# Certifiable Mutt or a Secret Purebreed?



## KittyMonster (Nov 8, 2009)

I was hoping somoene could shed some light on my rescued cat Mak.

I know that without proper breeding papers I will never know, but it would be nice to have some understanding of his coat etc (not to mention having my suspicions at least partially confirmed)

Here are some pictures: 








A great picture of his coat (_finally_ looking healthy after 1.5 months of care!)








His handsome face, as well as his white patch (that's the only white mark on his body).








Wet kitty.








Closeup of his guardhairs and undercoat.


Any thoughts are welcome


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Mak is genetically a black cat, homozygous for no agouti (_no visible tabby pattern_), homozygous for the recessive pair of dense genes which causes his black coat to be blue. He also has minimal white spotting.
I think he's beautiful and charismatic. I also really liked looking at the close-up of his fur.

IMO, the genetics for all cat breeds are out there, and anyone could gather similarly marked/body-type cats from shelters and form a breeding program, culling and working towards a goal, and in no time at all ... could have produced cats that reliable reproduce themselves and look completely like almost any cat breed we've got.
Also IMO, people who *pay* for purebred cats don't usually allow them the opportunity to get out and 'mingle-with-the-common-cats' and breed.


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## Fran (Jan 9, 2008)

...No thoughts on his breed, but he certainly has a charming, expressive face... :luv!

 Fran


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## KittyMonster (Nov 8, 2009)

Sorry, I should have mentioned that my suspicion was that he's a Russian Blue.

Heidi: Ooh what a neat analysis. Thanks so much  That's really interesting. His undercoat is amazing, but after being abandoned for so long it's made his coat rather "lumpy" from lack of care. Once he started to groom himself it became apparent that he had burrs stuck in the undercoat as well. 

The day I brought him home (yes, I know.. stray cat in bed = bad idea but I had no where else to put him :roll: )









Daily grooming sessions have helped him tremendously, though. He's very squinty there because he had conjunctivitis (cleared up 100% now after antibiotics )

I know it's impossible for someone to look at him and say "RUSSIAN BLUE" and in the end it doesn't matter, I was just curious. 



Fran said:


> ...No thoughts on his breed, but he certainly has a charming, expressive face...


Absolutely! I always know _exactly_ what he's thinking. He's very expressive with his eyes and face, and loves to chat too. :luv


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Aaaaaahhhh, he reminds me of our Floofy. 

Floofy's first night (AND in my bed, too!) with a rough coat, dirty feet, squinty eyes and a little on the bone-y side:









All it takes is love, care and good food and these poor, abandoned kitties can recover *very* nicely!

After vetting, good care and excellent food:









...don't let the innocent look fool you...


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## marie73 (Jul 12, 2006)

Mak certainly has the Russian Blue smile. He's gorgeous! :luv


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## gaz23g (Nov 30, 2008)

Mak looks to be a heavier breed than russian blue (which always seem spindly to me) maybe korat or something like that?


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## Heidi n Q (Nov 22, 2006)

Nnnnoooo, I thought we had a member here who adopted a brother/sister pair of Korats and I recall them both being slim-ish cats, too. I think the British Shorthair is more stocky, but their face is also rounder than Mak's. Mak also has a well-defined muzzle, and I cannot think of which breed of cat that reminds me of...though I am leaning towards a large-ish breed, like the Main **** kitties?


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## doodlebug (May 13, 2006)

Some info about Russian Blues....

http://www.russianblue.info/Russian_Blue_rescues.htm

Mak is a beautiful boy...since his origins are unknown he is one of a kind and unique, rather than being lumped into a breed specification.


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## KittyMonster (Nov 8, 2009)

gaz23g said:


> Mak looks to be a heavier breed than russian blue (which always seem spindly to me) maybe korat or something like that?


That is exactly that I was thinking. Mak is a bear of a cat; as my boyfriend puts it, he has _heft_. The vet said his optimum weight was ~13-15lbs. 

However, he's def not a korat because (if the information I found was correct), korats only have one coat and don't shed when you pet them, which Mak has/does.

Thanks for all your input.  Maybe his grandpappy was a refined purebred Russian Blue who got loose one night and had a wild and torrid affair with a beautiful but desititute DSH.


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