How to determine the breed of a cat - signs and characteristics

If in dogs the breed can be seen at first glance, then some purebred cats are identified only by minor signs. Therefore, a kitten taken from the street can easily turn out to be of “noble blood.” But it makes no sense to determine the breed of a kitten, because with age its color can change radically. Therefore, the question of how to determine the breed of a cat remains open.

How to determine the breed of a cat

The animal is fully formed at one year of age. Then it’s time to figure out how to determine the cat’s breed. It will be difficult for anyone who is not very familiar with cats and does not consider themselves to be professional breeders to determine the breed of the pet. However, this can still be done after analyzing all external signs and his behavior. But is this necessary if the cat is already loyal and loved?

Why determine the breed of a kitten and when is it necessary?

Each cat breed needs an individual approach

The question of how to determine the breed of a cat is asked by those who have picked up a furry animal from the street or adopted it from a shelter. Having purchased a pet from breeders or in a nursery, the new owner is given all the relevant documents for the animal, including the breed of the cat.

First, let's define the breed. The ancestor of domestic cats is the wild forest cat. All of their subsequent varieties were bred by selection, that is, created by the methods of crossing and artificial selection. Therefore, animals have appropriate standards. At the same time, cat breeds have their own characteristics in the form of the shape of the head, ears, paws, length of fur, color, color and position of the eyes. Each breed has its own character, strengths and weaknesses.

Currently, there are more than 200 breeds of domestic cats and cats.

Many animals have clear signs of belonging to one breed or another and the owner will have no doubts, but this is not completely clear with all pets.

Determining the cat's breed is an important part of ensuring proper attention and care for the animal.

Breed influences the following factors:

• Genetic predisposition to diseases of some breeds.
• Monitoring the development of the animal, based on its breed, including the beginning of teeth change, puberty, and the beginning of complementary feeding.
• Know the nature of the animal’s habits based on its breed in order to form its habits, reflexes and to establish contact.
• Selection of a pair for breeding offspring.
• Food choice.

The Maine Coon breed develops more slowly, unlike average and ordinary cats.

The health of purebred cats is weaker than domestic or wild ones, since in the selection process the main task is to consolidate some external characteristic of the animal in the process of natural selection and health is not always taken into account.

It makes no sense to determine the breed of an animal earlier than four months after its birth, since the kitten is just being formed, the color has not properly developed, and the eye color changes up to six months.

How to find out the cat breed: classification

Phenology clubs are responsible for assigning breeds to cats. Each breed is documented by certificates and meets basic standards.

The first priority in determining the breed is the appearance of the pet. Many factors are assessed, including body build, color, shape of ears and paws. It is the combination of these factors that influences. Thus, Russian Blue and British cats have similar colors, but different exteriors: the former are more refined, with an elongated body, and the latter are strong and massive.

Despite the lists of breeds, it is hardly possible to track their exact number

Now in the world there are about 60 breeds and 200 varieties of cats. It is almost impossible to accurately count their number, even despite the clear gradation by characteristics. The generally accepted classification divides all cats into 5 groups.

Table 1. Classification of cat breeds

If, after lengthy examinations and manipulations, it was not possible to find out the breed, you should contact a veterinarian, professional breeders, or chat with cat lovers on specialized forums. In any case, it is worth knowing exactly the breed of your pet.

A veterinarian can also help determine the breed.

Thoroughbred vs mongrel: distinguish by test questions

Sometimes it is not enough to look at a photo to find out whether a cat is purebred or not. It is necessary to carefully study the pet and find answers to questions that will allow you to think about the true nature of the pet.

So, consider your pet and ask yourself:

1. Is the size of the cat smaller or larger than the rest of his furry brothers?
2. Does your pet's color look unusual or is it at least somehow different from the color of ordinary cats?
3. Are there differences in the hair structure – waves, small curls, too long hair or other features?
4. How developed are the limbs, ears, and tail? Are there any noticeable differences?
5. Are there any other details in appearance that distinguish your pet from the neighbor's mongrel cat?

Sometimes the pedigree of cats lies “on the surface”, sometimes it does not have clearly defined identifying details

If you answered “yes” to at least 1 question, then your cat is special. To accurately determine its noble breed, it is necessary to delve into the details. So let's get started.

The main differences between purebred pets and domestic ones

Yard cat

There are about six hundred million cats on planet earth. This also includes wild, domestic and purebred animals. Pedigree cats make up about 10% of the total number. But they have their own characteristics.

The main determinant of the breed is the relevant documents for the animal:

• Veterinary passport of the animal indicating the vaccinations received;
• Metrics (birth certificate) indicating the breed, date of birth, name, breeder;
• Pedigree, indicating the parent (for breeding);
• Purchase and sale agreement (optional).

Pedigree for a purebred cat

Veterinary passport

Metrics

And without the appropriate documentation, the difference between a purebred cat and a barn cat can only be a misconception, since sometimes a cat with a pedigree is less similar to a representative of its breed than one who runs around the yard without a homeland and a flag.

