# is this common, a cat with "split ears" ?



## rafael pauwels (11 mo ago)

Hi, recently, an unknown cat started visiting our garden over here in rural Western Russia ... it is a beautiful animal, with one characteristic that I have never seen before : his/her ears seem to be cut/split ... I don't know how to express it correctly, but take a look at the pictures ...

Is this some kind of pure breed cat ?
Is this common ?

have a nice day,
Rafael


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## Mosi (May 17, 2021)

Wow. What an exquisite cat!
I have not seen that before. I don't know what that is. congenital? Did someone do that to indicate that the cat has been spayed/neutered? (But usually that is just "tipping" the ear, meaning taking off the very tip of the ear on a feral cat so that people know the cat's been altered, and that's only a US custom as far as I know). It's not a breed characteristic I have ever heard of. Very interesting, and that cat is so beautiful that it only adds to the beauty.

If you are so inclined to bring that cat indoors, would make a beautiful house pet. I sure would be tempted if I were you.


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## miscellaneous (May 24, 2021)

Hi Rafael. Beautiful cat! I haven't seen one with ears like that either. Reminds me of some type of Lynx with the fur on top but the split is unusual. As Mosi said, could be something they were born with, or they had their ears tipped, or notched, to indicate a feral that's been neutered, but that's usually done on one ear not both. Tis a mystery! Let us know if you find out.


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## catloverami (Jul 5, 2010)

The overall appearance, coat color, eye shape and pointed ears and expression are similar to a_* Lynx*_.....maybe this is result of a hybrid ....Domestic cat with a Lynx? Interesting!


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## Kitty827 (Sep 3, 2020)

It has long ear tufts like that if a lynx. It's some sort of wildcat.


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## Mosi (May 17, 2021)

I looked it up and apparently there are no confirmed hybrids between lynx and domestic cats, so it seems pretty unlikely to me. Not impossible, I suppose. 

I don't think that is a wild cat because there is no Russian wild cat that looks remotely like that. They have their own very distinctive looks and most are far too big to mate with a domestic cat. The pallas cats and Eurasian lynx are smaller, but their looks are so very distinctive that I think if a mix were possible (again, no record of such a thing any time) the result would look a lot more like one of them than this cat does. Also, the Eurasian lynx is approaching extinction, so clearly rare.

I think it is a cat and only a cat but it is a good looking one. Many domestic cats have tufts on their ears. 
But..........it is a very interesting cat and it's impossible to say fort sure what it is.


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## Tayne (10 mo ago)

Maybe a coincidence of battle scars? Cats sometimes get notches in their ears from fighting. Very beautiful cat, the colorpointing is very interesting, the whole head is like a tabby instead of just the face, but the body is cream without stripes, never seen one like that, but maybe its because of the colder climate.


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## Romegacatlover (Feb 26, 2021)

Wow! What a lovely / handsome cat! I bet that snow is cold on it’s feet!


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