Siberian Masquerade - a beautiful cat in a color-point mask

Features of behavior and character of British women

When characterizing British cats, you need to understand that everything depends on their behavior. If you want to raise an animal, then you need to do this only up to a year, after which you won’t be able to change anything. Some owners complain about disobedience, not realizing that this is a consequence of poor upbringing . The British are proud enough that they will never ask a person for help. These are not the breeds that will cuddle or purr plaintively, trying to attract attention. These representatives will try to act independently.

While still babies, British kittens easily learn to use the litter box. The aristocratic breed does not allow them to shit wherever they have to. If you look at how a cat sleeps, you can involuntarily smile: on its back, in a ball, with its hind legs outstretched, on its side. The places to sleep are no less fun. Sometimes fluffy hides in places where you wouldn’t even think of looking for him - in a laundry basket or among soft toys. The habits of the British dog are often unpredictable, but this is dictated by the breed and some inherent instincts.

HOW TO DISTINGUISH A BRITISH CAT FROM A REGULAR CAT: FEATURES AND SIGNS

Character of British cats

Multifaceted and contradictory - this is how the character of “aristocratic animals” can be briefly described. Representatives of the British differ significantly in disposition from other cat breeds.

1. They won’t sit in the kitchen and yell for food to be poured into them.
2. They will not ask to be held by their owner, and will not sit on their laps if you take them by force.
3. They won’t rub against their owner for days.

Cats spend all their free time to their advantage and do what they want. The British are independent and proud.

Cleanliness

Cleanliness is something that cannot be taken away from British women . This is inherent in them, this is what their mother cat teaches them. Purrs can lick themselves for hours without getting tired, and until the procedure is completely completed, they will not switch to another activity.

Representatives of this breed will not allow themselves to tear up furniture if they have a nail clipper for this purpose. Having shown the animal a couple of times the place reserved for sharpening nails, they will remember it forever.

The British are not short on intelligence. Tangles understand everything almost the first time. The only task that lies with the owner is to initially show the animal where to go to the toilet, where is the place to eat, where is the lounger, and the like.

Amenability

The British Shorthair cat gets along well with any animal, be it dogs, cats, parrots, iguanas and other representatives of the “wild world”. If a Briton doesn’t like something, he will not tolerate the disgrace that is happening next to him, but will turn around and proudly leave.

The same applies to children: when kids don’t touch cats, they don’t pay attention to them. Otherwise, the felines get up and go home.

Stubbornness and touchiness

All cats are stubborn in their own way, and the same applies to the British. Speaking about the character of British cats, it would not be out of place to say that they do everything according to their own wishes and at their own discretion. If a furry friend doesn’t want to lick him out of his house to play in the cold season, for example, then you can’t force him to do it. Of course, you can shake the animal out by force, but it will immediately find a place where no one will disturb it.

As for touchiness, pets have plenty of this. If the owner scolded the four-legged animal undeservedly or suddenly raised his hand to it, one should expect trouble. The cat will not forgive this, so it will sit in the shelter for a long time, and then refuse to eat.

Important! To avoid having to scold an adult cat for the slightest misdeeds, kittens should be taught order from childhood, instilling in them certain skills.

Restraint

The character of British cats is such that they do not like to show tenderness, love or resentment towards people, and especially in front of strangers. When an animal is offended, it will lick itself for a long time, thus relieving stress. A joyful bundle can make a circle of honor around a person, and then climb into its house or go to another favorite place. Only some representatives of the British can be gentle and loving, but this is due to the merit of the person who taught the animal to do this from childhood.

Playfulness

A cat's life consists of more than just sleep and food. Games play a big role for felines. The British are big fans of fooling around, of course, within the limits of what is permitted. An exception may be adult cats, although they can sometimes be caught doing this.

Kittens are overly selective in their games. What they like most is hiding and emerging from their ambush. Attacking is another fun activity for them. In this way, they try to imitate adult representatives who, in a playful way, teach their children to attack and also defend themselves. Sometimes, when kittens are tired, they pretend to sleep so that they can be left for a while. And after a short period of time, they pick up, raising their tail, and begin to chase their prey again.

Animals associate some toys with real prey - mice or rats. Swinging objects may remind four-legged birds of birds or butterflies that they so want to catch. At the same time, animals understand perfectly well that when playing, they are not hunting anyone, so they behave somewhat differently. When tracking real prey, the pets are serious and attentive, sometimes the cats are angry, but you can’t do without this when hunting. At home, they rarely release their claws, and their bites do not hurt at all.

Knowing the character of the British, many breeders recommend that owners set up a small corner for their pets, throwing small toys and strings there. If a person does not have time to play with his four-legged pet, then he needs to be given the opportunity to occupy himself independently.

Important! Cats who are not given time and who do not have toys begin to play mischief: jumping on furniture, hanging on curtains, knocking down everything in their path. And this is not the fault of the animals, but of the people who did not provide their pets with everything they needed.

Reviews from mixed breed owners

At the request of friends, I am writing my review about my pet of a noble breed with admixtures of noble Maine Coon blood. The little foundling turned into such a huge cat, now he weighs 8 kg and is becoming more and more similar to his Maine Coon relatives. After sterilization, his character changed, he became calm, important and incredibly affectionate. Purrs like a small tractor. When my son was born, Senya began to behave like a real nanny, he sat watching the baby and if something was wrong, he meowed loudly and called me. Now she and her son are best friends and the cat has never scratched the child.