But to properly care for the animal, you can try to determine the breed by external features, such as ears, skull shape, color and shape of the eyes, since each representative has its own special feature.

Outbred cats have small distinctive features and, as a rule, only in color, and their appearance is similar.

The main features of outbred cats:

• The physique is correct and proportional, medium size - up to 46 cm without tail;
• The ears are set straight up in a triangular shape of medium size;
• The head is round, the muzzle is slightly extended forward;
• Paws are long, of medium thickness;
• The eyes are round in normal position;
• The tail is long and straight.

However, purebred cats have their own obvious characteristics.

Ear shape.

It is one of the most prominent and characteristic features for a number of breeds.

Fold-eared cat types, when the ears are slightly turned out and the tips of the ears are directed downwards, include such cat breeds as the Scottish Fold shorthair and longhair, the British Shorthair, and the Ukrainian Levkoy.

Scottish Shorthair Fold

Ukrainian Levkoy

The breeds that have inverted ears, where the tips point backwards, are the American Curl, Highlander, and Elf.

American Curl

Representatives of the Maine Coon breed have large ears with tassels at the tips, while Savannah, Kanaani and Daven Rocks have large and wide ears. Huge disproportionate ears are characteristic of Oriental cat breeds and Abyssinians.

Savannah

Abyssinian cat

Head shape

The skull is also a distinctive feature of purebred cats.

The round shape of the skull and flattened nose are the main characteristics of such breeds as Persian cats, exotic shorthairs, Scottish folds, and British shorthairs.

Exotic shorthair

An elongated muzzle is characteristic of the following breeds: shorthaired Oriental, Abyssinian, Egyptian Mau, Havana, Siamese, Japanese Bobtail, Thai, Sphynx.

Egyptian Mau

Oriental Havana cat

Eye shape and color

Round and large eyes give special cuteness to such breeds as Scottish, British, Devon Rocks, Singapura, Ukrainian Levkoy, Ragdoll and Persian and exotic cats.

Devon Rocks

Singapore

Blue eye color is a distinctive feature of such breeds as: Oriental longhaired and shorthaired, Siamese, Turkish Angora, Thai, Bilanese, Burmese, Javanese, Ojos Azules.

Angora

Burmese cat

Also, cats with white fur usually have blue eyes.

Furry Pet Identification

We all know very well that domestic cats can be purebred, non-pedigreed or simply “Moggy”. Purebred pets are distinguished by certain qualities, external features, and characteristics that distinguish them from others. As a rule, they are bred by breeders, strictly observing standard qualities. This includes the size of the animal, color, exterior characteristics of the body, eye color, length of fur, tail, etc.

But it is very difficult to determine a breed by just one criterion; it is important to correlate at least several necessary qualities

Based on a set of certain exterior characteristics

Cats of different breeds have both distinctive and similar external features. Therefore, by correctly assessing the appearance of the animal, you can at least approximately understand who is in front of you: a cat of some breed or an ordinary “moggy”. How to determine the breed of a cat, knowing its external features? We invite you to consider the most interesting and most distinctive features that will be inherent and visible in both an adult cat and a kitten.

According to behavioral characteristics

Behavior and habits are another way to find out the breed of a cat. The fact is that with the correct “pure-bred” crossing, all character traits are inherited. Therefore, cats of the same breed have similar characteristics. For example, cats of the Russian Blue breed are monogamous and handed over to their owner. Siamese cats, Savannah cats, Asherah cats, Abyssinian cats and others are endowed with sharp and even slightly wild habits.

The Persian cat, for example, is easy to recognize by its behavior, as it is docile and friendly. Doesn't like to be alone and will follow you around. They become very attached to humans and love to be held. But these cats are more exotic breeds, for example, the Turkish Van is not very accepting of communication, but loves to swim. Self-sufficient, but affectionate, very smart and reserved, even kittens of the Maine Coon and Egyptian Mau breeds.

By photo

To recognize a cat’s breed from a photograph, you need to know very well the main distinguishing features and at least have a little understanding of felinology. Otherwise it will be difficult, but quite possible. Look carefully at the photo of a cat or kitten, highlight some of its most remarkable features and compare it with the description and suitable parameters of different breeds. If there are similarities, you should assume that this is the representative in front of you. Of course, the most reliable way is to seek advice from a specialist.

How to determine cat breed by size

Maine Coon and Burmese

The size of simple domestic cats is standard: up to 46 cm long, tail approximately 20-30 cm. The weight of such cats is from two to four kilograms. The cats are a little larger – from four to six.

Pedigree cats have a completely different range in size and weight. Some representatives of the breeds can weigh up to 15 kg, while others do not exceed two.

Large

Large breeds of animals are the most noticeable, as they sometimes look like real wild predators. Breeds of large cats and cats are presented in the table below:

Turkish van

Kurilian Bobtail

Weight and size, among other things, depend on the sex of the animal, as well as on sterilization and castration. Males are larger than cats and can differ in weight by several kilograms and ten centimeters. And after castration or sterilization, male cats can gain a couple of extra pounds.

How to properly care for a purebred cat?

