How to determine the breed of a cat by its eyes. All cat breeds with photographs. Unusual body structure

How to recognize the breed of a cat from a picture or the breed of a cat from a description is of concern to many cat lovers, so this article collected current solutions to this issue with recommendations for selecting a pet, which is also worth reading in other articles of this project.

Let us remind you that this site is entirely dedicated to cats, kittens and cats of different breeds and tells all the details about them, including treatment, feeding and care at home, and also answers frequently asked questions.

How to tell if a cat is purebred or not

The cat's pedigree must be documented, and the pedigree in the animal's documents is not limited to the parents alone, but is indicated up to the fourth or fifth generation. Without documents issued by a nursery or a felinological center, the animal is considered outbred.

How to find out what breed your cat is

You can determine the breed of your cat by comparing its characteristics with the standards for each breed. As a result of such painstaking research, you can only say with certainty that your cat is similar to such and such a breed. Officially, the breed of cats must be indicated in the documents. In their absence, even a purebred animal will be considered mongrel.

How can you determine the breed of your cat, red, British or Scottish kitten?

If you have documents for the animal, then there will be no need to determine its breed, everything is already indicated in them. Without documents, a cat is considered out of breed and unsuitable for mating. You can determine which breed your kitten is most like by comparing the exterior of typical representatives of the breed with the characteristics of your pet. Even without going into details of the standard of a particular breed, but simply looking at photographs of animals in the Atlas of Cats, you will be able to recognize whether the blood of a Briton or a Scot, or a Persian with an exotic, flows in the veins of your animal.

How to determine the breed of a cat by color and external features

A non-specialist, before determining the breed of a cat by color and external features, will have to sift through a lot of literature and photographs, and as a result, come to terms with the fact that a beloved pet could belong to such and such a breed. Without documents, even purebred animals are considered mongrel.

How to find out the breed of Leopold's cat

Unfortunately, it will not be possible to find out the breed of the famous cat Leopold from the cartoon of the same name. One can only say with certainty that he is a “nobleman” not from the word “court”! Noble blood flows in Leopold's veins.

How to determine the breed of a Maine Coon, Sphynx, Siamese, Persian cat

It is impossible to claim that an animal belongs to a certain breed without supporting documents. One can only say with certainty that the pet’s grandmother once sinned with a cat of a similar breed and the blood of a Maine Coon, Sphynx, Siamese or Persian cat flows in your pet’s veins.

How to find out what breed your cat is and the breed of a black cat

Belonging to a certain breed is evidenced not by the words of the breeders or the color of the kitten, but by the documents for this animal.

Determine the breed of a smoky-colored cat and basic information about it

There is no smoke, black or white cat breed. This is how animal colors are classified. The smoky color belongs to the silver group. Among cat lovers, it is believed that smoky cats have excellent health and bring peace and good luck to the home.

Where to find out the Russian Blue cat breed

You can determine the relationship of a cat with the Russian Blue breed by comparing the animal’s exterior with data from the Atlas of Cat Breeds. You can buy a real kitten belonging to this breed only in a specialized nursery that has a license and WCF certificate.

How to determine the breed of a white, fold-eared, Siberian cat

The breed of a cat can only be determined by its documents. As the postman Pechkin from Prostokvashino once claimed: “There is always a stamp on documents. Do you have a seal on your tail? A? No! And you can fake a mustache.” This is what scammers often do, selling kittens at exorbitant prices and assuring the buyer that they belong to a certain breed, without having supporting documents.

How to determine a cat's breed from a photograph

Determining the breed of a cat from just one photograph is sometimes difficult even for a specialist.

The photo does not always fully reflect the dimensions of the animal and its exterior. To have a general idea of ​​the whole variety of cat breeds, you can look through the Atlas of Cat Breeds.

Many people pick up a kitten on the street and bring it into the house. Such animals are automatically classified as mestizos or outbreds. But it is quite possible that a street pet may turn out to be a representative of blue blood. Below we will tell you how to determine the breed of a cat by external characteristics.

