Mixed Breed

Routine Care: She needs daily play sessions that stimulate her natural desire to hunt and explore. Keep her mind and body active or she may develop behavior issues. Cats are meticulously clean and demand a clean litter box. Be sure to provide at least one box for each cat and scoop waste daily. It is important that your cat drinks adequate amounts of water. If she won’t drink water from her bowl try adding ice cubes or a flowing fountain. 

Grooming: Brush as needed, at least weekly for a healthy shine.

Dental: Mixed Breed cats can have serious problems with their teeth, so you’ll need to brush them at least three times a week!

Ear Care: Check her ears weekly for wax, debris, or signs of infection and clean when necessary. Don’t worry—your veterinarian will show you how!

The Mixed Breed cat has a combination of a lot of different traits.  

Positive Traits:

• May meow to communicate with you 

• Lively, with a friendly personality 

• Agile, sturdy, and athletic 

• A good companion and pet 

• Does most of her own grooming 

• Adaptable to a wide variety of living conditions

Negative Traits:

• Can become overweight easily if not exercised regularly 

• Scratches when bored 

• May be mischievous if not given enough attention 

• Can be wary of and hide from strangers if not socialized properly 

• Has a tendency to escape, wander, and roam 

Knowing your pal’s genetic make-up is an important step you can take to ensure her future health and happiness. Just because your pet looks like a Persian doesn’t mean she is a Perisan! And even if she is part Persian, it doesn’t mean she’ll have the same behavioral tendencies or health problems as one. In fact, she could have inherited some of those traits from her parents or grandparents of entirely different breeds. You may want to know which breeds your cat is so that your veterinarian can tell you what to expect in terms of his behavior and health. By exploring the health concerns specific to your cat you will become a knowledgeable and confident pet parent. Be sure to speak with your veterinarian about breed risks every time you visit and educate yourself on the most important symptoms to watch for at home. She’s counting on you to be her health expert. 

Disclaimer: If you have a common cat breed or a purebred cat, there's probably a lot of genetic research and clinical epidemiological data that have been collected and analyzed over the years, and this large amount of data means that we can confidently predict higher than average risk of certain diseases for these breeds. When the cat breed is more rare, or is an unknown combination of breeds, we have no stockpile of documented history to draw upon when making preventive healthcare recommendations. We can however, make some educated guesses based on disease risks for cat breeds that share conformational or genetic links with your Mixed Breed. Based on these similarities, the following disease risks may carry higher risk, although supportive research has not been identified. 

Some health issues a Mixed Breed could encounter:

Mixed Breed cats can sometimes closely resemble a specific breed, or can look and act like a mix of several breeds. These unique cats can vary in size, temperament, coat, and other characteristics depending on their diet, lineage, and degree of care. The Mixed Breed is usually adapts easily to a variety of living conditions. They are good companions and a friendly pet. 

• Weakness or exercise intolerance; rapid, labored, or open-mouth breathing; sudden-onset of weakness

• Red or swollen gums, especially along the edges of the upper premolar teeth

• Abnormal skin or coat, excessive grooming

• Shaking head or one ear tilted abnormally

• Voracious appetite, weight loss, excessive thirst and urination

• Hard stools, either large or small pieces, straining to pass stool

• Squinting, watery eyes, bluing cornea, redness, enlarged eye

• Asthmatic wheezing

• Poor appetite, weight loss, lethargy, increased thirst and urination