This may be news to some people. The tabby cat was named the official cat of the Commonwealth of Massachusetts in 1988, in response to the wishes of school children.
Massachusetts General Law chapter 2, section 30 simply states the cat's offficial status. It does not define what a tabby cat is.
A tabby is not a specific breed, but the term refers instead to a type of fur pattern (actually four of them). Every breed of domestic cat carries the tabby gene. The tabby's name descends from the Arabic term attabiya, a kind of striped silk originally made in the Attabiy neighborhood of Baghdad. You can read more about the history of tabbies on Wikipedia.
If your cat is meowing too loudly for your taste, remember that it is a crime to have a cat or dog devocalized, unless it is done for the express benefit of the animal.
You can read more on Massachusetts laws about animals on our webpage:
As we approach Halloween, black cats will be getting all the attention, but our ordinary tabby cats will be happy to know that they are officially recognized.
