Tiger is a nickname, not a breed. On adoption listings it almost always describes a mackerel tabby: a cat with narrow, unbroken or broken stripes running down its sides, ringed legs and tail, and the classic M marking on the forehead. Most tiger cats in shelters are domestic shorthairs of mixed ancestry, though the striped pattern also turns up in many pedigreed breeds and in medium- and long-haired cats. They come in brown, gray, silver, orange and cream.
Because the pattern says nothing about breed, a tiger cat's size, personality and health depend on the cat. Many are sturdy, adaptable and affectionate, ranging from playful kittens to mellow seniors. Mackerel stripes are considered the original wild-type tabby pattern, inherited from the cat's wild ancestors. Meeting a cat tells you far more than its stripes.