What type of cat is this?
August 8, 2008 12:24 PM Subscribe
Just got a kitten. Can someone tell me what breed she is?
I heard somewhere that cats of this color, orange females with red stripes, are rare and typically exhibit similar personality traits. Anyone have more info on what that means and possibly what I can expect from this breed?
I heard somewhere that cats of this color, orange females with red stripes, are rare and typically exhibit similar personality traits. Anyone have more info on what that means and possibly what I can expect from this breed?
I had a female that color about ten years ago. Best cat I've ever had, such a cool personality. Died young, unfortunately, as seems to have been the case with others I've known.
posted by hfbellefille at 12:37 PM on August 8, 2008
posted by hfbellefille at 12:37 PM on August 8, 2008
She's pretty!
I'd call her an American short hair with tabby markings. Or I'd call her a cat mutt. Depending on where you got her, she's probably the result of indiscriminate, uncontrolled breeding for generations back. I don't mean that in a bad way, but for most house cats, breeding isn't controlled like it is for dogs. If she was a Rex, and Bengal, or a Siamese, there might be some traits to mention but not for housecattus miscellaneous.
Quick Internet research indicates that orange tabby females are not really rare - they make up 20-25% of orange tabbies overall.
As for similar personality traits or what you can expect from this breed - every cat is crazy. And each of them is crazy in their own way.
posted by Squeak Attack at 12:51 PM on August 8, 2008
I'd call her an American short hair with tabby markings. Or I'd call her a cat mutt. Depending on where you got her, she's probably the result of indiscriminate, uncontrolled breeding for generations back. I don't mean that in a bad way, but for most house cats, breeding isn't controlled like it is for dogs. If she was a Rex, and Bengal, or a Siamese, there might be some traits to mention but not for housecattus miscellaneous.
Quick Internet research indicates that orange tabby females are not really rare - they make up 20-25% of orange tabbies overall.
As for similar personality traits or what you can expect from this breed - every cat is crazy. And each of them is crazy in their own way.
posted by Squeak Attack at 12:51 PM on August 8, 2008
Friends have an identical cat; which I'm told is a Ginger Tabby Cat.
Their cat is female also, and she's coincidentally named "Ginger". (This was before they did the internet research and found out her breed).
FWIW, this cat is the only cat I've ever liked. She's very "dog-like" (or so I'm told - I've never owned a cat). She loves being with people and has to be in the same room where the action is; loves to wrestle, runs into the kitchen whenever she hears the fridge open, and she'll notify her owner when she hears someone coming up the drive.
posted by xena at 1:19 PM on August 8, 2008
Their cat is female also, and she's coincidentally named "Ginger". (This was before they did the internet research and found out her breed).
FWIW, this cat is the only cat I've ever liked. She's very "dog-like" (or so I'm told - I've never owned a cat). She loves being with people and has to be in the same room where the action is; loves to wrestle, runs into the kitchen whenever she hears the fridge open, and she'll notify her owner when she hears someone coming up the drive.
posted by xena at 1:19 PM on August 8, 2008
Looks like a beautiful ginger tabby to me, as the others have said. No particular breed, just a moggie. The best type, if you ask me ;-)
posted by different at 1:29 PM on August 8, 2008
posted by different at 1:29 PM on August 8, 2008
Our late, great Sparky had similar markings, although he was male. Despite his unusually large eyes and pointy ears (sort of made him look like he had Lynx in his heritage), the vet classified him as Domestic Short Hair. Our family has had many cats since that time, but Sparky was (and still remains) in a class of his own, as far as personality and intelligence goes. Hopefully your kitty will do the same.
posted by Oriole Adams at 1:37 PM on August 8, 2008
posted by Oriole Adams at 1:37 PM on August 8, 2008
Congratulations! You have a red mackerel tabby domestic shorthair.
Most domestic cats are just regular ol' non-breed cats, commonly referred to as "domestic shorthair" or "domestic longhair." Sometimes people refer to them as American shorthairs, but this is something of a misnomer: the American Shorthair is actually a distinct breed, and I've never seen an American Shorthair out of a CFA show.
Her color appears to be red or possibly cream mackerel tabby - "red" is a more orangey color, and "cream" is slightly buff. (Color is not the same as breed; saying the breed of your cat is "tabby" or "marmalade" is also a misnomer.)
Female red cats are not super-rare, but they are somewhat uncommon because red fur is carried on the same chromosome that determines sex. A female cat who inherits both red and black fur coloring will be a tortoiseshell/calico, yet males cannot have both red and black fur. More about that here. (Also in that link, why all red cats are tabbies.)
I don't know anything about the color of cats determining their personalities, but I've known purebred cats and regular old mutt cats, and the non-pedigreed ones are often just as sweet and smart and beautiful as anything with a Grand Champion lineage, if not more so.
posted by Metroid Baby at 1:39 PM on August 8, 2008 [2 favorites]
Most domestic cats are just regular ol' non-breed cats, commonly referred to as "domestic shorthair" or "domestic longhair." Sometimes people refer to them as American shorthairs, but this is something of a misnomer: the American Shorthair is actually a distinct breed, and I've never seen an American Shorthair out of a CFA show.
