Is my Bacon a dog?!

[i heart bacon]

LOL! But seriously, does she think she's a dog!? I used to think she might be part Maine Coon. But the vet tech told me to research Siberian as Bacon was a 'cool cat' and she looked and acted like a Siberian.

BACKGROUND:

My Bacon is way too cool to be a typical cat! And the bigger and fluffier her tail got, the more convinced I was that she was a Maine Coon! And the needier and more affectionate she got, I was convinced she was at least part Maine Coon. She soon developed this goofy personality which I never really thought of unusual until my friends started picking them out as they are typically non-cat qualities: Like greeting me at the door, fetching, eating with her large paws, head budding, rolling on back for belly rubs, drinking from the toilet, playing in toilet bowl, following me everywhere, getting in boxes and bags, etc. She would also run at full speed and jump on chairs so they would glide! Hang upside down on the stair case. Hide behind doors or objects to 'surprise' me. Just toooooo coooool! Non-cat people love her!! Most dog people want me to breed her because she's a close 2nd, and the winning choice because she doesn't need to be walked! As most cat owners know, dog owners hardly give us credit for our kitties and their antics!

I took her to the vet a couple weeks ago after she started acting... well... like a cat! Didn't respond to me calling her. Very distant. Didn't want to cuddle. Didn't greet me at the door. Wasn't running around like a mad-kitty. The vet looked at me like I was CRAZY. Bacon is crazy affectionate and playful. The symptoms were completely out of character for her. Vet didn't find anything physically wrong with her, but could tell that she was really attached to me, and was probably upset because of recent home changes. When I googled Bacon, the images looked just like her!

Whether she is or isn't a Siberian or even Maine Coon mix, she's still the coolest cat ever! I love that she proves everyone wrong and that makes even those who are allergic to her LOVE HER TO BITS! I lucked out .

What do you think? See pictures in profile! Not sure how to upload images!

 

[i heart bacon]

Ok, got it! She's such a weirdo!!!

photo 5.JPG

• i heart bacon
• Feb 6, 2013

photo 1.JPG

• i heart bacon
• Feb 6, 2013

photo 2.JPG

• i heart bacon
• Feb 6, 2013

photo 3.JPG

• i heart bacon
• Feb 6, 2013

 

[Willowy]

Some cats are super friendly and have big personalities. Let's not insult them by comparing them to dogs! She's adorable. Siberians are REALLY rare in the U.S., I doubt she has any in her. She may have some of the same ancestors as Maine Coons, but likely has no pedigree heritage. It's not really a breed thing; more of an individual personality thing.

You said your friends want you to breed her. . .does that mean she's not spayed? Her personality change may be hormonal--it's that time of year. I hope you'll have her spayed soon; her health is at risk the more often she goes into heat (the main threats being pyometra and mammary gland cancer). Just because a cat is awesome doesn't mean her kittens will be like her, and there are far too many homeless kittens in the world as it is, you wouldn't want to take homes away from so many awesome little kitties .

 

[i heart bacon]

Hey Willowy! This little bundle of joy has no pedigree and I adopted her because she had a cold! She was sneezing! Way too cute. I attempted to leave Petsmart with one orangey cat (Eggs), but grabbed Bacon on the way out! Who could walk away from a tiny sneezing cat?! I've never met any animal like her! Which is why I would love to breed her so everyone can have some Bacon in their lives . But she is fixed. And like you said, there are no guarantees that her litter would be as awesome as her!! Or fluffy with a big tail!!! I was just very surprised to read everything I told the vet tech about my kitty listed under the Siberian cat!! They seem too rare for Bacon to be one, but she looks just like one!!!
 

Whether she's a Maine Coon or Siberian doppleganger, she's definitely a bit more than a cat to me!! As long as she keeps acting like her weirdo self, I'm happy!! I wonder how many other corky cats there are out there!! Did I mention that she drools?! LOL!

 

[StefanZ]

The vet mentioned Sibirian prob because they are supposed to behave partly like dogs, thus being  dog alike in their cat fur.  

Congrats to your find!   Or your both find, I supposed she did choosed you, and you couldnt resist.

Good luck!

 

[orientalslave]

And most vets know very little, if anything, about pedigree cats.  There are a few who are involved in the breeding and/or show worlds but they are few and far between.

 

[faecat13]

So let me tell you about my kitty and you wont think yours is so unsual, but I will agree that these charistics are different...

My 16mo kitten will greet me at the door, play fetch with me weather I am awake or asleep (yes I have woken up to many kitty toys around me), demand to sit on my shoulder while I am in the kitchen,plays in the toilet, spies on the neighbors, goes on walks with a leash, plays in boxes or rather her two story cardboard kitty house, eats everything that I eat (have to be careful if I leave food on the table), and plays in the bathtub. I really cant wait to see what sort of cat she turns into. 

But as far as your cats behavior, it is common for them to get P.O'ed at you for moving her to a new house or changing your work rotine. Just be patient.

 

[callista]

Hehe, yeah, the Maine Coon is a natural breed--it was developed from random-bred, big floofy cats in the US. If you have a big floofy cat and you live in that area, I'd be willing to bet that it is a distant cousin to the Maine Coon's ancestors. I bet the people who started the Maine Coon breed were looking at cats a lot like your Bacon, thinking, "It would be wonderful if we could get those characteristics to breed true!" But starting a breed is a lot of work and there are absolutely no guarantees that you would ever get it established; so with the cat overpopulation problem, I guess it's a good thing that she's been spayed. The people I have read about, who actually created a cat breed, were usually experts in cat breeding already, and their cat breed had a truly unique look. Nowadays, new breeds tend to come from mutations or from crosses of existing breeds.

As for whether your cat is a dog--no, I believe your cat is a cat, and a gorgeous one at that! Who says dogs get to have all the fun with fetching and leash-walking and greeting you at the door?

 

[aharris]

Your Bacon sounds like a marvelous cat!

And don't let anyone convince you that cats don't do those things because cats can and do. I've had cats who fetch, cats who love belly rubs (that's really the highest sign of affection and trust because the belly is the most vulnerable area the cat can give you access to), cats who drink out of the toilet, cats who love any manner of box or bag and my husband had one of our cats who was so devoted to him that I could always tell when he was about to come through the door because Fritz could hear the car coming from several blocks away and would instantly take up a post at the door, ready to try climbing my husband's leg in ecstatic greeting.

Those people who tell you that only dogs do those things just don't know cats very well. It's that variety of personality that makes cats so much fun.

And give her time, when she gets over the move, I'm sure she'll be back to her own friendly self.