Cat Breeds (Recognized/Unrecognized, Common/Obscure), Variants, Mutations, Hybrids, Archaic/Alternate Names.

Copyright 1994 - 2007 Sarah Hartwell


About the Messybeast Breed List

A - Z Breeds Index


With so many different registries with different views, the exact status of some breeds is hard to define. I have used the following terms:

Alternative Name: An alternative name still in use; might have been a proposed name while breed was being developed.
Archaic Name: Historical name no longer used.
Crossbred: Informal variety always created by crossing 2 other breeds.
Current: A currently recognised breed (means recognition by at least one registry in the world)
Experimental: Early stages of development. Some have provisional or preliminary recognition, but others do not seek or achieve registry recognition.
Extinct: No individuals of the breed exist e.g. Mexican Hairless
Fake: An attempt to decieve the public by representing a cat as something it is not.
Fictional: "Breeds" such as cabbits, squittens, Chinese Hairless and Egyptian Hairless that exist only in fiction or folklore (but people believe they are real).
Local Variety: Unrecognised distinct strain of cats found in a particular locality e.g. Buckfast Blue.
Mutation: Distinct strain that occurred through mutation; some are incorporated into similar-looking breeds (e.g. different Rex strains with the same gene mutation).
Proposed: Not even off the drawing board!
Unknown: Reported by reputable source, but with no other information, possibly a one-off.
Variant: Purebred cats that do not meet the breed standard due to hidden genes e.g. longhaired Bengals. Some are recognised in other countries under a different name.

A further region-specific classification is out of the scope of this list: Banned. In parts of Europe certain breeds are prohibited because their breed traits are considered harmful deformities. These include Manx/Cymric (spinal problems related to tailless mutation), Munchkin (dwarfism), Scottish Fold (skeletal problems), Sphynx (hairlessness is considered detrimental to the breed) and Blue-Eyed Whites in any breed (deafness).




Dakota Rex


A mutation reported in late 1990s in the US. The proposed Dakota Rex breed is in its very early stages.

Danish Green


April Fools Joke hoax breed.

Desert Lynx


Manx x Bobcat (speculative). Early magazine adverts said Abyssinian x Bobcat. Originally claimed 12.5% bobcat (Bobcat within last 3 generations). Aim is to have a domestic temperament cat combining the characteristics of Bobcat and Manx. Shorthairs have the suggestion of a bobcatty ruff and ear tufts. Longhairs are semi-longhaired so that the coat does not obscure the pattern. Patterns are leopard spotted (spots or rosettes), tawny (ticked agouti) or marble. There are sepia (Burmese dilution) and snow (Siamese dilution) forms. Leopard pattern is spotted tabby, preferably rosetted. Marble pattern is derived from interaction of Bobcat and domestic tabby genes; swirled markings horizontally rather than vertically aligned. Leopard varieties have spots in ebony, bronze, blue, chocolate, sorrel, lilac or fawn; also comes in silver range and snow range (latter is blue-eyed with leopard markings on light tan bodies). Stockier than a Bobcat. Wild-looking, large, very muscular cat with long legs, rectangular body, hindquarters slightly higher than the shoulders. Tail ranges from tailless/rumpy-riser through to hock-length bobcat tail. The temperament must be unchallenging. DNA testing has not confirmed bobcat ancestry and this breed is considered wholly domestic by registries..

Devon Rex


Oriental type-cat with triangular head, prominent cheekbones and huge ears; curly, wavy, Rex-type fur. Descended from a curly-coated feral which fathered a similar kitten named Kirlee. At first bred with recently discovered Cornish Rexes, Kirlee was found to carry a different Rex gene and went on to found the Devon Rex breed. Bred for different conformation and head shape to further distinguish it from Cornish cousin. All colors and patterns including pointed pattern which is known as Si-Rex. Provisional name was Butterfly Rex.


Alternative Name

See Bahraini Dilmun Cat.

Doll (Open) Faced Persian (traditional style Persian)


A non-ultra-typed Persian resembling the older style (traditional style) of Persian, noted for its doll-like or open-faced look closer to ancestral Persians. See also: Pig-Faced Persian.

Domestic Longhair (Moggy Longhair)


Non-pedigree cat with semi-long- or longhair.