Neli70

https://otzovik.com/review_2832469.html

Our handsome man is a mixture of a bulldog and a rhinoceros in character, and a black beauty mother with a Siamese scoundrel father in actual origin. The scoundrel father, naturally, refused to bear responsibility for the family and offspring, and only our mother was involved in raising our miracle until 1.5 months. We met on January 6, 2016. At first it was a cute fluffy creature, completely black with silver hairs on its legs. His mercy lasted for 6 hours. After our then nameless cat realized that this was now his home, and he was the master here, the toy terrier immediately suffered. Those twenty grams of rage exploded and drove the dog out of the room. That's where our suffering began. The cat is absolutely evil. The whole time we walked around in suspense about where he would jump out and what he would tear apart. We began to forget what curtains were, because he didn’t like them - maybe the design didn’t suit him? - and he tore them off all the time. The children moved around the house in small trots in the morning, and he didn’t like bare legs either. They couldn't give him a name for a month. A pretty kitten with the character of a pit bull did not match with any nickname. Then, unexpectedly, he became Felix - arrogant, cruel, harsh, quick to kill. Once we barely saved a 7-year-old “German” from meeting our punishing hurricane. And all this in 3 months. They sinned against the Siamese’s character and cried quietly in the corner, loved him madly and were also afraid of him. And suddenly, unexpectedly, my father’s genes gave way to my mother’s. After four months of total terror, Felix turned into a soft, purring Fleka; the gray hair on his paws, by the way, disappeared along with his bad character. I hope that we will stop there. As for the characteristics of mixed breed cats, we realized that kittens are very smart, beautiful, unusual and interesting - you are always waiting to see whose breed will win. I think that we have not yet learned all the facets of our furry pet, something else will come.

Tatyana0458

Psychology of British cats

The character and behavior of a British cat can be very different. However, the key determining factor is the animal's mood. The owner himself can spoil it or, on the contrary, improve it. Despite the fact that the pet is self-sufficient and can be alone for a long time, it cannot be ignored.

Some owners of four-legged animals complain that with the appearance of a child or another animal in the family, the British change, become closed and touchy. This happens because no one pays attention to the furry friend; they found a replacement for him. The British actually become very attached to their owners, but only because of their disposition do they not show it. However, this does not mean that animals can live on their own; they also want to be handled and noticed.

Examples of interbreed matings

Cats that do not have documents (including mixed breeds) can receive a certificate of breed conformity if their appearance fully meets the standards. But this procedure is carried out only for indigenous breeds and in the region where they live. Their metric will state: father and mother are unknown, that is, zero pedigree. And although theoretically they can participate in breeding, such animals are not popular among breeders. But they have the right to exhibit.

Métis Britons

The British cat breeds (shorthair and longhair) were the result of mixing ordinary domestic cats and Persians. But now both one and the other are closed, so mating of British dogs with Persians and other breeds is prohibited.

The offspring of the British with a mongrel cat are sometimes difficult to distinguish from true aristocrats, both in appearance and in character. This is why there are so many offers for the sale of British (or semi-British) kittens for a very reasonable price. They cannot participate in exhibitions:

• In the “domestic cat” class, animals whose appearance is similar to a certain breed are not allowed;
• for other categories they are not suitable due to lack of documents.

But as pets, such mestizos are very popular.

British mixed breeds often have a very aristocratic appearance, corresponding to the phenotype of the breed standard

Sphinx mestizos

Hairless cats have a peculiar appeal, and experiments with this breed continue.

Canadian Sphynx

Just like the British one, the Canadian Sphynx breed is a closed breed, that is, mating with other species is officially prohibited.

The hairlessness of the Canadian Sphynx is determined by a recessive gene, and when mating with a representative of another breed, the likelihood of getting “naked” offspring is very small. If the second partner is a mongrel cat, then hairy kittens are usually born, the physique of which may resemble a sphinx.

When paired with other breeds, the results can be very different: the presence of hair on certain parts of the body plus a list of genetic diseases.

The physique of this cat resembles a sphinx, but the presence of hair indicates that it is a mestizo

Although there are examples of successful crossing with the Sphinx:

Elves are the sphinx and curl. Elf cats appeared in 2006, but have not yet received official recognition.

Elf cats have such an exotic appearance that even in photos they look like aliens

Bambino cats have an even more exotic appearance

But the creation of a new breed and a single mating are incomparable things. The first generation of kittens may not have any interesting qualities, and further work with the offspring should only be carried out by a specialist.

Donskoy and Neva sphinxes (Peterbald)

The Don Sphynx is an aboriginal breed that appeared relatively recently. Although there is another point of view, that this is a natural mutation. The hairlessness of the Don Sphynx has a completely different nature and mating it with the Canadian is categorically not recommended. But mating the Don with other breeds can be effective.

An example of this is the Peterbald, a type of cat that appeared as a result of the mating of the Don Sphynx and the Oriental. The breed surprisingly quickly gained international recognition and registration (in just 4 years).

The St. Petersburg Sphynx has seven varieties of coat: from no coat at all to medium-length coat.

There is another example of the formation of a new species based on the Don Sphynx: the Ukrainian Levkoy was obtained as a result of mating with a Scottish Fold cat, but does not yet have the status of the breed due to the small number of representatives.

Breeders claim that the Ukrainian Levkoy looks like the flower after which the breed was named

Maine Coon mixes

The Maine Coon is a breed created on the basis of the large semi-longhaired cats of Maine (USA) that live in the wild. During its formation, matings were carried out with outbred cats, but now this is prohibited. Since the breed is native, the mestizos resulting from crossing with Maine Coons should be in good health. There is only a danger that a small cat may die during childbirth if the newborn kitten is too large.

An interesting fact is that attempts to use these big cats in further breeding work did not bring results. Interbreeding with the British, Persians, and Neva Masquerade in order to obtain large animals with the appearance of cultivated breeds ended in failure.

