What Is a Domestic Cat?

The phrase "domestic cat" can be confusing for some. By definition, a domestic cat is one that resides in a house; however, not all domestic cats are house cats. They can be purebred or mixed breed, living in a home, on a farm, or as strays or feral cats in a neighborhood.

Learn more about domestic cats, including their history and breeds.  

Millennia in the Making

Domestic cats, formerly wild and big cats, were developed thousands of years ago through selective breeding to remove "wild" traits from their DNA.

"Artificial selection," a term coined by biologist Charles Darwin, is a process humans use to develop organisms with desirable traits. Breeders select two parents with beneficial characteristics to reproduce, resulting in offspring that inherit those traits.

Today, all cats descend from original cats in Africa, the Mediterranean, and the Middle East. They can all be called "domestic," regardless of their breeding.

Mixed-Breed Cats

A mixed-breed cat is a cat of unknown origin with various body types, coats, or color patterns. It may have markings similar to certain breeds, but without extensive genealogy records and pedigree registration with the Cat Fanciers' Association or another organization, it is classified as mixed breed. For example, no matter how much a cat resembles a Siamese, it's usually considered a Siamese mix.

Purebred Cats

The Cat Fanciers' Association is the main registering body for pedigreed cat breeds in the U.S., recognizing 42 breeds like Siamese, Persian, Maine coon, and Bengal. The International Cat Association recognizes 71 breeds, from the ancient Abyssinian to newer breeds like the lykoi "werewolf" cat and the wild-looking chausie, derived from a wild jungle cat. Both organizations, based in the United States, host competitions and maintain breed standards.

Infinite Variety of Domestic Cats

Domestic cats come in various sizes, shapes, coat lengths, and color patterns. They can be found in all solid colors, and combinations thereof, whether purebred or not.

Domestic cats have many descriptive names; they're often called "house cats," "alley cats," "moggies" (in the U.K.), and in cat shows, these domestic, mixed-breed cats are classified as "Household Pets."

Recent Breeds

In the past 50 years, most new cat breeds have resulted from careful breeding programs by feline genetics experts, or have emerged by happenstance. Occasionally, a domestic cat litter may include kittens so unique that they become the foundation of a new breed.

• American bobtail: The American bobtail originated in the late 1960s from a male brown tabby kitten. According to urban legend, it resulted from a domestic cat mixing with a bobcat on an Indian reservation in the Southwest U.S.
• American curl: The first American curl kittens resulted from a serendipitous genetic accident, born in 1981 to a longhaired black stray with unusual ears in Lakewood, California.
• Cornish Rex: The Cornish Rex is the oldest of the three Rex cat breeds, originating around 1950 from a spontaneous mutation in a litter of barn cats.

• Munchkin: Although short-legged cats have been around longer, the munchkin as a distinct breed was not classified until 1983 in Louisiana.

Pixiebob: The Pixiebob was officially recognized as a breed by the International Cat Association in 1994, and by the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA) in 2005. It's believed to be a mix between a bobcat and a barn cat.