We adopted our kitty from a lady that said his mother was a Himalayan.. she lived outside in a rural area. She guessed he was born around the middle of October 2017. He has always been pretty big for his age. He is 6 pounds now, super long, and can jump very high. Some other things I have noticed are a spotted belly (can’t tell if they are broken up stripes), big back feet, big paws, and black paw pads. He also loves water, he will always try to get in the shower with us lol. We are trying to figure out if he is part Bengal, because he doesn’t look like a Himalayan to us. Wondering if he was a stray that happened to show up in the previous owner’s barn around the time the mother had her litter. Because he seems huge to us!! Just curious.
Spots on the belly is none proof for being spotted nor bengal. Many tabbies do sport them. Its good photos from aside and the back whom are post important, and the face and head of course.
BUT. Looking at that good pic from aside, at first glance he is a butter and bread broken mackerel tabby. Even if black and silver. But on his shoulder, the stripes are quite a fancy!
So he isnt no butter and bread broken mackerel tabby.
Next question: are there mackerel bengals? yes, as I understand it, there are, if my memory is correct. Not very comon, but googling long enough you will see examples on breeders....
Also your witnessing and your hypothesis which is possible. Esp if that himalayan was a barn cat...
So, its peculiar, but I cant rule out he is a natural son or at least a grandson, of such a mackerel bengal.
Why, he could even be a natural son / grandson to a marbled bengal - as long as the other significant is a mackerel tabby.
Because mackerel dominates marbled. Yet the influence of marbled can possibly give some extra swiwrls(?) in the stripes.
Anyway, whomever he is in his background, he is apparently a very very nice example of the cat specie!
Ahhh.. I wish I knew who his dad was! I’m trying to get a picture of the mother. The weird thing is that I guess the mom cat killed all of the other kittens she had, but kept him. I didn’t get to see what they looked like :/ just wish I knew what breed he was. Everyone keeps asking me if he is part Bengal and I don’t know what to tell them lol
OK, so momma is a pointed old siamese look alike. Perhaps even a mediumhaired balinese.
The word himalayan is usually used for pointed persians, but some DO use it as a synonyme for pointed cats.
Momma is a blue point in colors, and possibly also mackerel. Its not clear from this photo if she is tabby "lynx", but possibly so. Her hairs are somewhat long, she seems somewhat wet too, possibly she is shaded. All factors making it more difficult to see clearly if she is a tabby too.
So it its the father whom had the bengal ancestry, if there is one.
But if mommas balinese or siamese ancestry is recent (may be so!), this can too explain why he is lively and intelligent...