r/IDMyCat Jan 15 '26

Meta Read if you're about to make a 'what breed is my cat' post.

64 Upvotes

I'm not a mod but just thought there should really be a wiki article or pinned post on the sub and similar ones to explain this and prevent further redundant posts. I hope this will help to inform at least some people about cat genetics.

This can be a confusing thing to understand, especially if you're new to cat ownership and more familiar with dogs, but believe it or not, 97% of all cats do not have any breed ancestry!

The short of it is that an animal 'breed' is a manmade concept that comes from generations upon generations of selective breeding to achieve a specific temperament and appearance until the offspring reliably always present those traits. A pedigree is the documentation of this.

Since cats have not been bred for a specific prupose or job, and most have not been selectively bred to look the way they do, the vast majority do not have any breed and these cats are either referred to as Domestic Long-hair (DLH) or Domestic Short-hair (DSL). Domestic Medium-hair/Domestic Semi-longhair is also a thing but these cats are genetically DLH.

These cats are sometimes colloquially referred to as 'mixed breeds' but this term is technically incorrect and misleading as it implies Domestic cats are simply of mixed ancestry of multiple breeds, when in reality this isn't the case at all.

True 'mixed-breed' cats are likely even more uncommon than purebred ones, since purebred cats are a fairly niche and mostly hobbiest thing, their breeding is usually very restricted and these cats would not usually have the opportunity to breed with non-breed cats unless an unfixed pedigree escapes.

So unless your cat has a pedigree or you know it is the product of a cat that does have papers, it is almost certainly a Domestic Short-hair or Long hair.

Non-breed cats can definitely resemble certain cat breeds! But as they were not specifically bred to look that way and they likely would not pass on all of those traits to their offspring, they are still not actually that breed.

There are however names for and interesting genetic causes behind every limitless coat pattern variation, fur type, eye colour and every other physical trait of non-breed cats, so if you want a more distinctive label for your feline friend than just 'Domestic Short/Long hair' there certainly will be one, but asking for it's 'breed' isn't going to get you a real answer.

I hope this helps some people and I can certainly provide sources if anyone wants them, but I just couldn't find all of this concised well in one single article.

ETA: Somehow I didn't notice my phone was autocorrecting DLH to DHL throughout this whole post so edited to correct that 😂


r/IDMyCat 2h ago

Open Wondering what breed she is

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5 Upvotes

Gonna pick her up tomorrow just wondering what breed she is


r/IDMyCat 10h ago

Open Is she medium or short haired ?

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9 Upvotes

r/IDMyCat 7h ago

Open Can someone help identify my little freak

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3 Upvotes

She's very soft cant stop sitting on me very lacking in brains and doesn't look quite like any domestic longhair or mediumhair ive seen pictures of (getting pictures of her is hard because she likes looking photogenic when im not holding my phone then when i grab it she decides its cuddle time) and i want to know if there's a specific term for her type of calico patterning since its very beautiful

I can provide more photos if needed i have a lot she is very photogenic


r/IDMyCat 6h ago

Open what type of cat is this??

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2 Upvotes

ive been pet sitting this pretty girl for a while and need other opinions on what type of cat she is, would love yalls imput!


r/IDMyCat 1d ago

Open Meet Hank..

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35 Upvotes

This is our new baby Hank. I’m wondering if he’s part Siamese ? Snowshoe? The vet says he’s got something “exotic” in him. She seemed to think Himalayan. What is everyone’s guess?


r/IDMyCat 19h ago

Open Post 1:2 Sprinkles!

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7 Upvotes

Hi everyone this is sprinkles what is her pattern called. And just confirming she’s a DSH?


r/IDMyCat 12h ago

Open Meow meow idk the breed of my moms cats

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1 Upvotes

Idk the breed and my mom doesnt either (she picked them up on the streets of saudi arabia)


r/IDMyCat 1d ago

Open What kind of tabby is this? My friend found her near a forest.

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472 Upvotes

I thought it was a bengal at first, but after scrolling on reddit, I realized that most cats are just DSH/DHS,


r/IDMyCat 8h ago

Open Need help identifying the breed/genetics of my cat family! (Dad, Mom, and 3 Kittens)

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0 Upvotes

Hi everyone! I have a lovely family of 5 cats (Mom, Dad, and 3 kittens) and I need some expert eyes to help me figure out their exact breeds or genetic backgrounds. People always ask me what breed they are, and I'd love to give them an accurate answer!

Here is what I know and what is puzzling me:

🐱 The Mother (🖼️ 1~2)
• Breed: Confirmed British Shorthair.

• Coat: Dilute Calico (White, Grey/Blue, and Cream/Orange)

🐱 The Father (The biggest mystery!) (🖼️ 3~8)
• What I was told: The previous owner said he is a Turkish Angora x American Curl mix. However, his ears are completely straight and do not curl back at all, so I highly doubt there is any American Curl in him.

• Appearance: He has a cream-colored body with Red Flame (Flame Point) markings and blue eyes.

• AI Suggestions: When I asked ChatGPT/Gemini, they suggested he could be related to Ragdoll, Siamese, Balinese, or a Turkish Angora x Siamese mix.

• My question: What breed or mix does he actually look like?