Her color appears to be red or possibly cream mackerel tabby - "red" is a more orangey color, and "cream" is slightly buff. (Color is not the same as breed; saying the breed of your cat is "tabby" or "marmalade" is also a misnomer.)
Female red cats are not super-rare, but they are somewhat uncommon because red fur is carried on the same chromosome that determines sex. A female cat who inherits both red and black fur coloring will be a tortoiseshell/calico, yet males cannot have both red and black fur. More about that here. (Also in that link, why all red cats are tabbies.)
I don't know anything about the color of cats determining their personalities, but I've known purebred cats and regular old mutt cats, and the non-pedigreed ones are often just as sweet and smart and beautiful as anything with a Grand Champion lineage, if not more so.
posted by Metroid Baby at 1:39 PM on August 8, 2008 [2 favorites]
"Ginger tabby cat" isn't really a breed, just a description of color and markings. Cats don't really have the huge variation among breeds as dogs do. When you think of the contrast between extreme dog breeds such as great dane and pug, and compare them to extreme cat breeds, for instance siamese and persian - the cats just aren't that different from one another.
She's a gorgeous orange/marmalade/ginger stripey/tabby kitty girl :)
posted by Lou Stuells at 1:40 PM on August 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
She's a gorgeous orange/marmalade/ginger stripey/tabby kitty girl :)
posted by Lou Stuells at 1:40 PM on August 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
Looks like a Maine Coon to me. Notice the "M" on her forehead?
FWIW, I have a Maine Coon, and she fits the behavioral characteristics outlined in the above article to a T.
posted by nitsuj at 1:45 PM on August 8, 2008
FWIW, I have a Maine Coon, and she fits the behavioral characteristics outlined in the above article to a T.
posted by nitsuj at 1:45 PM on August 8, 2008
Just a note, nitsuj that a forehead "M" isn't specific to Maine Coons--it's a common tabby marking in any tabby. My brown and gray domestic shorthair has one, and he's definitely not a Maine Coon.
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 2:14 PM on August 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
posted by PhoBWanKenobi at 2:14 PM on August 8, 2008 [1 favorite]
My vet described my generic American mutt cats as DSHes - Domestic Short Hairs. I used to have one, Zoe, who had the same paint job as your Josephine. Lovely cat, but a bit bonkers. She used to BEG (whine, mewl, try to crawl my legs) for raw spinach.
posted by workerant at 2:35 PM on August 8, 2008
posted by workerant at 2:35 PM on August 8, 2008
Definteily not an American Shorthair - I had a purebred ASH and they look nothing like that in the face. I think you've got yourself a fine kitty but she's the catchall Domestic Shorthair.
posted by otherwordlyglow at 2:48 PM on August 8, 2008
posted by otherwordlyglow at 2:48 PM on August 8, 2008
Looks like a Maine Coon to me. Notice the "M" on her forehead?
I also notice a short-haired cat. Not a Maine Coon.
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:51 PM on August 8, 2008
I also notice a short-haired cat. Not a Maine Coon.
posted by Mayor Curley at 2:51 PM on August 8, 2008
Random story: I had a very orange female tabby growing up. More orange than yours, tho (who's gorgeous, btw!). The cat was a gift from my nana to my mom, who had a giant orange male cat growing up, and when my nana saw this one, she had to buy it for us. Our vet was close to retiring at the time, and had only ever seen one other truly orange, female cat in his time. He tried to buy her from us. In hindsight, we should've let him. The cat was nuts. She thought she was a dog, and fetched things. She brought back inside toys we had left outside. She retrieved string that we had her chase and then dropped; she'd then chase us with it trying to give it back to us. She got along better with the dog than the other cats. She was also always sick -- nothing too bad, but she was never 100% like the others. It was just one thing after another. And according to the vet, all of this was due to the fact that she was a statistical oddity, gene-pool wise, which was also the reason that she was depressed and needed kitty prozac, and also needed glasses (she also walked into walls occasionally, which is where I guess this came from). My mom walked out laughing. Overall tho she was simply the oddest cat any of us had ever seen.
The one day she just disappeared. I like to think that she just found someplace where she was happier. Or maybe the vet cat-napped her. Obviously, I'll never know...
posted by cgg at 2:53 PM on August 8, 2008
The one day she just disappeared. I like to think that she just found someplace where she was happier. Or maybe the vet cat-napped her. Obviously, I'll never know...
posted by cgg at 2:53 PM on August 8, 2008
Yeah, all cats with mackerel tabby markings (hence, the stripes, not the swirls) have the "M" on their heads.
