Why cats have the letter m on their heads

To a good owner, his cat is the best. Whether it has an "m" on its forehead or not does not matter. Those who believe in the ability of cats to heal diseases should know that this ability depends not on the color, but on the relationship with the owner. How much a cat loves its owner, so much does it take away his illness, sometimes dying prematurely because of it.

Interesting myth of the origin of the letter "M" on kittens.

Good day to you all! As time went on, I began to notice that almost every cat I encountered had a mark on it. At first I googled what the letter "M" meant, and I was told that there are different breeds with the letter "M" from some ancient Sphynx to the modern British. But really, it's all nonsense, as I've even noticed the letters on yard cats. And I decided to find out why that was. I started searching for information and found this interesting theory: it all began with the times of the Inquisition. Everyone knows that in ancient times people were very pious, and during the Inquisition any "witch" was burned at the stake, not really knowing what people did not share and why she was so slandered. And if a witch had a cat or a cat, they were burned too, because they were considered to be guides and servants of the devil.

But only those cats with the letter "M" on their muzzles were not touched. It was believed that when the Virgin Mary gave birth to Jesus in the stable, the cat lay next to him, warmed him and put him to sleep with its purr, in gratitude Mary put the first letter of her name on the forehead of the noble cat. By the way, this is the reason cats are the only animals that can be in church.

There is also a legend that Mary rewarded the cat for killing the snake sent by the devil into the crib of the sleeping Jesus.

So it turns out that during the Inquisition people arranged a "genocide" of ordinary cats without the letter "M". In Islam too, cats are revered and allowed to enter the mosque. There are several legends:

• The cat was the favorite animal of the Prophet Muhammad.
• One day, when the Prophet Muhammad sat down to rest in a pew, his cat, Mietza, rested on the edge of his clothes. So, in his hurry to pray, but not wanting to wake the cat, Muhammad cut off the hem of his robe.
• One day Muhammad let the cat drink water from his vessel and then used the same water for religious ablutions.
• Prophet Muhammad gave his sermons while holding the cat in his arms.
• The Prophet Muhammad taught his cat to fall on its paws from any position.
• Cats with an "M" on their foreheads were considered marked by Muhammad's hand.

Mary's fault?

The "M" pattern is now found on the foreheads of cats of many different breeds. Cats of this color have a special gene in their DNA that is responsible for the formation of the "Mary mark." This is the agouti gene, and it is apparently a dominant one in tabby cats, which means that the pattern will appear on the cat's forehead even if only one of the parents originally had it. Experienced breeders necessarily take this into account when dealing with customers who want a pure color cat, without stripes.

How exactly does this gene work so that the letter "M" appears? In fact, there is no alphabet coded here. The secret of how this particular pattern appears is that the hair on the cat's forehead grows in one direction, perpendicular to the ears, and the darker lines of hair that appear because of the agouti gene line up in the same direction. The coats are not necessarily perfectly parallel to each other, and this feature of their growth is what leads to the pattern that reminds you of the letter "M."

The secret sign

The reason why your cat's forehead has a "M" mark may be very prosaic, but that does not mean that no one has ever tried to think up a more interesting and ironic explanation for the "inscription", and it does not mean that you cannot come up with your own "deciphering" of the pattern.

One of the most popular on the web humorous versions about why your cat has "M" written on his forehead is a very possessive guess: forum users say it means "mine" (in English it means "my").

Another version, less possessive and much more feline, says that the "M" is the "meow" (in the English version, "meow") that is imprinted on the foreheads of select cats. Sounds like a veiled theory of cats taking over the world, doesn't it?

Cat breed with the letter m

Sometimes a cat's natural coloring allows you to see different patterns on its fur. There are animals with the letter "m" on their foreheads among all kinds of breeds. Does it mean something special?

The article gives answers to frequently asked questions about cats, cats and kittens of the most interesting and popular breeds that lovers of such charming and beautiful pets most often have to deal with. It is advisable to pay attention to the other articles of this project, fully dedicated to all aspects of keeping cats.

Cat breed with the letter m on the forehead, head

What breeds can have an "m" pattern on their head? The coat color of cats with the letter "m" on the head is called "tabby". Any breed can have this coloration. "Tabby" can be of several kinds: – marbled color (with spiral stripes on the sides); – striped color (parallel vertical stripes on the body); – spotted color (with a spotted pattern on the body), etc.

