by Michael
Black and White Cat of no breed — photo copyright Helmi Flick
People quite often ask, “what breed is my cat”. It might sound strange but it is possible to answer the question now, with a reasonable degree of success, without seeing the cat or reading a description of the cat in question. I say this for the following reasons (of course, please leave a comment if you disagree and tell me why).
Almost all cats in the world are mixed breed cats. Although, even that is a misdescription as the parents of most cats are not part of a recognizable breed so these often beautiful cats should be called random bred cats or freeborn cats.
This means almost all cats are not a breed of cat. There are very few cats that are part of a cat breed in the East (Asia etc.). Nearly all cat breeds are in the West because they are a Western invention. It all started in England, UK, in the late 1800s. Cat breeds are a human invention for the amusement of humans. Nature did not create cat breeds. Nature created cat species. All 400 million domestic, feral, stray cats on the planet are a single subspecies of the North African wildcat. From a scientific point of view all cats, breed or otherwise are the same subspecies.
In the West, for a cat to be part of a breed, it needs to be purebred and registered with a cat association. I am not sure of the percentages of purebred cats and it doesn’t matter really. There are many more purebred cats in the United States than in any other country but even in the USA the percentage is relatively low, perhaps 10-15% of the total.
A definition of purebred cat might be:
A cat whose ancestry is formally registered is called a purebred cat, or a pedigreed cat. A purebred cat is one whose ancestry contains only individuals of the same breed. A pedigreed cat is one whose ancestry is recorded, but may have ancestors of different breeds.
That statistic alone would support the answer, “your cat is a moggie or not a cat breed”, to the question, “what breed is my cat”. But one can be more certain than that.
Almost all people who keep and live with purebred cats (cats that are part of a specific and identifiable cat breed) do so deliberately. They would have selected the cat either from a breeder or even a rescue center as purebred cat rescue does, surprisingly, exist.
These people will, therefore, know the answer to the question, “what breed is my cat?” That leaves a very small number of people who may have rescued a purebred cat or a cat that looks purebred and there is no documentation to confirm the status of the cat as purebred.
These people might want to find out the type of cat breed, which, without documentation as to the purebred nature of the cat (parentage of all the same breed) and pedigree (documentation as to the parents for a period of three years) will have to guess by a visual check against, for example, the photographs on this website.
Even then, there is no evidence that the cat in question will be a specific cat breed. These cats would, therefore, have to be called moggies or domestic cats. Most often they will be shorthaired cats and therefore a DSH (domestic shorthair), a cat of no defined breed.
Of the remainder, the vast majority, the cats will also be moggies, DSH cats with the occasional longhair or more often a semi-longhair.
So, the answer to the question is, “your cat is a domestic cat of no fixed breed and a random breed cat or moggie”. That in no way diminishes the status of the cat or it shouldn’t. All cats are born and remain equal in the eyes of all people who keep cats. It that is not the case for a certain person, I would personally doubt the person’s suitability to keep cats.
Random bred cats can be as glamorous as any purebred pedigree cat. They are shown at cat shows as Household Pets. They photograph beautifully, see Helmi’s photographs on this page. They all have middle range cat body types and cat head shapes. And the fact that they are more numerous than purebred cats indicates their popularity.
Also the random nature of breeding ensures a healthier genetic makeup, which usually results in a healthier cat with a longer life.