When a kitten appears in the house, which was brought from the street, you can try to find out its breed. Knowing which species an animal belongs to will allow you to determine the following points:

• what size will the pet grow to;
• what character the animal will have. Each cat has an individual character. But their temperament always contains common behavioral traits of the breed;
• propensity to certain ailments. Some varieties, due to physiological characteristics, are predisposed to certain diseases. They require special care and regular visits to the veterinarian;
• what is preferable to feed;
• the optimal time for mating and producing healthy offspring.

Video "Cat Breeds"

From this video you will learn what breeds of cats exist and what distinctive features they have.

Main distinguishing features

Externally, cats have approximately the same appearance. These animals have a rump and chest of medium width, and a rounded head. Representatives of various species acquire certain features of their appearance due to selection work. These include:

• body size;
• the structure of the auricle (unusual shape, deformed cartilage, inversion, etc.);
• limbs (short, regular, elongated);
• wool;
• hair color.

Using these parameters, you can determine whether your pet belongs to a particular species. Let's look at them in more detail.

Body size and structure

An ordinary domestic cat grows up to 75 cm in length. Their tail is about 30 cm long. Standard males weigh 4-6 kg, and females weigh 2.3-4.5 kg. Some breeds weigh much more, their body weight can reach 20 kg.

The largest cat breeds include:

• American Bobtail;
• Kurilian Bobtail;
• Maine Coon;
• British cat;
• Norwegian forest cat;
• ragdoll;
• pixie bob;
• savannah;
• Turkish Van cat;
• Siberian;
• Chartreuse.

There are also small species whose weight does not exceed 2.5 kg. These include bambino, napoleon, dwelf, kinkalow, lambkin, minskin, skiff-tay-don, etc.

Paws

Most cats have limbs of medium length. But many purebred animals have short legs. By this feature, you can easily distinguish representatives of blue blood from ordinary yard animals. Short-footed animals include Napoleons, Minskins, Dwelfs, Skookums, Bambinos and Munchkins. Small paws are compensated by the mobility of the spine. Such a spine will help pets move without difficulty with short limbs.

Tail

Cats usually have a long tail. But some varieties have a short tail, which is a congenital trait and not the result of a surgical procedure. By this sign you can easily recognize purebred animals. However, you need to check whether the short tail is the result of injury. Breeds that have unusual tails include:

• Kymrik - a cat without a tail and with short forelimbs. Because of this, he has a jumping gait;
• pixie-bob is a miniature lynx. The tail length is only 2-15 cm;
• Manx - tailless animals or with a very long tail;
• American Bobtail - the length of the tail is no more than the base of the hind legs;
• Japanese bobtail - the tail is curled and is about 12 cm long;
• Kurilian bobtail.

Even the rarest breeds can be easily recognized by the structure of the tail.

Ear shape

Outbred pets have a normal ear structure. Aristocrats' ears often have an unusual appearance:

• curved up to 180 degrees back - American curl;
• with deformed cartilage that folds the ear in half - Scottish fold cat;
• rolled up - in representatives of the Ukrainian Levka variety;
• patterned and large sizes - elf cat.

Other aristocratic breeds will have ears similar to one of the types described above.

Coat type and color

The definition of a purebred animal is always based on the coat and its color. All aristocratic varieties have their own characteristic hair colors.

Breeds differ in coat length. Short-haired varieties include Tonkinese, Siamese, Abyssinian, Singaporean, Corkt, Bombay. Maine Coon, Simrik, Persian, Balinese, and Ragdoll have long hair. There are also hairless species - the Ukrainian Levka and the Sphynx.

Curly short hair is found in almost all varieties of Rex: Germanic, Devon and Cornish. Hippopotamus and Selling Rex are considered curly-haired long-haired species. American Shorthair breeds have a coarse coat with elastic curls.

It is necessary to understand that the presence of an unusual color in a street kitten already indicates the presence of aristocratic relatives.

Varieties such as the Thai, Nevka, Balinese and Siamese have dark colored paws, muzzle and tail. The Ragdoll, Burmese and Snowshoe have white toes and a black tail, paws and muzzle area.

