I have just taken these cats in to my home but their previous owner wasn't sure of their breed. Can anyone help me with what breed they might be? Thank you, Samantha x
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Can anybody help me try determine what breed my cats may be?
- Thread starter samantha90
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I have just taken these cats in to my home but their previous owner wasn't sure of their breed. Can anyone help me with what breed they might be? Thank you, Samantha x
I only see one cat -- a gorgeous Red Mackerel Tabby and White . Without knowing anything about ancestry the cat would be called Domestic Longhair. but you could call him a Maine Coon lookalike. (more so than many who get compared to Maine Coons on here . At least from this one photo he looks quite a bit like some young Maine Coons )
I don't mean he is a pedigree Maine Coon It would not be very common for someone to have one and not know it, and less likely if outside the USA. Keep in mind that the vast majority of cats are not any breed and they're not usually "mixed breeds" like "mutt" dogs. There has been much less cat breeding than dog breeding. Most cats have just reproduced by random breeding, not in selective breeding programs controlled by humans.
But also many of the cat breeds initially started as cats in a certain area who by random breeding and natural selection, developed their own sort of look. then later people started breeding them. Maine Coons are one of those breeds. So it's not unusual that other cats may turn out to have some similar features even if not related.
Anyway this is a beautiful cat! Welcome to TCS!
I don't mean he is a pedigree Maine Coon It would not be very common for someone to have one and not know it, and less likely if outside the USA. Keep in mind that the vast majority of cats are not any breed and they're not usually "mixed breeds" like "mutt" dogs. There has been much less cat breeding than dog breeding. Most cats have just reproduced by random breeding, not in selective breeding programs controlled by humans.
But also many of the cat breeds initially started as cats in a certain area who by random breeding and natural selection, developed their own sort of look. then later people started breeding them. Maine Coons are one of those breeds. So it's not unusual that other cats may turn out to have some similar features even if not related.
Anyway this is a beautiful cat! Welcome to TCS!
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Thank you for your opinion on the cats. I don't think one of the pictures went on for some reason
This second cat looks less like a breed. The red one really does look Maine Coon-like.
I suppose some might compare the 2nd to a Turkish Van because of the coat pattern being mostly white with color on head and tail ( but he's got an extra spot on the body too ) but he (? looks like a boy to me but apologies i f it's a female.) does remind me of something... Hmmm. Looks a BIT like some Manx or Cymric. Obviously he has a normal tail. but so do some of them. Anyway I am not suggesting he is that breed. I think this is probably a random-bred "moggy". j Just something about the the face.
http://www.cfa.org/Breeds/BreedsKthruR/Manx.aspx
So sort of like somewhere between a Cymric and a Turkish Van but probably actually neither - just his own unique self.
I suppose some might compare the 2nd to a Turkish Van because of the coat pattern being mostly white with color on head and tail ( but he's got an extra spot on the body too ) but he (? looks like a boy to me but apologies i f it's a female.) does remind me of something... Hmmm. Looks a BIT like some Manx or Cymric. Obviously he has a normal tail. but so do some of them. Anyway I am not suggesting he is that breed. I think this is probably a random-bred "moggy". j Just something about the the face.
http://www.cfa.org/Breeds/BreedsKthruR/Manx.aspx
So sort of like somewhere between a Cymric and a Turkish Van but probably actually neither - just his own unique self.
There's also the possibility of a Norwegian Forest Cat- I think they were ancestors to the Maine Coon. Here's a google search for one 
But they come in all colors, so don't pay attention to that. I think some trademarks are very social with people and other pets, natural athletes, sturdy type, tufted ears, heavily furred between the toes, amber/gold eyes. Sound anything like your baby? (I'm not a cat fancier, but someone I know who breeds bobtails told me one of mine resembled them too, so I just googled that kind haha) But this type isn't done growing for up to 5 years. My guy (if he IS similar to a true NFC) is holding form and is slight for a 1.5 year old cat, and seems to still be growing. Also their fur is downy, with not a lot of the top coat layer. Good luck!!
But they come in all colors, so don't pay attention to that. I think some trademarks are very social with people and other pets, natural athletes, sturdy type, tufted ears, heavily furred between the toes, amber/gold eyes. Sound anything like your baby? (I'm not a cat fancier, but someone I know who breeds bobtails told me one of mine resembled them too, so I just googled that kind haha) But this type isn't done growing for up to 5 years. My guy (if he IS similar to a true NFC) is holding form and is slight for a 1.5 year old cat, and seems to still be growing. Also their fur is downy, with not a lot of the top coat layer. Good luck!!
Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest Cats developed in different parts of the world, both from native cats but not related specifically to each other.There's also the possibility of a Norwegian Forest Cat- I think they were ancestors to the Maine Coon. Here's a google search for one
Is the picture you posted your cat? Or did you post it as an example of a Norwegian Forest Cat?
Samantha90, it looks like you're in England. I don't know how popular Maine Coons are there, but I would think it's more likely that your red tabby might be related to the Norwegian Forest Cat than to the Maine Coon.
I think both breeds are fairly popular in the UK. but Maine Coon has the 4th most registrations in the GCCF, while Norwegian Forest Cat is 10th. MC had 4 times as many registrations as NFC. so if we're considering whether the cat might be related to pedigreed cats, MC is more common.
but if we're talking random-bred cats being distantly related to the foundation cats of the breeds, then it could make more sense that NFC would be closer due to proximity. There were Viking settlements in the UK in the middle ages. of course any cats brought over then would be at most very very distant relatives of the cats in Norway who were the foundation of the pedigreed NFCs in the 20th century.
I myself think the head looks more like MC. but it's hard to know too much from one angle of the cat in a rather small photo. And the reality is, if the former owners didn't know the breed usually that's because it's not any particular breed. but a cat who may resemble a breed.
MCs being descended from NFCs is one of the romantic stories of their origin -- that they descend from NFCs who came to North America with the Vikings! Another story is that some of the ancestors of Maine Coons were Angoras owned by Marie Antroinette. Of course the wildest story that they're part raccoon! which is not only improbable, but totally impossible.
but if we're talking random-bred cats being distantly related to the foundation cats of the breeds, then it could make more sense that NFC would be closer due to proximity. There were Viking settlements in the UK in the middle ages. of course any cats brought over then would be at most very very distant relatives of the cats in Norway who were the foundation of the pedigreed NFCs in the 20th century.
I myself think the head looks more like MC. but it's hard to know too much from one angle of the cat in a rather small photo. And the reality is, if the former owners didn't know the breed usually that's because it's not any particular breed. but a cat who may resemble a breed.
MCs being descended from NFCs is one of the romantic stories of their origin -- that they descend from NFCs who came to North America with the Vikings! Another story is that some of the ancestors of Maine Coons were Angoras owned by Marie Antroinette. Of course the wildest story that they're part raccoon! which is not only improbable, but totally impossible.
whoops I must have been misinformed then My bad! And this is a google search of a norwegian forest cat. I just call mine DLH since he's not certified anything haha it's just fun to speculate
My bad! And this is a google search of a norwegian forest cat. I just call mine DLH since he's not certified anything haha it's just fun to speculate
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I meant Samantha's cat has a head that to me looks closer to Maine Coon than NFC.
whoops I must have been misinformed then
Basically both those breeds and the Siberian all 3 developed separately in harsh Northern climates. Siberia / northern Russia , and then at some point people started to breed them to preserve them, and to accentuate certain features. But there are also cats from elsewhere who developed similar features to one or more of them.
