List of experimental cat breeds
This list only includes breeds recognized by at least one extant, national or international, multi-breed registry.
Some may have "preliminary" status in one or more registries, with experimental conformation standards already in place, but turn out to be non-viable over the longer term.
Such conflicts are decreasing due to better communication between registries, largely facilitated by the Internet and by the World Cat Congress.
[citation needed] The name comes from the fact that the cats were originally found around the Aegean Sea.
[2] The Alpine Lynx is a white, short-tailed cat breed that can have either curled or straight ears.
As with the latter, attempts are underway to true-breed certain traits and establish a standardized breed, under a variety of names by different breeder groups.
The Australian Tiffanie is a cat breed derived from crosses between the short-haired Burmilla and the long-haired Chinchilla Persian.
[8] The Bambino is a dwarf cat cross between the Munchkin and Sphynx breeds; it has the short legs of the former and the lack of fur of the latter.
[9] In 2019, the Netherlands Food and Consumer Product Safety Authority ordered a couple to stop breeding the Bambino due to welfare concerns.
This cat has spotted or marbled markings and resembles the bobcat, and the breed is recognized by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry.
The gene responsible for hairlessness in the Sphynx (and thus in the Elf) produces skin that is not completely hairless; two types of hair formation occur: a few patches of light hairs particularly around the nose, tail, and toes; and a fine downy all-over covering.
[23] The Elf has been included in the Australian National Cats (ANCats) breed list as experimental.
The eyes are well-rounded and wide open, and the ears are equipped with small and smooth-edged tips.
The Genetta is a dwarf cat breed derived from crossbreeding the Munchkin and Bengal (sometimes also Ocicat) breeds[24] to create a spotted, striped, long-bodied, short-legged cat with a spotted, striped, or marbled coat.
[17] Originally developed in 1993 as the Highland Lynx, and accepted by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry (REFR) under that name, this cat is a crossbreed of the Desert Lynx and the Jungle Curl, to add the latter's curled ears to the former.
The ears are curled, polydactyly is permitted, and the coat may be spotted or tawny, and of varying lengths.
[33] The Lambkin, also known as the Nanus Rex, is a short-legged dwarf cat breed of US origin with a densely curled coat.
It is recognised by REFR,[17] and recognized in the "preliminary new breed" category by The International Cat Association (TICA) since 2018.
[41] The breed is recognized under the original Napoleon name by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry.
They are derived from crosses between Bengal bloodlines and those of naturally polydactyl cats from the Mojave Desert region in the US.
The head shape is medium to large with full cheekbones and whisker pads, giving a rounded appearance to the muzzle.
The ears are medium to large, wide set, full at the base and tapering, standing straight and upright, sometimes feathering to a rounded tip that is often tufted in the longer-haired cats.
The large oval eyes are slightly slanted and wide set, and are always Siamese blue.
The Owyhee Bob is sometimes said to have a temperament that is more like that of a dog than a cat; they can be taught to sit, lie down, and play fetch.
[48] Pantherette is a crossbreed of black (melanistic) Bengals[48] (a hybrid of the domestic cat and the Asian leopard cat), with full-tailed specimens of the Pixie-Bob breed, as well as the Maine Coon and another experimental Bengal crossbreed known as the Mojave Spotted);[43] some unsubstantiated claims have suggested also some direct crossing to wild leopard cat subspecies,[49] though this is unlikely given the modern restrictions on international trade in wildlife, and the breeders' own sites do not make this claim.
[51] Breed developers Mike and Marie Bloodgood of Kentucky have asserted a trademark over the name.
[50] Pantherette remains listed by the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry, but with no information about the breed as of 2024.
[58] The Tiffanie is of UK origin and is a variant of the (normally) short-haired Burmilla, which is itself a cross between the Burmese and Chinchilla Persian.