The letter m on the forehead of a cat has a meaning

Regardless of coat color, body pattern or cat breed, the letter "m" on the head means tabby color. There are several cat breeds which do not allow tabby color: – Russian Blue; – Siamese; – Burmese; – Chartreuse; – Balinese; – Bombay etc. For the other breeds, "tabby" color is common and is found even in non-bred pets.

What the letter m means on the forehead of cats legend

There are many legends about the letter "m" on the muzzle of cats. One of them is the most interesting.

In ancient times, when cats in medieval Europe were considered servants of evil forces, they were mercilessly killed. Only animals with the letter "m" on their heads were not touched.

They were recognized as the descendants of the cats that warmed little Jesus in the stable. The people believed that the Virgin Mary had given them this sign for protection. The letter "m" is the first letter of Our Lady's name.

Where do cats get the letter M on their foreheads?

The letter M on the forehead of cats or the sign of the scarab occurs only in striped tabby cats. Such coloring, such features. One of the breeds of Egyptian Mau, the sign of the scarab on her forehead is a distinctive sign of the breed.

Muslim legend says that these are the fingerprints of the Prophet Muhammad, who was known to be very fond of cats and often stroked them. Therefore, in Muslim countries it is not customary to harm cats. A cat is considered a "clean" animal, unlike a dog, can live in the house, and it can also always enter the mosque unhindered.

In fact, the letter "M" is a genetic feature characteristic of striped cats.

This color is called "tabby", it is needed so that the hunter sitting in an ambush was not very noticeable for his victim among the grass, merged with the terrain, the stripes are the cat's camouflage. A solid-colored cat is much easier to spot.

Why do cats have the letter M on their foreheads?

Not all cats have the letter "M", only tabby color (patterned) cats.

M-shaped markings on their foreheads. These cats were called "Madonna cats", because legend has it that the Virgin Mary in Nazareth kept a cat of such color, and since then such cats have received a mark of Madonna "M".

The first cats with a mark on their foreheads appeared in India in the Middle Ages. It was a breed of tiger cats. They were revered and considered something divine. If such a cat lived in the house, then it was the talisman of the family. And there are very few cats with such a mark.

Almost all the painted (marbled, tiger) cats have such a "letter.
And cats. And cats. Both pedigree and non-pedigree.
Here's my pedigree cat
And here is a non-breed. Mine. It's not so contrasting against the red.

What's your cat's breed? I have a very similar one. We just picked him up. Maybe mine is a purebred, but we don't know.

Christmas tree Artificial Intelligence (125578) The pedigree of a cat must be confirmed by documents of origin. I have Maine Coons. Luckily they don't roam the streets yet. Expensive animals to throw away.

Why do cats have the letter M on their foreheads? What does the letter M on a cat's forehead mean?

Psychiatry distinguishes between apophenia as a general name for an aberration in which patients tend to "find" connections between objects, objects, phenomena, and events that are in no way related to each other. Its special case is pareidoliathat is, the ability to distinguish images in random spots and shadows. There is no "letter M" on the cat's forehead, just an arrangement of pigment on the hair striving for (but not reaching) symmetry, similar to the pictures in a kaleidoscope, but with only one reflection.

"Letter" can be replaced on striped, marbled and speckled individuals. Most often found on Asian tabbies (extremely rare in the world) and their ancestors – Persian, Burmese and simply marbled and striped.

There is an apparent letter M at Persians and Chinchilla breed (but at Chinchilla this letter becomes blurred with age and apparent it is not present any more).Such letter M is at all cats of color of a marbled and tiger.And in general there is such legend.That the Virgin Maria in Nazareth kept such color cats with the letter M on the forehead.Since then such cats have received a sign of Madonna M.

Alternatively, because it purrs, "Purr, purr, purr!" And because she loves Milk! From the Bowl.

Some cats have an "M" sign on their forehead, and it stands for Higher Wisdom. Who could argue, but still, cats are actually very wise: they can sense many things, including their own death, also have the ability to heal people, some can find their home at a great distance.

There is an interesting legend about the origin of the "M" sign on the forehead of cats. In medieval Europe, when the cat was considered the spawn of evil and accused it of friendship with the devil, they tried in every possible way to destroy them. But cats with M marks on their heads were not harmed, because people believed that the ancestors of such cats had kept the baby Jesus warm in the stable. And the Virgin herself gave these creatures this sign – the letter M by the first letter of her name Mary.

Where a cat has the letter M and what it means

Probably each of us at least once heard about some "Mary mark" in fluffy purrs. It means that the cat has somewhere on its body the letter "M". But exactly where, why this letter, and most interestingly, what it means, is not entirely clear.

