Cat Breed Information
A Starting Point for Cat Breed Information

The cat breed information most human caregivers start with isnt always the best. Sometimes its based upon childhood experiences or cats belonging to the neighbors. Understanding what is involved in cat care and the difference in cat breeds can mean the difference between a long, loving relationship and short, frustrating cat-human partnership.

Not every human picked their feline friend out of a red-ribbon-basket of purebred mew-mews.  Many of cats are adopted on the spot, usually after warming up our human with cutesy rolls, peak-a-boos, or by hypnotizing them with a fixed stare and feline voodoo. To cats, we really don't care what genetic code is embedded in our human caretaker.

A lot of times people dont have much cat breed information when they are drawn to a cat or kitten by the way they look. You didn't pick your spouse because she had long, brown hair or long legs did you?  

Well, why would you pick a cat that way. That is, if you had a choice in the picking. So it is important to remember that your cat is likely to be with you for more than a decade even if you adopt it as an adult. The more cat breed information the better.

It is important for you to understand the traits of the different breeds of cats.

You and your cat will be together for a decade or more

While you may be attracted to the long luxurious fur of a Persian you may not be up for the extra grooming.

Whether they be purebred or non-purebred cat, each one will have a dominant breed trait. That breed has a genetic inclination to certain behavior, ear and eye positioning, and length of fur. 

Both purebred and non-purebred cats make excellent partners. In fact, only 2% of the cat population is purebred. The other 98 percent are non-purebred or domestic. Sometimes non-purebreds are referred to as mixed-breed. 

Purebred or Domestic ...

Felines that are not a documented purebred are often referred to as a 'domestic' cat breed.  When you invest your love money and time in a domestic cat, especially a kitten, you are accepting some degree of chance.

After all, you may know what the mother looks like, but its less likely you know what the father looks like.  On the other hand, a purebred kitten has more predictable traits. In fact, predictability is the main reason why humans pick a specific breed.

This doesn't mean that every Siamese is exactly the same in look, feel and temperament. Every cat is an individual!

Are you just like your mother or brother or sister. No, of course not. Do people tell you that 'your smile is like your mother's or 'you have you father's bow legs?' You have a genetic resemblance.

Just like your family, members of a cat family vary in individual personality, behavior and appearance. But in purebreds, the variations fall within a narrower range than with the domestic cat family. People of ten think of purebreds simply in terms of looks, but they also exhibit breed specific behaviors.

A domestic cat breed may exhibit certain physical and behavioral traits that align with some specific breed in near or distant lineage. Take Simon Siameee.

Just look at him.  

Ears big enough to hold a nest of Robins, triangular head, shiny coat, loooong legs and tail.

He is sweet as can be, a gentle giant,  a lover not a fighter .... and the most obnoxious 4AM alarm clock anyone could hope for.  His 'singy songy' “hey, hey, hey' wakeup call even works when the power goes out. Mercy!  

Can you guess what breed is in his background? Indeed. Even though is a domestic cat breed of unknown lineage, he exhibits the Siamese cat breed profile.  Simon picked us as his adopted family. His other humans dropped him off, or ran him off. Whatever the case, after 4 years he has softened his morning wake up call. He is our Geisha Boy.