# Purebreed cat or not Purebreed?



## Catlover999 (Jul 31, 2008)

just wondering whats better :wolfie


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

Arianwen is a prized, purebred Shelter kitty. They have a great _purrsonality_.


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## catnip (Aug 19, 2003)

I heart my ghetto kittehs.


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## Zalensia (Aug 25, 2003)

I think it depends what you want. If you are looking for particular traits then you would go purebred. All mine are domestics, but I'd love a mainecoon one day


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## noludoru (Jun 19, 2008)

Whichever you end up with is the best.. LOL! 

I'd go the rescue route, though, honestly. There are sooo many cats in rescue and unless the breed you like is extremely rare you can find exactly what you want through a thorough search of shelters and rescues near you.


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## Leazie (Apr 14, 2007)

Rescue kitties are best in my eyes, there is really no better feeling than knowing that you have saved a kittie's life. 

But like Zalensia I have a deep desire to have a purebred some day. Also, I would like a Norwegian Forest Cat.


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

I'd like an NFC one day, too. Or a Maine **** Cat.

or maybe both... rcat


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

Moggies all the way.


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## Bandit_X (May 29, 2008)

I've never met a pure bred cat, so I really couldn't say. I do love my shelter baby Tank (Maine **** + ?), and Nora is an amazing cat (I hope she comes home soon...), so my preference is rescues regardless of breed.

I've found that animals rescued seem to appreciate little things more, like a special treat or long snuggles. I have a few pets from breeders and they seem less interested in people than rescued animals of the same species.


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## ~Siameseifuplz~ (May 6, 2007)

Well it depends on the breed :wink: Siamese all the way for me but other than that any moggie with a personality I like is fine by me.


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## melysion (Mar 12, 2007)

Hmm. Well - they are all ..errr ... cats arent they? Therefore I'd say both 

I really would like a siamese or ragdoll cat one day but I'd not swap my 'born feral' cat for anything


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I have loved every cat I owned, but sometimes there's a special bond that develops with one. I have a special love for Siamese and Balinese cats, of course. They're very intelligent and obedient love bugs.  I would like to have a black cat again, and I think Tuxedo cats are beautiful. Of course, I would love it if they were as sweet and obedient as Blueberry and Nina.


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

I know just what you mean, Jeanie. Arianwen and I share a special bond, too. 
She is one of the most intelligent, loving, obedient, and patient kittehs that has ever graced my home. I wouldn't trade her for the world!  

It's _her_, not her breed. that I love. :luv


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

There are purebreds IN shelters. And breed-specific rescues. I rescued Cinderella from a guy on Craigslist. It didn't matter that she was a Birman with papers, I wanted her out of there. Then I fell in love.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Im partial to certain looks in cats. I love black cats with their clever personalities and smarts! I love the siamese look and personality. Im always a sucker to the hard luck cases which is what Ill probably Aways :roll: have.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

Nina was in a Siamese Rescue. Balinese are long haired Siamese.


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## Catlover999 (Jul 31, 2008)

*thanks*

thanks alot i will try yo go with the better! :smiles


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## noludoru (Jun 19, 2008)

marie73 said:


> There are purebreds IN shelters. And breed-specific rescues. I rescued Cinderella from a guy on Craigslist. It didn't matter that she was a Birman with papers, I wanted her out of there. Then I fell in love.


Exactly. My dream kitten is an orange classic tabby Maine **** - preferably an adult, but a kitten is fine - and I was whining to my friend about it the other day. What does she do? She searches Petfinder and finds me THE EXACT KITTEN I WANT in a rescue right near me. (I was a sucker and downloaded the adoption application, but that's as far is it goes. I have too many cats already)


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

But, if that's your dream cat........


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## noludoru (Jun 19, 2008)

Ohhh it would be wonderful. But I have my three and I am fostering three bottle babies. Now, if it was an older kitty.... :love2 :love2 I would not be able to say no. Since it's a kitten I at least have the excuse of "I don't want another young cat!" and "kittens get adopted faster!" The older kitties, now they just steal my heart and I can't resist - and even being a purebred is no guarantee an older kitty will be adopted, so I can't reassure myself. At the rescue I volunteer at there are sooo many old kitties I would bring home in a heartbeat if I was cat-less.


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## Mitts & Tess (Sep 4, 2004)

Noludoru you definitely have the heart of a cat rescue person. My hat goes out to you fostering 3 bottle babies. Its a tremendous amount of work plus the stress of hoping they will make it. People have no idea what kind of devotion goes into the cute healthy well adjussted kitten you hand off to them. 

