also: サバねこ · サバネコ
mackerel tabby; gray tabby cat
Refers to a cat with a striped coat pattern resembling mackerel markings; the most common tabby pattern in domestic cats.
Our mackerel tabby is very friendly.
That gray tabby's pattern is beautiful, isn't it?
Standard kanji spelling; 鯖 (mackerel) + 猫 (cat).
Mixed kana-kanji spelling; common in casual writing.
Full katakana spelling; often used for emphasis or in informal contexts.
Compound of 鯖 (saba, 'mackerel') + 猫 (neko, 'cat'), from the resemblance of the striped coat pattern to the markings on a mackerel.