What kind of cat does Bruce resemble?

[cort981]

I rescued a sweet stray, Bruce, a few months ago. I brought him to the shelter and after no one claimed him I ended up adopting him. When I took him to the vet for all relevant exams/vaccinations/etc. , they told me he is ~3 years old and 14 lbs, but not overweight. He's just extremely long and quite muscular with large paws. His tail is very fluffy and long.

Temperament-wise, he follows me from room to room and is very affectionate. He's more vocal than any cat I've ever met and rather than meow, he chirps and trills. I double checked with the vet and they told me the vocalizations are likely just a part of his personality, as he's overall very healthy.

Obviously in terms of referring to his breed I understand the only proper label I can use is "domestic long hair". But out of curiosity, I'm wondering if anyone thinks there are any types of cat he takes after? Perhaps some Maine Coon/Siberian/Norwegian Forest Cat resemblance?

Thanks!

 

[jefferd18]

OMG- I love Bruce! Especially in that third photo where he looks so disgusted. He very well could have both those cats in his lineage but you would need a DNA test to know.

 

[sabian]

If I was going to pick a lookalike I would go with Siberian. He appears to have a shorter stockier body and more of an apple shaped head with smaller ears. Maine Coons have a longer body and tail, larger ears closer together and a chunkier muzzle. A NFC's body kind of falls in between a MC and Siberians body as far as length and how stocky it is. NFC's have a more triangular head shape also. All 3 as well as Ragdolls kind of look alike at a glance but all have subtle differences. I believe my Manny may possibly be a Siberian. He's a very good lookalike but still considered a DLH. A DNA test doesn't tell you for sure what your cat is but Manny's did come up Siberian as a top match. Here's a few pics of Manny. Top pic head shot he had been shaved and his mane wasn't grown out yet.

 

[cort981]

Manny is adorable! Thanks for pointing out some of those ways to spot the differences. Particularly, the head-shape was something I hadn't considered. I might look into one of the DNA kits. Even if they can't confirm breed, it would be interesting to see the top matches!

 

[sabian]

If you have the money I would recommend doing the DNA test. It's interesting if nothing else. I don't regret doing it. Here's a couple links that may be helpful. It's the CFA and TICA websites. There's a wealth of info there. Just remember that their standards are for show cats and a pet quality cat won't meet those standards.

Breeds – The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc (cfa.org)
Breed Standards (tica.org)

 

[StefanZ]

A very handsome cat! If he likes people and being handled (and you like to do some grooming) he should do OK in Shows, in their HouseHold Pet calss.

Re look alike? The easy part, NOT Norwegian.
He has the strong jaw of the Maine Coon, but I will put my money bet on the Siberian, if anybody will force me to choose.

Also, Siberians although known to be above average in size, are usually a visibly shade smaller than MCO.

 

[cort981]

Thanks so much for all the info!

 

[AnSDRfanhere]

I rescued a sweet stray, Bruce, a few months ago. I brought him to the shelter and after no one claimed him I ended up adopting him. When I took him to the vet for all relevant exams/vaccinations/etc. , they told me he is ~3 years old and 14 lbs, but not overweight. He's just extremely long and quite muscular with large paws. His tail is very fluffy and long.

Temperament-wise, he follows me from room to room and is very affectionate. He's more vocal than any cat I've ever met and rather than meow, he chirps and trills. I double checked with the vet and they told me the vocalizations are likely just a part of his personality, as he's overall very healthy.

Obviously in terms of referring to his breed I understand the only proper label I can use is "domestic long hair". But out of curiosity, I'm wondering if anyone thinks there are any types of cat he takes after? Perhaps some Maine Coon/Siberian/Norwegian Forest Cat resemblance?

Thanks!

I usually call them angora mix cats so he is an angora mix