Update 28th July 2012. Leslie Lyons, of Lyons’ Feline Genetics Laboratory at the University of California, has devised a DNA test that will cost you a mere £76 – GBP (but I think you will find that the test best applies to USA cats). The test will check if your cat has purebred blood! It will probably work best for cats that are moggies but are one removed from purebred meaning that one of his parents was a purebred cat. I guess the test will also tell you what breed your cat is related to. Of course in a strict cat fancy sense that does not make your cat part of a cat breed but it will be nice to know and it provides a better answer than mine above! The test would seem to only apply to 29 core cat breeds. There are lots more let me add. So this test is not that comprehensive. Still nice all the same. You provide a cheek swab sent by mail. There is a 15 day turn around time for the result. I don’t have an address unfortunately so I will leave you to Google the laboratory. Good luck…Michael
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| Mar 31, 2012 | Breed of my cat? NEW My cat adopted my family about 2 years ago. She is very talkative and is very active. She has bright green eyes and many different fur colors. Here are some pictures to help: http://i1095.photobucket.com/albums/i472/IceCreamPig/179073_176649779045966_100001028367498_449616_2902687_n.jpg IF you know, or have any clues, please message me at brynienr@yahoo.com. Thank |
| Mar 02, 2012 | Bagheera NEW My cat is black with a small white patch on his chest. I am not sure what breed he is and i would love to Know. |
| Feb 17, 2012 | what breed is my cat? NEW hi i picked up a kitten from the road in india.couldnt help notice his cute little voice.. till day cannot figure his breed,he looks like a regular domestic breed,but i have seen many of the tabby/striped cats, cutlet looks different. what was striking was his tail habits are like a mau,where they are always perpendicular to the body and rattle it,and the diff tones he has like a mau all the chortle n singing. he is fawn colored,striped,amber eyed,tail is slightly furrier than the body but not much. pl help me! i guess he could have origins of the mau and a bengal in him. how do i identify him? at my doctor’s, i saw a photo of an angora and the resemblance of the face was uncanny but cutlet is not so furry…. so confused |
| Jan 13, 2012 | What breed is my cat Isis? NEW Hi! I was curoius as to what breed my beutiful cat Isis is. Isis is a shorthaired cat, white with large black spotchle all over. She is of medium size and her eyes are greenish yellow. She has triangular ears and a long tail. Her legs are long and lean and she has a pointed face. Thanks for reading!! 🙂 |
| Sep 24, 2011 | What breed is my cat? Can anyone help me tell what breed my cat is? He he is all white on the lower half of his body, but is a brownish orange on top with a ringed tail and capped head. On the brownish orange he has light orange spots that look like that of a Bengal and stripes mixed in. Overall, he has an exotic look… Any ideas??? |
| Sep 17, 2011 | what breed is my cat?? when she was little she had big ears but now they are normal sized she has black stripes like a tiger… her fur color is black with different tones of grey ANS: Hi Candy…your cat sounds like a mixed breed (random bred) grey tabby cat. Tabby cats are popular and commonly found. “Tabby” refers to the type of coat and is not a cat breed. Thanks for asking…Michael |
| Sep 13, 2011 | fandoo blog I recently came across your blog and have been reading along. I thought I would leave my first comment. I don?t know what to say except that I have enjoyed reading. Nice blog, I will keep visiting this blog very often. |
| Jun 19, 2011 | My baby boy Bullet … !! Ive got a lovely black and what cat and he’s beautiful he has a busheey tail but where to tail sarts it very bushy what is he … i think hes a cross ???? |
| Jun 14, 2011 | my cat bella my cat is dark grey with black small spots, but mostly stripes. she has big green eyes, her tail is as long as her body, but shes a little smaller than most adult cats, but shes done growing. she has medium to long length hair, and very fuzzy underneath. she also has longs tuffs of hair in her ears. what kind(s) is she? |
| Jun 01, 2011 | Dusty My Cat What Breed Dusty has black fur and gray stripes and a whit chin golden eyes.If you wolud be kind enough to tell me what breed he is from. |
| May 30, 2011 | What breed is my kitty I have quite a uniqe cat. She is pure white with medium to long fur. she has a sharp face and large eyes one blue and one green. she has a long fluffy tail and medium length legs. she is quick and sharp and loves to play specially with a laser. she loves to be into everything and is very strong willed. she will always stand up for herself and i never worry when there’s a dog around as she hisses in it’s face and bat’s it face with her paws. please help me |
| May 16, 2011 | answer to Emma (Kelso, Scotland) your cat is called the American Short hair. i can easily tell cause my cat Tiger, looks exactly like that and he’s a American Shorthair!i found it out on “cats 101”! so if you know what my cat is please tell me lie i did to you. My other name on here is Chester (My cats name) |
| May 16, 2011 | What breed is my cat!? my cat is two, three years old. We bottle feed him (i know it sounds strange) he is a big silver, white, and black cat about 9.6 pounds (hes a big cat!) and he loves attention, but if you call him a big baby he bites and claws you, he has a triangular face, green eyes, and he can sleep beside you all night. |
