What breed mix is my cat?

[realrockstar]

Hi all,

I'm trying to find out what breeds my cat resembles those most. When I got him I was told he was a Turkish Angora Main Coon mix. My vet put down Turkish Van on his record. He was a very special cat, and I'm just trying to find out more about his background. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

 

[lutece]

What a gorgeous cat! He really has a soulful expression in these pictures. I would describe your cat as a red mackerel tabby and white (or possibly red ticked tabby and white) domestic longhair.

Most cats are not any particular breed or a mix of breeds, but that doesn't make them any less special. Domestic longhairs can be just as wonderful and special as any breed.

I'm not seeing a strong resemblance to any of the breeds you mentioned, other than the fact that he has long hair... was there a reason that they originally described him as a Turkish Angora / Maine Coon mix? Were they guessing based on his looks, or based on how his parents looked? Did they know something about his ancestry?

The Turkish Van breed has different markings from your cat. That breed is mostly white, with colored markings on the head and tail. I'm not sure why your vet thought that was a good description for him, but vets don't have any special training in cat breed identification, so they sometimes make odd guesses.

 

[StefanZ]

Markings are often difficult to see on longhairs. But I think he is ticked tabby. No visible markings on backside nor sides, right?

 

[realrockstar]

What a gorgeous cat! He really has a soulful expression in these pictures. I would describe your cat as a red mackerel tabby and white (or possibly red ticked tabby and white) domestic longhair.

Most cats are not any particular breed or a mix of breeds, but that doesn't make them any less special. Domestic longhairs can be just as wonderful and special as any breed.

I'm not seeing a strong resemblance to any of the breeds you mentioned, other than the fact that he has long hair... was there a reason that they originally described him as a Turkish Angora / Maine Coon mix? Were they guessing based on his looks, or based on how his parents looked? Did they know something about his ancestry?

The Turkish Van breed has different markings from your cat. That breed is mostly white, with colored markings on the head and tail. I'm not sure why your vet thought that was a good description for him, but vets don't have any special training in cat breed identification, so they sometimes make odd guesses.

Thank you.

It seems liked they knew something about his ancestry. Attached is a picture of his mom that was shared before I got him.

 

[lutece]

I would describe his mom as a red tabby domestic longhair; it's not easy to see her pattern so she may have been either mackerel, or ticked tabby. She's a lovely cat, too!

 

[realrockstar]

Markings are often difficult to see on longhairs. But I think he is ticked tabby. No visible markings on backside nor sides, right?

Right. The only noticeable markings are along his shoulders and legs.

He was a big cat. Long and weighed about 18 lbs. His fluffy hair made him look even bigger.

 

[lutece]

Tabby markings can be difficult to see on longhairs, especially with red cats where there is not as much contrast between the stripes and ground color. However, in this picture where his coat is smoothed down, you can see the mackerel tabby stripes on the hindquarters, body, shoulders, and back of his head.