Inbred cats are a distinct breed that were developed through the deliberate breeding of two cats of the same breed to produce offspring with the same characteristics.
What are Inbreed Cats?
Inbreed cats are the result of breeding two closely related cats together. This can be done with any cat—it doesn’t matter if you have a Maine Coon or a Ragdoll or even if you own two different colors of cats. The purpose of inbreeding is to produce an offspring with traits that were not present in either parent.
This can be accomplished by breeding a male and female cat together. If you want to know more about how this works, check out our guide on inbreeding cats!
What do inbred cats look like?
Inbred cats are a very rare breed. They look like normal, healthy cats but are typically smaller in size than their non-inbred counterparts.
Inbreds have been bred for specific traits over time and those traits can be passed down to subsequent generations. This can be seen as a controlled process of breeding for specific traits, which is why they are considered “inbred” and do not appear in the wild.
However, there are other types of cats that exhibit similar characteristics to those of inbred cats, such as Siamese cats, Newfoundlands and Maine Coons. These animals also have smaller sizes than their non-inbred counterparts but retain their unique appearance because they were bred to fit certain lifestyles or requirements.
How to tell if a cat is inbred?
Developmental Problems
Inbred cats can have developmental problems due to their genetic makeup. The genes from their parents have not been mixed enough, and the cat’s body doesn’t know how to properly respond to stimuli. This can cause a variety of issues, including behavioral issues like shyness or aggression.
Birthweight Decline
Birthweight decline is a sign of inbreeding in cats. This means that the mother cat has an unusually small litter, and the kittens are born prematurely or have health problems.
Inbreeding can cause birthweight decline because it decreases the fitness of the litter, which leads to smaller kittens and less chance of survival.
Physical Deformities
They are most likely to be born with physical deformities like shortened legs, long eyelashes, or cleft palates. These can be caused by a genetic mutation that occurs in the litter’s mother or father, as well as by inbreeding during pregnancy.
Reproduction Issues
Inbred cats can have problems with reproduction, including:
- The female cat may not be able to get pregnant or give birth. This is due to several problems, but one of the most common is that the uterine wall may not be able to contract normally. This can lead to problems with ovulation and pregnancy.
- The male cat may not be able to get an erection or ejaculate properly. This is due to several problems, but one of the most common is his enlarged prostate gland, which causes infertility and impotence.
How long do inbred cats live?
The lifespan of inbred cats is often as long as any other cat, but they may live longer or shorter than their non-inbred counterparts. Because their genes are not mixed with other cats, their lifespan can be somewhat predictable. However, inbred cats are more susceptible to certain diseases and conditions that affect other cats.
Health issues
Heart Disease
Inbred cats are particularly susceptible to developing heart disease because of their genetic predisposition to develop certain diseases like this one. Because these cats are not able to express their genes properly, they will not be able to fight off the disease, as well as other cats who do not have these issues.
Kidney Disease
Kidney disease is a condition that can affect any cat, but it’s more common in cats who are inbred. If you have an inbred cat, you may notice that they are having trouble urinating, passing urine frequently, having a very weak stream of urine and not being able to pass any urine at all. You may also notice that the cat has difficulty eating, drinking or passing stools (feces). This is because their kidneys aren’t working properly.
Immune Deficiencies
This condition is caused by a lack of functioning antibodies in the body, which prevents the body from being able to fight off infections. The result is that the cat becomes sicker and sicker and eventually dies.
It is impossible to tell if your cat has this condition from its outward appearance; instead, you will need to do some blood work and urine tests to determine if your cat has Immune Deficiencies.
Cancers
Cancers are an Inbred Cat health issue because they are a hereditary disease. This means that if one parent has it, their offspring will have it as well. As you can imagine, this is a huge problem because it means that your cat will continue to pass on the disease over generations.
Environmental factors like diet or exposure to certain chemicals can also cause cancers. However, inbred cats are more likely to be genetically predisposed to cancer than those who come from different breeds or who have lived their entire lives indoors without exposure to other cats.
Is It Okay for Cats to Be Inbred?
