<P> A tabby is any domestic cat ( Felis catus ) that has a coat featuring distinctive stripes , dots , lines or swirling patterns , usually together with a mark resembling an ' M ' on its forehead . Tabbies are sometimes erroneously assumed to be a cat breed . In fact , the tabby pattern is found in many breeds , and is a genetic landrace common among the general mixed - breed population . The tabby pattern is a naturally occurring feature that may be related to the coloration of the domestic cat 's direct ancestor , the African wildcat ( Felis lybica lybica ) , which -- along with the European wildcat ( Felis silvestris silvestris ) and Asiatic wildcat ( Felis lybica ornata ) -- has a similar coloration . A genetic study found five genetic clusters from tabbies to be ancestral to wildcats of various parts of the world . </P>
what breed of cat has spots and stripes
tabby