| May 14, 2011 | What is she? My cat is Lotty. She is a black cat with small white spots on her chest, lower stomach, and between her legs and body. Her eyes are greener near the pupil and its hazel on the outer part of her eyes. She is thin and tall. I have a older cat and Lotty is taller then her! She has a loud voice and sometimes its annoying when she is in heat. She is almost like a monkey because she jumps high and loves to play with those toys that have strings at the end of a stick. She runs very fast and her paws are small, but pointy-like so if she walk on you it hurts. I got her from a shelter so she is probably a mix but I think she has Oriental in her but i’m not sure. Hopefully you can tell me. |
| Mar 21, 2011 | thanks xxxxxxx – this was spam |
| Feb 13, 2011 | what breed are my cats i dont know what cat breed my cat is i think my cat is an egyptian mau because they both have poches in their stomach but they dont have green eyes they have like a hazel color and they have a orange/yellow color fur their mother was the same color idk about their father though |
| Feb 07, 2011 | What breed is my cat? What breed is my cat? I found her when she was three weeks old in the street I’ve kept her since. She’s 9 months old and she’s small probably 3 pounds all black and has medium length hair that is really sleek and shiny. She also has large yellow eyes, and in the sunlight she has weird leopard prints. |
| Feb 01, 2011 | my cats I have two cats and i wanted to know what breed they are?? This is Daisy |
| Jan 22, 2011 | Bombay? Hey guys, can someone tell me what breed my cat is? Here’s a picture of him: http://i4.photobucket.com/albums/y107/ImperiaFFXI/DSCF1141.jpg He has a few white hair on his chest, and his tummy, and has a wide nose. I got him at a pet shop, he’s probably a mixed breed, but he has lots of Bombay physical traits. Correct me if I’m wrong. |
| Jan 21, 2011 | What breed is my cat? What breed is my cat? My cat is a beige tannish color. His brother and sister were balck and white. I am not sure what breed he is, or what breed his parents were. Thansk 4 reading. 🙂 |
| Jan 21, 2011 | What breed is my cat? What breed is my cat? My cat is a beige tannish color. His brother and sister were balck and white. I am not sure what breed he is, or what breed his parents were. Thansk 4 reading. 🙂 |
| Jan 21, 2011 | What breed is my cat? What breed is my cat? My cat is a beige tannish color. His brother and sister were balck and white. I am not sure what breed he is, or what breed his parents were. Thansk 4 reading. 🙂 |
| Jan 06, 2011 | Re.What Breed Is My Cat? from what i read there are advancement in dogs mix breed dna testing kit. y cant the same technology be applied in cats? im sure if TICA and CFA would assist in dna profiling for each breed the same technology can be applied to our feline companion. |
| Dec 21, 2010 | Could Spud have part Bengal or Ocicat in her? Now I know my cats are definately moggies which in America is called the American Shorthair. I know that Porker our male is what is considered a Tuxedo cat but I was wondering is his younger sister part Bengal or Ocicat in some percentage. I think my cats are great and wouldn’t want any other cats I am just curious that’s all.  |
| Dec 20, 2010 | what breed is my cat ? my cat has black & white fur with green eyes but I can’t get her breed.So if you have the answer please answer! |
| Dec 20, 2010 | what breed is my cat ? my cat has black & white fur with green eyes but I can’t get her breed.So if you have the answer please answer! |
| Dec 05, 2010 | What is Zooey?! she’s got an intriguing personality, and her brothers and sisters were all siamese… but she was the only one that looked like this! http://s217.photobucket.com/albums/cc125/Br00talBailee/Zooey/ |
| Dec 03, 2010 | What breed is my cat, Hazel? I’ve been dying to know what breed my cat, Hazel, is.  Also, when she got spayed (Which was yesterday, She just turned 7 months) I could see that on her skin are dots of different colors. She also has the extra fur coming off from under her legs like Egyptian Mau’s have. |
| Nov 18, 2010 | Brown mackerel tabby cat Hi Emma, your cat looks like a mixed breed or random bred mackerel (stripped) tabby cat. The pattern is great, very pronounced. He is not a purebred cat in my opinion. But he is a fine cat nonetheless. Thanks for asking.  |
| Nov 18, 2010 | Cherry. The Boss! Cherry has always had her own way since we got her from a litter of kittens on the street. I would love to know what kind of breed she may be.I love her to bits and love when she chases the laser pen light around the room, and moans when she wants fed. She is a dream pet! |
| Nov 18, 2010 | Response to last comment Please see your comment for my response. Thanks…Michael |
| Nov 16, 2010 | what breed are these kittens i am going to ship in one of these Siberian kittens all the way from London to Middle East could anyone confirm if they are purebred and which gender of the cat would be suitable for me a guy. http://picasaweb.google.com/ lifesgr84hal/UntitledAlbum#5540071544861878914 ANSWER: Your cat looks like a pointed Persian – a Himalayan in the USA. But you say they are Siberian kittens? You can’t tell if they are purebred or not without paperwork – pedigree. Either breed is fine for a guy but the Persian is more gentle and passive so more suitable probably for a women and indoor living.