Any pet, whether outbred or noble blood, needs decent care. The following procedures will be relevant for all breeds:

Nail trimming and combing

We trim the claws. Nails should be trimmed using a veterinary nail clipper. The most important thing is not to damage the living part of the nail. The vessels on the transparent claw are easily visible. You need to step back 2-3 mm from them and cut off the tip.

Tips for trimming cat's claws

The animal will struggle, so the procedure must be carried out with an assistant. We comb the pet. Cats with luxurious long hair need to be brushed twice a day, and pets with medium-length hair need to be brushed every 3-4 days. The voluminous coat is combed out with a slicker brush and combed with a simple comb.

Hygiene

The list of regular hygiene procedures for cats includes:

1. Teeth cleaning. Your pet's teeth should be brushed at least once a week using a cat brush/finger brush and veterinary toothpaste. It is better to instill in your kitten a love for this process from an early age;
2. Water procedures. It is not necessary to wash cats often, as water causes them great stress. Bathing is recommended only if the cat is very dirty or before a show. Use special shampoo from a pet store. You can read more about how to wash a cat on our portal.

   Some breeds love water and enjoy bath time.

3. Eye wash. If discharge appears near your pet's eyes, you need to rinse the eyes with warm water and a cotton swab. If the discharge is cloudy, you need to show the cat to a veterinarian;
4. Ear cleaning. The ears should be regularly inspected and wiped with a special solution if dirt appears. Otherwise, serious illnesses may develop.

Wool

Pedigree cats have a wide variety of coats. Long-haired, short-haired, hairless - this is not the entire list of nuances that should be taken into account when caring for the coat of your “aristocrat”. Different breeds have different hair structures, so each of them requires an individual approach. Basic tips for caring for your pet's fur are presented below.

Hair care for purebred cats

Little ones

Dwelf

Among the representatives of exotic breeds there are also completely small or even tiny cats. For a better understanding of their size and weight, we also present them in the table:

Lambkin

Bombino

There are similar differences between male cats and female cats. Cats are larger by several grams, and sometimes even a kilogram. The table shows the minimum and maximum sizes and weights for both genders.

Head

The structure of the skull and the general appearance of the head are the hallmarks of a purebred cat. It cannot be said that each breed has its own distinct characteristics regarding the skull. To determine the breed by the appearance of the head, it is necessary to study all the values ​​​​and compare them with the standards adopted for outbred cats.

If the differences are significant, then we can say with a high degree of confidence that the cat has a certain breed . It will be possible to tell what breed the pet is after the cheeks, cheekbones, nose, forehead, profile, bite, chin and nasal pads are assessed.

Determining the breed by external differences

In addition to eyes, ears, head shape, as well as size and weight, some representatives of various breeds have their own peculiarities in the structure and shape of the tail, paws and body.

Such signs are no less important for determining and matching to a particular breed.

Small tail

American Bobtail

A short tail is a sign of the breed, unless, of course, the tail was lost through physical contact. The tail can be really short, or it can be curled and curved.

The Manx breed has the shortest tail. It seems that this breed has no tail at all.

The Japanese Bobtail breed's tail is no more than 6 cm long, and the American Bobtail's tail is no more than 10 cm long.

Cymrik also has a short tail from 1.5 to 8 cm. But the average length is 3-4 cm. The pixie-bob breed has a tail of about 5 cm.

Cymric

Pixiebob

Interesting: the tail of a domestic cat is on average 30 cm

Short legs

Munchkin

Ordinary wild and domestic cats have long and thin paws. All representatives of short paws are bred by selective breeding.

There are only a few breeds of cats with short legs: Minskin, Dwelf, Munchkin, Napoleon, Bambino, Skookum, Kinkaloo, Lamkin, Genetta, Minuet, Chinese Tank, Munchaymose and Scottish Fold Munchkin. The front legs of these animals are slightly shorter than the hind legs. Moreover, the Munchkin is considered the first of the short-legged representatives that were the result of a mutation, but all other breeds were bred artificially. Kinkalow was the first to experiment with crossing the Munchkin breed and the American Curl breed.

Kinkaloe

Minskin

Cats with short legs look cute and funny, however, the animals have difficulty moving, and this mutation or selection characteristic weakens the health of the animal.

Main distinguishing features

Externally, cats have approximately the same appearance. These animals have a rump and chest of medium width, and a rounded head. Representatives of various species acquire certain features of their appearance due to selection work. These include:

• body size;
• the structure of the auricle (unusual shape, deformed cartilage, inversion, etc.);
• limbs (short, regular, elongated);
• wool;
• hair color.

Using these parameters, you can determine whether your pet belongs to a particular species. Let's look at them in more detail.

Body size and structure

An ordinary domestic cat grows up to 75 cm in length. Their tail is about 30 cm long. Standard males weigh 4–6 kg, and females weigh 2.3–4.5 kg. Some breeds weigh much more, their body weight can reach 20 kg.

The largest cat breeds include:

• American Bobtail;
• Kurilian Bobtail;
• Maine Coon;
• British cat;
• Norwegian forest cat;
• ragdoll;
• pixie bob;
• savannah;
• Turkish Van cat;
• Siberian;
• Chartreuse.

