Reference
Cat Breed Glossary
Plain-language definitions of the terms you encounter when researching cat breeds. Each entry explains what the term means, how it works, and how it relates to identifying your cat.
Domestic Shorthair (DSH)
A Domestic Shorthair (DSH) is not a breed. It is a catch-all label for any short-coated cat with no documented breed ancestry. The term covers the vast majority of cats worldwide, from shelter rescues to neighborhood strays. A Domestic Longhair (DLH) is the long-coated equivalent.
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Pedigree Cat
A pedigree cat is a cat whose ancestry is documented through a recognized registry like CFA, TICA, or FIFe. The pedigree is a family tree, usually going back three to five generations, that proves the cat descends from registered parents of the same breed. Having a pedigree means someone tracked the lineage. It does not guarantee the cat looks, acts, or stays healthy in any particular way.
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Tabby Cat
Tabby is a coat pattern, not a breed. The word describes a cat with distinctive stripes, swirls, or spots on its fur, often with an M-shaped marking on the forehead. Tabby patterns appear in dozens of breeds and in millions of domestic shorthairs. Calling a cat "a tabby" is like calling a person "a brunette", it describes one feature, not the whole identity.
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Cat Breed Standard
A breed standard is a written description of the ideal physical and temperamental traits for a specific cat breed. It covers everything from head shape and ear set to coat texture and eye color. Think of it as a blueprint. Breed standards are published by cat registries like CFA, TICA, and FIFe, and judges use them to evaluate cats at shows.
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FIFe Classification
FIFe stands for Fédération Internationale Féline. It is the largest international cat registry, founded in 1949 in Paris. FIFe classifies recognized cat breeds into four groups based on body type and coat characteristics. It operates in over 40 countries and is one of the three major cat registries worldwide, alongside CFA (North America) and TICA (global).
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Calico Cat
Calico describes a cat with a tri-color coat: white base with patches of orange (or red) and black (or grey/blue). The pattern is not a breed. It is a color arrangement that appears in many breeds and in domestic shorthairs. The term "calico" is used in North America; in the UK, the same pattern is often called "tortoiseshell and white."
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Tortoiseshell Cat
Tortoiseshell (tortie) describes a cat with a coat of intermixed orange and black patches, sometimes with cream or grey. Like tabby and calico, tortoiseshell is a color pattern, not a breed. The pattern appears in many breeds and in domestic shorthairs. Tortie cats are almost always female, for the same genetic reason as calico cats.
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