Note: you should have embedded the photo (at 400 px) in this comment. You can do that with Picasaweb! |
| Oct 25, 2010 | My cat is?? I bought my cat for only 20 bucks from a kennel with no history about him..but i feel like he is not just any ole cat!Hes all black with VERY little white under his front arm..almost un noticeable..but its his build that is odd..he is VERY looong and tall..long legs..looong tail..and HUGGGGE teeth..People say he looks like a mini jaguar..and lime green eyes!great personalty and very protective of his home and mommy 🙂 and always brings me presents to our porch(moles,birds,lizzards anything)a great hunter..ring any bells?please and thankyou…Preston |
| Oct 21, 2010 | Is my cat a mixed or turkish angora? I adopted this beauty in a vet clinic recently. I loved him and named him Prince. Now i am just a little curious cause the owner of the clinic told me Prince is a pure turkish angora, from a pure white father and a black masked white belly mother. But at the same time, they got no certificate to prove that and the staffs in the clinic told me he is a mixed of persian and turkish angora. Please enlighten me 🙂 |
| Sep 12, 2010 | What breed is my cat He is medium grey with a very very light grey stomach with the tabby M but he has a really bushy tail like a squirrel. He is a rescued cat I will try to post pictures later. |
| Aug 05, 2010 | chartreux? what kind of cat is my baby orson? |
| Jul 20, 2010 | Not sure what she is? This little one showed up on my mother in laws door step, no tags, or color or chip in her. So After a l;ong time My Husband and I took her in. She looks like a torties shell coloring. Im trying to put a pic or a few pics on here for you to help. What made us question her origens is that Aj does’nt usualy bleed or get a kind of welts on his arms after playing with most cats. Usually the scratches dont leave a mark yet this morning he was playing with sahara a.k.a. Babygirl his arm swelled up from the scratches. The only time thats happend is when he was playing with my aunts cat that we knew was full main Coon. So was wondering if babygirl maybe part main coon or if ther is another type of cat that has claws like a coon? |
| Jul 20, 2010 | Not sure what she is? This little one showed up on my mother in laws door step, no tags, or color or chip in her. So After a l;ong time My Husband and I took her in. She looks like a torties shell coloring. Im trying to put a pic or a few pics on here for you to help. What made us question her origens is that Aj does’nt usualy bleed or get a kind of welts on his arms after playing with most cats. Usually the scratches dont leave a mark yet this morning he was playing with sahara a.k.a. Babygirl his arm swelled up from the scratches. The only time thats happend is when he was playing with my aunts cat that we knew was full main Coon. So was wondering if babygirl maybe part main coon or if ther is another type of cat that has claws like a coon? |
| Jul 15, 2010 | Regal and Snotty as Well Hi You have a great site. Congratulations and keep ut the good work. I do not have a photo right now, but our cat is also black with a white patch like the top photo on your site, but if I may say so, and with no disrespect to the caT on your website, ours is more aristocratic, regal if you like. With its shiny black short hair coat it walks, actually slides, over any surface, like a black panther. And even if it is laying on the floor it looks down on you as though you are the most stupid person in the world. He always looks you straight in the face with his yellowish eyes with a look that says: “You might think you own this house, but I am in charge here.” What kind of cat could this be? Pease tell me what you think. Note: It is not a Siamese. |
| May 26, 2010 | My sisters I have two lovley cat girls that looks totally opposite eachother. Polly is shorthaired glossy black with a white spot in her chest. She has the body build of a brittish shorthair but her head is not as round. Her eyes are yellow with a hint of orange. Sessan is a semi-longhair, calico cream and blue with a lot of white. She has the build of the norwegian forest. Her eyes are yellow with a hint of green. Their mother was a beautifull half-siames lady and whenever Polly wants something you defenitivly hear it! I love my ladies that seems to on occation forget that they are over ten years old and will act like kittens racing around my apartment in winter and around the yard in summer. Thank you for a lovley cat site! |
| May 21, 2010 | What kind of breed does Luna resemble? Shes not a very photogenic feline so I apologize for lack of decent detail, also her being a black cat, it’s hard to get good lighting on her. But heres what I can say about Luna. She definitely has a very thick triple coat (jet black putter coat and dark dark brown undercoat) that my very allergic girlfriend does not seem to react at all to. So that alone really seems to point to a Siberian to me. Luckily she CONSTANTLY grooms herself which is kind of nice for us because she does an extremely good job. And no hairballs thank god lol. From nose to tail shes probably about 15-17 in long or so and 8-10 lbs. Shes very laid back and not an active cat at all even when Piggy tries her hardest to play. So that’s about it, any other questions – just let me know….THANKS! Josh |
| May 05, 2010 | Mogie’s rule With all animals, including people, purebreeds tend to be inferior in many aspects to mixes due to hybridisation which generally results in improvements in vigour over both parents. Many pure breeds have genetic issues due to excessive inbreeding (and failure to cull out defectives.) One example is the Royal families in Europe, who, by inbreeding, managed to reinforce things like haemophilia. Another thing that happens is that when a particular breed becomes very popular, animal breeding mills tend to generate a lot of animals which are purebred, but not selectively. This results in some structural and some behaviour problems. Some lines of German Shepherds were bred for aggression in the mistaken idea that it was a good thing in a watch dog–which it isn’t. My first dog had papers as a purebred cocker spaniel, but she looked like a beagle–causing the vets much amusement. (Just as well, my sister, who picked her out, wanted a shorthair and a pure cocker would not have filled the bill.) |
| Feb 17, 2010 | could he be a NFC? Lewis is he a NFC?? Could our kitten be a Norwegian Forest Cat?? Can you help me out and tell me what you think?? ANSWER: The short answer is “yes”, he could as blue is acceptable under the CFA breed standard and Lewis is a lovely little blue coated boy. But as you are asking this question it is highly likely that he is not purebred as you would normally have papers to prove pedigree and that his parents and their parents were purebred. So, it may be that Lewis has som NFC in him but not pure 100%. Sorry.