There are also small species whose weight does not exceed 2.5 kg. These include bambino, napoleon, dwelf, kinkalow, lambkin, minskin, skiff-tay-don, etc.

Paws

Most cats have limbs of medium length. But many purebred animals have short legs. By this feature, you can easily distinguish representatives of blue blood from ordinary yard animals. Short-footed animals include Napoleons, Minskins, Dwelfs, Skookums, Bambinos and Munchkins. Small paws are compensated by the mobility of the spine. Such a spine will help pets move without difficulty with short limbs.

Tail

Cats usually have a long tail. But some varieties have a short tail, which is a congenital trait and not the result of a surgical procedure. By this sign you can easily recognize purebred animals. However, you need to check whether the short tail is the result of injury. Breeds that have unusual tails include:

• Kymrik is a cat without a tail and with short forelimbs. Because of this, he has a jumping gait;
• Pixie-bob is a miniature lynx. The tail is only 2–15 cm long;
• Manx - tailless animals or with a very long tail;
• American Bobtail – the length of the tail is no more than the base of the hind legs;
• Japanese bobtail – the tail is curled and is about 12 cm long;
• Kurilian bobtail.

Even the rarest breeds can be easily recognized by the structure of the tail.

Ear shape

Outbred pets have a normal ear structure. Aristocrats' ears often have an unusual appearance:

• curved up to 180 degrees back - American curl;
• with deformed cartilage that folds the ear in half - Scottish fold cat;
• rolled up - in representatives of the Ukrainian Levka variety;
• patterned and large sizes - elf cat.

Other aristocratic breeds will have ears similar to one of the types described above.

Coat type and color

The definition of a purebred animal is always based on the coat and its color. All aristocratic varieties have their own characteristic hair colors.

Breeds differ in coat length. Short-haired varieties include Tonkinese, Siamese, Abyssinian, Singaporean, Corkt, Bombay. Maine Coon, Simrik, Persian, Balinese, and Ragdoll have long hair. There are also hairless species - Ukrainian Levka and Sphynx.

Curly short hair is found in almost all varieties of Rex: Germanic, Devon and Cornish. Hippopotamus and Selling Rex are considered curly-haired long-haired species. American Shorthair breeds have a coarse coat with elastic curls.

Varieties such as the Thai, Nevka, Balinese and Siamese have dark colored paws, muzzle and tail. The Ragdoll, Burmese and Snowshoe have white toes and a black tail, paws and muzzle area.

The Russian Blue, Briton and Nibelung are characterized by a smoky gray or blue color. Abyssinians and Somalis have a sandy coat color. Bengals, Egyptian Mau, Safari and Savannah cats are characterized by bright stripes and spots. Havana, Brown or Tiffany Chantilly have brown wool.

Mestizos can have characteristics of several breeds at once. This is a common occurrence when species are mixed. Despite the differences listed above, only a breeder or veterinarian can accurately determine the breed.

Features of wool as a criterion

The coat of rumbling predators consists of guard hairs - long with a pointed tip, they can have different thicknesses and lengths, and downy hairs. Downy hair, in turn, is thin, short and often wavy, which acts as an undercoat.

A purebred cat can also be identified by the characteristics of its coat. Some breeds have long hair, some breeds have short hair, and some even have curls or no hair at all.

Long wool

Siberian cat

Long hair in cats is a process of mutation. By default, nature awarded cats with short fur for ease of hunting and survival.

The felinological organization has established more than thirty breeds of long-haired cats.

Bearers of luxurious long fur are the following breeds:

• British Longhair cat;
• American Curl, a distinctive feature is also the inverted ears, the tips of which point back;
• Chantilly;
• Long-haired Burmilla, which also has a snow-white coat and blue eyes;
• Himalayan cat, with a flat face;
• York chocolate cat;
• Somali;
• American and Kurilian bobtails with short tails;
• Maine Coons, with their characteristic ear tufts;
• Persians;
• Neva Masquerade;
• Norwegian Forest Cat;
• Burmese;
• Siberian;
• Turkish Angora and Turkish Van.

Somali cat

Norwegian Forest Cat

In the 15th and 16th centuries, long hair was considered a sign of nobility, and such cats came under royal patronage.

Short hair

British shorthair cat

Cats have had short hair for over 50 million years. It is much easier to care for short hair, both for the animals themselves and for their owners, than for long hair.

The most famous representatives of the short fur coat are:

• British Shorthair cat;
• Oriental Shorthair;
• Russian Blue;
• Safari;
• Siamese;
• Scottish cat;
• American Shorthair;
• Bengal;
• Burmese cat;
• Egyptian Mau
• Thai, who also has bright blue eyes;
• Singaporean,
• Ceylon cat;
• Exotic, similar to a plush toy with a flat nose;
• Abyssinian, with large ears and other breeds.

Ceylon cat

American Shorthair

Most of all cat breeds have short hair. The shorthair gene is active and stable.

In curls and without hair

Another distinctive feature of the breed is the curly coat or lack thereof. Both of these traits are the result of mutation.

