<P> Since the tabby pattern is a common wild type, it might be assumed that medieval cats were tabbies . However, one writer believed this to be untrue, at least in England . Some time after the mid-17th century, the natural philosopher John Aubrey noted that William Laud, the Archbishop of Canterbury was "a great lover of Cats" and "was presented with some Cyprus - cats, i.e. our Tabby - Cats". He then claimed that "I doe (sic) well remember that the common English Catt, was white with some blueish piednesse (i.e. white with grey parts). The race or breed of them are now almost lost ." However, most drawings or paintings of cats in medieval manuscripts do show them to be tabbies . </P> <P> Well - known tabby cats include Freya, who belongs to former British Chancellor of the Exchequer, George Osborne, and Think Think, one of two cats belonging to the President of Taiwan, Tsai Ing - wen . One of the first mass - produced stuffed toys, the Ithaca Kitty, was inspired by a tabby cat . </P>

Why do tabbies have an m on their forehead