What breed of cat should I get?
I wouldn't go with any specific breed. My best recommendation is to go to your local animal control office and view the cats there. I went there back in 1999 and was looking at all the cute cats. An animal control officer came in and pulled a cat out of its cage and was getting ready to walk off with it. I took a look at the cat and it was beautiful! He was tan with beautiful, distinctive swirls on its sides. I asked what they were doing with him and he was on his way to death row, minutes from being put down. I told them to wait! I held him once and that was it. I could really tell there was something special about that cat. He was already neutered and was also declawed. I asked them how much he would cost and it was only $2.00. How could someone not adopt that beautiful cat for only $2.00???!!!! He's been with me ever since. He's the best cat I have ever owned. He was 5 when I got him, litter trained and has learned his own little fun tricks. Don't let a cat go to death row! If you can find an animal control office, take a peek! They need a home and love too!!!
Why can most people identify dog breeds but not cat breeds?
Because the physical differences between breeds of dog, e.g. a chihuahua and a Great Dane, are much more marked than in cats.There are also fewer pedigree breeds of cat, and they are rare in comparison with the pedigree varieties of dogs, so most people are much less likely to have come into contact with a pedigree cat, with a few exceptions, e.g.Siamese, Persian, Maine Coon, Scottish Fold. Most people know the domestic short hair cat or domestic long hair cat, and that’s about it.Nothing wrong with that.
How can I know what breed is my black and white cat?
If your cat does not have papers describing its lineage and colour type, your cat is a house cat.There is no positive way to identify a cat thats lineage is not known. In USA its possible to get papers for american short-hair without lineage, but those are only good if you participate in cat shows. Cats can develop almost any fur type, length and colour by mutation/inheritance so those are not definitive identifiers.
Cat breeds that are hypoallergenic?
Other than Siberians (and yes, they are in the $1200 and up range) cats with short, close coats *sometime* provoke less of an allergic response. This includes breeds like the Siamese, Bengals, and yes probably Ocicats. But you need to get these from "real" breeders - a pointed domestic short hair is NOT a Siamese (although may be marketed as one). Same thing for the Bengals and Ocicats - if it doesn't come with papers (CFA or ACFA or TICA - TICA only for the Bengal) it's not the real thing and won't have that short close coat you are looking for. Expect to pay at least $600 for pet quality kittens of these breeds. Other choices would be Cornish or Devon Rex, but these generally set you back $800-900 as they have very small litters. Hairless breeds like the Sphynx are NOT hypoallergenic - they still produce dander and actually provoke more of an allergic response in many people as they do not have any fur to absorb the dander. Most breeders put this right on their web site. With all cats, it's a hit and miss. One of the clients at the same vet I use recently came in with two older Siberian kittens - they were returned to the breeder when their owner was highly allergic to them, and she was now their lucky owner. These were the "real deal" and can still provoke allergic reactions in some people, no matter what you read or hear. Most people who have allergies can tolerate cats - thanks to medications from their allergist. I have a good friend who's got asthma - she did fine with her two Siamese cats (real ones with short close coats) and now is going back to the allergist for shots since she rescued a domestic short hair stray who'd been shot with a pellet gun. Talk to the allergist and see what they think they can do for you.
What cat breed would make the best outdoor cat?
NONE - most all purebred breeders insist on the cats being kept indoors at all times. And why have a cat if you are just gonna keep it outside all the time - that's NOT a pet. And shelters also require cats to be kept in. So if you don't care about the cat living outside all the time, just pick up a free kitten/cat on craigslist and don't be surprised if your cat ends up dead or poisoned at a young age from living outside.
Would it be alright to breed this cat?
Nebelungs are very rare, and because of that the odds of finding one - or a mix - is nearly impossible. Breeders sell their kittens already spayed/neutered or with a contract - which they follow up on. It's not likely then to find a mix of a rare breed that the back yard breeders aren't mass producing. A Siamese? A Persian? A Maine Coon? Yes - these are all back yard breeder "purebreeds" but BYB's don't waste their time on the less 'mainstream' breeds. Google images is the worst place to look up pictures - they are on there with the label a person assigns to it. I go through this with garden plants all the time - clearly misidentified. Saw a brown Burmese listed as a Havana Brown - and on it goes. It's not uncommon to find a domestic shorthair that resembles a breed, it happens all the time. Yours is one of those - a beautiful blue domestic long hair that does bear a resemblance to a Nebelung. It's wrong on so many levels to breed her - no reputable breeder with a real, registered Nebelung or Russian Blue will breed to a domestic cat under any circumstances. And if you find someone claiming to have an unpapered cat - well, it's a cat that resembles a breed, and you'll get domestic blue (maybe) kittens out of the mating. Why contribute to the overwhelming number of randomly bred cats being born? And there is no guarantee that the offspring will in any way,shape or form have the personality that she does. Genetics just doesn't work that way with domestic short/long hair cats - you have no idea what is really hidden in the genes. Get your pretty girl spayed, and start attending cat shows in your area, and maybe you'll be lucky enough to see some Nebelung breeders there. You can ask them questions about their cats, and if they ever have any show-quality alters for sale, and then you can start with the 'real thing' and showing and seeing if this is really something you want to pursue.
Why are so many people aware of different dog breeds but very few people know about different cat breeds?
This is only my opinion based on what I know. Someone else might have the exact answerIt’s a question of utility. Dogs have been reproduced with certain jobs in mind: cattle driver, mountain service dog, ratters, shepherd dog, guard dog, hunting dogs and more. Cats were adored in certain cultures. In others, they would rid their people of vermines like rats and mice. That was their job, period. So the need to cut tails for taxes purposes or to have shorter legs, big ears, fine nose or other was never there. You have the rich that can look for luxuries such as cute useless puppies or expansive breed of cats. But most people used to be working people that needed a working dog with certain specific trait. Or people that were poor could want a companion then the breed absolutely did not matter.So the working class mostly, spread the different kinds of working dogs and from them, we came to know so many dog breeds. But different cats are expensive and the commun people would not be aware of them most of the time.
Would you expect a veterinary doctor to know all breeds (dogs and cats)?
Not really, especially when someone comes in with a “pound puppy” that is clearly of several breeds, and asks “what breed is my dog”. Unless you have papers from a breed registry, you have no way of knowing , and neither does the vet.Vets are trained to treat animal diseases, not identify breeds. That is like asking a human doctor to tell you what ethnic group you are, especially if you are American, and are from many groups. They are not only not trained to do that, there is no way to train them for it.Get a doggy DNA kit if you really wanna know.