Mixes of Maine Coons with yard cats are also not particularly attractive. The resulting kittens may be large in size (although this is not necessary), but they definitely do not grow to the size of the parent. Long fluffy hair is also not always inherited.

Video: cat - Maine Coon mix

Habits

The bright character traits of the British directly influence their habits. Some people believe that since animals belonging to the presented breed are quite obedient, then they cannot do any bad things, but this is not so.

Common negative habits include:

1. Scratching and biting hands.
2. Throwing objects off surfaces.

To somehow compensate for this, many people want to know how the British are doing with catching mice, and this is a completely different matter.

Types of cats

Types of cats artificially created by man, having fixed hereditary characteristics, are combined into breeds. The pedigree of a cat is confirmed by an official document - a “pedigree”, issued by a club that is part of one of the felinological unions. Each of these organizations has its own descriptions and criteria for breed recognition.

Siberian and Maine Coon mixed breed

According to these organizations, now in the world there are from 40 to 80 varieties of animal breeds related to domestic cats, mongrel cats and mestizos. Mestizos are the fruits of mating animals of different breeds. A mixed-breed cat and a male cat also belong to the mongrel category, but have the peculiar features of purebred animals. As an inheritance, a mestizo kitten receives the main qualities of its parents: health, endurance, intelligence.

Purebred toyger - mini tiger cat

About activity

The character of British kittens, like cats, can actually be reserved and sometimes even cold, but this does not in any way affect their activity. The British sleep a lot, but in their free time they will do what they want: run, jump, play. The exception in this case is only older representatives of the breed. Pets that have access to the street are more active. They are interested in everything around them: leaves, butterflies, flowers, so cats can spend hours on end outside. If there are several cats in the family, then additional activity will be provided. This is very good, since active animals have much fewer health problems.

Important! To prevent your cat from lying around in the apartment, you should play with him from time to time and offer him some options for useful ways to spend his waking hours.

Siamese kittens: everything future owners need to know

Siamese kittens are cute and curious, like all babies. But these little blue-eyed lumps have a trait that from an early age distinguishes them from kittens of all other breeds: from birth it is a personality. If you are planning to get a Siamese kitten, try to find out as much as possible about it. This will greatly facilitate communication, education and care for him.

Do the British have bad habits?

It is believed that aristocrats do not and cannot have bad habits. Of course, the behavior of British cats may sometimes not fit into the generally accepted framework of these peculiar animals, but in any case, representatives of other breeds should be compared to them. This is not entirely true.

There are several bad habits of British cats that you should be aware of:

1. Using the owner's personal belongings as toys, as well as items that cannot be used for these purposes. We can talk about jewelry, tubes of creams, sweets. If there is no fear that the animal will take these items somewhere, then you should not take them from him. The kitten will frolic a little and will lose all interest in what was just found. Otherwise, it is better to pick up the item, but be sure to exchange it for any other one.
2. Some animals love to climb inside bags, boxes, packages and cabinets. It is difficult to find an explanation for this, but this does not mean that the pet will immediately stop doing this. In this case, you can also do it in two ways - allow it to be done or try to wean it off by replacing one activity with another.

Britons may actually be skittish animals, but they are also very intelligent, playful and active pets.

Source

Description of the breed

Siberian masquerade cats are very large, by cat standards, animals with long hair and sky blue eyes. The weight of a male can reach 8-10 kg. The weight of more graceful females varies between 5–6 kg.

The Neva cat got its name in honor of its place of origin - the city on the Neva

Exterior characteristics

Representatives of this breed have strong bones and powerful muscles. The WCF standard provides the following characteristics:

1. Proportional physique. The body is of medium length. The chest is well developed, the neck is massive.
2. The head is quite large in the shape of a trapezoid with smooth outlines. The frontal part is wide, but low. When moving from the forehead to the bridge of the nose, a small depression is barely visible.
3. A wide nose of medium length with a neat nose.
4. The low-set cheekbones are clearly defined, the cheeks are slightly plump, and the well-developed jaws have a regular structure.
5. A strong and wide chin is in line with the nose.
6. The ears are medium in size with pointed tips and a fairly wide base, slightly tilted forward. The distance between them should exceed the width of the bottom of the ear. The breed standard does not have strict requirements for the presence of tassels on the tips, but their presence is desirable.
7. The eyes are round, large, widely spaced, the outer corners are slightly raised. The iris is colored a rich blue. Cats up to one year old are allowed to have a greenish tint to their eyes.
8. The limbs are strong, well muscled, of medium length with rounded powerful paws. Hair grows abundantly between the toes.
9. The tail is of moderate length - in most cats it reaches the area of ​​the shoulder blades. The base is wide, the tip is rounded.

Coat type

The Siberian Neva Masquerade cat has thick, semi-long hair. The neck and chest of the animal are decorated with a luxurious collar. There are “pants” on the hind legs. The structure of the wool is dense. Under the guard hairs there is an undercoat, which grows in winter and becomes short with the arrival of warmth.

The cover is smooth to the touch, and shines glossy in the sun. The Nevak's coat lengthens from the shoulder blades to the croup and lies on the sides and base of the tail. It has water-repellent properties and protects well from the cold.

Acceptable colors

The Siberian masquerade cat standard provides for many variations of the Siamese color. The main color of the coat is light, and the coat on the paws, tail and ears is darker.

Table – Colors of the Neva Masquerade cat

The tabby point color is very popular, in which the mask can be brown, cream, blue and even tortoiseshell. The letter M is clearly visible on the forehead of such cats, and faint stripes are present on the face, paws and tail. The nose corresponds to the color type and has a dark edging. Tabby point color varieties:

• seal tabby point;
• blue tabby point;
• red tabby point;
• tortie tabby point.

