Domestic Cat

Non-purebred cats

Domestic Cat Megan Photograph © Helmi Flick

Introduction

I am writing about my true favorite, the good old Moggy (Moggie) or non-purebred cat. The Moggie could also be called a "Mixed Breed" cat. A Moggie can technically it seems, be pedigreed, however (see below).

Although all the show cat breeds are also domestic cats, for the vast majority of us the non-purebred is the cat with which we are most familar.

The word Moggie can also mean a stray cat and a stray cat can be a pedigreed cat, although unlikely. So there is a bit of an overlap there.

The non-pedigreed or non-purebred (these terms are not the same - see below) domestic cat is my favorite because she the sort of cat that I have always lived with. This "breed" of cat is also the most commonly encountered cat worldwide, by far, obviously.

The non-pedigreed domestic cat has also the most chance of being the healthiest as the "gene pool" from which she stems is extremely wide (as wide as it is possible to be). A purebred cat needs to be bred with a cat of the same breed or breeds that are allowed by the registries. This results in a pure-bred cat but a narrow gene pool. However, in some feral colonies there may be inbreeding so it is not always the case that non-purebred cats are more healthy.

This potential conflict (purity of breed -v- health) is very much in the minds of breeders and associations and effectively dealt with though a balanced approach to breeding including some widening of the gene pool (out crossing) when required at an early stage in development of the breed. This would make the cat non-purebred for a while but still a pedigree cat, however (see below).

The word "Moggie" apparently derives from the word "Maggie" to describe old farmyard cows, which eventually was used in the cities to describe mangy feral cats and then domestic cats generally.

To an outsider there is a profusion of technical terms and some confusion about the meaning of the terms. There is an overlap in the use of the terms sometimes too.

Terminology

Purebred cat: a cat whose parents and grandparents are all of the same breed. There are then 3 generations in total of cats of the same breed. A purebred cat has to have the characteristics of a recognized breed.

Pedigree cat: 3 generations of this cat must be registered with a recognized cat registry such as the Cat Fanciers Association (USA) or the GCCF (UK). The parents or grandparents need not necessarily be cats of the same breed.

The difference between these 2 terms is all about registration of the cat. Registries have different views on what is a breed.

Moggy: Technically, a non-purebred cat or Moggy can be a pedigree cat on the above definition. The word pedigree meaning a recorded and registered history. In contrast, the ordinary domestic cat that we know has parents of, usually, unknown or mixed breed and there is usual no record. This cat is therefore neither purebred nor pedigree. But we love 'em the most.

In practice we think of purebred cats as pedigree cat as this will most often be the case (i.e. purebred cats are often registered). Likewise we think of non-purebred cats as non-pedigree cats, which is almost all the time the case.

Click here to see a big slide show of these superb mixed breed cats

The Moggy and Purebred - characteristics

The purebred cats have well defined appearances, while the Moggy, being of mixed decent hasn't. The purebred cat, particularly the top show cat, as illustrated by Helmi Flick on this website has an eye catching and highly attractive appearance. Not all pedigree or purebred cats are as amazing as some of the cats on this website though.

The Moggy being a mixed breed cannot have such a well defined appearance. This cat is usually a short haired (dominant gene) cat of various coat colors and has a standard body conformation.

As mentioned there is a greater prospect (minimised with careful and considerate breeding) for ill health with purebred cats due to the inherited health problems and narrow gene pool. The non-purebred domestic cat has hybrid vigor.

In short the purebred cat is more cosmetically attractive but the Moggy more durable.

Registries and Moggies

TICA: Non-pedigrees. Moggies are known as Household Pets in the Cat Fancy. They do not need to be registered by the TICA to be shown at a TICA show.

However, if you want to go on and win some rosettes in TICA shows, you should register with them and your Moggy will have to be "altered" (neutered or spayed). TICA say that Household Pets that have been altered are accepted for registration regardless of their appearance and parentage.

GCCF: This registry (the biggest in the UK), call all unregistered cats with one or more parents who are unegistered, Household Pets. This will nearly always mean Moggies, but of course could mean the purest of purebred cats that had a complete parentage history but who was simply unregistered.

Household Pets can be shown at all shows and without a guiding standard are judged on condition and temperament. They have there own class at the Supreme Show. The Moggies that you see at the Supreme Show are very special looking cats much like the ones you see on this page.

CFA: This registry (the biggest at Jan 2008) has a Houehold Pet Class. Moggies can be shown without registration and if older than 8 months must be altered. There is no CFA standard (as is the case for all purebred cats) but they are judged on the things that count in the show world, such as disposition, unusual markings and overall uniqueness.

Breeders

Of course there are none unless you factor in careless people who fail to neuter their cats.

You can pop down to the nearest rescue center and find the most beautiful moggy you saw and you will fall in love and spend a thousand precious and tender moments together over the long years ahead.

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