How To Find Your Cats Breed

How To Describe Your Cats Appearance

Even if your cat is the feline version of a mutt, you can use accepted terminology to describe its colors and patterns. According to the University of Florida College of Veterinary Medicine, eye colors can be brown, hazel, gold, green, and blue. Solid coat colors come in the following tones:

• Red An amber, orange or rust color

• Cream Off-white with a warm beige hue

• Chocolate Deep brown

• Fawn A cool light gray/tan

• Cinnamon A warm, light brown

• Smoke A blend of gray and black

• White Snow-colored fur

If you have a striped cat, you can describe its markings as tabby. A randomly patched cat is a tortoiseshell. A calico has large tortoiseshell areas. Torbies are tortoiseshell cats with tabby stripes. They may also be called patched tabbies.

Does your cat have white patterns that contrast with its other fur? Mitted cats have white paws. Tuxedo cats have white chests, paws, and bellies. The white color may extend up the nose. A harlequin is mostly white with large color patches on the head, body, and tail. Does your cat have a splash of white on the chest? This is called a locket.

Which Cats Have Two Different Eye Colors

Odd-eye cats have a condition called heterochromia. It is mostly observed in white cats and is considered a genetic anomaly. Breeds that may have heterochromia include: The Russian White, Ragdoll, Van Kedisi, Oriental Shorthair, Persians, Turkish Van, Turkish Angora, Himalayan Cat, Cornish Rex, the Persian, the Japanese Bobtail.

Orange tabby with the classic “M” on the forehead.

Tabby cats are distinguished by having a characteristic “M” on their forehead.

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Here’s How To Tell What Breed Your Cat Is Once And For All

Jason Donnelly

With their smooshed faces and long, luxurious coats, it’s easy to point out a Persian cat from the crowd. The same goes for a Siamesethe lean build, blue eyes, and colorpoint fur are dead giveaways. But when it comes to your furry BFF you brought home from a shelter, things can get a little complicated.

“A cat’s physical attributes and behavior may provide clues as to which breed they might be, but no single characteristic or combination of characteristics can be used to determine a cat’s breed with certainty,” says Alison Gerken, DVM, of the San Francisco SPCA. “While some cat breeds are more easily distinguishable, mixed breed cats often do not resemble their parents or even their littermates, complicating the ability to determine their breeds.”

So how do you tell what breed your cat is? There are a few ways you can guess but only one will give you a solid answer.

Cat Breed Characteristics Behavior And Traits

Determining what your mixed breed cat is also relies heavily on expressed behaviors. From anything from shy, water-loving, vocal, dog-loving, to sassy, energetic, aggressive, you can find out a lot based on noteworthy behaviors.

• Siamese: Siamese are known for being extremely vocal and active.
• Ragdoll: Ragdolls are known for their soft fur and their laid-back demeanor. They will literally go limp in your hands and love to be cuddled.
• Turkish Vans: Turkish Vans are known as water-loving cats. They swim!
• Main Coons: These cats are the largest domestic cat breed! The largest Main Coon, Mymains Stewart Gilligan, measured in at over 4 feet long!

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Whats The Price Of Laperm Kittens

Due to the rarity of this breed, kittens routinely sell for between $300 and $600 with CFA recognized kittens fetching a price on the high end of that spectrum. Kittens with a registered pedigree and award-winning family history will sell for even higher prices.

With few LaPerm breeders in the United States, be sure to thoroughly research any breeder offering LaPerm kittens. Two resources that may be helpful in finding a LaPerm kitten are Adopt A Pet and LaPerm Kitties .

What Is The Definition Of A Crossbred Or Hybrid Cat

Crossbred cats often still receive the same amount of notoriety as purebreds or later get classified as purebreds or experimental purebreds until they are well-established. They are considered designer breeds and often sell for thousands of dollars. Many of these crossbreeds/hybrids are some of the world’s most popular cats and later became purebreds:

• Bengal Cats: The result of crossing the Asian leopard cat with a domestic breed to produce a wild-looking, large house cat with exceptional traitsrosettes, large spots, and “mascara” around the eyesmuch like a leopard. The International Cat Association considers them to be a registered breed.
• Cheetohs: An ongoing attempt to cross the Bengal and the Ocicat , Cheetohs have been granted experimental breed status.
• Savannah Cats: A cross between a domestic house cat and an African wildcat, the serval. They are characterized by their huge ears and long legs, and look much like a leopard.
• Chausie Cats: The result of crossbreeding small wild cats with a domestic breed, this breed is large, adventurous, and active. They are also known as the “Jungle Curl,””Stone Cougar,” or “Mountain Cougar.”
• Toygers: In 2007, The International Cat Association recognized Toygers as a breed, but they originated by crossing domestic shorthair tabbies to highlight their “toy tiger” traits.