More recently, Siberian masquerade cats with silver, golden and smoky color-point colors have been bred, but they are very rare.

Neva Masquerade with a rare golden color

Breed defects

The disadvantages of the breed include:

• thin bones, underdeveloped muscles;
• angular head shape;
• long neck and limbs;
• ears that are too large or small;
• almond-shaped or small eye size;
• short tail with little hair, and also with a pointed tip;
• lack of shine on the coat;
• poorly or overdeveloped undercoat.

Mixed cat, what does it mean?

Metis is not a cat breed. Such animals appear in a parent couple, where one is a representative of an elite breed, and the second is outbred. Another option is possible - when both parents are elite, but belong to different breeds. Crossing between them is allowed, and the litter acquires the qualities of the parent pair and is able to continue the race.

There is another concept - a cat hybrid. This means that individuals from different branches of the biological tree participated in the crossing. For example, a caracal from the Moscow Zoo mated with an ordinary cat, which subsequently gave birth to a healthy large kitten.

This event became a sensation in world felinology and forced a new look at the process of breeding hybrid cats. Thus, the Chausie breed appeared - a hybrid of the wild jungle cat Felis Chaus and the Abyssinian cat, and the Savannah - a mestizo cat bred by mating an African serval and a bengal.

Advantages of Métis

When forming the breed, breeders worked not only on the appearance of the animal, but also sought to instill in their pet the necessary character traits: attachment to the owner, lack of aggressiveness, cleanliness. In most cases, offspring inherit the best traits of their parents, and mixed-breed cats have certain advantages over outbred cats:

• beautiful, perhaps unusual appearance;
• calm non-aggressive character;
• quick adaptation to order in the house.

Advantages and disadvantages of mestizo

According to official data, there are 250 registered cat breeds. The total number of cats living throughout the globe is about half a billion. In addition to officially recognized breeds, there are also stray animals that are not included in the statistics. Random mating results in a huge population of mestizos. Whether this is good or bad is difficult to say, but we have identified several advantages and disadvantages of being mestizos.

1. In the first generation, mixed-breed kittens receive the best characteristics of the parent pair, but later, unfortunately, they lose them.
2. Mixed breeds are often healthy, but if one or both parents have an altered genotype, the kittens are more likely to be born sick.
3. By purposefully crossing several breeds, it is possible to obtain an animal with a certain set of external qualities.
4. The character also determines the genotype of the parental pair. A pampered Persian cat and a calm mongrel cat will not produce aggressive kittens.

As for the disadvantages, there are few of them - keeping a mestizo in the house is neither prestigious nor profitable.

Half-breeds do not have the right to participate in exhibitions, do not have a pedigree, are not allowed to crossbreed with elite animals, and there is no queue of people who want to get a purebred pet. However, cat lovers in most cases do not pay attention to such nuances and happily take outbred animals from the shelter.

What does a Scotsman look like?

The breed of fold cats is divided into two breeding branches.

A cross between British and Scottish Shorthairs is characterized by the following characteristics:

1. Smooth lines of the body, low legs and rounded powerful paws.
2. Thick and short fur.
3. More than 200 types of colors, which are divided into 3 groups: solid, tortoiseshell, tabby.
4. The eyes are large, round, widely spaced. Their color should be in harmony with the coat color. Whites may have a blue tint or heterochromia.

The American branch differs from the European:

1. The muzzle is round, but the cheeks are less puffy.
2. A more refined structure - the body is not as stocky as that of the “Europeans”.
3. Among the American descendants of fold-eared cats, there are many animals with a modified structure of the auricle - the auditory canal is completely closed.

This is interesting! Thanks to the American type, it was possible to solve the problem of a short and partially immobile tail in mixed-breed Scottish and British cats. This pathology was caused by the influence of the Fd gene on the intervertebral discs and joint structure. As soon as breeders found the opportunity to produce normal long-tailed cats, the problem of the health of the musculoskeletal system receded into the background.

Maine Coon mixes

The Maine Coon is a large-sized native cat breed. The animals are distinguished by their massive build, strong bones, angular contoured muzzle, and large ears with tufts. Colors can be any: cinnamon, lilac, chocolate and fawn, solid.

The coat is thick, water-repellent, and the undercoat is soft. The neck is decorated with a frill. The tail is long, wide at the base, tapering to the tip, covered with long hair. The eyes are oval, expressive, the color of the iris matches the color of the coat.

Breeding Maine Coon mestizos is officially prohibited, but in reality this issue is not controlled. Amateur breeders often breed Maine Coons with other cat breeds. Half-breeds are much cheaper, which increases the demand for them.

In specialized nurseries, cull cats are not sold for breeding, but they can be purchased as a pet. Such animals must be castrated or sterilized.

It is also important to remember that a purebred Maine Coon and a mixed breed are completely different animals. A half-breed will never meet the breed standard. The appearance of such cats is very diverse and depends on the genotype of the parents.

Purebred Maine Coons are endowed with the following qualities:

• goodwill;
• agreeableness;
• sociability;
• devotion;
• prudence.

When crossed with a regular cat, these traits change or disappear completely.

As for external qualities, purebreds must have tufted ears, an elongated muzzle, massive paws, and a long fluffy tail. Three-month-old kittens should weigh at least 2.5 kg (the cubs of an ordinary cat at this age weigh no more than 1 kg). The body length of adult males is approximately 1 m and weight is 11 kg.