Im the same way. My outstanding cute fosters I dont even get tempted cuz they have the best chance of finding a great home. Its the hard luck cases with older cats that my resolve waivers about no more cats in my permanent household. My tuxy is at overload right now and couldnt take one more cat.

I have 10 ringworm kittens and two healthy adult fosters right now. I know what my Tuxy is feeling like. :roll:


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## noludoru (Jun 19, 2008)

Mitts & Tess said:


> Noludoru you definitely have the heart of a cat rescue person. My hat goes out to you fostering 3 bottle babies. Its a tremendous amount of work plus the stress of hoping they will make it. People have no idea what kind of devotion goes into the cute healthy well adjussted kitten you hand off to them.


Thank you so much.. that really warmed my heart.  

My two were bottle babies, so I remembered what hard work it is when I got these three. I don't think I remembered clearly enough. LOL. We got them at two weeks and I was up nearly round the clock for the first week. Now it's more relaxed and I've started the weaning process because they want solids instead of milk sometimes.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

noludoru said:


> My dream kitten is an orange classic tabby Maine ****


So if Holly disappears, I guess I know where to find her.....


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## noludoru (Jun 19, 2008)

doodlebug said:


> noludoru said:
> 
> 
> > My dream kitten is an orange classic tabby Maine ****
> ...


 :love2 

Holly? Who is this Holly you speak of? My new Maine **** isn't named Holly... and she just showed up on my doorstep, I _swear!_


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## Silver deer (Dec 31, 2007)

Hehe 

I'd go with a domestic, unless there are really specific traits you're looking for. Having said that, you could probably find all those traits in domestics anyway, hehe.  But other than the traits and looks, my vet friend said that purebreds _tend_ to have more health problems than non-purebreds!


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Silver deer said:


> Hehe
> But other than the traits and looks, my vet friend said that purebreds _tend_ to have more health problems than non-purebreds!


I assume by the use of the italics on 'tend' that the info is anecdotal and not based on any legitimate study? I would love to know if these types of comments take into account the origin of the purebred cat...whether it comes from a backyard breeder or pet store vs a reputable breeder who does genetic testing, removes cats from their breeding program that produces a kitten with issues, carefully adheres to the inbreeding guidelines, provides a health guarantee, monitors the cats they've placed on a regular basis etc. 

I think purebred cats get a bump rap in this area because of the disreputable practices of some breeding programs. If you're careful about where a purebred cat comes from there should be more assurance that it's healthy than a domestic of unknown origin.

Now most of you know that I certainly advocate rescuing kittens/cats of unknown backgrounds and that I also believe that there's a place/reason for purebred cats in the scheme of things. So my point isn't to say don't rescue a domestic. I just felt that this comment, attributed to a vet, needed to be expanded upon.


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## Silver deer (Dec 31, 2007)

Please don't take it so personally and offensively. It was just another point I wanted to throw up in the air, in regards the original poster's question.

I think I was quite clear in my post, but yes, I italicised "tend", because it's only an observation my vet friend makes on all the animals she treats. It doesn't mean no one should get purebreds -- I love purebreds -- her opinion is just one reason that I chose a moggie in the end.

... And I don't know what you mean by this:



doodlebug said:


> I just felt that this comment, attributed to a vet, needed to be expanded upon.


I hope you don't mean that because she's a vet, we shouldn't trust what she says...


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## noludoru (Jun 19, 2008)

Silver deer said:


> doodlebug said:
> 
> 
> > I just felt that this comment, attributed to a vet, needed to be expanded upon.
> ...


I do not want to put my words in Doodlebug's mouth, but I agree with her and my response to this that because she is a vet, she is in a position of authority and her words will be shown greater weight than others'. If her words are simply anecdotal evidence, they should be taken as they are instead of with greater seriousness because of her position. Anecdotal evidence, coming from whoever it comes from, is just that: anecdotal evidence. 

The only way I would trust that sort of evidence on this topic is if a vet had seen hundreds of examples _per breed_ and knew the type of breeder they all came from.

That said, you have to have healthy parents for healthy babies. You can have unhealthy moggies or unhealthy purebreds if they are out of unhealthy parents, it doesn't really matter which. It's the quality of the breeing that counts if you are going for health, and if a healthy cat was my number one requirement an established breeder who knows his/her lines like the back of their hand would be where I would go. They would know all of their cats and their cats grand and great-grandparents, and would keep in touch with kitten owners.. they would know how healthy their lines are. (It should be noted that this is a responsible breeder I am talking about, not a kitten mill or BYB)


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## melysion (Mar 12, 2007)

I was just wondering. How do people feel about buying a pedigree cat verses adopting a rescue one?

