What breeds of cat have you met?

Themadhouse

As a cat person I find that most of the general public have little or no knowledge on cat breeds. We can all look at a dog and name the breed but it doesnt happen with cats.
I had an interesting conversation with a customer who tried to convince me that "tabby" is a cat breed!

So what breeds of cat have you actually met and would you recongnise a breed if you saw it?

Pumpkinseeds

All of my encounters have been with moggies of undetermined parentage:D I'd recognise a fair few breeds. I'm not against responsible breeding, but I think a lot of people who buy pedigrees are unfamilliar with some of the more challenging needs of some breeds.

SillyMangoX

But don't you know, every long hair cat is a Persian!

I've met all the breeds that have been in the limerick and TICA shows

reallyrose

I notice cat breeds. I've always wanted a British Blue. I love the look of that plushy grey fur!

My cat is marked down as a British Shorthair. Just your standard black n white tuxedo cat. I'd love to know what other breeds are in him. He's very very talkative, he'd follow you around commenting on what you're doing. He also makes all kinds of different sounds, he trills and chirps and squeaks when he is birdwatching.
Apparently, British Shorthairs aren't all that talkative, they don't meow much.
I read up on cat breeds and siamese cats and persian cats both are quite vocal in that manner but those seem to be quite exotic to turn up in a wee mongrel kitty in Ireland!

Themadhouse

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

All of my encounters have been with moggies of undetermined parentage:D I'd recognise a fair few breeds. I'm not against responsible breeding, but I think a lot of people who buy pedigrees are unfamilliar with some of the more challenging needs of some breeds.

Oh I agree completely. I a lot of people dont research their breeds or breeders at all, like looking for a dog if you are going to do it make sure you do it right.

If you were so inclined to look for a ped kitten which breed would you look for?

Themadhouse

SillyMangoX wrote: »

But don't you know, every long hair cat is a Persian!

I've met all the breeds that have been in the limerick and TICA shows

annnndddd which was your favourite? Careful now...:D

ABajaninCork

I've lived with two Persians.

My SiL had a Burmese, who has now passed.

I also had a British Blue/Persian X who has also sadly passed. He looked like a Black British Blue. I'm on the lookout for a British Shorthair, but am in no hurry. I've had a couple of good tips from here.

And it's not true British Shorthairs don't meow much. Mine used to chat away to me!

Another friend of mine has a Birman. And yet another has two Bengals.

SillyMangoX

Themadhouse wrote: »

annnndddd which was your favourite? Careful now...:D

Ooh you can't do that to me now :P I still am torn between puddin and Fred cuddles!!!:P

Themadhouse

reallyrose wrote: »

I notice cat breeds. I've always wanted a British Blue. I love the look of that plushy grey fur!

My cat is marked down as a British Shorthair. Just your standard black n white tuxedo cat. I'd love to know what other breeds are in him. He's very very talkative, he'd follow you around commenting on what you're doing. He also makes all kinds of different sounds, he trills and chirps and squeaks when he is birdwatching.
Apparently, British Shorthairs aren't all that talkative, they don't meow much.
I read up on cat breeds and siamese cats and persian cats both are quite vocal in that manner but those seem to be quite exotic to turn up in a wee mongrel kitty in Ireland!

A British blue is impressive alright!
BSH were crossed with persian after ww2 due to them (BSH) being used as food. In order to bring the breed back they were crossed with persians.
Some british are chatty when they want something.

maringo

I had a beautiful seal point siamese cat who lived to be over twenty years. He was more like a dog, so affectionate and beautiful to look at too. He and my dog were great friends and cuddled up together but the cat was definitely the boss. Can't have a cat now as the dog I have chases them and would kill any small animal. He had a go at a hedgehog a while back and even the spikes didn't stop him trying to have a go. Had to be dragged off it. Would recomment a siamese as they are an extra special cat. Although everybody's cat is extra special to them

Themadhouse

ABajaninCork wrote: »

I've lived with two Persians.