As for attempts to crossbreed the Maine Coon with other breeds, they all failed. The purpose of such experiments was the desire to add some qualities from other breeds to Maine Coons. For example, to produce a big cat of an unusual color, a female Maine Coon was bred with a male Siamese breed. However, the experiment was unsuccessful - kittens of different sizes were born in the litter.

When mated with Persians, the result was large kittens with fluffy red fur without the slightest hint of resemblance to Maine Coons. An attempt to crossbreed with a Bengal to increase body size also failed.

Maine Coon and Siberian kittens are similar in appearance to purebreds, but are of medium size. Such babies are often passed off as noble, but they are sold at a discount and without a pedigree.

A mixed breed of a Maine Coon and a domestic cat was obtained completely by accident. The baby retained the color of his coat, but lost a number of positive character traits.

Maine Coons are also crossed with Britons, Neva Masquerade and other breeds of cats, producing litters with fur of different lengths.

Is it possible to crossbreed a Briton and a Scot?

All cat breeds are allowed to breed with each other. They have the same chromosomal map (19 elements from each parent) and a common genetic sex pattern (male cats have XY, and female cats have XX). In each individual case, breeders pursue a specific goal. The cross between a British and a Scot is very significant in this context. To understand the logic of action, you will have to look at the history of these two breeds.

The native English Shorthair cat has a long pedigree line. Perhaps her ancestors came to the islands 10 centuries ago and adapted perfectly to their new conditions. Like all old species, they are not subject to hereditary genetic changes and demonstrate good health and enviable longevity.

The first Scottish Folds were discovered in 1961, when a white cat with a natural ear mutation appeared on a farm in the central part of the country. Her ears folded forward funny and covered the ear canal area. It was not possible to find out whether the unique variety was a descendant of the British breed, a mixture or a simple country cat. From her single kitten an entire population developed.

Fold cats were crossed with British and American Shorthairs, as breeders had no other options. At the first stage, the genetic consequences of the crossbred appeared, due to which the kittens developed a disease of the musculoskeletal system (osteochondrodysplasia).

It was possible to improve the health of hybrids through interbreed matings. A mixture of a British cat and a Scottish fold turned out to be viable only in the heterozygous form. This means that one of the animals must carry the genes for straight ears (these were aboriginal English), and the other may have fold ears. True, children inherit a characteristic trait in the proportion of 50x50 (they will have both lop-eared and straight-eared children). A pair of parents with the same ear structure (homozygous) gives birth to sick kittens.

Thanks to this interbreeding, two global problems were solved: the formation of a unique appearance and the production of healthy offspring capable of continuing the bloodline.

Mixed bengal cat

The Bengal cat is a cross between a domestic cat and an Asian leopard. Mating Bengals with other breeds is prohibited by all felinological organizations. There are no recognized crossbreeds of this breed, but this does not prevent unscrupulous breeders from crossing Bengals with other breeds or ordinary cats. As a result, mestizos with a variety of colors appear. The second generation completely loses the characteristics of its parents.

Recently, long-haired Bengals have become especially popular; they retain the characteristics of the breed, but have long hair, a fluffy collar and tail.

If earlier breeders sterilized such animals, now the long-haired variety is valued higher than the traditional Bengal cat.

Diversity of mestizos

The term “mestizo” was introduced into use by felinologists who study the belonging of animals to a particular breed. It is possible to predict what a mestizo cat will be like only if it is born from parents of known breeds. Among hybrids, no two cats are ever alike. The mestizo cat variety comes in a variety of body shapes, coat and eye colors.

And yet, experts in the structure of the body, the shape of the skull, the length of the coat and its color can predict what kind of character the kitten will have. Half-breeds born from parents of elite breeds often inherit patterns of behavior common to certain breeds of animals. Life experiences influence the individuality of animals. If a hybrid cat is raised as a purebred animal, then the characteristics inherent in the species will also appear in her.

Each animal has a unique appearance. The owners of such animals love them not only for the coloring of their fur coat or beautiful ears, but for their intelligence, flexibility, and ability to survive. The genes of different breeds collected in one common body allow the ability to resist diseases to become stronger.

Important! Mixed breeds do not call animals born from parents of the same breed and who were unlucky enough to be culled. Due to illness or incorrect coloration, kittens with marriage are not given a pedigree, but they are not mixed breeds either.

A mixed-breed cat has inherited the genes of her naked dad and furry mom.

Mixture of a sphinx and an ordinary cat

The Sphinx variety is one of the most ancient. Many people consider the appearance of animals to be unpleasant, and the lack of fur enhances this feeling. The elastic, folded skin of sphinxes can be covered with light down in cold weather. There are many known cases of involuntary or special mating of sphinxes with outbred animals.

A mixture of a Sphynx and a regular cat can produce charming cats covered with short hair. There is a known case of the birth of a cat, Dasha, a Sphynx mix, whose cheeks are covered with fluffy whiskers. The half-breed cat has the exterior and proud character characteristic of sphinxes. She is touchy and may not allow herself to be stroked, but if she agrees to be scratched behind the ear, she will be able to express her gratitude.

Sphinx mix Dasha, owner of sideburns

The cat is capricious, its mood is constantly changing, and when addressed in a raised voice, it can look coldly at the owner and turn away. The cat hates the street, the main thing for her is to be at home, next to her owner. That’s when a cat’s love manifests itself in all its colors.

Mixed breed between a British cat and an ordinary cat

Thoroughbred Britons live up to their name. They seem to be calm gentlemen and noble ladies, calm, friendly, independent, not aggressive. They rarely meow, unless they want something or the owner has forgotten something necessary. They cope with loneliness easily.

