m_Fariz asked:
I’m getting confused with quite a range of cat breeds found on the net, and I often tried to figure out my cat shape and compared it with the list on the website, but I’m still not very sure. Mines looks like a mixture of more than one or maybe two types of breeds. Sometimes it looks like Persian, sometimes it looks like Siamese, and sometimes like others. Are there any specific ways in determining the cat breeds? How do all of you doing it?
I’m getting confused with quite a range of cat breeds found on the net, and I often tried to figure out my cat shape and compared it with the list on the website, but I’m still not very sure. Mines looks like a mixture of more than one or maybe two types of breeds. Sometimes it looks like Persian, sometimes it looks like Siamese, and sometimes like others. Are there any specific ways in determining the cat breeds? How do all of you doing it?
November 23rd, 2008 at 10:06 pm
If its long haired you’d probably be safe in calling it a domestic longhair. If shorthaired call it a domestic shorthair.
Most people buy their kittens from a breeder with the mother and sometimes the father on the premises. Some of these cats are registered with their breed listed on the registration papers. Others buy at pet shops and many are aware what the breed looks like before purchasing a kitty.
November 26th, 2008 at 2:17 pm
Put the cat in a carrier, go to the nearest vet, go up to the receptionist, and ask “what kind of cat is this”? If they want money, try another one. But probably they will be glad to tell you.
Unless you paid a lot of money for this cat and forgot to ask what breed it is, you probably just have a cat that is no particular breed, or a mixed breed. A generic shorthaired cat is called a ‘domestic shorthair’ and a generic long haired cat is a ‘domestic longhair’.
November 26th, 2008 at 7:15 pm
if you’re cat has the points like as Siamese and the longhair like a Persian, then it’s a Himalayan.
November 28th, 2008 at 7:16 am
It’s only a specific breed if you have the papers to prove it. Otherwise it’s a domestic longhair or domestic shorthair. However, if you’re just doing this for fun, go to the CFA website where they have links that give descriptions of breeds and their characteristics. They’ll have pictures, too, so you can have a little fun with this, but again, unless you’ve gotten the cat from a breeder and/or the cat has registration papers, it’s not a specific breed. It’s true you can rescue what look like purebred cats from the shelter, but they’re not truly a “purebred” unless they have papers.
November 28th, 2008 at 2:49 pm
Unlike with dogs, where a significant percentage are some sort of breed or an identifiable mix of two breeds, only about 3% of cats are purebred. So your cat is not likely to be an actual breed. But all cats show some characteristics which you will find in one breed or another. If you are comparing your cat to a Siamese (whichis a skinny shorthaired cat) or a Persian/Himalayan (which is a fluffy fat faced cat - at least the show quality ones) then I am assuming you are drawing your comparison based on the coat color. Your cat is probably a colorpoint - dark on the extremities, light on the body. The gene for this coat color does come from the Orient, and so your cat (from way back when) does share some common ancestry with the purebred cats which sport this coat color and pattern in show halls today. But your cat is likely a domestic longhair (DLH) if it has long hair, or a domestic shorthair (DSH) if it has short hair. You might be interested to know that in the cat fancy regular cats with no pedigrees whatsoever may be shown. They must be spayed or neutered. But they can be any size, shape, or color! They compete in the household pet class, and are judged on their overall health and appearance, and individual unique beauty.
You also migh tbe interested in knowing that there are some breeds which have evolved entirely naturally, and where you can still take a kitty who visibly meets the show standard off of the street and show it as a cat of the breed. I breed Turkish Vans, and they are one such breed. My first cat was an actual import from Turkey, and she was successfully shown with no identifiable pedigree whatsoever, because the Turkish Van is a natural breed.