My SiL had a Burmese, who has now passed.

I also had a British Blue/Persian X who has also sadly passed. He looked like a Black British Blue. I'm on the lookout for a British Shorthair, but am in no hurry. I've had a couple of good tips from here.

And it's not true British Shorthairs don't meow much. Mine used to chat away to me!

Another friend of mine has a Birman. And yet another has two Bengals.

Interesting mix! I love Burmese. Birmans are mostly docile lumps.
Bengals are stunning! But one would not slot well into this house at all! They are amazing looking cats.

ABajaninCork

Themadhouse wrote: »

Interesting mix! I love Burmese. Birmans are mostly docile lumps.

Bailey's most certainly that. My mate's kids (being only small at the time) used to torment the poor fella. All he'd do was to walk away.

Taz the Burmese was VERY talkative!

Themadhouse wrote: »

Bengals are stunning! But one would not slot well into this house at all! They are amazing looking cats.

Bengals are stunning, but prepare for them to wreck your house! Same with Maine Coons.

Themadhouse

maringo wrote: »

I had a beautiful seal point siamese cat who lived to be over twenty years. He was more like a dog, so affectionate and beautiful to look at too. He and my dog were great friends and cuddled up together but the cat was definitely the boss. Can't have a cat now as the dog I have chases them and would kill any small animal. He had a go at a hedgehog a while back and even the spikes didn't stop him trying to have a go. Had to be dragged off it. Would recomment a siamese as they are an extra special cat. Although everybody's cat is extra special to them

I wanted a Siamese but again I knew one wouldnt work well in my house so I got a Snowshoe instead. I love the traditional applehead (Thai) siamese.
They are so intelligent, scarely so!

Siamese and Persian seem to be the ones that most non cat people know from my chats with the general public.

Themadhouse

ABajaninCork wrote: »

Bailey's most certainly that. My mate's kids (being only small at the time) used to torment the poor fella. All he'd do was to walk away.

Taz the Burmese was VERY talkative!



Bengals are stunning, but prepare for them to wreck your house! Same with Maine Coons.

Yep Burms are chatty.
Really, Maine Coon housewrecker? You must know a defective one. My boy is the best cat in the house, well apart from the emptying of water dishes which was promptly solved by buying water fountains. lol

Themadhouse

SillyMangoX wrote: »

Ooh you can't do that to me now :P I still am torn between puddin and Fred cuddles!!!:P

lol. I love Puddin' cuddles too so I will forgive you if you go in that direction.

SillyMangoX

Well they both had their merits, puddin was warm and kissy, Fred was a huge lump of cuddly fluffiness! So they were both kind if extremes being a Sphynx and a Maine coon :P

Pumpkinseeds

Themadhouse wrote: »

Oh I agree completely. I a lot of people dont research their breeds or breeders at all, like looking for a dog if you are going to do it make sure you do it right.

If you were so inclined to look for a ped kitten which breed would you look for?

I think I'd be happier with moggy but if I had to choose a pedigree it would have to be Maine Coone or Norwegian forest cat.

anniehoo

Met 2 Maine coons recently and oh my god they were phenomenal looking. I literally stared at them for a few minutes first before i could pet them.Amazing looking animals and both had fantastic temperaments

A friend of mine has a Ragdoll and while she is a beautiful looking cat...lets just say she's lacking a few points on the IQ scale She cost €800 to buy and no amount of me talking them out of it worked. They adore her but give me an oul moggy out of a shelter anyday. Siameses are also beautiful, so vocal though and really make their presence known in a house.

Themadhouse

Pumpkinseeds wrote: »

I think I'd be happier with moggy but if I had to choose a pedigree it would have to be Maine Coone or Norwegian forest cat.

2 giant cats.
Both beautiful, both quite similar but different. A lot of people would find it hard to distinguish between the 2.
Having a Coon I would say get one of them. :-) lol

Themadhouse

SillyMangoX wrote: »

Well they both had their merits, puddin was warm and kissy, Fred was a huge lump of cuddly fluffiness! So they were both kind if extremes being a Sphynx and a Maine coon :P

The main difference being if a sphynx sits down on your seat there is still room for you, if a coon sits on your seat you are left with the floor! lol.
The fecker just stole my seat...