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| Feb 15, 2010 | please help
ANSWER:….Hi RebeccaThanks for asking. In my opinion your cats are mixed or random bred cats and not purebred cats. They are what cat fancy people call DSHs – domestic shorthairs.Most cats are DSHs and they are all as good as purebred and sometimes better. Even if they were purebred you would need papers to prove it. You cats look fantastic and well loved. That is all we can ask. I prefer mixed breed cats myself and most people probably think the same.
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| Dec 29, 2009 | My cat is a mix, And she’s only two types of cats… She is Double layered, 5″ when laying down 12″ Sitting up 6.75″ Sitting down. 1.5″ Fur length. M On forehead Black, Grey, White and some brown stripes on top of head and a spot on her front left leg. Round eye with a > at the top right. (Curved) Green – Yellow eye. |
| Dec 27, 2009 | Response to last comment Hi, gorgeous long haired cat, sweet face. As your cat is a random bred cat with no documented history of breeding we just don’t know. But there could well be some Maine Coon in her genetic makeup. There are quite a lot of “Maine Coon Mix” cats advertised, I notice, on Perfinder (or there were) giving us the clue as to how purebred Maine Coon cats can become a mixed breed cat quite easily if the purebred is left unneutered and then mates with a random bred cat (a moggie). Thanks for visiting. |
| Dec 27, 2009 | Help, pretty please?
I love my cat to death, I’m just curious of her ancestors, and where she gets her lovely traits from 🙂 I’m sure she’s a mix of some sort (probably including a Maine Coon). I would just like some opinions, please. Thanks! |
| Sep 13, 2009 | what kind of cat (breed example tabby) is this cat ? What kind of breed is my cat:  Answer: this is a mixed breed tabby and white cat. The tabby part is blue (grey). See cat coats tabby and white. |
| Aug 23, 2009 | Response to last comment The cat you found is probably a mixed breed and not purebred so it is not a breed of cat. But and this is important it is no less valuable a cat and not in any way a lesser cat. |
| Aug 22, 2009 | 🙁 so i can’t figure out what type of cat my stray i found is? well fine…. 🙁 |
| Dec 19, 2008 | Moggie From what you say, my cat is a moggie and I am proud of her. |
Hi
I was just wondering if anyone could possibly tell me what breed my kitten is
I got him for my birthday but my mum didn’t know his Heratage so if possible and you know the breed could you please let me know so I can do as much research on him as possible so that I can care for him in the best way possible
Hi Daniel. Thanks for asking. He is a great looking cat. He is not a bred of cat but a random bred cat. This means he does not have a pedigree written down by a breeder and a cat association. I don’t know where your mother got him. It may be the local shelter. This is the best way to adopt a cat. Nearly all domestic cats are not purebred, pedigree cats. Random bred cats are generally healthier than purebred cats. He is very handsome. He is a ‘tuxedo cat’. Or a black-and-white cat. He has fantastic ears. They are large. And he has a nice symmetrical pattern on his face. Love him and look after him well and you’ll have a great friend for many years.
There are many pages on this website on how to look after domestic cats. Please explore them.
Hi. I also would like to know what kind of breed is my cat.
He’s making voice’s very rare, only when he wants to eat or play sometimes.
Hi Eunice. He’s a medium-long haired black-and-white random bred cat. He is not a member of any specific cat breed. Sorry. He is very handsome. Thanks for visiting and asking.
That’s a pity. Thank you, anyway. But I would like to know how to make the difference between a breed one and a stray one. To know in future, if it’s possible. Thanks.