The Russian Blue, Briton and Nibelung are characterized by a smoky gray or blue color. Abyssinians and Somalis have a sandy coat color. Bengals, Egyptian Mau, Safari and Savannah cats are characterized by bright stripes and spots. Havana, Brown or Tiffany Chantilly have brown wool.

Mestizos can have characteristics of several breeds at once. This is a common occurrence when species are mixed. Despite the differences listed above, only a breeder or veterinarian can accurately determine the breed.

Based on the above parameters, you can roughly determine whether your cat is purebred or not. Whatever the pet turns out to be, it needs a balanced diet, proper and timely care and your love.

According to the latest data, there are more than a hundred cat breeds in the world, and this list is updated from time to time.

Despite the fact that the majority of domestic cats belong to the outbred group, many cat owners, having picked up another kitten on the street or taken from a nursery, try to discern breed characteristics in it and assign it one or another origin.

Sometimes breeders can help in this matter. They examine the animal, make a verdict regarding the breed and, if your pet is indeed a representative of one of the official breeds, issue a certificate of the beginning of the pedigree in the first generation.

Such animals can be used for breeding. If you don’t have the opportunity to visit the breeders, but want to find out the breed of your pet, try following the following tips for determining the breed.

Color

When determining the breed of a cat, first of all, pay attention to the distinctive features of the animal, since they are what distinguish one breed from another. Cats for the most part are built typically - not like dogs, in which breed diversity is determined by differences in height, weight, size and other parameters.

Important! There is no clear division according to breed characteristics in cats, since it is almost impossible to achieve uniform color and linear forms, based on the characteristics of their genetics. There are certain factors due to which an animal can be culled for exhibition or breeding work, but in general the characteristics of the breeds are quite vague.

There are certain groups into which animals are divided according to the type of coat color. The light-colored coat with dark tan marks on the face, paws and tail classifies the animal as a Siamese group.

Animals with a wild pedigree have a massive and very respectable appearance - these are Norwegian forest cats, savanna cats and Siberians. The Ragdoll, a soft and affectionate creature, also gains weight up to twelve kilograms due to its gigantic size.

Did you know? Some people are prone to a psychological disorder called ailurophilia. It manifests itself in too much adoration for representatives of the cat family. However, such affection does not harm health - cat owners reduce their likelihood of suffering a heart attack or stroke by as much as thirty percent by keeping their furry pets at home. This is some fluffy therapy.

Small cats, due to their genetic characteristics, rarely gain more than three kilograms of weight. Tiny cats and babies grow up to a maximum of twenty centimeters.

Among them are charming munchmins and lambkins with short legs, hairless bambinos, which are very difficult to care for because of their bare skin, Asians from Singapore and Dwelfs with Sphynx blood.

Exterior features suggest the division of cats into three categories. Just like people, these animals can be muscular, tightly built or stocky, thin or flexible.

By characteristics such as a dense, strong physique - one that is distinguished by short legs, a round head, a wide back and a thick tail - one can identify the breed of bobtail, British and American cats, as well as rex.
Thin cats are distinguished by long thin limbs, a pointed muzzle with graceful features, a thin tail and a flexible body with beautiful lean muscles. This includes animals of Asian breeds - Balinese and Thai cats. They are graceful and graceful.

As for muscular sporting animals, they give the impression of strong animals. Average, undistinguished linear body dimensions, such as a rounded head, strong paws, medium rounded chest and normal back length, are found in animals of Turkish origin, Maine Coons and Americans with wavy hair.

Coat type

According to the structural features of the wool fiber, cats are also divided into three types - hairless, smooth-haired and long-haired animals. The easiest animals to identify are those that have hair that is partially or completely absent.
Hairless cats include different types, the skin of which is partially or completely covered with folds, lefties and minskins with fur fringes on the face, ears, and the inside of the paws.