Pumpkinseeds

I've a very big tuxedo moggy and a small tabby moggy. I just couldn't persuade myself to buy a pedigree. I'd love a Bernese mountain dog at some point in the future but I know deep down that realistically I'd be choosing a collie x from a pound or shelter. I'd prefer when the time comes for a dog, to get a puppy. I know my cats wouldn't accept an adult dog.

Themadhouse

anniehoo wrote: »

Met 2 Maine coons recently and oh my god they were phenomenal looking. I literally stared at them for a few minutes first before i could pet them.Amazing looking animals and both had fantastic temperaments

A friend of mine has a Ragdoll and while she is a beautiful looking cat...lets just say she's lacking a few points on the IQ scale She cost €800 to buy and no amount of me talking them out of it worked. They adore her but give me an oul moggy out of a shelter anyday. Siameses are also beautiful, so vocal though and really make their presence known in a house.

Coons stop you in your tracks when you meet them first. They are amazing cats.
Ragdolls are very cute, very docile and quiet. Quiet large too.

Rommie

Themadhouse wrote: »

Yep Burms are chatty.
Really, Maine Coon housewrecker? You must know a defective one. My boy is the best cat in the house, well apart from the emptying of water dishes which was promptly solved by buying water fountains. lol

Yes, maine coons are housewreckers! One of mine threw a cup at me one day!

Well, the cup was on the table next to where I was sitting and he decided to knock it off on top of me, jerk. I've got two coons, had a somali (long story with a depressing end ) have had persians and two ragdoll mix kittens (these were fosters who were found in a garden, they were longhaired with seal point markings and blue eyes so guessing daddy was a pedigree who was allowed roam). I'd love a bengal or a BSH but after losing my somali boy I don't think I could get another purebred.

anniehoo

Themadhouse any pics of your MC?

Lawrence1895

My older Tom (almost 3 years) is a British Shorthair (fawn/white/ginger Tabby) for sure. Not sure though about the younger one (black/white Tuxedo), could be an American Shorthair, since his parents were quite large in size, but he is not even a year old.

Themadhouse

Himself.

buckfast69

We had a cat a few years back called oscar. He wasnt a persian but he had long hair. I was looking up breeds online and based on how he looked and some of his charteristics i concluded he was a norweigan forest cat. Im not 100% sure but ill see if i can find some pics of him at home and throw them up here, and maybe someone can confirm it for me. Oscar was the only cat we've had over the years who wasnt either a moggie or a tuxedo cat.

PS when we found him he was rooting some bins and covered in rubbish, so we name him oscar after oscar the grouch in sesame street :-)

Ambersky

I have an Asian chocolate ticked tabby cat myself.
A friend of mine has his brother so we are able to mind one anothers cats whenever we need to go away. Ive been a dog lover all my life but have to say really love my kitty now. Cats are different than dogs in lots of ways. My cat is just as affectionate as a dog but he doesnt jump up on everyone who comes into the house. Hes reserves his affection for me of course and people who have a bit of cat manners, and who take a little bit of time to get to know him..... Then he is all over them. He is very playful almost kittenish and will tap a ball over and back to me when he wants to play, hes gentle and chatty and just wants to be involved in everything. His coat is velvety soft a real lap cat.
His brother from the same litter is a bit different, has a very loud voice and makes sounds I never knew a cat could make, he roars really loud. He is also one of those intelligent door opening kinds of cats. One day I saw him watching me locking the door to the room with the cat food and later I heard a noise and he had turned the key and opened the locked door himself. He is more of a one person cat and reserves all his enormous affection for his owner, will hardly look at anyone else.

My boy the little tiger.