These animals are neat and patient. They are not intrusive, do not jump on their knees, and are always even with family members. Their favorites can only be human children, with whom they are especially affectionate. Adult cats do not like to fuss; they will spend most of the day sleeping in a warm place or watching what is happening. The habits of mixed-breed British cats are similar to the habits of their ancestors.

A half-breed mix between a British and a barn cat, the cat Martin inherited the character traits of the breed. Good manners and restraint are evident in his gaze, his calm character is expressed in his posture. The ash-white color of the coat emphasizes its noble origin. And calm, kind eyes indicate that his mongrel nature will not become an obstacle to friendship with a person.

Metis cat Martin, a mixture of a British cat and an ordinary mother cat

Metis Siberian cat

Taiga Siberians are strong animals with a stern look and fluffy long hair. Owners of the Siberian breed emphasize that these animals are very independent, but smart, they can be trained, and they are attached to specific people, and not to the house.

Amazing stories happen with purebred Siberian cats - they will remove the lid from a saucepan and feed the contents to their entire family, they will learn to flush the toilet cistern, or they will get the hang of independently opening the doors to those rooms where they are not allowed to enter.

Note! Siberian cats take a long time to develop. Only at the age of 5 years do all the qualities required by the breed standard appear.

Purebred Siberian cat

There are several well-known Siberian cat mestizos. The most famous species even became a new breed. Siberian cats, whose fur contains the color of the Siamese breed, began to belong to the Neva Masquerade breed. There is also a cross between fold cats and Siberians. These mixed breeds of the Siberian cat have retained the shape of the muzzle and the drooping ears of the Scottish breed. Half-breeds born from Persians and Siberian cats, thanks to their panties and thick collar, are similar to representatives of the Persian species.

Other options

There are breeds that are prohibited from crossbreeding. All felinological associations consider it unacceptable to mix the genes of a Bengal cat with the genes of other breeds. After all, Bengals themselves are a hybrid of an Asian leopard and a domestic cat. As a result of the violation of the taboo, mestizos appear, which in the second generation lose all the characteristics of the breed.

The Neva Masquerade breed can be considered a mixed breed of the Siamese cat, because it is a cross between two different breeds. There is a new breed of long-haired cats - the Nibelung. Although, in fact, this is a mixed breed of a Russian blue cat. The Thai cat breed has been repeatedly bred with other cats to produce various mixed breeds. There are crosses between the British and the Persian, the Maine Coon, the Scottish Fold breed - the Scotsman originated from the British.

Kitten - a cross between Persian and British breeds

Persian cat mixes

The Persian cat is one of the most popular breeds in the world. The variability of colors is amazing; in this regard, Persians have no equal. In this regard, the number of Persian cat mestizos is growing steadily. The most widespread is the cross between the Persian and the British. Mixes of an ordinary cat and a Persian are often found. Of particular value are the Scottish Fold and Persian half-breeds.

Persian cats are often used to develop new breeds. One of these is an exotic cat. Externally, the exotic resembles a Persian, but has short hair.

Other famous breeds derived from the Persian cat:

• Napoleon - a mixture of a Persian and a Munchkin;
• Himalayan - a cross between a Persian and a Siamese;
• Cherub - a curly-haired Selkirk Rex with the face of a Persian cat;
• Tiffany - a mix with a Burmese, with an unusually soft and silky coat;
• The Alaskan Snow Cat is a cross between a Somali and a White Persian.

Reference. Interspecific crossing does not affect the health of mixed-breed Persians and other cats, except for the risk of genetic diseases.

What kind of cats are called mestizos?

Mixed breeds are the offspring of mating cats of different breeds. Later we will look at specific groups of mestizos using examples, but now we will figure out how mestizo cats appeared.

Historical excursion: how cat breeds appeared

Cats are descended from their wild relatives. If domestic animals do not need to worry about food and their safety, then in natural conditions the appearance of predators was formed under the influence of the environment: sandy color is safe for the desert, colorful color is safe for deciduous forests; to protect yourself from the cold, you need a warm fur coat. Therefore, in different regions of the planet, pets could look different.

With the development of navigation and trade in Europe, cats of unusual colors appeared, brought by travelers. Subsequently, they influenced the formation of new genetic lines of European animals. This is how the Chartreuse and Manx cats appeared. Later, the development of genetics and the formation of felinological standards became the reason for targeted work to create new breeds of these domestic animals. Now there are about 400 of them.

Each breed has a history of its appearance, but nevertheless, three groups can be distinguished, differing in the method of creating a new type of cat:

1. Natural. It includes breeds bred on the basis of natural populations by selecting representatives with certain characteristics. Examples of such breeds are:
2. Abyssinian;
3. European;
4. Russian blue;
5. Siberian
6. Cultural. It includes breeds bred artificially, that is, by crossing representatives of other species, for example:
7. Tonkinese - a hybrid of a Burmese and a Siamese cat;
8. Bombay - Burmese plus American Shorthair.
9. Obtained as a result of a random gene mutation, for example:
10. curl - curled ears appeared in the Angora cat;
11. Manx - British with the tailless gene.

From this it is clear that most breeds were created by crossing different species, that is, obtaining mestizos. After obtaining offspring with the genes of both parents, long-term work was carried out to consolidate certain characteristics.

Cat breeds are created and maintained by humans artificially, including through interbreeding.

Therefore, the question of whether a mestizo is a purebred cat can only be answered by examining its pedigree in detail. There are matings that are allowed, and there are also officially prohibited. A striking example of this is the ban on obtaining offspring from a union of British and Scottish cats. Infusing new blood into a breed to improve its characteristics is a common practice among breeders. But it is necessary to take into account the genetic characteristics of each couple.

