Expert: Walter Hintz - 7/22/2004

Question
I was having a discussion with a friend when he said that it was possible of breeding a dog and cat together. i wondered if this was biologicly possible, personanly i do not think so.

Answer
The differences in the DNA between cats and dogs would make this imopossible.  They are in different Genera.
 In your feedback you asked that I be more specific and also about the possibility of dogs and hyenas breeding. Hyenas are not even in the same family as dogs and cannot cross with them.  I have been trying to picture the agressive pit bull mating with a nervous hyena and it would make an interesting picture indeed.
 The cross breeding of animals is of interest to many and I can only make a general statement about it.
 The Genus and species of an animal is based partly on the ability of them to breed true; i.e. To produce fertile young. Basically only members of the same species can do this.  Different species can often breed but the young are sterile hybrids.
 There are two problems concerning inter breeding animals.  One is that there has to be a mutual desire (so to speak) between the animals. A hyene would never come anywhere near a dog.  Secondly from the standpoint of molecular biology the difference in chromosome numbers would negate any positive results from fertilization of an egg.
 Hope I have given you enough information.