Saw this ad on adverts.ie of these two lovely brother and sister Maine Coon cats looking to be rehomed together. Maybe someone could provide them with a loving home.
<snip> no linking to advertising sites thanks

Ri_Nollaig

God that cat is gorgeous....

I would love to take those maine coons
But already have a very demanding "man" of the house. He is a black/white tuxedo cat and like every other cat I have had he found "us" by just turning up one night as a malnourished kitten about 11 years ago.

The Sweeper

What've I met, lemme see... Am going to list these alphabetically so I don't leave any out.

Abyssinian
Australian Mist
Bengal
Birman
Burmese
British Shorthair
Cornish Rex
Devon Rex
Maine Coon
Norwegian Forest Cat
Persian
Ragdoll
Russian Blue
Scottish Fold
Siamese
Tonkinese
Turkish Van

...and of course a broad and stunning variety of shapes and sizes of that marvellous cat, the Domestic Short Hair. (And no small number of Domestic Long Hairs either.)

Not all of these were in marvellous circumstances unfortunately. The Turkish Vans, for instance, were out of a mass rescue from a BYB household where she was the breeder, the couple split up and she left and left him with the cats. He didn't know what to do with them. By the time they were rescued they were half starved. The BSHs were from an elderly woman whose retirement village wouldn't let her keep two cats (only one) and she hadn't the heart to split them up - so they both came into no-kill rescue to be rehomed as a pair.

The Russian Blue was a neglected cat that an old neighbour decided to misappropriate, after pretending it had been killed on the road. It got a new family, neutered, wormed, vaccinated, care and attention and so on - and my god it absolutely farkin hated me. Maybe I smelled like too many other cats? Not sure. Bloody thing bit me every time it got a chance. It loved blokes, disliked women, and hated me.

The Norwegian Forest Cat was a grand old lady who was the heart-cat of the woman who ran the rescue. That was a BIG cat.

Both of the Rex varieties were owned by a breeder. I do think they look like wee gremlins, but they have marvellous personalities.

If I were to go out tomorrow and buy myself a pedigree cat, it'd be a blue Abyssinian. I think the most beautiful cat I've ever seen in my life was a blue Abyssinian. You know when you see a picture of a pet and something in you just resonates? I saw pics, then met one, and now I'm just besotted.

/edited to add, reckon one of the reasons I love 'blue' cats is that I, too, have a ticked tabby - except mine is an unfortunate mongrel. This is a previously-shared picture of Sasquatch, who's a blue Burmese crossed with a random DSH tom. He's also a rescue out of a BYB whose son reported his antics and caused the local ranger to confiscate his cats.

Themadhouse

Ambersky wrote: »

I have an Asian chocolate ticked tabby cat myself.
A friend of mine has his brother so we are able to mind one anothers cats whenever we need to go away. Ive been a dog lover all my life but have to say really love my kitty now. Cats are different than dogs in lots of ways. My cat is just as affectionate as a dog but he doesnt jump up on everyone who comes into the house. Hes reserves his affection for me of course and people who have a bit of cat manners, and who take a little bit of time to get to know him..... Then he is all over them. He is very playful almost kittenish and will tap a ball over and back to me when he wants to play, hes gentle and chatty and just wants to be involved in everything. His coat is velvety soft a real lap cat.
His brother from the same litter is a bit different, has a very loud voice and makes sounds I never knew a cat could make, he roars really loud. He is also one of those intelligent door opening kinds of cats. One day I saw him watching me locking the door to the room with the cat food and later I heard a noise and he had turned the key and opened the locked door himself. He is more of a one person cat and reserves all his enormous affection for his owner, will hardly look at anyone else.

My boy the little tiger.



Saw this ad on adverts.ie of these two lovely brother and sister Maine Coon cats looking to be rehomed together. Maybe someone could provide them with a loving home.
<snip> no linking to advertising sites thanks

Lol, Tiger is gorgeous! From my experience with Asians is that they are stunning looking with huge round eyes. They dont like to be moved or made to do anything they dont want to do. They seem to be very 1 person orientated and dont like random people picking them up.