What Is a Purebred Cat?
Some cat lovers seem to place an excessive amount of importance on breeds and are not satisfied with their cat until it can be clearly classified under a certain group. What type of cat am I? For years, people have been sending me emails with pictures. I eventually published Feline Breeds, Domestic Cats, and Color Patterns as a helpful reference tool to aid readers in differentiating between the three.
According to the Cat Fanciers Glossary, a purebred cat is one “whose history includes crossbreeding that is allowed in the breed standard, or whose forebears are entirely of the same breeds.” For instance, Burmese cats may have been ancestors of a purebred Bombay cat. A cat’s pedigree (record of lineage) must typically be validated by the registry before it can be called a “purebred” in most situations.
Object motion that resembles a Maine Coon
The term “purebred” is used by those of us outside the cat fancy to designate a cat of a particular breed. It’s sort of an uninspired lay phrase. The more common school of thought is, “If it looks like a duck and quacks like a duck, it must be a duck.” One well-known example is the Maine Coon cat, which has distinctive ear tufts, a ruff, a bushy tail, and a sweet voice. I’ve received several images of beautiful Maine Coon reproductions over the years for my gallery. The cat was either found straying on the street or adopted from a shelter, as we discover after reading its history. It is legitimate to refer to it as a hybrid Maine Coon because it is not entirely documented as a Maine Coon. A registered, pedigreed Maine Coon and my Billy, a possible Maine Coon mix who is actually referred to as a DLH, are shown in the first two illustrations for this article (Domestic Longhair cat).
Like the Maine Coon, the American Shorthair breed is also indigenous to North America. Almost every tabby DSH (Domestic Shorthair cat) cat could be referred to be a “American Shorthair” if it weren’t for that important piece of writing. I’m sure ASH breeders could spot the difference, but most of us laypeople couldn’t.
Breed Rescue Groups
The bulk of the common cat breeds are being preserved and conserved by organizations. To save cats, they frequently choose either of two methods:
Out of Refuges
Breed rescue organizations typically take in cats who are “look-alikes” of other breeds; these cats are then advertised for adoption as mixed-breed cats, like “Maine Coon mix.” When a breeder has been shut down by animal control due to overcrowding, poor conditions, or the passing of a breeder who had no known relatives, they might occasionally be asked.
Immediately after Breeders
A good breeder may occasionally get in touch with a breed rescue group to ensure that his or her cats would be placed in excellent homes in the event of illness or another event, such as a death in the family. The same will be true if a breeder dies and is succeeded by someone who is unable or unwilling to carry on the breed.
Because they provide a vital service to the breeds they represent, breed rescue groups are significant to the cat fancy.
What breed of cat do I have, then?
Make research. Learn about the many cat breeds. Consider the following two issues:
- What kind of animal most resembles him?
- Do I have the pedigree and registry for this cat?
If the response to question 2 is “no,” you should only call him a “mixed (pick your breed)” dog. As an alternative, you could save a ton of time and trouble by calling him “Moggie,” as I frequently do with my own domestic cat.
Of course, the most important thing is that you love him no matter what you call him, his breed, or his ancestry.
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