# What the hell breed is this gigantic housecat? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [October 19, 2007, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289 "2007-10-19T12:23:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 12:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/1 "2007-10-19T12:23:41Z")
I got this on a mailout: [huge cat at home](http://www.diesel.pp.net.ua/news/2007-02-15-104) (NSFW if you work for a company that is worried about one image amongst many, of a naked lady in a bath with a gigantic cat, covering up her boobies, but with a hint of her pubic region through the murky water). It appears to be acting like a normal housecat, but its face looks like something much bigger. An ocelot\*? Lynx/cat cross? It’s a Russian site, so perhaps the breed is mentioned in the cyrillics. \*How do you tittilate an ocelot? Oscillate its tit a lot. ---
**Author:** ![Frylock](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ce7236/32.png) [@Frylock](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frylock)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 12:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/2 "2007-10-19T12:32:10Z")
The size does not appear to me to be consistent from photo to photo. This is espcially clear when comparing the one with the lady and table to the one on the computer desk. Also, what’s up with letting a cat rend a chicken all over one’s nice shiny floor? -FrL- ---
**Author:** ![vetbridge](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/b5e925/32.png) [@vetbridge](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/vetbridge)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 1:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/3 "2007-10-19T13:15:25Z")
The cat appears acromegalic to me. Maybe. > **[Merck Veterinary Manual](https://www.merckvetmanual.com/?redirectid=18?ruleredirectid=30&cfile=htm%2Fbc%2F40508.htm)** > > The Merck Veterinary Manual has been a trusted source of animal health information for students and practicing veterinarians. It contains authoritative guidelines for the diagnosis, treatment, and prevention of animal disorders and diseases. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 1:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/4 "2007-10-19T13:27:55Z")
I have no idea, but I would like to say: -Whatever we’re looking at here, it’s not just an ordinary tabby moggy photoshopped to look big. -That’s one weird set of photos - I got down to the one with the cat swimming in the bath with the catfish and thought it was a bit risky keeping those two pets together, then realised it wasn’t another pet, it was lunch. Then the chicken thing, the bath photos, the (apparently)naked bloke in front of the computer (I know we can’t see below his shoulders, but face it - he’s not wearing any pants - you can just tell). What a bloody weird house that must be to live in, or next door to. ---
**Author:** ![Si\_Amigo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/si_amigo/32/2877_2.png) [@Si\_Amigo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Si_Amigo)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 1:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/5 "2007-10-19T13:30:09Z")
That is a [bengal](http://bengalcathome.com/) cat mix. I had a bengal and he was big and he loved the water too. The head on the cat suggest it is a mix, that is not a bengal head. The rest of the body and markings are consistant with a bengal, including the size. Mine was close to 20 lbs and could jump vertically to the top of a six foot refrigirator with all four feet landing on top (no climbing up with the last two feet)! 🆒 ---
**Author:** ![jjimm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/ba8739/32.png) [@jjimm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jjimm)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 1:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/6 "2007-10-19T13:38:42Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] the (apparently)naked bloke in front of the computer (I know we can’t see below his shoulders, but face it - he’s not wearing any pants - you can just tell). [/QUOTE] That made me snort in the office; thanks. 😉 ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 1:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/7 "2007-10-19T13:54:09Z")
the Russian word labeling the pictures, “Kotik” is not the normal Russian word for domestic housecat (kochka). In fact, it appears that the word for domestic housecat is a diminutive of “Kotik.” I suggest that “kotik” means “big or great cat” the same way we would describe a lion as a “big cat.” Leading me to believe that what we’re seeing is a tame wild cat, quite possibly the “Fishing cat” seen on this site: [http://www.thewildlifetravels.com/cats-india-wildlife.html](http://www.thewildlifetravels.com/cats-india-wildlife.html) and here: [http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/mammals/Prionailurus\_viverrinus/](http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/mammals/Prionailurus_viverrinus/) This photo, in particular, looks exactly like the cat shown: [http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/mammals/Prionailurus\_viverrinus/GES015833.html](http://www.arkive.org/species/GES/mammals/Prionailurus_viverrinus/GES015833.html) ---
**Author:** ![MikeS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MikeS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MikeS)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 1:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/8 "2007-10-19T13:56:29Z")
I’ve seen these pictures before. It’s not a breed of domestic cat, it’s a [Fishing Cat](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishing_Cat), native to Southeast Asia and the Indian subcontinent. Hence the picture of the cat in the bathtub with a catfish, followed by a picture of the cat dragging the same fish around. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 1:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/9 "2007-10-19T13:58:32Z")
Some more information on the fishing cat: > **[Fishing cat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishing_Cat)** > > The fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. Since 2016, it is listed as Vulnerable on the IUCN Red List. Fishing cat populations are threatened by destruction of wetlands and have declined severely over the last decade. The fishing cat lives foremost in the vicinity of wetlands, along rivers, streams, oxbow lakes, in swamps, and mangroves. > The fishing cat is the state animal of West Bengal. > Felis viverrinus was proposed by Edward Turner Be... -some of the facts listed there seem a poor match to the cat in the series of pictures for this thread, but maybe if it’s a hybrid between the fishing cat and some other species, there could be some kind of hybrid vigour thing happening - or some other similar or unrelated phenomenon - one of the lion/tiger hybrids (I forget whether it’s ligers or tigons), for example, is larger than both lions and tigers. ---
