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Massachusetts State Cat:

Orange tabby cat - click to see all state animals
Orange and white tabby cat portrait - photo © Kevin Steele on Flickr -
noncommercial use permitted with attribution

Tabby Cat

The tabby cat (Felis familiaris) was designated the official state cat in 1988, in response to the wishes of the schoolchildren of Massachusetts. Cats are also recognized as state symbols in Maine (Maine coon cat) and in Maryland (calico cat).

Typical tabby cat - click to see all state animals
Gray tabby cat with white chest and boots - photo © Sarah (SarahR89) on Flickr - noncommercial use permitted with attribution

A tabby is not a breed of cat but a description of the cat's fur coloring. Tabby cats have distinctive stripes that occur naturally in many breeds of cat (a feature of the domestic cat's distant ancestor, the African wildcat). The tabby cat stripes often form an "M" above the eyebrows as in the cat below:

Orange tabby kitten- click to see all state animals
Young orange tabby cat © Magdolna Elekes on Flickr -
noncommercial use permitted with attribution

The stripes can be muted or bold, there can be spots and swirrls, or the stripes can appear in patches.

Tabby cat with swirl pattern - click to see all state animals
Tabby cat with "bullseye" swirl pattern - photo by Cassie J on Flickr
use permitted with attribution (from Wikipedia)

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Source:
Massachusetts State Symbols: Citizen Information Service:
Links:
State Animals - Mammals: 50 States List

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What are your State Symbols?

Massachusetts Symbols:

cat - dog
bird - game bird
horse - mammal
fish - reptile
flower - shell
tree -soil
insect - mineral
fossil - gem
rock 1 - 2 - 3 - 4
donut - dessert
bean - berry
cookie - muffin
beverage

flag - seal
motto - colors
name - nickname
songs: 1 - 2 - 3 -
4 - 5 - 6 - 7
blues artist
dance -poem
author - book
hero - heroine
inventor
sport - tartan
memorials
vessel - quarter
 
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