What Breed is My Cat?

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rhianna

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Harley showed up at our house 9 years ago and never left. He was in bad shape - very thin with dirty, matted fur and scabs around his body. Nonetheless, he was the sweetest cat you'd ever meet. We brought him to the vet where they found that he was neutered and micro-chipped. We tried to contact the people but their phone number and address had been changed. We put "found cat" posters around the town with no luck. Based on his temperament and the information that the vet told us, we've come the the conclusion that he was someone's pride and joy but the person either died or moved away and accidentally left him behind. For these reasons I also assume that he's a purebred. He's around 11 years old now. He's a rather large cat - he can stretch almost completely across the width of my queen-sized bed (shown in the last photo). He has a very thick medium-length coat. The undercoat is sort of off-white as well as his belly. His fur is many different shades of gray. He has stripes of darker gray vertically around his tail and legs. His eyes are bright blue. The coloring of his face looks like a grey Siberian, but he doesn't look like one otherwise. His fur is much softer than a typical tabby/housecat. I'm thinking he's possibly a lynx point Siamese, but his coloring might be a bit too dark. Any ideas? I'll attach some photos. The last photo is the best representation of how dark his color is.

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catspaw66

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Of course, without any pedigree papers from a reputable breeder, he is a Domestic Short Hair.  I would call his pattern Lynx Point. I really doubt he is a purebred. Just too many things that don't add up to a purebred quality standard.  Like the grey face with the Chocolate stripes.
 
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catspaw66 said:
Of course, without any pedigree papers from a reputable breeder, he is a Domestic Short Hair.  I would call his pattern Lynx Point. I really doubt he is a purebred. Just too many things that don't add up to a purebred quality standard.  Like the grey face with the Chocolate stripes.
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Re  Rhiannas Harley:
Yet, unlike most of our candidates, here we DO have indicies he may be a purebred.

As he was apparently astray, also spayed AND microchipped.  Being microchipped is standard for purebreeds, demanded by many associations, but not that common among random cats.

So the first question is, which breed in that case?

We know he isnt modern siamese, and probably not old type siamese either - unless verry pet quality. [ps.  It is perhaps not fair to compare a  senior citizen with "excellent appetite" with lean young adults in good show condition, ...  So take this [verry pet quality] with some salt]

Second, he may be a natural freak of almost any breed.  It happens for example among russian blue there is sometimes one kitten in the litter who is pointed (siamese outcross many generations ago). That kittens is always somewhat look alike old type siamese, although I dont think he would get Excellent grade even if he was allowed to a Show as old type siamese...

They do get out their Pedigree papers, but are registered as XSH, not RUS.

If so, we still wont know whom his parents are, save strongly suspecting they are purebred.

So all in all, technically we must consider him as a moggie, but..    :)
 
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rhianna

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Thanks for replying, catspaw66 and stefanz. Harley's stripes actually aren't chocolate, although the camera flash sort of makes them appear that way, they're actually a very dark gray on his tail and a bluish silver on his legs (you can barely even see the leg stripes in the photos). He doesn't have any brown in him at all. His main color is a creamish gray and the  "ombre" is all shades of gray and silver. I'm leaning mostly toward siamese even though his appearance is a bit off, but because of his behaviors. He's extremely friendly and cuddly, he always has been. He likes to greet all of our guests and will meow at them until they pet him. He's very vocal when he wants attention. In fact, that's how we found him. He was sitting at our back door meowing in a low-pitched tone, it sounded almost like he was saying "hello?". He's incredibly smart; he can open doors and when he's hungry he'll come find me, meow at me, walk toward my room (where he's fed), and keep looking back to make sure I'm following him. I've often heard people refer to Siamese as being "more like dogs than cats" which is actually exactly what my family has always said about Harley. Although he doesn't have the typical "poised and slender" Siamese figure (I'll admit that he might be a bit spoiled when it comes to food), he does have the uniquely shaped head, big ears, puffy cheeks, and pointed muzzle (when his fluffy fur is patted down). I'll attach photos to show what I mean. 

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 I'm not cat expert- just a cat lover who, until a few days ago, did not realize that there were "breeds" of cat (except maybe persian and siamese) and that that would ever matter.  I foster cats and had a fellow stop by the other day to meet my cat Jackie, who has a very distinctive look about her.  He went  on about the personality traits of lynx siamese cats.  So, I looked it up and sure enough, she looks a lot like a lynx siamese with the raccoon tail and pretty blue eyes.  "Huh..." I thought, "I want to find out about cat breeds".

I found this site by googling "What breed of cat do I have?" I have done a bit more research and it would seem that my other cat has some traits of a "ragamuffin" or 'ragdoll" cat- goes limp when held, long, soft fur, heterochromia.   Anyway, I am satisfied with that.  Perhaps somewhere in her heritage there was a cat that passed some distinctive genes on to her.  

But my story ends in an admonishment, because as I read some of the comments on this forum, it became apparent that not only are there (novel to me) cat breeds, but there are also cat snobs. 

It's just INTERESTING to find out about different breeds and their tendencies and think "Oh this cat is more like this breed".  And, if you know part of your pet's breeding (as the person who knows that their kitten came from a purebred ragdoll) it absolutely can be helpful and interesting to find out more about that breed and if the pet resembles the breed at all.   The majority of the cat-having world doesn't care about having a purebred cat, they just love cats. 

