One thing that all tabby cats have in common is a marking on their foreheads that looks like the letter M. Charlie and Max think the “M” on their foreheads stands for ‘magnificent’. Of course, there are a number of legends about the reason for the M; which one do you prefer?
• Mau – In Ancient Egypt cats were called by the name Mau, probably because of the sound they made, so could it be that the M stands for Mau?
• Mary – Another legend tells of the baby Jesus being warmed by a tabby cat in the manger, because the other animals there were too big to snuggle up to him. As a sign of her gratitude, Mary gave her initial as the mark on the cat’s forehead.
• Mohammed – Keeping with the religious theme, there are a number of well-known stories about the Prophet Mohammed’s love of cats. For instance, his cat Muezza was once said to be sleeping on the sleeve of his robe, and rather than disturb his cat when he had to go to prayer, Mohammed cut off the sleeve. Many believe that that M on a tabby’s head stands for Mohammed, protector of cats.
• Mother – A more recent story of how tabby cats came to have an M on their forehead comes from writer and animal welfare advocate Jim Willis, in his story ‘Beloved of Bast’. The story tells of a cat named Mother who is visited by Bast, beloved cat of sun goddess Ra, who decrees that all tabby cats should have the letter M on their forehead to commemorate Mother’s kindness.
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