I belong to another cat forum (based in the UK - I'm not very active there) and many of the members are aggressively against people buying pedigree cats when there are so many cats in rescue shelters. People posting there have been made to feel terribly guilty simply because they have not gone to a shelter for a kitty. 

My personal viewpoint is that its wrong to make these people feel 'guilty'. They have decided they want a cat with a particular look and particular personality and have every right to spend their money on such a cat if they wish. I will no doubt do this myself one day. I have my eye on a ragdoll cat if my present circumstances change and I am able to get a second cat. I have researched the breed and have specific reasons for wanting a ragdoll as a companion for Toby.

Although of course its likely that in the future another needy moggie cat (after Toby) will turn up in my life as I am a bit of a sucker for hard luck cases. One of the deciding factors in adopting Toby was the knowledge that he was very unlikely to be adopted by anyone else.


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

Of course there's no excuse to make people feel guilty. Also, I know there are some people (none vocal here - my granny's best friend was one example), who are very snooty about rescue cats, or moggies. It's just not on.
As a very extreme analogy, it's like getting on one's high horse about people having their own children instead of adopting one of the millions that get abandoned or orphaned in the world.


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## katlover13 (Apr 15, 2008)

I am often tempted by a purebread cat especially Maine ****, but to me there is nothing like rescueing a cat that many consider unadoptable. When I walked into the FeLV room at Carolines Kids and saw Orlando ... and when I picked him up he actually hugged me... I was totally gone and in love with him. He is ten years old now and I hope he is one of the lucky ones to have a long life. Even if he doesn't he will be spoiled rotton every single day.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Silver Deer....the words that Noludoru put in my mouth :lol: were exactly right. I wasn't taking your comment personally. When people see that certain advice came from a vet they tend to give it a higher level of authority. Since it appeared to be anecdotal information I wanted to clarify why putting a lot of credence in it may not be advisable. It had nothing to do with wanting to discount her information just because she's a vet. In fact it was my vet that started my education process on this topic when I decided to get Holly.


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## Silver deer (Dec 31, 2007)

Thanks for clarifying, doodlebug. I don't think I said anywhere that it was statistical evidence and not antecdotal evidence though... in fact I even italicised the word "tend" for the very reason that it is anecdotal information. But nevermind, we appear to agree, even if there was a bit of confusion. I guess I should be more careful about things I say just in passing.

Melysion, I don't think there's anything wrong with buying a purebred cat. I almost bought one!


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## mstx (Mar 4, 2008)

I have two moggies. but I would love to have a Maine **** one day!!!


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## catnip (Aug 19, 2003)

I'm not sure why Maine **** is so popular. I have a buff tabby who is part Maine ****. She's huge and nearly impossible to keep groomed, not to mention the ongoing dingleberry problem. :lol: Very well mannered cat otherwise.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

The personality and how gorgeous they are seems to be the big attraction to Maine Coons. In my case it was the laid back personality and size...I needed a cat that was mild mannered and big enough to deal with Kobi's crap when he's being a jerk.

I've heard about grooming issues with non-purebred Maine ****'s. Purebred MC coats are pretty easy to deal with. I have more trouble with Holly's in the summer, but in the winter I can go weeks without brushing her and no matting issues. My understanding is this is pretty typical for MCs.

Holly may get a dingleberry once or twice a week, that can be pretty well eliminated by getting a potty patch shaved by the vet or groomer about every 3 months. I just haven't bothered getting it done in a while...

edited...grammar issue


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## mstx (Mar 4, 2008)

They are suppose to be extermally intellegant (sp) and I love big cats!!!


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

That would be extremely intelligent (you did ask ).

I must admit the idea of having to groom the crap out of cats bums (literally and figuratevely) does not fill me with joy.

Apart from that issue, they're obviously extremely handsome.


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## mstx (Mar 4, 2008)

I suck at spelling  always hated it....


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

Don't worry too much about it


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## melysion (Mar 12, 2007)

Huge said:


> figuratevely .


I believe that would be 'figuratively' Huge  :lol:


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## OctoberinMaine (Sep 12, 2006)

I had these same issues with Rookie, a long-haired probable part Maine ****, like dingleberries and the need for constant grooming. It sure didn't affect how much I loved her, but now that I have a good old-fashioned short-haired kitty, I'm glad I don't having to worry about it anymore.


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

melysion said:


> Huge said:
> 
> 
> > figuratevely .
> ...


I was distracted.


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## mel2mdl (May 30, 2008)

I have my rescue tabby, Chairman Meow. Well, actually, he was heading to the pound as a kitten and I kept him instead. 

I also have a TICA registered Bengal that I adopted from a breeder. 