And there are many fabulous and interesting legends explaining this fact. So, some believe that the letter M marked the cat by the prophet Mohammed, who was very fond of these animals.

But there is cause for doubt because there is no such letter in the Arabic alphabet. And some even say that the prophet simply stroked the animal, leaving stripes on the cat's fur from his fingers.

There is a legend that the cat lay down next to the Virgin Mary's newborn son Jesus, warmed him and put him to sleep with its purr. And as a sign of gratitude, Mary inscribed the first letter of her name on the cat's forehead. In addition, there are more modern, but still unlikely explanations for such a secret sign.

So some owners believe that the letter "M" on the cat's head means that the purr belongs to a particular owner – "Mine". Well, or the simplest interpretation – "M" is short for "meow." And that, as you know, is the language of all kitties.

But is there any more logical explanation for this sign? It turns out that in the DNA of cats with similar markings there is a special gene called agouti. And it is due to it that if the hair on the forehead of the animal grows in one direction (perpendicular to the ears), then the darker lines of the hair, which appear because of this gene, are built in one direction.

And since the coats do not always grow parallel to each other, there is a pattern that reminds us of the letter "m." Such a marking is a sign of the color tabby.

And there is speculation that this unusual color is the result of interspecies crossbreeding.

What kind of cats have "m" on their foreheads?

It's not a sign of a breed, it's a sign of COLOUR. ALL patterned (tabby) cats have this letter.
Look, here's a Maine Coon
Devon Rex
Oriental

Exot (short-haired Persian)
Siberian

The letter "M" on the forehead is part of the tabby color.
A tabby is a pattern on a coat. All tabbies have thin lines on their muzzles, expressively contouring the eyes, and forming the letter "M" on their foreheads. If you look at the coat up close, you can see that each hair is colored with dark and light stripes. This alternation is called "Agouti" . It is generally accepted that tabby is the original color of wild, undomesticated cats.
Siberian – Colors:
Black tiger cats have the dominant B (black) allele. The darkest color in the coloration is really black: the tip of the tail, stripes on the legs, back and sides. The background color in between the stripes can be gray, brown, sometimes even warm orange. Color of undercoat is not regulated by the standard for this color, the main requirement is the correct location of the stripes (the classic "M" on the forehead, .
Less common is a marbled color. Its designation SIB n 22 by system of ems-codes. Its other names: brown classic tabby, black classic tabby. The animals have the letter "M" on their foreheads, the name "M" on the forehead, the sign "M" on the lips, the sign of the top of the nose, and the name of the dog.
Often at exhibitions it is possible to meet the Siberian striped cats which lead judges in bewilderment and cause the big disputes concerning acceptability of their color and also a correct designation (SIB n 21 or nevertheless "pull" to SIB n 24 or 23): a cat looks like a typical agouti-factor cat: letter "M" on forehead.
Bengal breed – color
The brown coloration is the most common, especially in the spotted version. The word "brown" refers to all sorts of shades, from the coolest to the warmest. Spots can range from black to chocolate. A pale, almost white tone appears at the level of the mustache, on the chin, on the chest and on the inside of the paws. There is makeup on the muzzle and a distinct "M" on the forehead. …

Siberian cats: purrs with the letter M on their heads

Don't know what breed your Vaska, picked up out of sheer simplicity on the street, is? Look at him carefully, the presence of the characteristic for Siberian cats M letter on the forehead will tell you a lot at once. You can safely tell your friends that your pet belongs to the Siberian cat. Maine Coon also has letter M in the same place, but here you will need tassels on the ears in order to be Maine Coon.

Although our Siberian cats do not have tassels, but they are in no way inferior to their overseas relatives and sometimes even superior. First of all, Siberian cats live 4-5 years longer than Americans on the average. One of the peculiarities of our breed is the cats' care of their offspring; they help the cat and take care of the kittens. It is characteristic for this breed to live in a pair, and the cat in most cases is faithful to his cat and will not run away to the left.

When paired, they are more active and emotionally feel much better. They move more and show interest in life. Cats, unlike cats, are considered hypoallergenic, although science has not yet confirmed this, but judging by observations of breeders, perhaps it is so.

But back to Vaska. He may be a subspecies of the Siberian cat. Have you heard of the Neva Masquerade breed? Which have a characteristic letter M, and muzzle like a mask and also gloves of the same color. Masquerade cats appeared in the city on the Neva in 1988, and three years later gained international recognition. The breed has inherited from the Siberians strong health, poise and a healthy mentality.