House cat (domestic shorthair or longhair)

What does a house cat look like?

House cats come in every look there is: tabby, black, white, tuxedo, calico, tortoiseshell, orange, gray, short-haired and long-haired. That variety is the point. They do not follow a breed standard, so their shape is usually 'medium' in every way: not as round as a British Shorthair, not as slim as a Siamese, not as big as a Maine Coon.

What are house cats like?

Every house cat is an individual. Many are healthy, hardy and long-lived thanks to their mixed genes.

How to care for a house cat

Brush short coats weekly and long coats a few times a week. Yearly vet checks, good food and daily play cover the rest.

Is my cat a house cat or a purebred?

If your cat came from a shelter, a friend or the street, it is almost certainly a house cat, even if it looks a lot like a breed. Coat patterns such as tabby, calico and tuxedo are colors, not breeds. Our scanner says 'house cat' when no breed fits clearly.

A photo can only tell you what your cat looks like. Pedigree papers from a breeder, or a cat DNA test, are the only ways to prove a breed. For a quick first answer, upload a photo to our free cat breed identifier. It compares your cat with 31 breeds and the ordinary house cat and shows the three closest matches.