We choose by appearance and character

Every cat is unique. However, experts say that a pet’s character and susceptibility to diseases can be predicted by its external features. Mixed breeds of elite cats inherit the exterior and temperament that are characteristic of a particular breed. When choosing a mestizo, pay attention to the phenotype.

"Marquise" phenotype

Such animals are characterized by the following features: short black hair with white spots, a dense body constitution in males, and graceful in females. The phenotype is most often found in short-haired European breeds. Such animals have a stable and quite predictable character. Cats clearly demonstrate their intentions and achieve what they want with perseverance and affection.

Why are interbreed matings needed?

From the school biology course we know that consanguineous marriages lead to degeneration. The same is true when breeding cats. If a breed has a small number of individuals in this region, then their offspring will be relatives to one degree or another, which will lead to negative consequences in the future. Possible way out:

• purchase a purebred representative from a remote territory (preferably from abroad), but this path is associated with large financial investments;
• breed with another suitable breed to inject new blood; This path is labor-intensive, since only the fourth generation of such a union already belongs to purebred animals.

The need for interbreeding and possible risks

It is recommended to carry out blood renewal with natural breeds of cats. Created in natural conditions, they are characterized by good health and do not have genetic diseases. Such mestizos receive the following benefits:

• health promotion;
• increasing intelligence and learning ability;
• pickiness in food.

But it must be taken into account that the first generation of interbreed matings may worsen or completely lose some characteristics of their breed.

When crossing two different cultivated breeds in order to obtain new attractive properties in their offspring, it is necessary to take into account their genetic code and possible recessive defects. Not all genetic diseases manifest themselves immediately; they can also appear in an adult animal.

Traits obtained as a result of a gene mutation (low-eared, tailless, rex) are poorly inherited, and it is difficult to predict what can be obtained as a result of mating.

Nutritional Features

The diet of mestizos is no different from the diet of purebred cats. Considering that felines are obligate animals, the main ingredient in their menu should be meat. In second place are animal fats, in third place are carbohydrates in minimal quantities.

Cats can be fed natural foods:

• rabbit or lamb meat;
• chicken;
• turkey;
• veal;
• chicken giblets;
• sea ​​fish;
• greens;
• fresh vegetables;
• eggs;
• fermented milk products.

You should not give salted, fried, spicy, sweet foods, whole milk, river bony fish, tubular bones. Forbidden delicacies cause excess weight gain, metabolic disorders, and failure of the endocrine, cardiovascular, and urinary systems. Buy treats at veterinary pharmacies or pet stores.

Meals are selected individually. Energy value and nutrient requirements depend on:

• physiological state of the cat (pregnancy, castrated and sterilized animals);
• body weight, constitution;
• health conditions;
• age;
• conditions of detention;
• activity level.

If your choice falls towards dry food, buy premium and super-premium products, as well as dried and canned food labeled holistic. Holistic food contains natural meat and fish, vegetables, berries, fruits and herbs. They do not contain artificial additives to improve taste and smell, unlike economy class feeds.

Choosing a kitten

Cat or cat?

Having decided to purchase a Siamese kitten, the future owner often does not know who to choose: a cat or a cat. At two to three months, all kittens are equally charming. But childhood does not last long, and when the pet grows up, its belonging to one gender or another will appear before the owner in all its glory.

Most owners of Siamese cats believe that the males of this breed are much more beautiful than the females. One cannot but agree with this opinion. The Siamese cat has a more impressive size; its body proportions are slightly different than those of females: the body is shorter and the head is larger. Some people believe that keeping a male is not particularly difficult, unlike a female. At least you won’t have to think about where to place the kittens.

However, this is not even the point. The problem of cat marks and unwanted offspring can be solved by castration or sterilization. What will stay with an animal forever is its character.

The Siamese cat feels like a sovereign master in the apartment. He perceives the owners as servants who must fulfill his every whim. He is curious, active, loves to poke his nose everywhere, especially where he is not allowed. Often irritable and aggressive.

Cats of this breed have a much calmer, affectionate character. They become very attached to a person (most often this is the owner), and vigorously show their love and devotion. And the cleanliness of Siamese dogs is legendary!

Although there are no rules without exceptions.

Choice depending on color

After you have decided on the gender of your future pet, you need to decide what color you like.

Most often, when people think of a Siamese kitten, they think of the classic sealpoint: cream coat, dark markings and beautiful blue eyes. The image is truly captivating, but this color is by no means the only one. Bluepoint (snow-white coat color with blue-gray markings), redpoint (white background color and apricot or red markings), lilacpoint (silver coat with lilac-pink markings)… It’s easy to get confused! But there are other colors: chocolate point (an ivory coat with very dark, almost black markings), cinnamon point (ivory and brownish points), caramel point (an absolutely amazing, indescribable shade of coat with gray-pink points), tabbypoint (lovely solid-colored cats with striped markings), tortiepoint (a fantastic combination of calm background color and spotted points).

The eye color of Siamese cats depends on the color of the coat: the darker and more saturated the color of the animal, the brighter and deeper the blue will be.

There is an opinion (though not yet confirmed by anything other than the words of the owners) that cats of different colors have different personalities. For example, it is believed that the temperament of bluepoints is much softer and more pleasant than that of sealpoints or chocolate points.

Caring for Mestizos

Recommendations for caring for half-breeds are the same as for purebred cats:

1. Long-haired animals need to be combed daily, especially carefully during seasonal shedding. Short-haired cats are combed 2-3 times a week using a furminator, comb, or stiff brush. Persians should not be scratched with a slicker brush, which will damage the delicate hairs.
2. Shampoos and conditioners for long-haired cats are used for bathing. Considering the dislike of cats for bathing, with the exception of Maine Coons, this should be done in case of emergency. Cats are clean creatures and are able to keep their coats clean on their own.
3. The eyes and ears are examined once a week and cleaned with special lotions or clean water. Persians, like mixed breeds, collect discharge in the inner corners of their eyes that must be removed daily to prevent the risk of developing a bacterial infection.
4. Animals should have special rodents freely available to remove plaque.
5. A nail clipper is used to trim claws. The procedure is performed carefully, trying not to touch the blood vessels.

