Can’t figure out my cats breed type?

[Zaradelrey]

Hello all,
This is Boo, my 4 month old kitty. I’ve thought Boo was a Himalayan for some time (since that’s what the adoption center thought), however I can’t seem to believe that since from what I have seen, Himalayans usually have the face of a Persian cat. Later I discovered the Ragdoll/Siamese mix and thought he was that. Just today, however, I just found out about the Seal Point Burmese which I have found he looks closest to.
P.S. he has two siblings, one Siamese and one calico (so I’m really confused). To break it down: What do you think he is from looking at his photos?

1. Himalayan
2. Ragdoll/Siamese
3. Seal point Burmese

 

[StefanZ]

He looks as a balinese old type, ie a semilonghair siamese. Technically he is a DMH seal point.

 

[lutece]

They are lovely cats! Does he have a fluffy tail? From the photo, I would describe him as a seal point domestic shorthair, although if he has a fluffy tail he would be considered a longhair. (Genetically, cats are either longhaired or shorthaired, there is no "mediumhair" gene.) It looks like he has a seal point sibling and a tortie point sibling.

The colorpoint gene (responsible for pointed coloring) originally came from the Siamese breed about 70 years ago, but at this time it is widespread in the domestic cat population and doesn't indicate recent Siamese ancestry. Most cats are not any particular breed.

Your kitty and his siblings are not the same color as Burmese cats. Burmese cats have a different color/pattern gene known as "sepia" which doesn't have as much contrast between the points (face, tail, legs) and the body color. A seal sepia Burmese cat, also known as a sable Burmese, would be dark brown all over, with a slightly darker brown at the "points."

 

[motoko9]

He is gorgeous, and so is his tortie point sister!

 

[StefanZ]

They are lovely cats! Does he have a fluffy tail? From the photo, I would describe him as a seal point domestic shorthair, although if he has a fluffy tail he would be considered a longhair. (Genetically, cats are either longhaired or shorthaired, there is no "mediumhair" gene.) It looks like he has a seal point sibling and a tortie point sibling.

The colorpoint gene (responsible for pointed coloring) originally came from the Siamese breed about 70 years ago, but at this time it is widespread in the domestic cat population and doesn't indicate recent Siamese ancestry. Most cats are not any particular breed.

Your kitty and his siblings are not the same color as Burmese cats. Burmese cats have a different color/pattern gene known as "sepia" which doesn't have as much contrast between the points (face, tail, legs) and the body color. A seal sepia Burmese cat, also known as a sable Burmese, would be dark brown all over, with a slightly darker brown at the "points."

Good post.
2 remarks.
1. I agree with you, if the tail isnt fluffy, he should be counted as a shorthair, even if the hair lengh on the rear end is somewhat longish for a shorthair. IF so - no fluffy tail - he will be instead a decent look alike to a siamese old type, nowadays often called for Thai.

I did dare to guess the tail is fluffy, and took a comparison to a balinese.

2. I agree with you medium hairs are genetically longhairs, so its essentially the same yes. But the label of semilonghair (ie mediumhair) is common in the vocabulary. Unless the categorizations has been changed radically in the latest years...

The question is possibly, if its the same gene for long and medium hair, so why it gives sometimes a longhair and sometimes mediumhair. Is it a "help gene" playing here?
In purebreds such a "help gene" would follow consistently, and such a purebred would thus almost always follow the breed description. While in moggies the hair lenghs of individuals would vary more.

 

[lutece]

2. I agree with you medium hairs are genetically longhairs, so its essentially the same yes. But the label of semilonghair (ie mediumhair) is common in the vocabulary. Unless the categorizations has been changed radically in the latest years...

We don't use the terms "semi longhair" and "medium hair" as technical terms in the cat fancy in the US. People such as rescuers, shelters, vets, etc. sometimes use the terms "semi longhair" and "medium hair" to refer to longhaired cats that don't have as much hair as other longhairs, however these are not technical terms with precise definitions, and therefore are used in a subjective and inconsistent way. Also, cats will often appear to have "medium" or "semi long" hair when young and the coat has not developed yet, or in the summer when the coat has shed out... but the same cat will appear to have "long" hair when fully mature in the winter time. This is why I feel these terms are confusing for people; I think it's better just to understand that some longhaired cats are fluffier than others, and that this can also vary with maturity and the seasons.

In the UK (GCCF), the term "Semi-Longhair" is used differently, as a technical term referring to the category including all the non-Persian longhaired breeds, such as Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest Cat, Siberian, Ragdoll etc. For example here is a link to a page on the GCCF web site where you can see lists of approved judges for the Persian category vs. the Semi-Longhair category: Review Groups

The question is possibly, if its the same gene for long and medium hair, so why it gives sometimes a longhair and sometimes mediumhair. Is it a "help gene" playing here?

Of course there are additional genes which affect coat quality and density, but this is not controlled by a single gene. Think of the shorthaired breeds and the difference in coat type you see among them. An Oriental SH has a very different coat from a British SH. The same genes that modify the coat length and density on these shorthaired breeds also affect the coats of the longhaired variants of these breeds, Oriental LH and British LH. You can generalize this basic idea to all breeds, as well as domestic shorthairs and longhairs.

 

[Hoslund0821]

What a cutie!