A tabby cat is any domestic cat with a distinctive M-shaped marking on its forehead, stripes by its eyes and across its cheeks, along its back, and around its legs and tail, and characteristic striped, dotted, lined, flecked, banded, or swirled patterns on the body—neck, shoulders, sides, flanks, chest, and abdomen. It is not a breed of cat, but a coat type seen in almost all genetic lines of domestic cats, regardless of breed. The tabby pattern is found in many official cat breeds and is extremely common among the general population of mixed-breed cats around the world. The gene for the tabby pattern can be found in all domestic cats, and these wildly patterned pets vary in size and temperament because they encompass so many different breeds. Tabbies are often thought of as a breed, but their characteristic markings are a coat type. The word "tabby" was originally an English name for striped silk fabric in the 17th and 18th centuries, and it was first used to describe striped cats in the 1690s. There are different types of tabby cats, including the classic tabby, the spotty tabby, the mackerel tabby, and the ticked tabby. Tabby cats are recognizable by their distinctive patterns, which can include stripes, spots, or dashes, and they also have an "M” pattern on their foreheads. Tabbies are affectionate and outgoing, and they make great pets.