I think Metroid Baby's got it. Purebred ASHs are a bit more round-headed. She's also probably short-haired -- I find that cats tend to look fuzzier as kittens than when they're older, possibly because they suck at grooming themselves when they're young.
posted by thisjax at 2:59 PM on August 8, 2008
I think Metroid Baby's got it. Purebred ASHs are a bit more round-headed. She's also probably short-haired -- I find that cats tend to look fuzzier as kittens than when they're older, possibly because they suck at grooming themselves when they're young.
posted by thisjax at 2:59 PM on August 8, 2008
My moggy Margaret Scratcher is an orange mackerel tabby domestic shorthair like your gal. Margaret is very smart, social and I would say she's doglike (in her younger days, she liked to fetch and go for walks on a leash). On the other hand, my friend has an orange female as well, who is equally smart, but who spends much of her time living in a cardboard box with a rubber frog as her only friend. Temperamentally both of them have fairly short fuses (the cats, not the cat and the frog), but apart from that, the personality traits are as different as two people. I'm not sure the orange female thing has a lot to do with it, but I don't have that much experience with orange females.
posted by Heretic at 3:02 PM on August 8, 2008
posted by Heretic at 3:02 PM on August 8, 2008
The 'M' on her forehead stands for 'moggy' ;-) Otherwise known as Domestic Short Hair. Congratulations. She's pretty. Now, buy a laser pointer from PetCo and have some fun with her.
posted by essexjan at 3:17 PM on August 8, 2008
posted by essexjan at 3:17 PM on August 8, 2008
I agree with the domestic tabby short-hair label, however, who cares? She's just too damn cute!
About personality, all gingers I've known were kinda nuts, but then again my late (and very much missed) Scarlet O'Hara who was half grey tabby half siamese was totally crazy as well. Also played fetch, also behaved like a dog. I loved that cat to bits. Embrace the madness!
(My male grey tabby Yoshi Nakamura and my all black female Holly Golightly that I've since adopted also have personalities, but are generally more laid back... Except during the "crazy 5 minutes" which happen several times a day. I embrace the madness, totally).
posted by neblina_matinal at 3:24 PM on August 8, 2008
About personality, all gingers I've known were kinda nuts, but then again my late (and very much missed) Scarlet O'Hara who was half grey tabby half siamese was totally crazy as well. Also played fetch, also behaved like a dog. I loved that cat to bits. Embrace the madness!
(My male grey tabby Yoshi Nakamura and my all black female Holly Golightly that I've since adopted also have personalities, but are generally more laid back... Except during the "crazy 5 minutes" which happen several times a day. I embrace the madness, totally).
posted by neblina_matinal at 3:24 PM on August 8, 2008
Oh, and about the "M" on the forehead, Scarlet had that also. I always said it stood for "Maluca" which means "crazy" (n. f.) in Portuguese. But yeah, all tabbies have that.
posted by neblina_matinal at 3:26 PM on August 8, 2008
posted by neblina_matinal at 3:26 PM on August 8, 2008
We call all orange cats "creamsicle" cats at our house, and that's what it says on our male cat's official license paperwork. (Because they HAD to have a color name.) Our other cat's color we correctly described as "dirt."
posted by TochterAusElysium at 4:38 PM on August 8, 2008
posted by TochterAusElysium at 4:38 PM on August 8, 2008
Nthing domestic shorthair. Not a breed, but very cute nonetheless!
posted by FlyByDay at 5:32 PM on August 8, 2008
posted by FlyByDay at 5:32 PM on August 8, 2008
She looks like a ginger moggy and there's no harm in that. (The one that just joined us is a similar 'Orange Creme Savers' ginger, though longhaired, looks like he's wearing a floofy poet shirt, and is daft and goofy.)
posted by holgate at 5:58 PM on August 8, 2008
posted by holgate at 5:58 PM on August 8, 2008
Looks like a couple of cats I've had. Since they were generic shelter cats we always dubbed the breed as "Little Orange Guy/Gal." I don't know that you're going to get a solid answer to what breed it is.
posted by krisak at 6:48 PM on August 8, 2008
posted by krisak at 6:48 PM on August 8, 2008
Buff tabby domestic shorthair. I had one that looked just like yours--he was delightful.
posted by vindyloo at 8:55 PM on August 8, 2008
posted by vindyloo at 8:55 PM on August 8, 2008
Geez that is a cute cat. Josephine vs my heart! And yes, I would go with Tabby DSH.
posted by radioamy at 10:29 PM on August 8, 2008
posted by radioamy at 10:29 PM on August 8, 2008
I've had a girl like that. Although more mustard and less cream. Ginger girls aren't that common. She was very sweet soft and timid. Disappeared one day as they do.
You might be able to figure out what different kinds of cats/genetics have contributed to your kitty. Her fur seems kinda dense and she has quite long ear hair. I think she needs a wash to determine her actual colours though :) What kind of tail does she have??
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 3:03 AM on August 9, 2008
You might be able to figure out what different kinds of cats/genetics have contributed to your kitty. Her fur seems kinda dense and she has quite long ear hair. I think she needs a wash to determine her actual colours though :) What kind of tail does she have??
posted by mu~ha~ha~ha~har at 3:03 AM on August 9, 2008
This thread is closed to new comments.
How to describe the depths of cali madness? I think it's because they're *much* too smart.
posted by fiercekitten at 12:33 PM on August 8, 2008