What Is The Difference Between Pedigree And Non Pedigree Cats?

The cat is one of the popular and beautiful pets. Cats were initially used by the Egyptians to control the rodent population. Later people started domesticating them and keeping them as pets. Cats can be divided mainly in to two broad categories i.e. pedigree and non pedigree cats.

The Two Types

Non pedigree cats are mixed breeds and their ancestor breeds are not known. These cats do not belong to any recognized pure breed. They are produced as a result of random cross breeding of different breeds of cat. In the United States they are known as 'Alley cats' and in Great Britain they are known as 'Moggy'. Most of the cats found are non pedigree. Non pedigree cats, in general, do not differ much from each other.

These cats can be further classified into two i.e. short hair cats and long hair cats. The majority of these cats are short haired. This is because short hair gene is more prevalent in cats and hence there is greater chance that any non pedigree cat will inherit this gene. Since these breeds of cats are developed due to random cross breeding, such cats are healthier. This is because of the process of natural selection where new breed inherits good genes. These cats are smart and robust. These cats are found in various colors and patterns. The long hair cats are more likely to have tabby patterns than short hair cats. They are neither too slender nor too cobby.

Pedigree cats are purebreds or those produced due to selective cross breeding. These cats have ancestors belonging to the same breed or they may have ancestors of different breeds but the lineage is recorded. Such cats inherit the characteristics of descendents that are known. For e.g. British short hair cats are a result of cross breeding of Roman cats and short hair cats and these cats exhibit the characteristics of Roman cats. Some of the most famous pedigree cats are Siamese, American short hair, Rex, Persian and the Main Coon. These breeds are registered in major cat registry. There are around 40 major breeds of pedigree cats. These cats inherit both bad and good genes of their ancestors and hence may be prone to some genetic diseases of their ancestral breeds. They need special care and attention as compared to non pedigree cats. They are good pets especially if you are interested in having them participate in cat shows.

In short, non pedigree cats do not show any extreme variation in their appearance and temperament like pedigree cats. They are easier to maintain as compared to pedigree cats. Since ancestor breeds of these cats are not known it is very difficult to predict their weight and age. These cats are hunters. They can be very beautiful and affectionate.

If you are looking for a cat as a pet, you can either go for pedigree or non pedigree cat depending on your choice.