# Help me identify my cat's breed



## Akena92 (Nov 22, 2013)

She is an absolutely gorgeous white-coated cat with slightly protuberant, bright green eyes. An animal rescued from an abusive home. Not being able to attach her pictures here, will mail them to anyone who can help. Thanks!


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## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

There might be something in here that would help you
http://www.petforums.co.uk/forum-help-suggestions/9370-attaching-photos-posts.html


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## Toby Tyler (Feb 17, 2013)

As explained in an identical thread your cat has no breed unless there are papers. I'm assuming there are no papers since you are posing the question.

Even with pictures no one can look at a cat and id it's breed. Unlike dogs you can't look at a cat and tell it's a breed.

Since purebreds make up less than 5% of the total cat population, there is virtually little if any chance there is any breed in your cat. What you have is what makes up the vast majority of the cat population, a moggy.


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## Jonescat (Feb 5, 2012)

TT - I suggested they came to the cat thread, and it seems fair enough to ask. They are a newbie with a new rescue cat, and I'd quite like to see the cat. You are of course quite right about papers and moggies and breeds, but it would be nice to let them show off their new cat.


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## Kotanushka (Oct 25, 2013)

Akena92 said:


> She is an absolutely gorgeous white-coated cat with slightly protuberant, bright green eyes. An animal rescued from an abusive home. Not being able to attach her pictures here, will mail them to anyone who can help. Thanks!


White cat with green eyes - if his/her hair is short, it might be a version of Russian Blue - Russian White. They are slender cats with long legs and quite big upright ears. But of course it would be only a phenotype Russian White. If she is fluffy and the tips of hairs are of different colour (black or blue) and the eyelids are dark - it might have something to do with Chinchilla persian. 
A white cat with green eyes should be beautiful. Without papers you cannot really tell, but if you want to show her/him - you can do it in a non-pedigree class.


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## moggiemum (Mar 28, 2013)

i think its interesting to know who are cats ancesters are same as we as humans want to know our own roots, plus its fun speculating, i would also love to see more pics , she sounds like a very beautiful cat


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

You can only guess, but without even seeing a picture then I cant even do that!


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## Toby Tyler (Feb 17, 2013)

moggiemum said:


> i think its interesting to know who are cats ancesters are same as we as humans want to know our own roots, plus its fun speculating, i would also love to see more pics , she sounds like a very beautiful cat


The thing is it's highly unlikely there are any purebred ancestors in a moggy. Most moggies did not descend from any breed at all.

So while it's fun speculating, that's all it is, speculation. The only proof of breed is in the papers, not appearance. A moggy may be colourpoint, but that doesn't mean it has a Siamese ancestor, a cat without a tail does not mean there is Manx in it's background.

It's not the same as looking at a dog and guessing at the breed. It doesn't work that way with cats.


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## Sparkle22 (Oct 26, 2013)

Toby Tyler said:


> The thing is it's highly unlikely there are any purebred ancestors in a moggy. Most moggies did not descend from any breed at all.
> 
> So while it's fun speculating, that's all it is, speculation. The only proof of breed is in the papers, not appearance. A moggy may be colourpoint, but that doesn't mean it has a Siamese ancestor, a cat without a tail does not mean there is Manx in it's background.
> 
> It's not the same as looking at a dog and guessing at the breed. It doesn't work that way with cats.


I don't know about that, I mean you could look at a typical persian, without papers and immediately identify it as a persian. Same with siamese and syphinx. Some breeds are very distinctive and immediately recognisable.


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## Toby Tyler (Feb 17, 2013)

Again, without papers they are considered a moggy. The ONLY proof is in the papers, not appearance. So it is nothing more than speculation to say a cat _looks_ like a certain breed.


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

Toby Tyler said:


> The thing is it's highly unlikely there are any purebred ancestors in a moggy. Most moggies did not descend from any breed at all.
> 
> So while it's fun speculating, that's all it is, speculation. The only proof of breed is in the papers, not appearance. A moggy may be colourpoint, but that doesn't mean it has a Siamese ancestor, a cat without a tail does not mean there is Manx in it's background.
> 
> It's not the same as looking at a dog and guessing at the breed. It doesn't work that way with cats.


I don't even think you can do that with dogs, some dogs I have seen, you would never ever know they were a cross (you would think pure breed) as they just turned out like 1 parent.

I always remember being shocked when I see a gorgeous german shepherd, only to be told his mum was a Siberian husky, would never of guessed this gorgeous long hair black and tan brown eyed boy was anything but GSD!