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If Your Cat Has Wild Cat Dna

All cats belong to the Felidae family. So theyre all genetically related.1

Scientists say that domestic cats descended from the Middle Eastern wildcat, Felis sylvestris.2

Some testing kits check for wild cat DNA. They can tell you which wildcats have the most similar DNA with your feline.

According to Basepaws DNA, my cat has the most genetic resemblance with a tiger.

The Issue With Mislabelling

Finally, I want to give you some insights on why labeling cats correctly is important. Cat breeds are not as extreme as dog breeds and it can be difficult to recognize them for a novice: mislabelling just reinforces this phenomenon. In fact, you will never know what an actual Maine Coon or Siamese cat looks like if you see only mislabeled domestic cats.This lack of knowledge benefits backyard breeders and malicious people, who will easily sell any domestics cats as a breed. You will often see any tabby longhair kitten sold as a Maine Coon, or a seal point kitten sold as a Siamese, without any pedigree or health testing. Reinforcing and educating around the fact that having a pedigree = breed, and no pedigree = no breed, is a first step into fighting backyard breeders and toward ethical breeding.

To conclude, if your cat doesnt have a pedigree, you cant know its breed, and its extremely likely that it is a domestic cat that bred with other domestic cats without human intervention, as cats developed differently from dogs. However, this doesnt mean anything about the worth of your cat, and you should be proud of it, no matter its origins!

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What Breed Is My Cat Identification Guide

According to The International Cat Association, there are 71 officially recognized cat breeds. Of course, not every cat is purebred, so any particular feline could be a mix of two or more of these official breeds, making it exceptionally hard to identify a cat whose breed is unknown. But cat lovers are commonly adding cats to their family that they know little to nothing about. Anyone who knows a feline fanatic has almost certainly seen them add a feral kitty to their collection at one point or another!

If you purchase a cat from a breeder or pet store, youll know exactly what type of kitten youre getting. But if you adopt it from a shelter or off the street, you could be holding a mixed bag of traits with no specific breed to point to. Even if your cat is purebred, identifying its breed can be tricky, as no two cats are ever identical. Luckily, youve found this identification guide, which will help you to determine what breed of kitty you have without the need for genetic testing!

Your Cats Breed Percentage

If you buy a cat from a pet shop or a trusted breeder, youll likely know its breed. It can be a purebred cat with a certified pedigree, or a registered hybrid with known parents.

Its different if you adopt a stray or an abandoned cat, or if you were given one as a gift. Most shelters and foster parents identify them based on appearance.

Physical traits like the coat and color pattern can help you find out what breed your cat is. But without a history or pedigree, its not a reliable way of knowing.

Feline DNA tests compare your cats DNA with recognized cat breeds and breed groups. It gives you an estimate of your cats breed.

Here is an example from Basepaws Cat DNA Test. It says that my cat Bukowski is 63% Western. Based on his results, he’s 17.64% Russian Blue and 9.50% Ragdoll.

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Which Characteristics Might Offer Clues To A Cats Breed

In the International Cat Associations genetic register of pedigree cats, there are 73 different varieties of purebred cats that are recognized. However, according to Jo Myers, a registered veterinarian with JustAnswer, there are as many as 300-400 different breeds of dogs, depending on which registries are included. The presence of purebred cats is a relatively new phenomena, according to Myers, because most cat breeds were not formed until the last one hundred years. The majority of cats living on the earth today are not the product of any form of deliberate breeding, as a result of this.

THE DOCTOR OF VETERINARY MEDICINE STACY CHOCZYNSKI JOHNSON So, when you adopt a cat from your local rescue organization, you may expect to find a mix of different cat breeds in your new companion.

According to Johnson, if you have a mixed-breed cat, youre essentially guessing whether or not an ancestor was a rare breed.

Somali Kittens Before You Buy

Most notable for their high energy and playful demeanors, living with a Somali can be very much like living with a small, curious human. Constantly on the prowl for mischief to make, youll need to be sure to remove all breakables in your house from even the highest of shelves. If you can see it, your Somali can get to it and if they can get to it, they will try to play with it.

Starting as a spontaneous genetic mutation of the Abyssinian, the Somali still very much resembles its genetic forebear. Active and hungry for attention, they make excellent additions to families with children, or in houses with other animals to keep them company.

The Somalis limited genetic variation does make it prone to a variety of inherited health conditions, ranging from minor to severe. Chief amongst these is PK deficiency, a type of anemia that severely reduces a cats lifespan. If buying from a breeder, always inquire as to whether their Somali cats have been screened for PK deficiency if they dont know what this means or dont perform the screening, do not purchase a Somali from that breeder.

