How did
Tabby Cats get their 'M'?
If you
are not a cat lover, you may not be aware of this; almost all Mackerel
Tabby cats have the letter 'M' on their foreheads. When I was a kid almost
all our cats were tabbies, but little did I realize it's a letter 'M' until
I learned about Mackerel Tabby cats from Wiki, since most of the world's
cats are tabbies, the distinctive 'M' is a genetic feature passed on from
generation to generation. This feature is part of the fur pattern.
When I
picked Mackerel Tabby for a cat's name that was simply just a cat's name
from a cat book I liked, not until I discovered on my blog sitemeter, someone
keyed in to search Tabby and Mary and landed on my blog that caught my
attention, what does a Tabby have to do with Mary? Curious, I clicked the
reference and found out .... what is rather interesting the letter 'M'
on tabbies' head has to do with Christmas and the Christ child.
An Italian
legend tells the story of a young cat being in the stable in Bethlehem
during the Christ Child's birth. As the child lay crying in the manger,
none of the animals present could soothe Him to sleep. When the tabby jumped
into the manger, snuggled close, and began to purr, the infant Child responded
as if to a lullaby and soon drifted off to sleep.
Mary gave
the tabby a gentle pet on the forehead. Where her fingers had touched,
the little tabby was marked with an 'M' as a symbol of the Madonna's eternal
gratitude..... this is however only a tale and their is no proof of the
truth about it.
I also
discovered some articles even claimed the letter 'M' on tabby was... tabbies
were blessed by Mohammad hence the 'M' markings on their foreheads.
Hmmm......
So - -
- How do y'all like my "M"?
Princess
Budette (Buddy)
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