The curly coat of a cat is a mutation and indicates the presence of the rex gene, which causes the coat to curl. All representatives with curly or wavy hair are classified as the "Rex" type. It is believed that the first representative of this mutation was noticed in the middle of the last century. And then breeders began to crossbreed mutation cats and male cats and produce new breeds with curly fur.

Cornish Rex

These representatives include the following cat breeds:

• The Cornish Rex is the first representative of this breed to have thin, long legs;
• Devon Rex, German Rex - have short curly fur and long thin legs;
• The Selkirk Rex is a long-haired, wavy wonder;
• Laperm also has a long curly coat;
• Skookum, which has not only curly fur, but also short legs;
• The Ural rex, first seen in Russia in the vicinity of the Sverdlovsk region.

Ural rex

Selkirk rex

No less curious representatives of a number of breeds are cats that are hairless. Although not all of them are actually completely bald. The history of hairless cats begins before our era and the basis of this characteristic is mutation. However, registration of hairless cats began in the late 20th century.

Kohana

Their representatives include such breeds as:

• Peterbald, which is the result of crossing the Don Sphynx and an Oriental cat. The birthplace of such a cat is St. Petersburg;
• Kohana means "bald" in Hawaiian. The skin of these representatives is wrinkled and there is no hint of hair at all;
• Minskin, in addition to the lack of a fur coat, has short legs. Feels like velvet;
• Bambino also has short legs;
• The Don Sphynx, which appeared in Rostov-on-Don back in 1980 as a result of the accidental birth of a hairless kitten;
• Dwelf, which has, among other things, ears turned back and short legs;
• Ukrainian Levkoy, which appeared as a result of crossing the Don Sphynx and the Scottish Fold cat. As a result, the cat has a bald body and ears bent forward;
• Canadian Sphynx with an abundance of folds and wrinkles;
• Elf, who received this name due to his ears bent back.

elf cats

Peterbald

Hairless cats require special care, as they get colder, dirt gets stuck in their folds, and they sweat. Therefore, they must be provided with timely hygiene and warmth.

The 20 most common cats in the world

Every year, the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) compiles a ranking of the most popular cat breeds. It is based on the volume of official registrations of purebred cats. So, according to the latest data, more than 2 million individuals are registered with the CFA, belonging to 42 breeds recognized by the corporation.

This time the ranking consists of 20 breeds, which are listed in the table below from last to first place.

Table 2. The most popular purebred cats according to CFA

Finding out the breed by color

Siamese cat

The distinctive features of the breeds include, among other things, their individual color. For a number of breeds, color is a calling card.

The most popular and outstanding breed is the Siamese color. It is actively distinguished by its black muzzle and ears, on the tail and paws. The rest of the fur is light in color. However, this color is also typical for the Thai, Himalayan, and Neva Masquerade cat breeds.

During the selection process, cat breeds acquired similar colors: Balinese, Persian, Burmese, Ragdoll, British.

Ragdoll

Balinese cat

Interesting: all representatives of this color have blue eyes.

Blue or gray color. Bearers of a pleasant, iridescent monochromatic color are such cat breeds as Russian Blue, British Shorthair, Korat, Nibelung, Oriental, Scottish and others.

Russian blue cat

Korat

The sandy color is characteristic of the Abyssinian and Somali cat breeds.

Abyssinian cat

Such cat breeds as the Bengal cat, Siberian, Egyptian Mau, Kurilian bobtail, Safari, Caraquet, Savannah and others have a natural, so-called “wild” color. A characteristic feature of this color are clear spots, like those of a leopard or bright stripes of predatory inhabitants of the planet.

Caraquet

Bengal cat

Brown color is very rare and is almost non-existent in the wild. Bearers of a chocolate coat are: British cat, oriental cats and cats, Burmese, Scottish, Abyssinian, Persian and others.

Burmese cat

TOP 4 friendly cat breeds

Many people have formed the opinion that cats are the most unemotional and detached creatures. This is fundamentally wrong. There are just certain breeds that really aren’t particularly active or friendly. But there are also those who can be called true companions...

Test “Which animal are you”: find out who lives inside you?

Please note: experts say that cats, in some unimaginable way, sense not only the mood of the owner, but also his character. Moreover, they can adapt to certain qualities of their owner. For example, if an active owner has a cat that is very passive and lazy by nature, the latter will still change to some extent, imitating its owner.

Find out which cat breed you are most similar to based on your zodiac sign:

Features of pedigree kittens

Exotic kitten

To determine the breed of a kitten, you need to pay attention to a set of characteristics. However, before the onset of 4 months, the characteristics of the breed may change; coat color, proportions, and eye color continue to change up to six months.

What you need to pay attention to to identify the breed.

Body type:

• A large head, stocky body, flat nose may indicate that the kitten belongs to the Persian, Scottish or British breed;
• An elongated muzzle, thin long legs and a slender body may be a sign that the kitten belongs to the Siamese, Angora or Balinese breeds.
• A large build, heavy weight, and late development may indicate that the kitten is classified as a large breed of cat, such as Maine Coon, Turkish Van and others.