It is important to keep the tray clean. The filler can be anything: wood, clay, clumping, silica gel. Some cats eat silica gel granules for some unknown reason. If you notice that your pet is partial to this filler, change it to another one. It is advisable to change the wood one every two days or daily.

Care and maintenance

To properly care for a mestizo, you need to know from which parents he was born. If several varieties of purebred genes are mixed in the kitten’s blood, then the best adviser on keeping the animal will be the breeder, who will tell you what nuances you need to pay attention to.

If the animals do not require special care, then standard procedures are carried out:

• inspect for fleas;
• get rid of all parasites;
• get vaccinated;
• carry out sterilization.

Cats have their teeth and ears cleaned and their fur combed once every 10-14 days. Bath felines if necessary.

Additional information: Cats can suffer from a variety of infectious diseases. The most dangerous are: rabies, feline distemper, calcivirus, coronaviruses.

The appearance of vomiting, diarrhea, and ulcers on the body should be an immediate reason to contact a veterinary hospital.

Hybrid kittens of the Russian blue breed

Mestizo nutrition

Animals are not fed what humans eat. The dishes may contain products, the excess of which will be harmful to animals. It is rational to use special food for cats that contains the vitamins, minerals, and trace elements necessary for animals. Boiled meat, fish, vegetables, and low-fat milk are added to them. Cats should not be given sweets, smoked or salty foods.

Water is an integral part of food for animals. It must be clean, non-chlorinated. It is better to use drinking purified water. The dishes from which cats eat should always be thoroughly washed, and they should be boiled or disinfected at least once a week.

Recently, cat breeds have changed a lot, so the appearance of all kinds of crossbreeds has become commonplace. Some of them have body features and coat color that have become very exotic and unusual. Those who like to modify animals should always remember that animals are loved not so much for their appearance, but for their gentle purring and unobtrusive presence.

The domestic cat is one of the first animals to live next to humans. If you believe R. Kipling, this happened back in prehistoric times: in exchange for shelter and food, the cat agreed to protect the home from mice and entertain children. True or not, the appeal of this furry creature is obvious: cats continue to live next to us for hundreds of years. And their purebredness is not of great importance for all owners.

Diseases, their prevention and treatment

Mixed-breed cats are generally healthy animals; their susceptibility to diseases depends on their phenotype:

1. The “marquise” phenotype has excellent health, but if there is a malnutrition, urolithiasis develops.
2. Representatives of the “Siberian cat” phenotype often experience digestive difficulties and are prone to rapid weight gain, diabetes and urolithiasis.
3. Angoras have good health, but some individuals have breathing problems.
4. In the “Persian” phenotype, diseases of the upper respiratory tract and genitourinary system are observed.
5. Representatives of the “oriental” phenotype rarely get sick, but sometimes they are diagnosed with gastrointestinal diseases.
6. “Thais” have good health, but some individuals are predisposed to urolithiasis and infectious diseases.
7. “The British” are prone to chronic kidney disease, obesity, and suffer from endocrine system disruption and chronic pancreatitis.

Treatment is prescribed exclusively by a veterinarian after a series of diagnostic and laboratory tests.

Prevention of infectious diseases involves timely vaccination, which must be carried out even if your pet does not go for walks in the yard. We bring viruses and bacteria home on the soles of our shoes; mating with animals without a veterinary passport means an increased risk of contracting a genitourinary infection.

According to the vaccination calendar, pets are vaccinated according to age against the following diseases:

1. Rabies is an infectious disease that has no cure. Carried by infected animals and rodents.
2. Rhinotracheitis is a herpesvirus infection that affects the respiratory system and eyes. Characterized by an acute course. Carriers are sick cats.
3. Calcivirosis is an infectious disease transmitted from other cats. Mortality is more than 80%.
4. Peritonitis is a disease caused by coronavirus. The route of infection is airborne. Mortality is more than 90%.
5. Panleukopenia or feline distemper. – an acute viral disease transmitted from sick cats. Difficult to treat, leads to death in 90% of cases.
6. Chlamydia is an infectious disease characterized by a long course, transmitted by birds and rodents, and affects the genitourinary, visual, respiratory, and digestive systems.
7. Microsporia or ringworm is a skin disease transmitted from sick animals, as well as from cats to humans.

1. Panleukopenia, chlamydia, calcivirosis, rhinotracheitis - at 8 weeks, revaccination at 10-12 weeks, then annually.
2. Rabies - at 12 weeks, revaccination every year.
3. Microsporia - at 8 weeks, revaccination after 14 days, then annually.
4. Viral peritonitis - at 16 weeks, revaccination after 4 weeks, then every year.

Burmese cat: features of the breed

The classic color of the Burmese cat is dark brown, but there are red, cream and even blue varieties. All modern Burmese are descendants of a cat named Wong Mau, brought from Burma to America in 1930.

Interesting fact: The Burmese cat, oddly enough, also has Siamese in its ancestors. But the Siamese did not pass on either the color or eye color to the Burmese cat. And Burmese eyes can change color depending on the lighting.

Our conclusion: The Burmese cat is a very social breed and is unlikely to be worth getting if you are away from home all day. At the same time, Burmese do not require special care: the main thing is attention and communication.