Important! Cats that lack a tail are more susceptible to diseases of the reproductive system and musculoskeletal system, since the nerves that control the functioning of the back of their body emerge from the spine, not covered by the cartilage of the tail. Therefore, any minor injury to the posterior part of the body can lead to temporary or permanent immobility, incontinence and chronic pain.

Beautiful short hair with a wavy sheep-type structure is observed in all Rex cats - in appearance, their fur coat looks like a short astrakhan fur. If the coat is curly, but long, it is still the same Rex: Bohemian with Persian ancestors, Silkirk and La Perma with luxurious wavy feathering on the tail and chest.

American wirehair cats are not rex cats, but they even have curled whiskers, since the gene responsible for the wavy structure of the coat is dominant in them - it is not difficult to recognize the breed of such a cat from a photo.

The following breeds of cats are insulated for winter: Norwegian, Turkish, the already mentioned Neva Masquerade, Napoleons with their famous childish expression on their faces, Maine Coons and Burmese animals with a special charm.

Muzzle

The features and shape of the muzzle are determined by the shape of the skull. Modern breed standards allow different head shapes within the same breed.

The best proof of this is Siamese cats, which for a long time were exhibited with round muzzles, and over the past fifteen years, through the efforts of breeders, they have acquired sophisticated features. The desire to achieve an extreme appearance of an animal is not welcomed among cat breeders, since the cat must be harmonious.

Facial features can improve, as happened with the Persians. Their head rounded, so their muzzle flattened even more, and their ears also became rounder and smaller.
There is a so-called roundness factor. It starts at ten, and as it decreases, the cats' faces become longer. All kittens, as well as exotic cats, can be distinguished from ordinary animals by their round heads and flat muzzles, since the structure of the skull determines the features and shape of the muzzle.

Ears

The unusual placement of the ears on the head is a characteristic feature of breeds with mutations. Scottish Folds have forward-hanging ear tips, and they droop in kittens at three weeks of age. The British and exotics also show off their ears down.

Graceful - the owners of ears curved back, this feature is not manifested in any other breed. Ears of particularly large sizes are found mainly in Abyssinian cats, sphinxes (those without hair) and orientals.

All cats of Asian origin have large ears accompanied by an elongated muzzle with subtle, expressive features.

Did you know? In the small town of Talkeetna, which is located in the state of Alaska, for twenty years the mayor was a domestic cat. His name was Stubbs, and he held this honorary post from April 1977 to July 2017- all his long cat life.

True, there are cases when a “nobleman” found on the street or taken from a nursery turns out to be a high-breed animal. Then its owner has the opportunity to obtain a certificate from the evaluation commission and establish a pedigree line in the first generation.

To do this, you need to compare the external parameters of your pet with the above standards and classify it as a particular breed, and then seek advice from professionals.

However, even if your pet is classified as a simple domestic cat, do not be upset. He loves you, and will love you no matter what - that's what makes domestic cats so valuable.

Sometimes a furry pet doesn’t come into your home from a well-known nursery. And the owner has a logical question: a purebred animal or “nobleman” has become a new tenant and family member.

There are few ways to determine the breed of a cat. They are all quite relative. Only an experienced felinologist can give a final verdict.

Today, in the age of the ubiquitous Internet, to determine or clarify the breed of a pet, you can turn to “online identifiers”. They are published on some cat lovers' portals.

These virtual assistants are tables that systematize the breed characteristics of a wide variety of cat representatives. Simply by answering the questions posed using logical chains, you can determine whether the animal is purebred and which group it belongs to.

It should be remembered that these determiners are not an official expert; according to their estimates, it is impossible to obtain a pedigree for a cat. They cannot even give a one hundred percent guarantee that the result will be correct.

In this case, it is advisable to evaluate an adult animal; it is impossible to test a newborn here. The kitten needs to mature for at least six months in order for its breed characteristics to appear.

How to find out the breed of a cat: features of pedigree kittens

Determining the breed of a kitten by phenotype is not always within the power of a professional. Some have such obvious natural features that they cannot be confused with anyone else. Others differ so little from each other that they require the help of an experienced felinologist, supported by a genetic test.