It just depends on what you want. I wanted a striking cat, who was intelligent and big. Phoenix is Chairman's pet as well since I needed one who would help him be more active.

I love them both. Even if Phoenix likes to talk A LOT (and early) and opens all the cabinets and carries his toys around the house and hide in the glider's carrier.


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

Your cat can open cupboards? 8O


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Sure, lots of cats do. Maggie loves to open a cabinet and go walk around in them or pull things out onto the floor, open packages etc.


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## oklahomegrownveg (May 31, 2008)

Alvin slams all the kitchen cabinet doors if it's raining and he can't go out.
He also opens the towel cupboard and climbs in for a snooze.
He's the only one of the 3 that does it.

Mick.


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

Peggy doesn't even open her own catflap when where in the kitchen.... She just sits there meowing at us. Lazy thing. :roll:


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

She just has you well trained...


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

Training a human to do chores is even better than opening cabinets! :lol: 

Arianwen opens cabinets whenever it suits her, which isn't very often. She'll walk around inside checking it out, and just leaves it when she finds nothing interesting.
rcat


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

This is one of the things Maggie does when she opens cabinets


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## noludoru (Jun 19, 2008)

catnip said:


> I'm not sure why Maine **** is so popular. I have a buff tabby who is part Maine ****. She's huge and nearly impossible to keep groomed, not to mention the ongoing dingleberry problem. :lol: Very well mannered cat otherwise.


The appearance, size love2), and temperament for me. They are also a popular breed - a lot of people know the name of Maine Coons, Siamese, Persians. They are household names.

I also have a (possible?) Maine **** mix, at the very least she is a DMH Tabby. She has a lovely coat, and I adore it, despite her poopy-butt moments. We are just very careful with her diet to avoid those, because I love her fluffy pirate pants and hate chopping them off, or even trimming them a bit. Grooming has never been an issue - I've only had one small mat on her in the three years I've had her. The major issues are shedding, a poopy butt, and her paws not being pristinely white. So I know I can deal with that coat type, ad I lvoe it so much it's worth it to me.


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

Arianwen has those beautiful, floofy pirate pants, too. :lol: 
I don't mind spending a few minutes each day brushing her. She likes it, and I'm happy when she's purring. :love2


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## Silver deer (Dec 31, 2007)

Hehe, I think Milly has pirate pants, if they're what I think they are. She's just a DMH, but her hair doesn't seem to matt; it's really silky! We brush it once every few days and that seems to be enough, so we're lucky.

lol, my friend's Bengal likes to open cupboards too. Clever thing!


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## Jennyphx (Apr 5, 2007)

We took in a stray male when I was a kid who was clearly part Maine ****. That is what started it all for me. I got Hunter after my Cassie died. He is the sweetest boy. I don't know if all male Maine Coons are this way but he has the silliest personality. He's always playing with imaginary toys, skidding across the tile. He hisses at his toys as well when he is playing by himself making up little games. He's really rambunctious, even at 19 months. He makes a mess with the water bowls. He doesn't tip them over as much as he used to though. I love all the noises coons make. He really only meows for dinner, but he is constantly talking and making all kinds of trills, chirps, and grunts. He talks to humans and the other cats. He is very furry though so his coat can be a pain. It's the hair on his underside that is the problem. He gets mats under his armpits and tummy by his back legs. His other hair is nice and smooth and not a problem. He does get the dingleberries a couple times a month as well. I still missed having a female cat around so then I got Kaley. She is very demanding, meows all the time now which is not typical of a ****. She gets into everything, opens doors, unrolls toilet paper rolls, jumps on the counters when no one is looking and takes things off and if they are small enough she shoves them under the stove. I had to bairicade the open stair rails on the second floor because even though I covered them she jumped over them and landed on the little ledge. She remembers where we hide da bird and will cry and cry untill we get it out for her. She has a really soft coat and doesn't mat.


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## TrinityQuiet (May 18, 2007)

Just thinking here...when people post on here asking what breed their cat is, they are informed that it is a Domestic Long or Short Hair cat and that's all there is to it, unless they have paper. But like dogs, whether they have papers or not, they still have the traits common to their breeds. A cat that's half Siamese and half Abyssinian has traits of Siamese and Abyssianian cats, not the traits of a Domestic Short Hair. Yet because, unlike dogs, we refuse to call them a breed unless they're papered...when people want an Abyssinian, or a Siamese, they go buy a purebred instead of picking up this cat from a shelter. Same cat, same traits they want, but papered.
The lack of giving them their breed's name encourages breeders, and irresponsible breeders, and thus the death of kittehs in shelters. 