And, I have to add, that logically, all purebreds must have come from what you term "moggies", rendering the term "purebred" a misnomer. And it's pretty safe to assume that many many years ago there were different kinds of cats that populated different areas and possessed different traits for different reasons.  But they interbred and produced a generally more homogeneous look which has gotten more homogeneous as time has progressed. Just like everything else, just like humans.  Logic dictates that there will be shared qualities between many individual cats and some cat "breeds", although they might not always be readily apparent, which seemed to be what the original post spoke to.  

I get that this is on a "breeders and show cats" type of forum, but many of the posters do not seem to be breeding or showing cats, and maybe they're just interested in picking your brains, but many of you seem to be using this as an opportunity to make people feel like idiots for asking the question- which is why I'm using the term "cat snob" here.  You could easily say what traits remind you of what instead of the broken record.  Many posters have been very clear that they realize that they don't have purebred or even mix cats but want to identify traits in their cats that tell some kind of a tale. 
 
callista

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Yeah, it bores me too to say it over and over, but it has to be said. Many people don't know that most cats are not purebred. Might seem like a picky thing, but it's really not--people who think their cat is a purebred cat may want to breed the cat. Many people don't understand the cat overpopulation problem we have here in the US and in many other countries, and if they aren't told specifically that their cat is not purebred, they may not know that the cat should be neutered. And it isn't really even their fault that they don't know. There's hardly any awareness of the problem... people who are very good pet owners often have no idea. Until we find homes for all those extra cats, any cat that's not a healthy purebred being used in responsible breeding should be neutered. Anybody who doesn't already have homes for the kittens--and I'm talking waiting lists, not just random friends and neighbors who like cats--really shouldn't be breeding cats. I've seen too much of that stuff, from people who have no idea what harm they're causing, and if even one person stumbles across it and thinks twice before adding more kittens to the pile, then I'm willing to sound a bit like a broken record. Most cats aren't purebred; most cats in most places shouldn't be reproducing. There are just too many unwanted kittens.

I've never owned a purebred cat. I love the beauty of random-bred cats, the diversity and the sheer craziness of the combinations you can get. I'll always love the brown tabby pattern best, for its wildcat look. I think random-bred cats are probably among the most beautiful out there. But... that doesn't mean I want there to be more of them than we can care for.
 
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shirazy

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Yep! Meikai's Shiraz. Funny part is that she has a fluffy tail as she has the longhair gene which is from some Persian outcross ancestry.
 
callista

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If you're buying the cat for more than a nominal fee, you should ask to see the cat's paperwork. Most purebred cats have pedigrees, which are quite useful things to have if you are a breeder because you really don't want to breed cats that are too closely related, and you need to watch out for genetic problems, and you can better predict the kitten colors.

If this cat doesn't have a pedigree, then you really shouldn't be paying that much for it. Most of us who foster cats do charge an adoption fee--enough to cover kitten shots and maybe a spay/neuter--because giving away kittens for free is a generally bad idea--you want to be sure that the person buying the cat actually cares about taking care of the cat, so charging a small fee is a good option. Here in my area, a neutered, vet-checked kitten has an adoption fee around $20-$50. Adults tend to be cheaper since they are harder to place.

The cat in the photo is kind of at an odd angle, but he actually looks like a shorthaired cat to me. A Norwegian forest cat is usually longhaired--though a mix of NFC and something else can be a shorthair, and I suppose there could be shorthaired genes floating around in the breed.

Here's a breed profile for the Norwegian forest cat:
CFA: Norwegian Forest Cat

As you can see, this cat only vaguely resembles the Norwegian forest cat; he may be a mix several generations back, or may have no Norwegian Forest Cat ancestor at all. An unscrupulous pet store may have told your friend that the cat was a purebred cat, or your friend might have guessed based on pictures. Whatever it is, he is not the sort of NFC you would show or breed. Like almost all cats, his breed can't be identified because he is probably the result of generations of random breeding, cats selected not for looks but as companions and working cats.

But as for this cat's personality, there's every indication that he would make a good pet from that picture. He's lying, very relaxed, out in the open, and doesn't bother himself about the person with the camera. It seems that he's a relatively easygoing cat--he might take time to settle into a new home, as most cats do, but once he's comfortable he's probably going to be nice to get to know. A purebred cat is all about predictability--predictable looks, predictable temperament--but if you're adopting an adult cat from a friend, you have that benefit already because your friend knows him and can tell you all about him.

Have fun getting to know your new cat. :)
 
StefanZ

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zimah rohaizad said:
U meany kitty is not a brwed cat issit?
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Nay, as we can understand from this one, small and dark pic, kitty is no Norwegian.

If somebody gives his oath of honour this is a purebred cat, I would sooner guess it is a Russian Blue (!), as I see in my Photoshop Elements. (photoshopped replica included)

I would never ever guess it is a Norwegian Forest Cat.

But an "illegitime" son of a  NFC with a shorthair  could pehaps have this looks.    :)

Good luck!

Ps.  I myself think this cat is quite pretty!   Perhaps because my residents are Russian Blue.

If you like this cat, and the price is OK, take it, you will surely be happy with your new friend.

As long as you dont think it is a pure bred NFC of qood quality.    :)
 
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zimah rohaizad

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N wat i see hes is not Friendly with other pets seem like Kitten.. when i bring the baby kitty near him he slapping e baby wit his scary voice u see..
 
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