A lot of people want to know what breed their cat is. But the truth is there is only one guaranteed way to know, and it’s 100% accurate. Just answer this single question:
1. Does your cat have a pedigree?
If the answer is yes, then your cat is whatever breed their pedigree is. If the answer is no, you have a domestic shorthaired or longhaired cat.
What people don’t realize is that cats are not like dogs when it comes to breed types. About 34% of dogs come from breeders, and lots of “oopsies” and breed crosses happen. Only 3% of cats are breed cats. And the majority of ethical cat breeders have their kittens spayed and neutered before they go to homes as pets. So the gene pool for cat breeds is tiny!
Any breed your cat might have been is so far back in their ancestry that it matters even less than the ancestry of people whose great-great-great-great grandparents came to the U.S. in the 1800s. By now, all their descendants are 100% American. Considering how much shorter cat lives are compared to humans, it may matter even less. Ninety-seven percent of cats in homes are housecats, pure and simple. Just like the humans living in the United States are American, no matter where their ancestors came from.
But trying to determine your cat’s breed ancestry is really missing the point of cats anyhow. And that is that all cats are amazing, unique, and often quirky beings. Cats don’t need papers or purebred parents to stand out and shine. Dog people may feel a need for breed bragging rights. A lot of the best cats were found near garbage bins, or possibly inside of them.
Unfortunately, breed cats are a bit over-represented in social media. Really! Look at Instagram or TikTok, and you’d think that most cats are either breed cats or special needs. Which only shows the warped view these platforms offer. The truth is that the cat world is much more heterogeneous and wonderful than what you see on your phone.
The other cat in my human’s life that was special to her was a longhaired calico she found on the streets. Harlot was the diametric opposite of me — feisty, hot-tempered, street-wise and a fierce and fearless hunter. But she was no less devoted to my human than I am.
My human didn’t care what breed she was…and honestly, she doesn’t care what breed I am either, although she happens to love Somalis. She loves me for who I am. And as everyone with a cat knows, that is the only thing that really matters.
Other posts you’ll enjoy:
- 10 Little Known Cat Facts – Impress Your Friends!
- What Are Cat Shows Anyway? I Answer Some Questions
- How to Buy a Therapy Cat
My cats are feral, from a long line of feral cats. They don’t have the long fur or large eyes that other breeds have.
They also have the personality traits of feral cats taken stright off the streets. They’re short tempered, suspicious, a bit hyper sometimes, and real trouble makers.
But I love my cats like crazy, my Hazelnut, Amiga, and Princessa. Amiga is a very loving cat and a lap cat. She’s velvety, cute, and amazing.
I know a vet’s assistant who’d adopted a wounded bat who couldn’t fly, and she made it fruit salads every day and loved it a lot. You can always love an animal, a cat, a bat. And they’ll love you back, pedigree or no pedigree. It doesn’t really matter when it comes to loving your pet and enjoying their company.
Furry innterestin post Summer!
Mee meowed to BellaSita Mum if mee was a Peddygree an shee told mee Peddygree Quirky Breed!!!
Mee mite bee some sorta Oriental Shorthair as mee eyess an shape of face an body due look so much like that breed….
Whatefurr mee iss; mee iss happy to bee here an alive an taken care of!
***purrss*** BellaDharma
I personally think that Somalis, Siberians, Ragdolls, and Norwegian Forest Cats, are among the prettiest breed! Honest, I used to think that my Sydney was an American Shorthair, because she was born in America, and she has short hair!
Most of our cats were strays apart from when my MIL died and we took on all 11 of her cats. Eric and Flynn were “rescued” from a neighbouring farm where cats rarely lived beyond 3 years old as they weren’t properly cared for.
GREAT blog Summer. I had a sweet beautiful kitty that won numerous ribbons in cat shows. She had a disposition like yours. Should have tried to dress her mol. She went on to win the Morris award for best household cat. She had enormous emerald green eyes and silver fur that felt like bunny fir. Citlin was my heart and slept under the covers with her head on my heart. Now I’m crying. She came from a local kill shelter dumped because she had kittens at 6 month of age. Irresponsible owners. She was a gem and only a shelter cat
TBT: I understand what you are saying. Some of my best cat-companions have been “just DSH”. But also, some other of my best have been pedigree. I don’t care about their papers mush, but they have some specific traits I adore (like you with Somalis). Siamese have a distinctive apearance and they are talkative. I love both traits. Tonkinese are unusually attached to Humans and have a fur I find addictive to stroke. So I am grateful for the pedigree/breeding.
On the other hand, I have adored some general DSHs. I’m not a long-hair cat kind of person (too much work).
Skeeter and LC were standard and random DSHs and a joy to me for 16 years each. Marley is a basic orange/white (but calico male) and is in the top few of all cats I’ve ever had.
I’m agreeing with you that the individual cat’s personality matters most. But I sure ALSO like Ayla and Lori for the colors…
All that matters is they each love us in their own way. 🙂
This is absolutely purrfectly written, Summer! And Harlot sure was a beauty too.
99% of Aunt Pauline’s cats were rescues but as she got older, she had to have one bred Singapora in the house. *I* am a 100% little ghetto kitteh.
Benny and Momo are both non-pedigree cats, but we suspect that Benny has some meezer blood in him as he is extremely noisy and vocal, and that Momo has some Turkish Angora, given the amazing silky coat. But, aside from curiosity we don’t really care. Tama, of course, is pure Abyssinian!
Purrs,
The Chans
Best post yet! And Harlot is indeed beautiful.
Interesting. We just know that cats are special people.
People we wouldn’t want to do without.
I wonder what she looked like?
Harlot was beautiful too!
Your human had a cat named Harlot? Seriously?
Thereby must hang a tail/tale…