Feel free to flame me, but I think no one does kittehs any justice by refusing to acknowledge what breed they are unless they're papered. People buy unpapered dog breeds for their traits...they'd do the same for cats, if people would acknowledge their breeds. Not that it would always work...there's always someone who will pay money for a scrap of paper, but most people just want the traits, not the official name.

Sorry for the novel. This has been bugging me for a while 

*Edited to say, I do realize that cats are just as mixed as mutts most of the time, this post only pertains to the ones that DO have a recognizable breed in them.


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

To me, it's much more difficult to tell what a cat may have for a background because there is so much similarity between breeds, whereas dogs have some significant differences. Sometimes with cats you can tell, others not so much. How many people can distinguish a Maine **** from a Norwegian Forest Cat? A cat born without a tail, isn't necessarily a Manx, it could be any breed with a genetic defect. An all white cat with a colored spot on it's head isn't necessarily a Turkish Van, it's just the way the white masking gene developed on that cat. There was one discussion about whether a cat was Siamese, Tonkinese or something else, no conclusion was reached. In many, many cases there's just no way to tell.


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## TrinityQuiet (May 18, 2007)

doodlebug said:


> To me, it's much more difficult to tell what a cat may have for a background because there is so much similarity between breeds, whereas dogs have some significant differences. Sometimes with cats you can tell, others not so much. How many people can distinguish a Maine **** from a Norwegian Forest Cat? A cat born without a tail, isn't necessarily a Manx, it could be any breed with a genetic defect. An all white cat with a colored spot on it's head isn't necessarily a Turkish Van, it's just the way the white masking gene developed on that cat. There was one discussion about whether a cat was Siamese, Tonkinese or something else, no conclusion was reached. In many, many cases there's just no way to tell.


Yeah...sure, bring up a perfectly valid argument :lol: 

I've never heard of Tonkinese before!


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

I see both cats and dogs presented as Siamese Mix, Beagle mix, etc. on Petfinder quite often. In fact, when I was looking for a collie, there were many, many pictures labeled as Collies, and only one or two out of hundreds was actually a Collie. To a former Collie breeder none of them looked anything like a Collie. They might have had long snouts or a white collar, so they were labeled as Collie mixes, after you clicked on all of the "Collies." 

Of course, with dogs, mixed breeds are advertised in the newspaper as some new, exotic breeds, and priced as if they really were. It's disgustingly dishonest. A "Labrapoo," to coin a phrase (I think!) might cost many hundreds of dollars, but it's really an accidental breeding or a scam---to make money. :?


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## Silver deer (Dec 31, 2007)

It'e true, in a lot of cases it's just so hard to tell... is a black cat necessarily a Bombay? And is a blue cat necessarily a Russian Blue? Blue is simply a colour, and in any case there are a bunch of similar-looking breeds like korats and so on...

...Doodlebug pretty much said everything I was thinking!


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## Silver deer (Dec 31, 2007)

Jennyphx said:


> He really only meows for dinner, but he is constantly talking and making all kinds of trills, chirps, and grunts.


lol, Milly does this! It's like a constant conversation with her... :lol:


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

Intellectually I know Arianwen is a DLH, but in my heart she'll always be a silver tabby Siberian.  :heart

And she really does fit the breed description. :wink:


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

Jeanie said:


> A "Labrapoo," to coin a phrase (I think!) might cost many hundreds of dollars, but it's really an accidental breeding or a scam---to make money. :?


You possibly mean a Labradoodle? A family friend has one.


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## katlover13 (Apr 15, 2008)

My boss reciently purchased this golden doodle for several hundred dollars. He brings him to work almost every day and I get to take care of him  He may have cost big bucks, but he's nothing more then a designer mutt.









(OMG! I'm a certified cat lover and I just posted a dog picture in a cat forum! YIKES!)


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## Huge2 (Jan 28, 2008)

Strike one for Sue  

Nice looking dog though.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

No strikes. She knows a Heinz 57 when she sees one. 

Hugh, I know about Labradoodles. That's a scam too. You can be sure you'll soon see a Labrapoo, a Border daschund, and a Pit Spaniel any day now. :?


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Jeanie said:


> ...a Pit Spaniel any day now.


They're actually Spaniel Pits. Spits.


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## Jeanie (Jun 18, 2003)

You're naughty! :lol:


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## gunterkat (Aug 19, 2006)

The vicious temperament of a Pit, combined with the energy of a Spaniel? Yikes! 8O 

A Pit-Beagle mix is next door, and that's bad enough. Is that a Peagle? 
It has the weirdest, piercing bark, at 3-o'clock in the morning. 8O


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