Persian kitten

Wool:

• Long-haired;
• Shorthair;
• Rex;
• Bald.

Based on the characteristics of the coat, a kitten can be classified as a particular breed if there are other characteristics. A hairless cat can also be born to a domestic cat - this is an optional sign to classify a kitten as a purebred hairless cat.

American shorthair kitten

Coat color (color):

• plain blue (gray) or chocolate can indicate belonging to a number of breeds that are carriers of this color. The most popular: British cats, Russian Blue, Burmese and others.
• Tortoiseshell color is gray or golden. It can also be owned by yard cats, but in British or Scottish cats it is more pronounced.
• Many representatives of purebred cats have the Siamese color. It is characterized by dark tips of the paws and tail, as well as the nose and ears.

Scottish Shorthair (Scottish Fold) tortoiseshell color

Eye color. At birth, all kittens have dark eyes with a blue tint, and the color changes almost up to six months.

• White-haired cats have blue eyes, as well as Siamese-colored cat breeds such as Siamese, Thai and others.

Balinese kittens

Ears. They also form from 2 to 6 months.

• Small ears with drooping, forward-curved tips may be a sign of fold-eared cat breeds;
• Representatives of breeds such as the American Curl, Elf, Kinkalow have ears where the tips are curved back;
• Oriental and Abyssinian cat breeds have large ears.

Scottish fold kittens with mother

Oriental breed kitten

The signs of the breed will appear in adulthood, however, no matter what breed the owner classifies them with his observations, without the appropriate documents it will be just a guess. But based on this, it will be possible to adjust the animal’s nutrition and care.

Does your cat have external differences from ordinary cats?

How to recognize a cat's breed by external features?

Most outbred cats correspond to one gold standard: medium-sized paws, medium-wide chest and rump, and a rounded head, crowning this standard splendor.

But we're talking about exceptions, right? So, what exceptional external characteristics bring a simple cat closer to a purebred cat?

Ears

1. American Curl. These are the only cats in the world whose ears are folded back. The bend can reach 180 degrees.
2. Ukrainian Levkoy. A hairless or slightly fluffy Levkoy is different... Yes, in fact, this breed is different from everyone else. You can recognize it by its ears, which are literally curled up in Levkoys.
3. Scottish lop-eared. Sometimes it seems that Scots don’t have ears, but in fact the problem is in the cartilage, which is so deformed that the pinna seems folded in half. The degree of bending varies from barely noticeable to almost complete fit to the head.
4. Elf Kat. Americans Karen Nelson and Kristen Leedom bred a breed with wonderful ears. Indeed, it is impossible not to notice a cat with such huge patterned ears.
5. The poodlecat is an exotic and artificially bred breed. Fold-eared representatives of the breed have ears that do not lie close to the head, and it is believed that the more beautiful the poodle cat is, the larger its floppy ears.

Short tail

Cats whose tail is in its infancy (or even none at all) are worth a lot. Unlike artificial docking in dogs, a cat's short tail is a purebred sign:

1. Cymrik is a breed without a tail at all. From the word absolutely. At the same time, Cymrics have short front legs and a peculiar jumping gait.
2. Manx are another tailless purr. True, not all of them - according to the standard, Manxes either have no tail at all or show off with a very long one.
3. Pixiebob is a mini-lynx that was bred in the 80s of the 20th century. The tail of domestic predators can sometimes be two centimeters long, and sometimes even 15 cm.
4. The Kurilian Bobtail is a breed in which the genes of the Japanese Bobtail and Siberian cat are mixed, bred in Russia.
5. The American Bobtail demonstrates its temperament with its tail, which reaches the base of its hind legs.
6. The Japanese Bobtail is a classic representative of cats with short tails. According to the standard, the tail of a Japanese bobtail should, firstly, be no longer than 12 centimeters, and secondly, the tail must be curled.

Little paws

When breeders began to breed cat breeds with short legs one after another, fears arose that in the future such pussies would have problems with mobility or the spine. But time has shown that these suspicions are unfounded, since short legs are compensated by greater flexibility of the spine.

Are your cat's paws significantly shorter than your neighbor's paws? There are several breeds for you to choose from, most of which you have already met above.

1. Skookum - the dwarf La Perm has a long and wavy coat. Another feature of the breed is its pronounced collar. By the way, the breed was originally called poco chino (Small Curly).
2. Dwelf - without hair, without long legs.
3. Munchkin
4. Napoleon
5. Minskin
6. Bambino

Is an animal without documents a purebred animal?

A cat without documents can participate in domestic cat shows

Formalities are important. A cat without documents is automatically outbred, no matter what characteristics of a particular breed it may have.

Each breed and its representatives are included in the register of breeds of a felinological organization, which fixes standards for a particular breed, registers cat breeds, monitors the work of nurseries, and also monitors the organization of cat and male exhibitions.

Representatives of purebred cats in nurseries and breeders are registered with a felinological organization and have the following documentation:

• generic metric;
• veterinary passport;
• pedigree.

