Red River Hog piglets hang out with mom.When I was a little girl and people would ask me, "What kind of cat do you have?" I was flummoxed. Uh, an alley cat? All cats seemed pretty much the same except for Persians and Siamese, not like dogs, which range from Chihuahuas to Saint Bernards.
Then I learned from the vet that I had a "domestic shorthair," which I figured was a euphemism for a mixed breed, like a mongrel dog. For years I described my cats as domestic shorthairs.
Lo and behold, the Domestic Shorthair is a bona fide breed recognized by the Cat Fanciers' Association, the international registry of pedigreed cats. (The CFA is the American Kennel Club of the cat world, and it recognizes 41 – forty-one! – breeds.) In 1966, the Domestic Shorthair was renamed the American Shorthair.
The American Shorthair is described as a working cat, brought to the U.S. by the pilgrims on the Mayflower to handle mouse-control. I looked up the breed on AnimalPlanet.com, which has a video segment from its show, "Cats 101."
The description somewhat fits Ted and Al (compact bodies and short, pointed ears), but there are some differences. For example, neither Al nor Ted could catch a mouse, and an American Shorthair supposedly needs no grooming. I brush Ted and Al once or twice a week and fill up a wastebasket with gray fur. They don't have long hair, but it's dense.
Serendipitously, last weekend, "Cats 101" had a segment on the Russian Blue.
Eureka! My boys must have some Russian Blue in them. Like the Russian Blue, Ted and Al are solid gray "with a dense undercoat," hence the fur-filled trash can.
My kitties look so much alike that it's hard to tell them apart. But Al's fur is little lighter with a silvery look, and he has a more delicate face than Ted, both characteristics of the Russian Blue. Al also has the stately, elegant stance attributed to the breed, whereas Ted is a little more clownlike.
So now when someone asks, "What kind of cats do you have?" I can confidently say: American Shorthair-Russian Blue Mix. Sounds a lot better than "alley cat."
For more on cat breeds, see:
