What breed/breeds do these cats look like?

[darlenam8]

I just recently adopted 2 9month old cats from a shelter, and am trying to figure out what breed(s) they might be. The vet said she saw some Abyssinian in them, but wonder if there may be some Maine Coon because of their fuzzy tail and size (one weighs 9lbs and one 9 1/2)

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• darlenam8
• Nov 23, 2013

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• darlenam8
• Nov 23, 2013

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• darlenam8
• Nov 23, 2013

. Also they seem to adore water, and jump into the tub as soon as I step out, making me wonder if there is some Bengal.... I often wake to find one of them curled up in the bathroom sink

They have medium length hair but their tummies seem to have the longest hair....and they also both have a long black stripe down their spine that seems almost a different kind of fur than the rest. (The vet also said they have some of the softest fur she has ever felt, if that means anything.)

Any input would be appreciated for this first time cat owner, thanks!

 

[pushylady]

They are adorable! I love that face smooshing cuddle!
As to breeds, they won't officially be any particular breed without papers. You picked a couple of gorgeous kitties though. Are they littermates?

 

[darlenam8]

They are brothers, and they cuddle like that all the time. I was looking to get a younger kitty but these two stole my heart with their sweetness.

I have been doing a little research and I feel like perhaps they have some Somali in them, from all I have read of the Somali cat. Whatever breed/blends they are, they are wonderful kitties!

 

[StefanZ]

 
I have been doing a little research and I feel like perhaps they have some Somali in them, from all I have read of the Somali cat. Whatever breed/blends they are, they are wonderful kitties!

Yeah, and somali are essenially longhaired Abyssynians, so the vets guess was also in this direction.

Somalis are renown for their reddish fur, but there is too a variation of "natural colored"  or perhaps, "wild colored", Im not sure on the translation...

 

[maewkaew]

They are very striking cats,  their pattern is Brown Ticked  Tabby and White.  Abyssinians and Somalis (as Stefan said,  Somalis are basically longhaired Abys)   are also ticked tabbies.   but that doesn't mean the ticked tabby gene these guys have necessarily came from Abyssinians because ticked tabby is a naturally occurring type of tabby pattern seen all over the world.   It's just not as common as the striped (mackerel) tabbies

  They don't really have a strong look of  today's Abys or Somalis,  though the big ears is sort of like them. 

The dorsal stripe is something often seen in tabbies.  not as common in Abys but they are bred to have a more even coat.  they have 2 copies of the ticked tabby gene.   Your guys almost certainly have 1 copy each,  so they still have very strong stripes on their legs.

Their size is really not that unusual for a Domestic cat  9 months old.    It is larger than most Abys or Somalis.  and smaller than most Maine Coon males.

  I would start to keep on eye on their body condition now...  their growth is probably slowing down,  and you don't want them getting too chubby.  It's hard to tell from photos but the top one looks like he might be getting just a little heavy.    They should have a "waist"  after the ribs,  and  should not have a fat belly hanging down. (Some loose skin is normal, though.    There is a vet's site catinfo.org that has a lot of good information on nutrition.

Keep in mind that cats are not like dogs that are usually a specific breed or mix of breeds.   There has been much more dog breeding by humans over the centuries,  devleloping breeds of dogs for many different tasks.  But  the vast majority of cats have just bred randomly over many generations .   more like a wild species.    The pedigree cats of specific breeds are only about 3% of owned cats.  and most of those are neutered as kittens and not running around making mixes of breeds.  

 But the cat breeds originally CAME from the random-bred cats.  so it's not surprising there are sometimes some common features.   If  a cat does have a bit of pedigreed ancestry , it  is usually not possible to know for sure ,  although it can be fun to make some comparisons.   

FWIW I have a friend whose Aby loves to play in the water.   He seems to have a very water repellent coat.  a lot of oil in the top coat.

 ( but  I am sure people on here could tell about some  cats who have a thing for water but probably don't have any specific breeds in them.)