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A brown tabby kitten in a plush hot dog bun costume with a mustard squiggle sits on a leafy lawn near a house. 5 / 22

Out on the Backyard Lawn, a Tabby Kitten Has Become a Hot Dog

AI imagehalloweentabby kittenhot dog costume

Out on the backyard lawn, a brown tabby kitten has been tucked into a plush hot dog costume, the soft tan bun hugging his sides and a red sausage topped with a wavy yellow line of mustard running along his back. His striped legs and paws stick out underneath, and his amber eyes look up with an expression that's somewhere between confused and resigned. Fallen leaves dot the grass around him, and in the background, a pair of carved jack-o'-lanterns grin from beside the house.

Take a close look at his forehead and you'll spot one of the most recognizable features of the tabby pattern: a distinct letter M formed by the dark stripes above the eyes. Nearly every tabby cat has this marking, whether it's a brown, silver, orange, or gray tabby, and whether the cat is purebred or a mixed-breed house cat. Tabby isn't a breed, but a coat pattern, and it comes in several varieties, including classic swirls, mackerel stripes, spots, and the fine ticked look. Many folk tales have grown up around that M over the centuries, but its real origin is simply genetics.

This little tabby may wear his M with pride, but the hot dog bun is a different story. He looks ready to trade it for a nap on the porch.

Plenty of costumes are clever. Only a few come with relish, and none come with whiskers quite like these.

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