Misrepresentation of Cat Breeds
Comparatively, cat breeds are a recent occurrence within the last ~150 - 200 years. A breed is defined by their standard - which is more than what the public considers their defining trait, such as colorpoint in Siamese or black coat in Bombays. Let's use the Maine Coon as an example [PDF], as that is one people frequently misidentify their Domestic Longhair as being.
These are all features in which the Maine Coon is judged by which make a Maine Coon, well, a Maine Coon. It is not as simple as "big, long fur, and ear tufts," which can occur in a number of other breeds as well as among Domestic Longhairs. The Maine Coon is defined by the shape of their head, including their chin and profile, bone structure, the set of their legs and feet, and a number of other factors.
There are a few ways that a cat breed may typically be established.
- The cats in a particular area breed freely, those with certain features are more likely to thrive and reproduce - eventually the population in this area will lean towards a particular look, this is known as a landrace. These cats will appeal to certain tastes, and people will intervene to begin to breed them deliberately to emphasize the traits they find most desirable. Over time a more specialized standard will be defined.
- An unusual feature is discovered, in the general cat populace or among an existing breed, such as a bobbed tail or lack of hair. The individual who notices this unusual occurrence thinks it's neat and would like to produce more, so the breed the anomalous animal with the intent to replicate the feature. If they're successful the breed will continued to be refined to their desired standard, including additional physical and temperamental attributes.
- Many recent exotic, experimental, and rare breeds are created by breeding two (or more) existing breeds to achieve the traits of both - for better or for worse. We see this with the Bambino (munchkin x sphynx) and Lambkin (munchkin x selkirk rex) as two examples. In some cases a domestic cat will be bred to a wild cat, such as the case with Caracats, in an attempt to establish a new breed. Many of these, as you might have guessed, have ethical implications.
Given the subject of the first two cases, it is possible for a cat entirely unrelated to any breed - with no purebred ancestry at all - to display certain "breed" traits, such as the colorpoint pattern or a bobbed tail. After all, these unexpected occurrences are what many breeds were derived from in the first place.
"Cats are not like dogs. Dog breeds have a long history of development and selection for specific tasks such as herding, retrieving, and hunting. Today, most mixed dogs descend from crosses between different breeds. Wild cats were originally tamed to provide vermin control for human settlements. Cat breeds were more recently developed from these tamed, random-breeding cat populations. Cat breeds were selected more for their appearance than performance. Today, most mixed (random bred) cats descend from crosses between random bred cats and not from crosses between breed cats."
[from UC Davis Veterinary Genetics Lab]
Why Does It Matter?
You might think the distinction is arbitrary, after all purebred cats aren't purpose-bred in the same way dogs are - there aren't any guardian, herding, or retrieving cats! If they're all pretty much the same, aside from appearance, where is the harm in suggesting your cat is "part Manx" or "a Turkish Angora" when it's not probable and there isn't sufficient evidence to support the claim?
Well, this is actually a misconception about the nature of purebred cats. They may not have been bred to do a job, like the majority of dog breeds, but there differences aren't skin deep.
Health is one consideration, and a component of care that may be impaired by misrepresentation. Allow me to give a few examples.
- Bengal cats have a reputation for being difficult to reliably litter box train. The spotted tabby you adopted, the shelter said she was half Bengal, frequently goes over the side of the box or urinates around the house. You accept this as a breed trait, albeit an inconvenient one. Unfortunately, the inappropriate elimination is actually due to insufficient litterbox management, stress, or a urinary issue which will go unacknowledged.
- Siamese cats are notorious chatter boxes. You've taken in a colorpoint domestic shorthair from the street, based on his coloration you assume he is at least part Siamese - and wow, does his behavior fit the bill. He is a high energy cat who vocalizes day and night. It isn't until his health starts to decline that you discover the behavior was not a breed trait, but rather he has hyperthyroidism.
- You adopted a cat without a tail, but his history is not known - it could have been due to congenital defect, injury, or hereditary due to an unrelated gene. You have decided he is a Manx, though, and is the best cat you've ever had - so you get another one. This one is a pedigree Manx from a breeder, and soon you begin to notice chronic GI symptoms such as constipation or fecal incontinence. The Manx gene may impact other areas of their spine, resulting in these problems and more.
Temperament is another consideration, and a component that can result in owners being paired with cats that aren't a good fit for their lifestyle and may need to rehome. Allow me to give a few examples.
- Your cat is on the small side and has a whole lot of ear, therefore she must be an Oriental Shorthair. Her cat sitter, your good friend, adores her and decides she needs a cat just like her - so she purchases an Oriental Shorthair from a breeder, petite with big ears just like she wanted. Unfortunately, this cat couldn't be anymore different than your mellow girl - he's bouncing off the walls, vocalizing all night, destroying parts of the house from boredom. This is a high energy cat and your friend lives in a studio apartment and works full time, this isn't what she signed up for!
- With a stocky frame and a blue coat, you're pretty sure your cat is at least part British Shorthair - and he's quite the adventure cat. He is a frequent companion on hikes with a decent social media presence. A fellow wilderness aficionado has been looking for a companion to camp with and take on the trails, a cat to keep up with his active lifestyle, so imagine the disappointment when he purchases a British Shorthair who'd rather take a nap than go for a brisk walk.
- All white with thick, plush fur your cat must be a Turkish Angora. She is quite bonded to you, and although not aggressive or skittish towards others - well, she is very much a one person cat. Everyone else she can take or leave, they're not her problem. Your friend has been feeling pretty down and wants that kind of relationship, he purchases a Turkish Angora with the intent of keeping him as an ESA. The cat is nice enough, sure, but the outgoing personality is far from what he expected - he's just as quick to greet strangers or trail after his roommate as he is to spend time with him. So much for a companion to curl up with at the end of the day.
Here's another post which proposes even more considerations for why an individual may choose one breed over another, including examples of circumstances which may result in conflicts similar to those outlined above.
If you don't know the lineage of your cat, they're probably just an ordinary cat - a Domestic Shorthair, a Domestic Longhair, a Moggy. Whatever you'd like to call them. That doesn't make them any less awesome or special, so instead of misrepresenting them make sure to just love them for who and what they are.
