to sing! Freddie Mercury and David Bowie were faithful lovers of tabbies. This extraordinary fur pattern was a favorite among politicians such as Queen Elizabeth and Churchill. Moreover, Winston was a fan of a silver tabby cat with blue eyes!

Facts About Silver Tabby Cats

Facts About Silver Tabby Cats

There are many variations of the tabby pattern. You can see felines with stripes, patches, and other markings on their bodies. For example, a brown tabby is usually about Persians and Orientals who are friendly to warm colorations (orange tabby cats). The exclusive pattern is silver among tabbies.
This way you can adopt one of the patched tabby cats or gray ones with stripes. Siameses, British Shorthairs, American Shorthair kitties, Maine Coon males & females, and Bengals are among the top tabby-driven breeds. Here is a list of other interesting facts about a silver-point cat that charms with its appearance.

Tabby Cats Aren’t a Breed

Tabby Cats Aren’t a Breed

In fact, tabby is a color pattern but not a breed. This is often emphasized because many people think and ask the silver tabby breeder. Nevertheless, you can see Bengal, Maine Coon, and other bewhiskered buddies with the color pattern of your interest. For example, you can count on the pedigree British Shorthair silver tabby or a rare Oriental red silver tabby if you are fond of such coloration.

Tabby Fur Is Actually Black

Tabby Fur Is Actually Black

Here, it is important to pay attention to the roots. If you look closely at the tabby coat, you will see black-colored hair follicles. Dark whiskers and a pale background in the context of fur also can take place. The silver striped cat would seem to have a light coat, but this is only a pigment.

Tabby Patterns Offer Camouflage

Tabby Patterns Offer Camouflage

Tabby felines obtain the fur that was a disguise for the fact that it is more inconspicuous to get to their prey. This is the color pattern of the first hunting bewhiskered animals people domesticated and turned out into beloved pets.
The silver and white tabby cats were masters of disguising. Now, you can see kind and loving felines who live at home. But hundred years ago, each silver-point cat was a wild animal with camouflage fur to hide and hunt well.

The “M” on Their Forehead Has Religious Backgrounds

The “M” on Their Forehead Has Religious Backgrounds

It has long been said that the letter M on the forehead of silver-spotted cats has some religious background. Basically, in terms of this interpretation, it can mean both Christianity and Islam. This is all due to the fact that it is passed on genetically all the time, which can be fascinating.
In this case, two wishes with lovers are desirable. Christian history believes that St. Mary marked with an M letter a silver-gray tabby cat for the comfort and safety of the baby Jesus.
Islam says about salvation by this cat. A cat named Muezza saved Mohammed’s whole life by killing a snake that crawled up his sleeve. Now, all tabby cats (including silver buddies) walk with the letter M as a memory of him.
There are lots of legends about the tabby’s “M” mark on its foreheads. Nevertheless, science says that these cats have the “strongest” genes, and it’s a logical explanation for why we see this uniqueness nowadays!

Several Breeds Give a Birth to a Silver Tabby Cat

Several Breeds Give a Birth to a Silver Tabby Cat

Tabbies are not about some specific breed. These felines can be born in any bewhiskered family. It means that many breeds in the world are friendly to silver tabby patterns. For example, you can admire awesome Maine Coons, American Shorthairs, Oriental felines, Bengals, and Siamese pets of such an exclusive coloration with black hairs, white patches, or stripes.
Breeders of silver tabby cats have their balance in the context of raising felines with a catchy and exotic look. The special recessive gene given from the ancient wildcat family is presented in:

  • Abyssinians;
  • American Shorthairs;
  • Bengal;
  • Domestic Shorthairs;
  • British Shorthairs.

Such beautiful breeds as Maine Coons, Persians, and Siberians can give birth to long-haired silver tabby cats, spotted tabbies, and classic tabby kittens.

FAQ

Is a Silver Tabby Cat Rare?

It depends on the breed you are interested in. For example, striped tabbies are met more often than spotted or mackerel tabby cats with mixed markings. The rarest pattern is a ticked silver-point one. But many breeders are proud of their exclusive blue silver Maine Coon ladies and gentlemen, and silver-spotted British Shorthair kitties.

How Much Is a Silver Tabby Cat Worth?

Felines with tabby cat patterns are very popular. The average price for tabbies is about $2,500. Note that a silver tabby cat of the premium breed with the CDA certification will cost up to $3,000. Be ready to pay this sum for a silver kitten from reputable breeders.

Bottom Line

Tabbies are among the first domesticated cats in the world. They are easy-going and extremely friendly. The tabby gene is presented in different breeds. Many breeders offer these kitties for sale. But the price for many tabby cats is rather high. It can be explained by the rarity factor.
Select trusted cat breeders to purchase the kitty of your dreams. The rarest felines are ticked tabbies. Who knows – maybe this pet will bring you luck! But be sure that your home will be full of happiness and love with a silver tabby cat!