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Is Your Cat A Pure Breed

Alycia Washington is a Doctor of Veterinary Medicine with nearly a decade of experience as a small animal emergency veterinarian. She currently works as a relief veterinarian for various emergency and specialty hospitals. Dr. Washington recognizes the importance of education and also works as a freelance veterinary writer.

Illustration: The Spruce / Evan Polenghi

Most cat breed standards allow for several different eye and fur color or coat patterns within the physical appearance descriptions. This can make it difficult if you are trying to determine what kind of cat you have by reading what colors and patterns each breed of cat can come in. Just because you have a black cat with golden eyes does not mean you have a Bombay, nor does your large longhair tabby automatically become a Maine Coon since you read Maine Coons can come in that pattern. Domestic house cats can also come in almost every color and pattern with varying lengths of fur and are referred to simply as mixed breed cats.

Coat Color And Pattern

Different breeds have different coat colors and patterns. For instance, a Bengal can be spotted or marbled.

Some cat breeds, including Siamese, Exotic Shorthairs, Ragdolls, and British Shorthairs, are color pointed. Their paws, face, ears, and tail are a different shade to their body. The colours of their points can vary from shades of grey or brown to red and lilac.

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Common Health Problems In Scottish Folds

As mentioned above, Scottish Folds have a number of health issues due to the folded-ear mutation.

• Fish only: this type of aquarium only houses fish, and possibly algae and detritivores organisms .
• Reef: this type of aquarium can house hard corals but they require special equipment. Invertebrates with special requirements can also be added.
• Mixed: this last type of saltwater aquarium can accommodate soft corals and fish.

All of these conditions can be managed with medication and a good diet. However, the Scottish Folds health problems can be very serious if left untreated. So, its very important to buy a Scottish Fold from a reputable breeder. They should be able to provide a health guarantee that covers all of these issues.

How To Test Your Cats Dna

Tip: Frequently check your cat’s test results. The latest discoveries may be added to the reports, and shed new information on your cat’s breed and health.

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Choosing The Best Food For American Shorthair Kittens

Like several other breeds, American Shorthairs are slow to mature, with many not reaching their full size until 3 or 4 years of age. To support your American kittens growth and development, select a complete and balanced kitten food such as Purina Pro Plan Kitten Chicken & Rice Formula or Purina ONE Healthy Kitten Formula during her first year or so of life. Switch her to a complete and balanced adult cat food after her first birthday.

Give Us Feedback On The Cat Scanner App

Let us know if the cats breed has been correctly identified. If not, you will get useful tips to improve your own results. If you also indicate which cat breed is in the picture, you help us to enhance our software since the app automatically learns how to provide even more accurate outcomes.Suggest or vote for cat breeds that you want us to add to the app in the future!

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How To Put Weight On Cats

To help a cat gain weight, ensure it has access to plenty of high-caloriefood and water throughout the day . Additionally, its important to feed them a nutritious diet that is high in antioxidants, protein, and calories.

Supplements such as omega-3 fatty acids, probiotics, and digestive enzymes can also support their digestion. Finally, regular physical activity for your cat will help maintain muscle mass, which can play an integral role in helping them reach a healthy weight.

Allowing your pet access to outdoor areas or engaging with interactive toys can be great ways to get them moving and encourage heavier weights. With patience and dedication, putting weight on cats doesnt have to be a difficult task. By following these steps and providing your cat with the necessary nutrients, you can easily help it reach its ideal weight.

Dont do anything before consulting with your vet first, though. They will ensure that their diet and activity levels remain healthy and appropriate for their age, breed, size, and overall condition. With the proper care and nutrition, anything is achievablehowever, remember that moderation is key, as feline obesity can be just as dangerous as being underweight.

Cat Characteristics And What To Look For

When youre trying to identify the specific breed of your cat, there are important characteristics to look out for. Typically, you want to pay attention to:

• Behavior and mannerisms

These features usually contain the differentiating factors between cat breeds. Most breeds will have very distinct characteristics within one of these features.

There are many different breeds of cats as well as breed combinations. Cats can be purebred, crossbred, or mixed breed. Its rare to find a purebred cat outside of a breeder, so most cats that are adopted from shelters, rescues, and fosters will be a combination of breeds.

There are three main coat categories when it comes to cats, and identifying this is the quickest and easiest way to begin narrowing down the breed of your cat.

Domestic Short Hair

The domestic short-haired cat is by far the most common cat breed in the country. There are an estimated 80 million domestic short hairs in the United States alonethis means they make up a whopping 90-95% of all cats in America.

Domestic Medium Hair

The domestic medium-haired cat is a cat of mixed coat length. Most likely bred with parents that had a combination of both short and long hair, they have a very fluffy quality to their fur.

Domestic Long Hair

The domestic long-haired cat is the second most common cat breed in the country. Characterized by their long, flowing hair, domestic long-haired cats will be easy to identify even as kittens.

Black

• Lilac or lavender

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