It’s not a “tendency” of the animal per se. So, breeds of anything are entirely a human construct because those animals were specifically bred for some trait (behavior, coat color, folded ears, etc). There are plenty of cat breeds, but I think owning a purebred cat is not as desirable as owning a purebred dog.
I am not sure what you mean. I’m an evolutionary biologist and look at it this way. Domesticated dogs and cats are both individual species and any breeds that are bred and selected for are still the same species. I.e. a chihuahua is as much of a dog as a husky and a maine coon is as much of a cat as, say, a siamese. To create these breeds, you basically have to do a lot of inbreeding and lead to expression of many recessive genes in a lot of cases. What we call “mutts” (dogs or cats or horses, etc) are really just animals that hold a lot of genetic variation. I think we have a lot of cats that live outdoors and they go about their happy lives having kittens multiple times a year, so there are more “mutts” around. As far as I can tell, both cats and dogs were bred for specific breeds 100-200 years ago. There is just more human selection for “purebred” dogs than cats.
I think it was an Asian gang or something... There was this guy, he looked Asian... and he was speaking another language, I'm pretty sure it was... Asian.
Yea I was thinking the Norwegian also i just couldn't remember the name. Do main coon cats have those little tuffs of fur on the tips of their ears? I just love that.
I’m curious about the breed when I see unique looking cats. This one is extra big and floofy. What’s wrong with wondering if there is a specific breed that looks like this? [I’m aware that most cats are domestic long hairs or short hairs — but it’s interesting to know what breeds are out there!]
I ran into a few of these when i lived in a lake condo surrounded by apts.
I adopted a pair, had kitties, and they all ended up being the smartest and most friendly animals that I kept everyone of them. Thats just good damn genes right there.
What a beautiful animal! I don't know if it's possible, but he sure looks like a "manx". Not sure about the spell... With the slightly pointed ears & and the aggressive expression I'd say..."kitties beware! Don't pick a fight with this guy!"
Cats usually aren't classified by breed, and so this is sometimes an 'inside joke' in this subreddit. Most cats are "Domestic Shorthair", but this one is probably closer to a "Domestic Longhair" as it's dominant breed. Neighborhood cats are rarely purebred - most are 'mutts' or mixed breed.
This cat has a bit of extra fluff, and it might have a big of a stocky build. If they are bigger than an average cat, they might be a Maine Coon mix. But this picture isn't enough to go by.
Cats are more often classified by coloring.
This genetic basis for the cat's coloring is actually a "black cat".
This cat has stripes, so it's called a 'Tabby'. For black cats, they usually have brown stripes, like this kitty here. They usually call this a 'Brown Tabby'.
Tabby cats come in different patterns - it's hard to tell here, but it's like a "Mackerel" pattern which is most common. I'm getting this from the stripes on the front paws. A side view gives the most information there. They might have thicker stripes like a 'Classic Tabby'.
This is actually pretty close to the dominant genes for a cat! Literally /r/standardissuecat.
My rules on unfamiliar cats, if you are new to this:
Let the cat come to you. Don't follow a cat to see if it's friendly.
If the cat comes to you, offer a hand. If it's a friendly cat, you don't pet the cat first...
...Let the cat pet you first - they will bump their head or chin on your hand, or feet.
This is your cue! Proceed to /r/petthedamncat. Start with the head and chin scratches, then maybe pet down the back next. Let the cat decide what's acceptable.
If a cat flips on its back, that is a friendly sign, but NOT necessarily permission to pet the stomach. Continue with the head and neck.
This is a mainecoon cross with a tabby cat. Long hair, larger wide face and spiky hair on the tips of the ears are all mainecoon features. And the tabby is the fur pattern/colour and also why it’s not a huge monster. Pure bread mainecoon a are really big.
Forgive me if I’m dumb. But is a bobcat and domestic cat hybrid a thing? I know a small bit about the genetics of all cats, but I haven’t read anything about small cats and current smaller wild cats breeding. This just kinda looks like a bobcat face and body with the size and hair of a domestic long hair. Just a curious thought.
Tabby/Maine coon mix. Especially if he has a really fluffy tail (which I’m sure he does). Maine coons are known as the gentle giants which explains the friendliness, but they are also very territorial
This looks like a Pixie Bob cat! My mom has one! The breed is supposed to have came from a barn cat and Bobcat mating. They are also supposed to have dog like personalities!
Khajiit