The Alley Cat: Who Is He? How Does He Live?
Also called common cat or domestic cat, the alley cat differs from purebred cats in that it does not have a genealogical line, in other words, a pedigree. These felines are more common and more numerous than purebred cats. Discover their characteristics.
What Is Meant By Alley Cat?
House cat, common cat, alley cat… all these denominations are used to designate a cat of uncertain, unknown origins, or which has not undergone genetic manipulations carried out by man. Clearly, no selection has been made to obtain specific characteristics. The history of this feline goes back a long way, to that of the domesticated wild cat in Egypt 2600 years before Christ. The alley cat is first highly appreciated in the regulation of rodent invasions in peasant societies.
Even today, it is very common to see house cats in country homes, around stables, barns, silos, granaries and farms. Gradually, this feline invades urban areas and has become a very popular apartment cat all over the world.
Attention, it is also advisable to make the difference between alley cat and European cat, because amalgams exist very frequently. Unlike the common cat therefore, the European cat has a pedigree in the same way as the Maine coon, the Siamese or the Persian. The Fédération Internationale Féline officially recognized it in 1983 under the name of European Shorthair.
Physical Characteristics
Due to the lack of a standard, the alley cat has no specific physical characteristics. It can have a slender, robust or stocky body, be tall or smaller, with a triangular or round head, long or short hair and wear a coat of very varied colors (marbled, tortoiseshell, striped, spotted). On the other hand, it comes in three categories: domestic, haret or wanderer. The domestic cat is therefore the one who lives in a family.
The feral cat evolves rather outside and must hunt in order to be able to feed itself. The stray cat is a bit of a mix of the two previous ones. It lives outside, but from time to time it solicits humans for food. On the health side, as it has escaped genetic selection and given its origins from wild and semi-wild cats, the alley cat is a very robust animal. The oldest individuals can live up to twenty years. No specific disease is linked to this feline.
The Behavior Of The Alley Cat
Just like its physical characteristics, the alley cat develops a behavior that depends from one individual to another. Nevertheless, he is recognized as having an affectionate, kind and gentle character. It can also happen that he is rather solitary in nature and does not like outpourings of love, is not very affectionate and can even develop aggression. Do not forget that it is education that forges the character of this animal. His personality will depend on his experiences with men and whether he was separated from his mother early or not.
