An Answer To The FAQ "What Breed Is My Cat?"

"What breed is my cat?" Is a frequently asked question on this sub. Please use this guide to help yourself instead of making a bunch of separate posts, so that we can leave the sub clear for more important behavioral questions and advice.

90-95% of all cats in the US are Domestic Short Hair, Domestic Medium Hair, or Domestic Long Hair. The "domestic" part of this designation is a catch-all to indicate that they are a cat of mixed ancestry that doesn't meet any specific breed standards. "___" hair indicates fur length, which may be important to consider for grooming.

Do not confuse Domestic Short Hairs with specific pedigreed breeds that have shorthair in the name, such as British Shorthair or American Shorthair.

DSH/DMH/DLH may also be referred to as house cats, alley cats, moggies, or mutts.

You can reference breed lists like this for fun, or if your cat has any distinctive features that you think shows they are significantly one breed (for example, half Siamese could be pretty obvious). The only way to be 100% sure is with DNA tests or by purchasing cats from breeders.

However, it is unlikely that a Domestic cat will have breed-specific health issues or care needs if that is your reason for checking. Due to their genetic mixing, Domestics tend to be healthier and more robust overall than many pure-bred cats.

However, it is still important for all cats to be spayed/neutered and receive regular vaccinations and vet check-ups, even if they are indoor-only or Domestics.

That's right, your cat is actually likely better off if it is not a specific pedigree! So don't stress about it. As with all cats, assess their needs and health based on their personal history, your observations, and vet feedback, rather than breed standards.

Breed is different than coloring.

You will often mistakenly hear people refer to "tabbies" or "torties" as a breed. These are actually types of "coloring", or fur pattern, not breeds. Both pedigreed cats and Domestics are often colloquially referred to by their coloring instead of breed names.

Some common colorings are:

• Tabby: includes several variations of a striped or spotted-stripe pattern, usually with an "M" on the forehead. The stripes are a darker shade of the base color. Commonly brown, grey, or orange. Fun fact: 80% of orange tabbies are male.

• Calico: a tricolor cat that appears to have a white base with (typically larger) splashes of brown, orange, or black.

• Tortoiseshell, or "Tortie" : a tricolor cat that typically appears to have a black or brown base with small splotches of brown/black, cream, or orange. Doesn't usually have a significant amount of white, if any.

• Torbie: Tabby/tortie. Includes tortoiseshell coloration with some tabby stripes.

Fun fact: Calicos, Torties, and Torbies are basically all female because two X chromosomes are needed to have both orange and black fur. Only 1 in 3,000 are male, who have a mutated XXY and are sterile as a result.

• Bicolor, aka Piebald: white and another color, often black. The most commonly referenced patterns are Tuxedo, Cow Cat(aka Moo Cat, Mask and Mantle, or Cap and Saddle), Locket, and Van(not to be confused with specific Turkish Van breed, which does have van coloring)

• ____ Point: pointed coloration fades to different colors/patterns on the tail, paws, ears, and nose. Most common in Siamese and modern breeds. Here's a guide to the different colors.

• Solid: one solid color with no patterns. Usually black or "blue"(grey).

• Dilute ___: a "faded" version of the above colorations. Typically dilute calicos, dilute tortoiseshells, or dilute torbies.

Confused by all of this breed/coloring stuff? Humans do this kind of visual shorthand too. People looking at me would likely say "she's white" instead of trying to list out my particular mixed-European ancestry.

Remember, no cats are more special than others based on pedigree or coloring. A quick look at any shelter shows that plain black cats, brown tabbies, and other "common" Domestic Shorthairs tend to sit at shelters longer, especially if older. Please encourage people to adopt these cats!