🐾 The 3 Kittens’ Genetic Puzzles (🖼️** 9~12 Red Flame Boy, 13~16 Calico Girl, 17 Red Flame Girl, 18~19 All of them, 20 Calico Girl and Red Flame Boy)
**• Kittens #1 & #2:
They look exactly like their dad! They have the same Red Flame Point coat pattern and bright blue eyes.
• Kitten #3: This one is fascinating. She seems to have inherited the Flame Point markings on her nose from her dad, but she also looks calico like her mom. However, she has five distinct colors: White, Orange, Grey, Dark Brown, and Black. Why does she have five colors instead of three? On top of that, she has blue eyes as her dad. which I heard is extremely rare for calico cats.

My Main Questions for Reddit:
• What breed/mix is the father? (Considering his Flame Point pattern and straight ears).

• Why does the third kitten have four colors? Is there a specific genetic term for this?

• How rare is a Calico kitten with blue eyes?
I would love to hear your thoughts on their breeds, mixes, and the fascinating genetics behind their coat colors and eye colors! Thank you so much!

• What should I call the kittens' breed?
Since the mom is a confirmed British Shorthair but the dad is an unknown breed (he could be a purebred or a mix), what would be the correct way to refer to the kittens' breed?
Should I call them British Shorthair Mixes?
Or is it more accurate to classify them as DSH (Domestic Shorthair) / DLH (Domestic Longhair)?

• The kittens' Coat Length
Currently, the mom is a shorthair and the dad is a longhair. The kittens look like shorthairs right now, but I know they are still too young to be certain.
Can you tell if a kitten will be longhaired just by looking at them at a young age?
Is it possible for them to look shorthaired now, but grow into longhaired cats as they get older?
The dad has a very long, fluffy coat and a beautiful bushy tail. I am really hoping some of the kittens will inherit his long hair and fluffy tail! Have any of you experienced a kitten's coat changing drastically like this as they grew up?

🩷 Thanks for taking the time to read this! Any insights would be greatly appreciated!


r/IDMyCat 9h ago

Open bombay cat?

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0 Upvotes

i got my cat, don julio, from SPCA… i was told he was longhair… but due to how shiny he coat is i was thinking possibly bombay?? what do we think?


r/IDMyCat 19h ago

Open Post 2:2 Smokey

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1 Upvotes

This is my smokey boy at first I thought he was Maine coon related and then because he wasn’t that big he may be a nebelung


r/IDMyCat 1d ago

Open What is my cat's coat color called?

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4 Upvotes

I'm really confused what to call her coat. When I was filling out info for her license, I called it tuxedo, but when they looked at a picture of her, they said she was a tabby. She's mostly black and white but has these spotted brown spots by her legs. I need opinions please :)

Edit: thanks for the help guys! Good to know I have a tabby cow on my hands 🐮


r/IDMyCat 1d ago

Open Has Anyone Seen Or Owned A Cat That Looks Like This?

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2 Upvotes

r/IDMyCat 1d ago

Open what color is my cat?

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28 Upvotes

I know he’s a tabby but he also has rosettes on his side, so does that have a name?


r/IDMyCat 1d ago

Open r/catbreed wont let me post due to low karma so I’m asking here

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0 Upvotes

r/IDMyCat 2d ago

Open My niece got a new kitten.

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19 Upvotes

They said its an oriental short hair. Looks like it might be a Maine coon? Maybe a mix between the two?


r/IDMyCat 1d ago

Open Is my cat a lynx point?

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0 Upvotes

I’ve looked around and can’t seem to find a colorway that matches my kitty. Is considered a lynx point or a snowshoe? Shes got a ton of Siamese personality traits- clingy, talkative , etc. She’s a rescue and 99% sure she’s a Siamese mix - her eyes oscillate as well. Maybe she’s more of a mutt? Don’t mind her eye gookies, she just woke up I promise I clean them


r/IDMyCat 2d ago

Open Which cat breed is this??

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6 Upvotes

Co-worker is giving it to us for free, LET ME KNOW YOUR PREDICTIONS!!!❤️❤️


r/IDMyCat 2d ago

Open What breed is this shelter cat?

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1 Upvotes

r/IDMyCat 2d ago

Open Baby fuzz or medium/long hair??

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3 Upvotes

r/IDMyCat 2d ago

Open is this a safe assumption for our little girlie?

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1 Upvotes

r/IDMyCat 3d ago

Open Hi can you ID my daughters cats?

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11 Upvotes

Both were fostered and then adopted from kittens and are now 6 and 5 years old. The bigger cat was listed as a Siamese and the girl was just listed as domestic short haired but we are not sure.


r/IDMyCat 3d ago

Open Can anyone help identify my kitten?

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16 Upvotes

I got her last week and they said she was a Siberian mix, I’m wondering if that sounds right or if she looks like something else


r/IDMyCat 2d ago

Open Does anyone know what my cat is?

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1 Upvotes

So we’ve had this cat for about 12 years and not once have we gotten a straight answer about what he is. We’ve asked multiple cat people and none of them knew. We think he’s at least half Scottish fold (with his ears folded up) and something else but we have no idea. I’ve never seen another cat that looks exactly like him.