Dog breeds come from generations of selective breeding, but so many cat breeds seem to be called breeds very quickly because of mutations.
What cats were bred with a particular purpose, and what was the purpose? Are some just from special lines that have been continued for a while even if there was no special purpose?
How long did it take from the original mutation for each of these cats to become a breed with a standard?
Like the Sphinx- random hairless cats pop up in Canada and tada- let’s keep breeding them and turn it into a breed.
Munchkin- that is a form of dwarfism isn’t it?
What other cat breeds originated from mutations?
Bengals are a whole different story- those are from wild animals because people feel the need to have an exotic pet that acts like a domestic one.
What are your feelings on these breeds? Where is the line between providing cats with predictable qualities and just providing a cat that is special for a mutation or for having wild blood?
OK- let me expand “purpose” since dogs do more defintie jobs.
What cats were bred for particular TRAITS- like a certain temperment or activity level, and what ones were bred because of a neat looking mutation?
May 2nd, 2008 at 1:43 pm
Basically cats only “purpose” would be to hunt down mice/rats - so they would be from farms or in the wild (ferels). Siamese were once “royal” cats to keep the palace free of mice - they were more slendar then the other Siamese on the streets (that is why you have 2 different looks).
Other mutations are Manx (tailless), Cornish and Devon Rexes (2 separate mutations in England), Scottish Folds (Scotland). No one know how mutations just turn up - but people find them and think they are unique and start trying to reproduce them.
Some mutations work well, some have no real interest and die out. People are fasinated with “wild” and like to reproduce them. I don’t agree with all new breeds using wild cat blood; it took me years before I’m more willing to accept the Bengal. I have Ocicats - an accidental creation but there is no wild blood in them (all 100% domestic breeds - siamese, abysinnian, and american sh).
May 3rd, 2008 at 4:34 pm
Well since cats are not bred to serve any other purpose than to catch mice and be companions. The only thing left for people who fancy them is to further mutations. Its a hobby simply. Some one saw a Folded ear kitten and bred it. It has some folded ear kittens and they breed those, so on and so forth, and bam you have American Curls. Its a thing since some people have nothing better to do, they dont like dogs or other animals so they work on cats. I cant think of ONE cat really purposely bred except maybe the Devon and Cornish Rex’s for hypo allergenic cats. The funny thing is they are not Hypo allergenic. So its purpose was defeated. Anyone with a severe allergy is still allergic to these breeds including sphinx’s. These cats are only for those with slight allergies. So my answer is these cats are propagated for the heck of the hobby. Not for any specific reasons.
May 4th, 2008 at 8:44 pm
Mutation is not the term I would use. That implies a defect, although scientifically it has a broader use.
As far as traits, the pushed in or flat face of some long haired cats are specifically bred for that appearance. And, they have a host of health problems because of it.
Cats pretty well come in one basic size, so other than those who want a very tiny cat, there really is little value to selective breeding to get a specific appearance. While dogs come in a wide range of sizes, some people want a small dog that looks like a miniature of a much larger dog, so selective breeding is done. Or they want a mix of two popular breeds, like a labradoodle.
If you want to get specific, there is a genetically engineered cat that lacks the protein that causes the majority of the allergens in the dander. That might truly be the only case of a genetic engineering situation where a specific outcome was sought.
The temperament of a cat is set in the first couple of months of life, when it is with its mother and is being taught. That is not breed specific.
May 6th, 2008 at 10:06 pm
Comparing dog breeding and cat breeding is like comparing apples and oranges. Dog breeds developed from differences between working dogs doing specific jobs over long periods of time. Cat breeds are bred purely for their aesthetic qualities. No cat breeder makes selective breeding decisions based on a cat’s mousing ability, but only on its closeness to the breed standard. ALL cat breeds are also selected for good disposition, which is why in general pedigree cats are friendlier and more people-dependant, sometimes overly so. Cat breeding is much more like breeding of mice, rats, guinea pigs, rabbits etc in that regard, with two exeptions: cats breeds have never been developed for lab testing or for food! But in the way in which they are all developed into fancy breeds based on mutations of the coat length, colur, pattern and texture they are all similar. The cat fancy is much more strict on health issues than the dog fancy, but is not without its problems. Sadly on a rare occasion on of these breed mutations can be found to contribute to health problems, such as with the Scottish Fold.
May 10th, 2008 at 1:26 am
Other natural mutations that resulted in breeds:
Siamese (way back, the Siamese cats’ forebears were solid black cats; the pointed pattern was a mutation)
Balinese (the longhair mutation cropped up in Siamese litters, was originally considered undesireable, then was cultivated and developed into a breed)
American Curl
Scottish Fold
Peterbald
Manx
American Wirehair
Cornish Rex
Devon Rex
Selkirk Rex
Japanese Bobtail (most likely a spontaneous mutation several centuries ago)
LaPerm
Any cat that is red or cream; red was a color mutation.
Any cat that is chocolate or its dilute, lilac; that was a color mutation
Munchkins really are marginal as it’s not an accepted breed in feline registries.
I am opposed to wild crosses and “designer” breeds that are only created for the purpose of big dollars and not accepted in any registry.
Cat breeds are generally natural, mutations or hybrids. The natural breeds are usually from a specific geographic area. Mutations, if proven benign, make for interesting aesthetics. Different breeds have different general personality traits and aesthetics that appeal to different people.