Natural vs. Artificial Cat Breeds: A Research Breakdown
The answer is more complicated than it might seem. Leslie A. Lyons, a feline geneticist at the University of Missouri College of Veterinary Medicine, says that most cat breeds emerged over the past 140 years and represents the result of selection by humans for specific physical traits.
This is why there are cat breeds that are called natural, as they have been formed within the cat populations themselves over thousands of years due to natural environmental factors. True, there are only a few such breeds, and they include such popular cat breeds as Maine coonsSiberian catsRussian blues, Norwegian forest cats, Turkish Van cats and Egyptian mau, writes livescience.com.
According to feline geneticist Sarah Hartwell of cat resource MessyBeast, the precursors to natural breeds formed under the same conditions as wild species.
“Natural varieties can be considered a step towards a separate animal species,” she told Live Science.
Most often, they were formed when cats tried to adapt to the environment. due to the cold and snowy winters of Western Russia, thick-furred, large-boned cats remained, which later became the basis for the Siberian forest cat breed. In
Are Natural Cat Breeds Truly Natural Today?
Despite originating through natural evolutionary processes, modern natural cat breeds are considerably shaped by human intervention, and some face ongoing ethical debates about their continued breeding.
Human Influence on Cat Breeds
All cat breeds, regardless of their origins, are now affected by human influence, according to LA Lyons, a researcher in feline genetics. A 2023 study published in the journal Animal Genetics, co-authored by Lyons, demonstrates a dramatic increase in selective breeding in cats over the last century.This selective breeding has reduced the environmental pressures that initially lead to the development of natural breeds.
Lyons stated to Live Science, “All breeds, no matter the species, are affected by humans.”
The Case of the Manx Cat
The Manx cat provides a specific example of how human intervention sustains a breed that would likely not survive naturally. The breed’s defining characteristic – a naturally occurring mutation causing a shortened or absent tail – leads to reduced genetic diversity and potential health problems. Without intentional breeding by humans, the Manx cat would likely have died out due to these genetic factors.
Despite its continued popularity through breeding programs, the Manx cat remains a subject of ethical concern, with some advocating for an end to its breeding due to the health issues associated with the tail mutation.