**Author:** ![ForumBot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/ee59a6/32.png) [@ForumBot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/ForumBot)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 2:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/10 "2007-10-19T14:33:34Z")
[QUOTE=Mangetout] Some more information on the fishing cat: > **[Fishing cat](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Fishing_Cat)** > > The fishing cat (Prionailurus viverrinus) is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. It has a deep yellowish-grey fur with black lines and spots. Adults have a head-to-body length of 57 to 78 cm (22 to 31 in), with a 20 to 30 cm (8 to 12 in) long tail. Males are larger than females, weighing 8 to 17 kg (18 to 37 lb), while females average 5 to 9 kg (11 to 20 lb). It lives mostly in the vicinity of wetlands, along rivers, streams, oxbow lakes, in swamps and mangroves where it preys ... -some of the facts listed there seem a poor match to the cat in the series of pictures for this thread, but maybe if it’s a hybrid between the fishing cat and some other species, there could be some kind of hybrid vigour thing happening - or some other similar or unrelated phenomenon - one of the lion/tiger hybrids (I forget whether it’s ligers or tigons), for example, is larger than both lions and tigers. [/QUOTE] You’re thinking of [Toygers.](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Toyger) ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 2:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/11 "2007-10-19T14:37:29Z")
Ah, no, it was ligers: [http://www.maniacworld.com/liger.html](http://www.maniacworld.com/liger.html) ---
**Author:** ![Crescend](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/b9bd4f/32.png) [@Crescend](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Crescend)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 3:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/12 "2007-10-19T15:14:43Z")
[QUOTE=Hello Again] the Russian word labeling the pictures, “Kotik” is not the normal Russian word for domestic housecat (kochka). In fact, it appears that the word for domestic housecat is a diminutive of “Kotik.” I suggest that “kotik” means “big or great cat” the same way we would describe a lion as a “big cat.” [/QUOTE] Not quite. The word for “male cat” in Russian is “kot”. The word for “female cat” is “koshka”. The dimunitive for “kot” is “kotik”, and the dimunitive for “koshka” is “koshechka”. Typically, you’d refer to cats as female, unless it’s important to note the specific gender (like in English), but this is also one hell of a big cat. So you’d refer to it as male (or it really is a male). It’s also the owner’s beloved pet, so it’s described in the dimunitive form, “kotik”. As in, “Awwww, look at the great big kitty.” ---
**Author:** ![Jackmannii](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jackmannii/32/311_2.png) [@Jackmannii](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jackmannii)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 3:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/13 "2007-10-19T15:24:49Z")
I am looking forward to the photo sequence being updated, to first show 1) an alarmed-looking Boris confronted by the cat (who’s licking his chops), and 2) an apartment full of contented cats with distended bellies, and Boris nowhere to be seen. ---
**Author:** ![Hello\_Again](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/85e7bf/32.png) [@Hello\_Again](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hello_Again)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/14 "2007-10-19T15:52:00Z")
[QUOTE=Crescend] Not quite. The word for “male cat” in Russian is “kot”. The word for “female cat” is “koshka”. The dimunitive for “kot” is “kotik”, and the dimunitive for “koshka” is “koshechka”. Typically, you’d refer to cats as female, unless it’s important to note the specific gender (like in English), but this is also one hell of a big cat. So you’d refer to it as male (or it really is a male). It’s also the owner’s beloved pet, so it’s described in the dimunitive form, “kotik”. As in, “Awwww, look at the great big kitty.” [/QUOTE] Awww, look at the great big kitty. 🙂 Thanks for clearing that up. Something about the way the word was used pinged me but my Russian lessons are quite a distant memory. How great is it that Big Kitty is friends with the housecat? ---
**Author:** ![SailedTheOceanBlue](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/85f322/32.png) [@SailedTheOceanBlue](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/SailedTheOceanBlue)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 3:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/15 "2007-10-19T15:52:28Z")
Heh. I like the picture of it cleanind the regular kitty. The poor thing looks as if it’s skin is getting licked off. ---
**Author:** ![AskNott](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/asknott/32/5790_2.png) [@AskNott](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AskNott)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 5:03pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/16 "2007-10-19T17:03:59Z")
The caption, I suppose, is “Fisher Cat Fishes Catfish.”😉 ---
**Author:** ![Rico](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rico/32/3582_2.png) [@Rico](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rico)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 10:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/17 "2007-10-19T22:35:56Z")
Looks like a cross between a brown tabby and a [Savannah Cat](http://www.savannahcatclub.com/). ---
**Author:** ![Lamar\_Mundane](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/85f322/32.png) [@Lamar\_Mundane](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Lamar_Mundane)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 10:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/18 "2007-10-19T22:54:01Z")
A cat that eats catfish and live chickens _and_ carries around a hand grenade in it’s mouth? Maybe it’s Chuck Norris’s cat. ---
**Author:** ![rostfrei](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7bcc69/32.png) [@rostfrei](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/rostfrei)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 10:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/19 "2007-10-19T22:55:38Z")
I’d hate to clean that litterbox. ---
**Author:** ![Mangetout](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mangetout/32/19_2.png) [@Mangetout](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mangetout)\ **Post date:** [October 19, 2007, 11:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289/20 "2007-10-19T23:13:02Z")
[QUOTE=Lamar Mundane] A cat that eats catfish and live chickens _and_ carries around a hand grenade in it’s mouth? Maybe it’s Chuck Norris’s cat. [/QUOTE] I had to do a double take in case there was yet another level of weirdness about that photo set that had escaped me, but this wasn’t it - I’m pretty sure that grenade is just the squeeze bulb from a sphygmomanometer. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/what-the-hell-breed-is-this-gigantic-housecat/423289.md?page=2)