All Things Tabby Trivia Quiz

Answer: Mackerel

One of the most common tabby cat coat patterns is known as a mackerel tabby because the characteristic vertically striped coat resembles the skin of a mackerel. It is thought that this pattern is possibly the original one from which tabby cat patterns developed.

Interestingly, if you look at some plain coated cats, eg black, in certain lights you can often see the tabby markings as a very faint pattern in their coats.

Answer: Silk

It is thought that the name of the tabby cat derives from a type of taffeta striped silk fabric which was popular in England in the 17th Century. Around this time the first tabby cats were seen in England and they were probably named after the fabric. It is even mentioned in Samuel Pepys' diary as he describes himself as wearing "my false tabby waistcoat with gold lace" on Sunday 13th October 1661.

The name of the fabric is said to come from the Arabic word attabi for a fabric from the al Attabiya area of ancient Baghdad. This area was famous for its rich, watered silks and if you look at the coat of a tabby cat you can see why it got its name. The word came to English from the Arabic via Latin and French.

Answer: Spinster, old maid or gossip

A tabby was a word for a spinster or old maid and may have come from the habit of single ladies to keep cats as companions - or from the comparison being made between old maids and cats! Some think it may also derive from the old-fashioned (now) name of Tabitha. Whichever it is, I think it sounds nicer than old maid but is still not exactly a compliment.

Answer: Moth

The Large Tabby is a type of moth, Aglossa pinguinalis. It is found in barns and warehouses and its larvae feed on straw, chaff and sheep droppings. Its name presumably comes from the brindled appearance of the adult moth.

Answer: Black Bear

This was in the news in June 2006 when Jack had his 15 minutes of fame. He lived with his owner in New Jersey in the USA and he chased a black bear up a tree! Apparently the bear managed to get down once but was promptly chased back up another tree. The bear only escaped when Jack's owner called him indoors, giving the bear time to climb down and run away before Jack could get to it again.
See http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/5067912.stm for the full story.

Answer: Oyster shells

Tabby is a type of building material made from a mixture of limestone, sand, oyster shells and ash and was probably brought to the US by Spanish settlers in the 16th century. It is thought to come from the Spanish word tapia, which means mud wall and this word in turn may have come from the African/Arabic word tabbi for a mix of lime and mortar. The North African Moors may have taken the technique to Spain and then the Spanish took it on to the New World when they set off on their explorations.

The oyster shells contain calcium carbonate and when this is heated and mixed with sand and water it reacts to from a type of concrete which is very strong. It was used to build houses and walls and some buildings still exist today. This website has some very interesting information if you would like to know more: http://www.bcgov.net/bftlib/tabby.htm

Answer: Samuel Pepys

As mentioned in the information for question 2 above, Samuel Pepys wore a waistcoat of tabby trimmed with gold lace. He was undoubtedly dressed at the very height of fashion as he seems to have been very much the man about town. To the best of my knowledge, none of the other writers has mentioned tabby in their printed works.

Answer: Dorcas

Dorcas means gazelle and is the Greek equivalent of Tabitha, which also means gazelle but in Aramaic. In the bible she was known for her alms-deeds and good works. Peter, who was sent for from Lydda when she died, prayed over her dead body, and said, "Tabitha, arise." and she opened her eyes and sat up. (Acts 9:36-43).

Answer: The Brontes

Tabitha (Tabby) Aykroyd came to work for the Brontes at Haworth in 1824 when she was 53. She stayed there for 31 years and was firstly cook and housekeeper and then, latterly, took on lighter duties after she fell and broke her leg, which refused to heal.

The Bronte children seem to have been very fond of her as they refused to have her moved to her sister's house to be cared for and nursed her themselves.

Answer: M

Nearly all tabby cats have a pattern of stripes between the eyes which forms the letter M. Sometimes it is broken up but it can be a very strong, clear marking. There are a number of legends about the origin of this mark, among which are that the Virgin Mary gave it after a tabby cat helped keep the baby Jesus warm.

Another version is that the prophet Mohammed bestowed it after a tabby cat warned him of danger. Delightful though these legends are, in reality, the alphabets from which each of these people's initials would have been taken would not have contained the letter M. I suppose it's all down to genetics then after all, but, in my book, the tabby cat is certainly a very attractive creature.