When purchasing an animal from a nursery or from a breeder, it is also recommended to draw up a pet purchase and sale agreement.

A cat breed can be determined by a felinologist.

If it so happens that the owner got the purebred miracle by accident, and there are no documents for it, then there is a difficult path to assigning the breed to the animal.

• Contact a felinological organization to have your pet examined by a specialist felinologist. If the animal meets the standards of a particular breed, the organization will issue and issue an appropriate certificate. From there you can begin to draw up a primary pedigree for further breeding of offspring.
• Participation in the exhibition of domestic cats. When contacting the organizers, the cat will be examined and an examination will be carried out to determine the breed. After which you can engage in experimental breeding, without a certificate.

Exhibitions: how to get there and why?

Purebred cats and cats of noble breeds receive the right to participate in exhibitions. People gather at these events for various reasons: some people win prestigious titles with their pets, some simply want to communicate with passionate cat lovers, and some want to find a purebred pet for themselves.

WCF Direct Member Certificate

The largest international organization of cat lovers is the World Cat Federation (WCF). It includes 540 clubs from all over the world. WCF holds an average of 300 cat shows annually, a third of which are in Russia.

What does it take to get to a cat show?

Anyone can come to the cat show, but you can only take part with a pet that is already 3 months old. In order for your pet to be included in the list of participants, you need to prepare the following documents:

• a certificate with notes on vaccinations and antiparasitic treatment;
• certificate from a veterinarian in form No. 1 for a period not older than 3 days or in form No. 4.

Important! The exhibition organizers may require additional documents, so for each exhibition the set of papers should be clarified in advance.

Google Lens - will help you learn everything about animals

Since 2022, Google Lens has been able to recognize the breeds of cats and dogs and identify other animals. In real time, the artificial intelligence system recognizes objects from the uploaded image and then provides the user with the result.

This application is supported in Google Photos, Google Assistant and on some smartphone models even in a regular camera. Also, Google Leans can be installed from the Android app store.

How can I use it to obtain the necessary information?

1. Go to the application and click on the camera button.
2. Now either take a snapshot here and now, or download one that's already stored in your gallery.

3. After this, you should wait a few seconds and Google Lens will offer you to review the information received.

Now you will see the result, and you will also be able to learn even more about this breed if you start looking for information about it on the Internet. Google Lens also offers not only the name, but also a description of the breed.

Breed classification

Felinology is a science that studies the anatomy and physiology of cats, their reproduction and selection. There are many systems for recording and assessing animals in this area. For the most part, they come down to two groups - American and European.

At cat shows, without exception, everyone is judged by genotype. Family affiliation and origin are determined by the pedigree - the main cat document, which, in fact, reflects the family tree of the pet, at least up to the fourth generation. In addition to the names of the ancestors, all colors and dates of birth, the names of the nurseries where the animals came from are indicated.

The data of the club and the association itself are necessarily recorded in the “header” of the document.

Each pedigree has its own number, by which it can be easily found in the electronic accounting system. Colors are designated by specially adopted codes.

Such a document not only indicates the pet’s ancestral affiliation, but also allows you to determine which genes it is a carrier of, and what kittens it may have.

Only the oldest American system, TICA, as the most democratic, allows assessment by phenotype - the appearance of the animal.

In this system, all individuals are divided into six categories:

• Category I - Established Breeds - lines formed as a result of selection.
• Category II - Natural Breeds - natural breeds.
• Category III Variant or Mutation Breeds - the result of genetic mutations.
• Category IV - Domestic Hybrid Breeds - interbreeding.
• Category V - Non-Domestics Source Breed Hybrids - crossing of domestic and wild animals.
• Category VI - Experimental Breeds - experimental breeds.

The cat's status code is indicated by a set of Latin letters and numbers (date of birth and personal number).

If the alphabetic code SB is written in the pedigree, such a pet is a full-fledged representative of one of the recognized breeds. Its designation and the name of the animal (usually includes the nursery's own name) are written in the first line.

There are four categories in the European WCF system. Cats are divided according to the type of cover:

• Category I - Shorthair I - animals with short hair, group 1 - includes Orientals, Siamese and Thais, Peterbald and Tonkinese cats.
• Category II - Shorthair II - animals with short hair, group 2 - all other shorthaired animals.
• III category - Semi-Longhair - semi-longhaired cats - Siberian, Maine Coons, Norwegian Forest, Nibelung, others.
• Category IV - Longhair - long-haired group - Persian only.

In this system, the pedigree number encrypts: breed, category, color and sex of the animal. A cat from the experimental group or an unrecognized variety will not be issued a document in this system.

Pedigrees of other systems are not very common in Russia. But if you need to decrypt them, you should contact the club that issued it.

Information about him and the feline system, indicating telephone numbers and addresses, is required in the document of any association.

Singapura Siberian cat

Cat classification

Cats are not distinguished by a variety of external forms, which cannot be said about dogs. Even despite their abundance and distribution throughout the planet, all cats are, in principle, very similar.