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## labradrk (Dec 10, 2012)

Toby Tyler said:


> Again, without papers they are considered a moggy. The ONLY proof is in the papers, not appearance. So it is nothing more than speculation to say a cat _looks_ like a certain breed.


I agree you can't say for sure that they are 100% purebred without papers. But for what it's worth, if it looked exactly like a Persian (just using as an example) and acted like a Persian, there is a fairly high chance that it is one.


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## Toby Tyler (Feb 17, 2013)

labradrk said:


> I agree you can't say for sure that they are 100% purebred without papers. But for what it's worth, if it looked exactly like a Persian (just using as an example) and acted like a Persian, there is a fairly high chance that it is one.


That's all it is chance. And really why should it matter. Breeds are just that, they can be traced back several generations based upon bloodlines. Their pedigree is the only proof there is.

I have a few doppelgangers myself. They are not related to me in any way shape or form but they look eerily similar. Unless they were to provide me a family tree I'm not taking their word for it that we are related even if we may look and act similar.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> But for what it's worth, if it looked exactly like a Persian (just using as an example)


How about you use a Bengal as an example instead or any of the other pedigree breeds which aren't quite so obvious  I'd give the argument weight for Persians, Sphynx and maybe Siamese. Other than that, unless you are looking at extreme physical aspects such as seen in a Scottish Fold or a Manx most cats just look like cats.


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## Toby Tyler (Feb 17, 2013)

havoc said:


> How about you use a Bengal as an example instead or any of the other pedigree breeds which aren't quite so obvious  I'd give the argument weight for Persians, Sphynx and maybe Siamese. Other than that, unless you are looking at extreme physical aspects such as seen in a Scottish Fold or a Manx most cats just look like cats.


Most people outside of the Cat Fancy would look at _any_ cat without a tail and assume incorrectly it's a Manx. By the same token the same people would assume a cat is not a Manx because it has a tail, even though it may have a pedigree of G. Champion bloodlines.

Same with colourpoint, it must be Siamese. All of the distinguishing features of breeds, ie: colourpoint, no tail, long hair, ear folds etc. are also seen amongst the general moggy population.


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## Taylorbaby (Jan 10, 2009)

labradrk said:


> I agree you can't say for sure that they are 100% purebred without papers. But for what it's worth, if it looked exactly like a Persian (just using as an example) and acted like a Persian, there is a fairly high chance that it is one.


I was going to say that isn't true either, On another forum there was a snow tabby! blue eyes born to 2 farm cats, and I mean random wandering red / black farm cats. the cat 'acted' like a Bengal.... Was not a Bengal, looked like one though! I cant find the pic, but you would be shocked if you see it that its not a Bengal!

I heard it all the time 'he has spots and plays with a tap and makes noises, so he is a Bengal or at least part'! And Im like 'my raggies do that...no Bengal in them!' :laugh:


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## NorthernDarkness (Jan 9, 2013)

havoc said:


> Other than that, unless you are looking at extreme physical aspects such as seen in a Scottish Fold or a Manx most cats just look like cats.


My BLH boy had a BSH sister who didn't have a tail. Not a single Manx in their pedigree, so indeed those are random mutations which can appear out of nowhere.


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## Akena92 (Nov 22, 2013)

Thanks everyone for responding to me.... Just want to iterate that I am perfectly content whether she be a moggy or a russian blue et al... I am curious as to her origin, is all. I tried to attach pics via 'Manage attachment' but every time i click on the same it leads me to a page that says Safari cant open this page. Safari at it again ...


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## Akena92 (Nov 22, 2013)

Jonescat, you're a darling. Big hug.


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## Calvine (Aug 20, 2012)

Your cat sounds beautiful...whatever her origins. We would love to see her picture when possible.  Pedigrees /family trees etc are fascinating...there was a case about a year ago in the paper a white couple had twins, one white and one black. There seemed to be no really obvious reason why this should have happened.


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## havoc (Dec 8, 2008)

> I am curious as to her origin, is all.


Of course you are but it would be impossible to work it out. We humans have managed to take the wolf and turn it into everything from a Chihuahua to a Great Dane with breeds having very distinctive features. Even then it can be impossible to decide what breeds may make up a crossbreed. Cats have defied such a wide range of genetic manipulation so there's absolutely no chance. All domestic cats, pedigree or mog, are roughly the same size with roughly the same shape


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