Domestic Lynx


Falsely claims to be a cross of domestic cats with Bobcats and Canadian lynxes developed in the USA in the 1980s. These wild species cannot be hybridised with domestic cats. It is a domestic cat resembling the Bobcat or Canadian Lynx or Jungle Cat (Felis chaus), with the calm and affectionate personality of a domestic cat. The head is triangular with a slightly concave profile without a clear break. High cheekbones. Angular muzzle (relatively short). Nose is moderately long and very broad. Strong chin and powerful jaws. The almond-shaped eyes are any colour; blue eyes in colourpointed cats. The body is large and rectangular with a slightly curved back due to the hind legs being slightly longer than forelegs. Tufts of hair between the paw pads. Tail ranges from 10 cm to hock-length and must be flexible. Coat is short to semilong; longer on the belly and thighs. It is thick and silky with a heavy, water-resistant undercoat. A ruff or beard is preferred. Bred in all eumelanistic colors (black, blue, cinnamon, fawn, chocolate, lilac - including colourpoint versions of these) including combination with the silver factor for spotted and ticked patterns only. The legs are striped or spotted. Well-defined belly spots. The tail is ringed with a black tip. Red, cream and tortoiseshell are not accepted. The snow version is colourpointed with blue eyes and a light, spotted body. White markings are not acceptable.

Domestic Shorthair (Moggy Shorthair)


Non-pedigree cat with shorthair.

Don Sphynx (Don Hairless/Don Bald Cat/Donskoy/Donsky)


Medium sized Russian breed with curly whiskers and tail tip may have soft, dense, close lying, slightly curly coat. Young cats (under 2 years) may have short fur on muzzles, slightly longer cheeks with "ear muffs". In winter the whole body may be covered with a fine coat. Kittens may sometimes be born with a wavy rex coat and "bald spot" on the head. Is outcrossed to European Shorthairs. The founding female of both the Don Sphynx and the Peterbald was a hairless blue tortie cat called Varya in 1989.

Dossow Cat


A cross between Sphynx and polydactyl cats to give hairless polydactyl cats. Originally proposed by a Don Sphynx breeder and called Hemingway Sphynx.

Dragon Li


New breed from China; also called Li Hua Mao. Shorthaired, found only in Brown Mackerel Tabby. Photos depict a cobby cat. It is also called the Fox Flower Cat in China. It is believed in China that it originated from the wild Chinese Mountain cat (F bieti) from the steppes and said to be a self-domesticating cat. This is not proven genetically, but is a breed myth. It has short golden brown fur with a broken mackerel or broken tabby pattern, large yellow or green almond shaped eyes that are a dominating feature. The ears have a distinctive tipping. It has a strong full-bodied stature reminiscent of its alleged wild ancestry.

Dutch Rex (Wirehair Rex)


A dominant gene rex from Holland in 1969 had fur that formed dreadlocks, but was prone to balding and to losing the curled hair at maturity. Breeding programmes did not generate sufficient enthusiasm and the mutation died out in the 1980s. A rex mutation in Holland in 1985 (possibly progeny of the 1969 cats) was described as having a coarse, wavy coat with a slightly bristly feel.



Cross between Sphynx, American Curl and Munchkin with the aim of producing a hairless short legged cat with curled ears. See also: Kinkalow, Minskin.

CAT BREEDS TIME-LINE - A list of dates when breeds and varieties (i.e. populations which bred true) were discovered or recognised (now held on its own webpage due to the increasing size of this list).

CAT COLOURS & PATTERNS  - A plain English guide to cat colours and patterns, including breed-specific colours/patterns.

About this List of Breeds and the Breeds Time-Line
This file was originally started for my own interest back in the 1980s. Information on currently recognised cat breeds is readily available in books, from registries/governing bodies (GCCF, FIFe, ACFA etc), breed societies or on the Internet. Breed recognition and breed descriptions vary between registries and countries. This "layperson's list" contains general descriptions only and is not (nor will it ever be) specific to any single registry, breed society or cat-breeding country. It will not link to, nor name, any breeder pages or cattery pages as this would compromise its independence. It comprises information and trivia from diverse sources worldwide including historical texts and personal correspondence. I wish to express my gratitude to the various contributors who have helped me keep it up-to-date.


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