It is not okay for cats to be inbred. In fact, it can be dangerous for them and their offspring to be inbred. This is because, even if you have a litter of kittens from two different litters, the chances that they will not be able to produce offspring are very low. This means that if you want to ensure your cats are genetically diverse and healthy, you should always keep them from breeding.
This is because inbreeding reduces genetic diversity and increases the chance of genetic defects. Genetic defects can range from minor health problems like blindness or deafness to more serious issues like epilepsy or an inability to produce milk. In addition, inbreeding can lead to genetic diseases like cystic fibrosis or feline immunodeficiency virus (FIV), which are both deadly illnesses that can affect any cat’s life expectancy.
What Happens If Cats Are Inbred?
Inbreeding can cause genetic defects in cats that are passed on to their offspring. For example, if you breed a cat that has inherited dwarfism from its mother, you may end up with kittens that are dwarfs themselves. This is a genetic condition known as “dwarfism.” In addition to being smaller than average, these cats also have shorter life spans than other cats of the same age and breed.
Some diseases that can be passed down through inbreeding include heart disease and cancer. When breeding cats with similar traits, it’s important to ensure that all of your cats are healthy before breeding them together; otherwise, you could end up with a litter of sickly kittens!
What Are the Problems With Inbreeding Cats?
Inbreeding can have some serious consequences for your pet cats. First, it can cause health problems. Because inbreeding reduces genetic diversity and increases the chances of genetic defects, it can lead to certain conditions like hip dysplasia or heart disease.
It also means that you might end up with cats who are less likely to mate with other cats outside of their own families, which can lead to genetic isolation among animals (and people). In nature, this happens when two separate species interbreed. This can lead to inbreeding depression, which makes them less likely to reproduce in the future—which means they’re at risk for extinction!
Inbred Cat Personality
Inbred cats have a tendency to be more aggressive than outbred cats. They’re not used to being around other cats and might be territorial. They might also be more aggressive since they are part of a genetic line that has never been exposed to other types of cats.
Inbred cats are also more likely to be fearful than outbred cats, as they haven’t had much experience with the world around them. They may have been kept in cages for long periods or bred often, which can lead to a lack of confidence in new situations. Because inbred cats were bred for specific traits, there will likely be no variation in personality among them—they’ll all be very similar in appearance, temperament and behavior patterns.
Difference between Inbreeding and Line Breeding
Inbreeding is a process where the offspring of two or more related cats are bred together to create new generations of cats. Inbreeding can be used to produce cats with specific traits and physical features. However, it can also introduce genetic defects and diseases into the population, which can be damaging to the health of your cat.
Line breeding occurs when two or more different breeds of cats are bred together to create new generations of kittens that are more likely to have desirable traits that are not found in either parent breed. This method tends to produce stronger and healthier kittens than inbreeding does, but it may also increase the risk of genetic defects or diseases occurring in those kittens.
FAQ
Are polydactyl cats inbred?
Polydactyl cats are not inbred but rather are naturally occurring mutations. There is no evidence that polydactyl cats are inbred, and if you have a polydactyl cat, you can be confident that it is not a result of inbreeding.
Will inbred kittens live?
Inbred kittens are very rare but not unheard of. They can live a long time and develop into healthy cats but are more prone to health problems than other cats. If you want to keep an inbred kitten, ensure it has been spayed or neutered and vaccinated as soon as possible.
Are inbred cats aggressive?
Inbred cats are prone to aggression but are not the only cause of inbreeding-related issues.
Cats are naturally territorial, and inbred cats are more likely to go after other animals if they feel threatened. Some factors, including poor nutrition or lack of socialization, can cause this.
It’s also important to note that some behaviors can be hereditary in certain breeds—so even if your cat is from a breed known for being docile and friendly, you may still see signs of aggression.
Conclusion
Owners of inbred cats need to keep them indoors to avoid certain genetic health conditions, like crossed eyes or polycystic kidney disease. It makes it easier to observe the animal and prevent inappropriate mating while also keeping the cat—which may become very bonded to its owner—out of other harmful situations.