Vivid signs that help in determining the type of cat:

• Mutation signs and features. More often it is the shape and size of the ears - for example, Curls or Scottish Folds. Tassels on the tips are also a characteristic feature. The length of Munchkin's limbs, fixed by a mutation gene, also makes him easily recognizable.
• The color of the iris, their shape and location. Some lines have only one eye color (blue - Siamese, green - Nibelungs) or multi-colored, like the Turkish Van. Asian cats, in addition, have a characteristic oriental cut, often with a slight braid.
• Head shape and coat color. There are varieties that you will never confuse with anyone else due to the peculiar structure of the skull. For example, in Oriental it is narrow and elongated, while in Exot it is almost rectangular with rounded edges and an original flattened nose. The wild spotted color of the Bengal differs significantly from the pattern of the color-point Siamese.
• Body type and coat quality. Bengals, Toygers, and some other breeds are characterized by a strong, muscular and agile body.
  Orientals, Thais and Sphinxes have an elegant, sophisticated physique. American Shorthair, bobtails are stocky, powerful, and heavy in appearance. The type of coat differs significantly between longhaired, semi-longhaired, short-haired and hairless cats.
• The animal's temperament is also a feature of the breed. On this basis, the lively and restless Abyssinians can never be confused with the phlegmatic Briton.

Signs of thoroughbredness and obtaining a pedigree are important for those cases when the pet is awaiting breeding work or an exhibition career.

It must be remembered that the upbringing, love and appreciation of a cat is not determined by the “purity” of its blood.

As a rule, a kitten or an adult cat picked up on the street is classified as mestizos, which means “mongrel”. But perhaps a representative of royal blood has settled in your house? It also happens that you were sold an animal of one breed, but over time you begin to notice signs of another in it. How to determine the breed of a cat by color and external features, and is it even possible to do this? It is quite difficult for a non-specialist to do this, but it is possible.

Why do you need to know the breed?

So why do you need to know the cat breed, because you won’t be able to enjoy any privileges, and your pet, regardless of origin, will remain your faithful, devoted and affectionate friend? Firstly, by getting a kitten and determining its identity, you can understand how big it will grow and what its behavior will be. Of course, the character of an animal is individual, but there are still traits inherent in certain species.

Secondly, you will know about possible genetic diseases and will be able to take preventive measures in time. Thirdly, knowledge of the breed is important when selecting a mating partner.

Signs

Most cats look the same. Their chest and rump are of medium width, and their head is round in shape. You can determine the breed of a cat from a photo based on the remarkable features of its appearance:

• size (large or small);
• ear defect (rolled ears, deformed cartilage, unusual shape);
• tail (presence/absence and its length);
• paws (regular or short);
• unusual coat (very long, short/long curly) or lack of hair;
• non-standard color (blue, Siamese, chocolate, etc.).

Size

Regular domestic cats grow up to 50-75 cm in length, their tail length is about 30 cm, and their body weight is 4-6 kg in males and 2.3-4.5 kg in females. Some species, and there are over a dozen of them, have a much larger mass: up to 15-20 kg. Below is a list of the largest breeds:

• American Bobtail - its ancestors are wild representatives of the cat family living in North America;
• Kurilian Bobtail is a Russian cat bred on the Kuril Islands;
• British cat;
• Maine Coon is the largest domestic cat;
• Norwegian forest cat – males reach a weight of 10 kg;
• pixie-bob is an American cat that looks like a red lynx;
• ragdoll - these animals look like rag dolls;
• savannah;
• Siberian;
• Turkish Van cat;
• Chartreux is a dog-sized French cat.

