I don't Know What Breed Sunny Is

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I don't Know What Breed Sunny Is

by Megan
(florence oregan usa)

Sunny

My cat is sort of a faded orange/yellow. I think its an Egyptian Mau because he has sort of a pouch of fat in between his thighs and looks a lot like one. His mom was a Manx but I don't know who the dad is. Can you help?

Hi Megan: Thanks for asking. We get quite of lot of visitors who ask about their cats and whether they are a breed and if so what cat breed.

The vast majority of cats are not purebred cats and Sunny falls into this category. He looks like an orange tabby. If his mom was a Manx he won't be an Egyptian Mau.

People who keep purebred cats know it because the cat will have a recorded history of parentage (a pedigree) which proves it. Sometimes it might not be clear but it nearly always is.

I wrote this article on the subject: What Breed is My Cat?

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I don't Know What Breed Sunny Is

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Sep 19, 2009
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A special cat nevertheless
by: Finn Frode, Denmark

Hi Megan. One of the characteristics of an Egyptian Mau is it's spotted fur, which your cat does not have. As to the belly flap most cats will develop that if fed sufficiently (in the words of the cat) or too much (in the words of the vet). ;-)
So like the other commenters I too see a "common" domestic shorthair mixed breed. No need to be disappointed, because most cats actually are just that and many here will tell you of the fantastic domestic cats they have or have had. Also mixed breeds are generally healthier than special breeds because of less inbreeding.

I think all red tabbys look great and since you have come here to ask, I'm sure your cat is appreciated and loved too. A "common" type maybe, but nevertheless a "speciel" cat to you and your family. And that really is all that matters.

Sep 18, 2009
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Thanks
by: Michael

Lisa, thanks for your valuable input. We like the input of a cat breeder who knows.

Sep 18, 2009
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Sunny is a DSH
by: Lisa James

Hi there. Sunny is a handsome red tabby domestic short hair. Egyptian maus don't come in red factor at all. It's highly doubtful that his mother was a purebred Manx either. In 19 years of rescue, I've only had ONE that could be verified as a purebred Manx. The tailless gene is present & well in the domestic population, so don't let the lack of a tail make you automatically assume it's a breed. There are many other things that make up a purebred anything, & regardless of what you hear about "designer" animals, even breeding a pedigreed this to a pedigreed that of another breed doesn't give you a "purebred" animal. It gives you a crossbred animal in the first generation. Here's where it gets confusing. There are breeds which allow the use of other breeds as outcrosses for the gene pools to stay healthy. For example, the Havana Brown was in jeopardy as a breed because their breed numbers are SO small that all the cats are pretty highly related, which can cause pretty severe health issues, so the Breed Council petitioned for an outcross. Now they are allowed to use chestnut Oriental Shorthairs & chocolate point Siamese as outcrosses to improve their genetic diversity.

As a rule, people should not knowingly be breeding cats of unknown parentage, because it creates yet more unwanted kittens, especially when there are not enough homes to go around for these cats, & more are abandoned every day.

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Sep 18, 2009
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Submitted by: Lisa James

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Hi there. Sunny is a handsome red tabby domestic short hair. Egyptian maus don't come in red factor at all. It's highly doubtful that his mother was a purebred Manx either. In 19 years of rescue, I've only had ONE that could be verified as a purebred Manx. The tailless gene is present & well in the domestic population, so don't let the lack of a tail make you automatically assume it's a breed. There are many other things that make up a purebred anything, & regardless of what you hear about "designer" animals, even breeding a pedigreed this to a pedigreed that of another breed doesn't give you a "purebred" animal. It gives you a crossbred animal in the first generation. Here's where it gets confusing. There are breeds which allow the use of other breeds as outcrosses for the gene pools to stay healthy. For example, the Havana Brown was in jeopardy as a breed because their breed numbers are SO small that all the cats are pretty highly related, which can cause pretty severe health issues, so the Breed Council petitioned for an outcross. Now they are allowed to use chestnut Oriental Shorthairs & chocolate point Siamese as outcrosses to improve their genetic diversity. As a rule, people should not knowingly be breeding cats of unknown parentage, because it creates yet more unwanted kittens, especially when there are not enough homes to go around for these cats, & more are abandoned every day.

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Sep 18, 2009
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Sunny
by: Ruth aka Kattaddorra

I agree with Michael that Sunny is an orange tabby.He is absolutely gorgeous, what a lovely photo of him that is !

I've never had a pedigree cat in my life and don't know a great lot about various breeds as to me ALL cats are beautiful, even the ones they say 'only a mother could love'

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I don't Know What Breed Sunny Is

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