[Dominic]

Ok I am wanting to get myself a kitten and have seen many adds saying 1 x black and white and 1 x tabby and so on. So me not knowing a thing finds out that Tabby is the markings on the coat not the colour. I have seen so many adds for Tabbies with no indication of colour but they do if its not a tabby so I am guessing that there must be a general colour for Tabbies, or people assume that Tabby is colour. Please can someone shred some light on this, many thanks!

 

[Veda]

I think most people refer to the tan/brown and black striped color as tabby.

 

[Aonir]

Funny Veda. Be and my fiance are having an agrument on this lol
He says its brown. I say its gray/tan!

But either way, yah, black stripes. I have Tabbies available on my Web site. You can view their pics to get an idea if you want.

 

[Dominic]

Aonir. those kittens on your website look adorable!!!

Its a pity I live so far away here in the UK otherwise I would of snapped one up! I understand that this is the end of the breeding season and there are not many kittens around, or as I have seen they get snapped up very quickly. My local pet shop have two female tabbies at 9 weeks for £120 which is very expensive, they are available tomorrow first come first serve. I think this maybe my only chance.

My girlfriend is a huge cat lover and has pestered me for years to get a cat, I have succumbed, I love them myself and am in a better postion to look after one, If i suceed it will make both our christmas's and years to come!

 

[Rayona]

Please Dominic, adopt your kitties from a shelter! You will find all sorts of fantastic cats--old, young, siamese, tabby, whatever you might want. 9 weeks is too young to take kittens from their mothers, which suggests that your pet store is not very responsible. Do everyone a favor and take home a moggy! <<))

 

[Dominic]

I understand what you are saying, and have looked into pet sancturies, but its really a kitten I want and they don't have any as its so late in the breeding season here. These kittens at the pet shop were unexpectedly delivered in so I don't know about their mother. The way I see it is they are going to be sold no matter what and at least I know I am going to supply a good loving home for one.

 

[shlanon]

Dominic, please conisder getting an adult cat from the animal shelter. Not everyone will want to do this, but you would giving a cat a home that otherwise has a small chance of finding one. This time of year is a great chance for adult cats to find homes since there are fewer kittens!
I'm stealing this quote from http://www.geocities.com/Heartland/Poin ... egacy.html
"I can only tell you that my conclusion regarding my own experience has been that there are those of us who have to give our love away. And there are souls out there who desperately need it. Especially older ones who have been abused, abandoned, neglected. Who have never known what its like to sit in a humans lap and be brushed and fussed over, who don't understand how to play with toys, who don't know how intoxicating catnip is. They don't understand what its like to always have food so they never go hungry, or a warm dry place to sleep every night. They don't have someone to worry about their health and protect them from things that are hurtful. When you are ready to give away your love, please consider the ones like these who need the love of someone very special. Someone just like you."
To me, that touches my heart and hurts to know that there are adult cats that will live in shelters and either be killed or be a "lifer" and will never know what it is like to have a forever home.
That said, if you still really feel like a kitten is best for you, please just wait until kitten season to get one from the animal shelter. By buying from a pet shop, you are supporting that type of business and poor treatment of animals.
Edit: Another quote from the website: "Its sad, but true, that most cats are difficult to adopt out once they get to be past the 6 month stage. But my experience with adopting older cats has been that they are by far the most rewarding to take in. It is so incredibly fulfilling to take the ones no one else wants and to see them flourish with a little bit of love. They are so grateful. These are the ones who truly understand how special it is to have someone love them." And I can vouch for it. When I think of my Justin and how loving he is, it makes me grateful that I was lucky enough to get him but sad to think of how many other cats are missing out a good home and how many pet owners are missing out on the tremendous amount of love an adult cat can give them.

 

[Wayne]

I am thinking that any domestic cat with any kind of stripes is a Tabby. Color is not a factor, but whether it has stripes or not is. There are two distinct types of tabbies; (1) is a mackerel-striped cat. It has stripes which run perpendicular to the lenght of the cat. I have 4 such cats. two of them are white with mackerel striped patches on them, one is an orange tabby. and the other is a vaguely striped kitty which is an Oreintal short hair mix. (2) Is a "traditional tabby". these cats have stripes that run parallel to the length of the cat, and often have a circular pattern on their sides. I have one such cat in my menagerie, Chrissie. I often refer to these types of coloration as a "swirl tabby".