You are here:

Cats/cat's breed query

Advertisement

Expert: - 7/28/2011


Question
The kitten
The kitten
I couple of months back,I kitten strayed into my backyard. When I tried to approach her, she seemed quite nervous- but I could sense that the owner either lost the kitten or abandoned. She looked hungry,lost, worried- when I fed her some cat food and stroke her at the back of her ear I could see her relax. But I could not understand her particular breed. The kitten's physical feature gave me a clue that she may be turkish van origin as she has very bushy tail, ultra silky hair(short hair). She is very playful and energetic, sometimes gives playful bites, purrs more often and is very affectionate. Only difference is that she has no liking for water. She may barely be 6 or 7 month old but she looks like a year old cat! But I found out that turkish short hair van is mostly pure white body with some orange tinge at the forehead and some on the ears with classic ringed orange hue. Since I have adopted this kitten, she has orange upper boy colour (orange tinge hue like Garfield's)with taby spots. I love my kitten- but I still want to understand the breed which she belongs to. Please help me with this!

Answer
Anamika,

Your kitten looks like a domestic shorthair calico kitty with tabby markings to me, however the only way to be certain of the breakdown of breeds would be a DNA test.

If you have any further cat related questions or concerns, please feel free to contact me again at any time - I'm more than happy to help in any way that I can.

Kind regards,

Ali

Ali

Expertise

I am the proud guardian of 5 mixed breed cats ranging from 12 weeks to 13 years old and one purebred ragdoll. I have 20+ years experience working with mixed breed cats from a variety of different situations. I have fostered cats/kittens with special needs/behavioral issues. I have rescued/rehabilitated/re-homed a variety of stray/abused cats. I can offer advice on managing feral cat colonies, rehabilitating strays and finding them forever homes. I can help you to determine whether a cat is stray or feral, there IS a significant difference. Improperly introducing a new cat/kitten can result in aggression between newly introduced cats because cats are territorial by nature and they don't like sudden changes in their environment. To learn more about a peaceful way to introduce a new cat into a home with other cats please check out my previous answers on this subject. Proper nutrition for cats can be confusing, I recommend checking out catinfo.org which was created by a veterinarian (Dr. Lisa Pierson) who takes a common sense approach to explaining feline nutrition. Cat behavior and instincts are different from those of humans, I can help you understand your cat's needs so that you can meet them adequately and have a balanced, psychologically and physically sound kitty. Cats vary in personality, energy level and intelligence, different approaches may be required to achieve results in terms of training and interaction with your feline companion. An intelligent, high energy cat must be kept busy or they will make their own fun. I am NOT a licensed veterinarian and I can't offer medical advice. If your cat is ill/injured my advice is always the same: get prompt medical treatment provided by a veterinarian. If finances are an issue I will try to find resources in your area that can help with medical costs or make other choices to ensure the welfare of your cat.

Experience

I have fostered feral and stray cats, rehabilitated and homed cats that many people recommended euthanasia for. I am willing to make an effort to do the research and ask questions because I care enough to find solutions to behavioral problems rather than giving up. I have an interest in the use of alternative therapies to help provide the best possible care for all cats and I can say in all honesty that I've seen some incredible things happen for some incredible cats and their human caregivers when the right alternative therapeutic modality is used by a qualified veterinarian with expertise and experience in the field.

Education/Credentials
I've earned my diploma as a veterinary assistant with honors.

©2012 About.com, a part of The New York Times Company. All rights reserved.