Active breeding work by felinologists began only at the beginning of the last century. And even at the present moment, when a clear gradation according to breed has appeared, it is difficult to judge how many purebred cats there are in the world. It is worth recognizing that the majority of domestic cats are still ordinary “nobles,” that is, completely outbred.

To date, the cat world has about 60 breeds, which also include two hundred varieties. According to the current classification, cats are conventionally divided into 5 large groups, which differ from each other in the length of their fur and features of their body structure:

• longhaired: Burmese, Persian, Ragdoll, Turkish, Norwegian Forest, Maine Coon, Somali, Balinese, Siberian, Cymric;
• shorthaired with a strong constitution: European, American, Burmese, Chartreuse, exotic;
• shorthaired with medium constitution: blue, Abyssinian, Burmese, Bombay, Korat;
• short-haired with a slender body: Siamese, Oriental, Singaporean, Tonkinese;
• cats with deviations in skeletal structure and mutations: male, Scottish fold, bobtail, multi-fingered, sphinx, rex.

What is a breed

Breeding cats of a certain breed is the result of natural or artificial selection. In the first case, changes in the characteristics of cats living in certain conditions are associated with their adaptation to the climate and lifestyle. Such animals are called aboriginal. These include Siberian cats, Norwegian forest cats, Maine coons, Kurilian bobtails.

In the case of artificial selection, a person specifically selects a cat with an unusual mutation (for example, short legs, a flat face, etc.) and crosses it with an animal of the same species with the same characteristics. As a result, a certain trait is fixed and even progresses in the offspring.

Official organizations do not have unanimity on the issue of breeds: CFA recognizes 42 varieties of cats, GCCF – 38, WCF – 45, and CFF – 32 (but this does not count experimental breeds)

Breeding of the breed has a practical and/or decorative purpose. In the first case, a person strives to improve the animal’s characteristics (for example, to achieve a more muscular body, which provides the cat with greater strength, jumping ability, etc.). Decorative purposes sometimes conflict with the needs of the animal and even interfere with it (for example, breeds with a complete lack of hair are unviable in outdoor conditions).

For a cat breed to be recognized, it must be registered with an official organization - WCF, WCC, TICA, FIFe, CFA and/or CFF. This process is long, since experts need to make sure that the mutation is fixed, and for this they study representatives of 7–10 or more generations (that is, more than 50 individuals claiming to be classified as a new breed). This takes from a couple of years to several decades.

The Caracat is an example of how long it takes for new breeds to be registered: the first kitten was born in 1998, but the TICA organization recognized the breed as experimental only in 2005

Unique Features

If the pet has any external features, then determining the cat’s breed will not be difficult. For example, these could be:

• Unusual ears. The location of the ears relative to each other, their shape and size often indicate that the cat belongs to a certain breed. Ears tilted forward are a distinctive feature of the Scottish Fold, while ears curved back are a characteristic feature of the Curl.
• Tail. The long, straight tail is typically associated with Siamese, while the broken tail is a distinctive feature of bobtails.
• Paws. Short and disproportionate paws are a sure sign of the Munchkin breed.

Having decided on the breed based on the characteristics of the cat, you need to make sure of the result in other parameters in order to avoid mistakes.

How to find out the gender of British kittens?

Determining the sex of small British kittens is quite difficult.

Primary sexual characteristics are just being formed, and the thick fur hides subtle differences.

But you can still find out the gender by the following signs:

1. In this breed, a clear sexual difference is the shape of the anus and genitals. The presence of two dots indicates that the baby is male, and a “question mark” indicates that the baby is female.

Feeling the testicles does not always help accurately determine gender.

This is due to the fact that at birth, both the British cat and the female cat may have swelling in this place.

British kittens are affectionate and peaceful

1. The presence of nipples also cannot be considered a clear difference. Kittens of both sexes can have them. In females they are more pronounced, but this can only be understood by comparison.
2. Another sign of how to distinguish a cat from a cat of a given breed is its habits.

1. The sex of adults can be determined by external characteristics. Males are much larger than females. The latter are more elegant. You can also distinguish the sex by the face: in cats it is narrower and more elongated.

Wool

All cats, based on their coat type, are divided into three types: long-haired, short-haired and hairless. There are cat breeds whose distinguishing characteristic is their fur or lack thereof.

The most prominent representatives of hairless breeds are Sphynxes, Levkoys, Peterbalds and Minskins. If the fur is short but curly, then you have all the varieties of Rex in front of you. Those with long and curly hair are the La Perm, the Serkirk Rex, the Bohemian Rex and the American Wirehair.

If you have a photo that shows that the cat's fur is straight and long, then there is a high probability that you have a British, Persian or Siberian longhair cat.

Cat breeds

All existing cats came from one thing - the steppe cat, which was found only in North Africa. But about a hundred years ago, breeders began to specifically create special breeds of cats, of which today, together with varieties, there are approximately 200. Because of this number, it will be quite difficult to determine the breed of your pet, but you can still do it if you wish.

It is worth remembering that your cat will be considered a purebred only if it has a passport and pedigree. If all this is missing, then, even if your cat’s appearance is 100% similar to the standards, she cannot be recognized as a purebred cat.