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Am I Tiger Tabby Or Bengal?
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He might be a Bengal x DSH (perhaps with a grandparent as a Bengal). Toyger cats were originally bred as Bengal x DSH, which gave them their stripes, and they look fairly similar to Rigby). What I find interesting is that he seems to have shiny fur, which is a characteristic of the Bengal. He also seems to have a long body, and muscular build, which also points to some Bengal ancestry. Despite *possibly* having some Bengal ancestry, he would still be a Domestic Shorthair, a brown mackeral tabby Domestic Shorthair to be exact. Tabby is a coat coloration (like tortie, calico), and not a breed, but you're right that he does have "tiger tabby" markings (technically referred to as mackeral tabby in the cat fancy, because the stripes are said to resemble the bones of a fish!).
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The flash from the camera actually made him look brown. He is actually grey and black with smudges of brown. He and Sparta have no blood relation but seeing how they were brought up together we say they are brothers.
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Yes, he certainly has a unique, more chestnut brown color, that combined with his shining, plush, fur, really makes him look like there might be some Bengal in his ancestry, it might be a few generations back, but it's possible!
Is My Cat A Bengal? | Bengal Cats – Bengals Illustrated
This is a bit more descriptive and something I researched as my babies got older. Especially the one just does not seem like any cat, house, tame or feral I've encountered. If mine are part Bengal it's far in the background. Which suits me fine. Bengals are not just appearance it's behaviors that may surface.
This is a bit more descriptive and something I researched as my babies got older. Especially the one just does not seem like any cat, house, tame or feral I've encountered. If mine are part Bengal it's far in the background. Which suits me fine. Bengals are not just appearance it's behaviors that may surface.
Lots of cats have the primordial pouch.
True, but when in combination of shorter front legs, green eyes, spots and pointed ears, it usually indicates a Mau influence.
I am not saying this cat is mau, that's why I asked those questions.
I doubt any of us short of going to a rescue are going to get a purebred cat of any breed. I wasn't aware of how many breeds of cats there were until a few years ago. I can see something lurking in my Tabbinese Tigers and Mercy is most likely mostly Dollface Persian although who knows what's slinking around in her born feral background.
I have had a lot of people say and seen postings that you aren't going to find these more exotic breeds in your cats gene pool but there seems to plenty of incidental evidence to support the idea. I've known several people who had Bengals and it was less than a pleasant experience for them. I can see them being dumped and sadly with low end breeders allowed out of the cattery intact.
I absolutely agree. Without papers the best you can hope for is a domestic with (insert breed here) influence. I once knew a bengal breeder and personally, they are too much work. I could never imagine a purebred being dumped or let out to roam. But, a half or quarter bred, these could easily be left outside.
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Occasionally cats with purebred influence do show up in shelters... the easiest way this can happen is if a whole male escapes from a cattery. Even if he's just gone for five minutes, that could be enough time to mate with a feral female, and then pass their genes on into the feral population. Some do end up in shelters because of behavioral issues (I've heard of this happening especially with wild hybrids). A friend of mine rescued a Norwegian Forest Cat who had been dropped at the shelter after he began urinating inappropriately after he was declawed (this is a very common occurrence with declawed cats). So, sometimes it does happen that a purebred (or cat with purebred parents, grandparents, etc) can end up in shelters, it's not common though.
I've learned to never underestimate what humans will do with their animals. On one of the cat pages I follow a Savannah Cat had escaped, it was noted the cat was declawed. Which shows the cat was probably in the wrong hands to begin with. When it comes to animals there is always someone looking to make a quick buck or equally unscrupulous people who assume any cat dumped outside can fend for itself.
