Domestic CatNon-purebred cats Domestic
Cat Megan
Photograph © Helmi Flick
Introduction I
am writing
about
my true favorite (probably), 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 familiar. 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).  Photo
of Kallie
© Helmi Flick
The word "Moggie" apparently derives from the word "Maggie" to describe old farmyard cows. This term came to be 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. This is a short video of some great looking mixed-breed cats. All the photographs are by and copyright, Helmi Flick. 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.  Photograph of Bonkers © Helmi Flick
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 variation in appearance of the the mixed breed domestic cat comes from the variation in coat color and pattern, the most common, of which, is the tabby coated cat (and tabby and white). Another frequently encountered coat is the tuxedo (black with a white spot on the chest). White spotting affects very many cat breeds none more so than the mixed breed cat. A discussion on the solid and white cat coat and many other coats can be seen on the subdomain to this site, ABOUT CATS AND CAT BREEDS (use the labels or the search facility) 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 (minimized 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. And lets not forget that cats can be sociable cats.  Photograph
of Olive
Oyl
© Helmi Flick
Your submissions
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 unregistered, 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 Household 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
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