So, what breeds of cats are small:

• Munchkin - has short legs, often serves as the basis for breeding other breeds;
• bambino - its ancestors are the hairless Canadian sphinx and the short-legged munchkin, reaches a weight of no more than 2.2 kg;
• Napoleon - these animals were bred by crossing Persians and Munchkins, the weight of an adult does not exceed 2.5 kg;
• Skookum - the ancestors of this variety are small munchkins and laperms with long and wavy hair;
• Dwelf - a 3-kilogram hairless cat, whose ancestors were three species (Munchkin, American Curl and Canadian Sphynx);
• Kinkaloo is the rarest cat, barely reaching 1.3 kg;
• lambkin - a cat with curly hair, similar to a lamb, lower weight limit - 1.8 kg;
• Minskin - a small hairless cat;
• Singaporean - was bred in Singapore, then brought to the USA and Europe;
• Scythian-tay-don (taybob, toy bobtail) is the world's smallest representative of the cat family.

Ears

We determine whether an animal belongs to the aristocracy by its ears:

• curved back up to 180° – characteristic of the American Curl;
• rolled up - in cats of the Ukrainian Levkoy breed;
• deformed cartilage that folds the auricle in half - Scottish fold cat;
• huge and patterned - elf cat, bred by American breeders.

Tail

As you know, some purebred dogs have their tails docked. In cats, the presence of a short tail or its absence is an innate characteristic of the species. Let's list cats with tail features:

• kimrik - a tailless cat with short front legs, giving it a peculiar jumping gait;
• Manx - these animals either have no tail at all, or, on the contrary, it is too long;
• pixie bob is a domestic miniature lynx, has a tail 2-15 cm long;
• American Bobtail - its tail is no longer than the base of its hind legs;
• Kurilian bobtail – selected in Russia, its ancestors are the Siberian cat and the Japanese bobtail;
• Japanese Bobtail – has a curled tail up to 12 cm long.

Paws

Most cats have medium-length paws. But among the purebreds there are representatives with short legs. These include Skookums, Dwelfs, Munchkins, Napoleons, Minskins, and Bambinos. At first, breeders were afraid that short legs would cause inconvenience to the small predator, but this disadvantage is compensated by the mobility of the spine.

Wool

Pedigree cats have different coat lengths:

• shorthair - Siamese, Singaporean, Oriental, Tonkinese, Bombay, Burima, Abyssinian, Blue, Corkt, American, Burmese, European, Chartreuse, Exotic;
• longhaired - Balinese, Maine Coon, Norwegian Forest, Persian, Ragdoll, Siberian, Simrik, Somali, Turkish;
• hairless - Sphynx, Ukrainian Levkoy.

At the same time, almost all types of Rex - Cornish, Devon and German - have curly short hair. Long-haired curly-haired cats include Celerix Rexes and Bohemians. Representatives of the American Shorthair have a coat consisting of hard, elastic curls. Also, all cats have a different body structure: some have a strong constitution, others have a medium constitution, and others have a slender constitution.

Color

If a cat has an unusual color that differs from the color of the fur of domestic cats, there is a possibility that he may be a descendant of a purebred animal. Look at the color and compare it with the breeds:

• predominance of black color in the area of ​​​​the muzzle, paws and tail - Siamese, Nevka, Thai or Balinese;
• the predominance of black color in the area of ​​​​the muzzle, paws and tail, and the socks are white - signs of a ragdoll, snow show or Burmese;
• blue or smoky gray color - Nibelung, British or Russian blue cat;
• a sandy tint is a sign of a Somali or Abyssinian;
• bright spots or stripes - characterize savannahs, safaris, Egyptian Mau and Bengals;
• brown wool - Tiffany Chantilly or Havana Brown.

Even if your kitten has several different characteristics, it is still more likely to be a mestizo, but having inherited some aspect factor or behavioral trait from its purebred ancestors. This often happens when breeds are mixed, especially if the animal is found on the street or adopted from a shelter.

But no matter how hard you try, only a specialist can accurately identify a cat’s breed from a photo: a veterinarian or a breeder. If your pet doesn't turn out to be a fluffy Thai or a cute Norwegian, there's nothing to worry about. If you love an animal and take care of it, in your eyes it will look no worse than an aristocratic Briton, an independent Siberian or a proud Maine Coon!

Perhaps you can recognize the breed of your cat from the photos collected in this video: