r/animalid • u/haskittens • Oct 28 '24
My in-laws found these in the forest near their summer house and insist they are domestic kittens. Are they? 🐯🐱 UNKNOWN FELINE 🐱🐯
Near Ufa, Bashkortostan, Russia. They came to the house (forest adjacent) looking for food. My in-laws reckon they are orphans and won’t survive harsh winter alone. Me and my husband however doubt they are domestic cats.
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u/Normal_Banana_2314 Oct 28 '24
Yes, those are domestic cats
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Oct 28 '24
[deleted]
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u/AshumiReddit Oct 28 '24
M is for doMesticated
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u/Electrical-Act-7170 Oct 28 '24
The "M" refers to being Tabby cats, it's a coat pattern.
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u/WildFlemima Oct 28 '24
This is not true
The European wildcat and African wildcat both have M, look very nearly indistinguishable from domestic tabbies, and can interbreed with them; our domestic cats are the descendants of African wildcats
The tell that op's kittens are not wild is location, not pattern, in this instance
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u/WildFlemima Oct 28 '24
This is not true. A cat with an M could be a European or African wildcat. It is not always an indicator of domesticity.
The proof that these are domestic cats, in this case, is op's location, not the appearance of the kittens
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u/kec04fsu1 Oct 28 '24
Look like standard kittens to me.
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u/kscomputerguy38429 Oct 28 '24
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u/kec04fsu1 Oct 28 '24
Exactly what I was thinking as I replied 🤣
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u/Xenc Oct 29 '24
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u/Motor_Crow4482 Oct 28 '24
If you're asking for a species ID, which I assume you are, then yes, they are domestic cats.
If you're trying to distinguish between pet cats and feral cats, then that's entirely on how they live in relation to humans. If they were born out of human care and are therefore unsocialized/uncared for then they may be feral, but that doesn't mean they won't be good pets - and also doesn't mean they could survive on their own (probably not, actually - cats have very short lifespans surviving in their own).
So yeah. Regular domestic cats. They could make for some nice pets with loving care.
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u/Fit_Change3546 Oct 28 '24
Totally, these two are still small enough where they can be reasonably socialized with people.
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u/Rumpelteazer45 Oct 28 '24
Yep, with enough time, attention, and patience, young cats can be socialized 99% of the time.
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u/Muffinskill Oct 28 '24
Awww tabby kitties. Take good care of them if you aren’t giving them to someone else to take care of
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u/haskittens Oct 28 '24
Thanks everyone! The kittens have already found a home with my in-laws’ neighbors. We just wanted to make sure they won’t grow into huge wildcats or something.
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u/Pick_Up_the_Phone Oct 28 '24
I don't think I would be able to resist these two! There is something precious about the protector/protected dynamic. <3
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u/lichgate Oct 29 '24
We took in a pair of older cats who were sisters. They had been in a rough situation for most of their lives, and had fallen into the roles of protector/protected. I’ll never forget when my fiancé was giving the shy gal some medicine, and she cried because she didn’t like it. Her sister came dashing across the house and launched herself at my fiancé because she thought he was hurting her sister. She was an eight pound cat and didn’t hesitate to take on a full grown man to save her sis.
We only had them in our lives a short time before they passed from terminal cancer (we knew this taking them in), but we were lucky to get to love them for the time we got. We keep their ashes on top of each other so Gizmo will always be protecting her Peanut.
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u/Pick_Up_the_Phone Oct 29 '24
That is so sweet and sad. You're going to make me cry.
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u/cawinegarden Oct 29 '24
I agree 💯. This brought tears to my eyes. I can't imagine how I will feel when I lose my two.
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u/carbomerguar Oct 29 '24
One is on top of the other one and the little cat head is poking out from under the little cat tummy. I had a primal reaction
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u/aravenlunatic Oct 28 '24
I can see why you might think that, they are so interesting looking. Glad they have a home now!
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u/Confident-Mix1243 Oct 28 '24
The fact that you were able to catch them suggests they are a domestic species. Unless they were closed-eyes kittens, maybe.
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u/mustynine Oct 28 '24
My spouse brought home a cat with those markings but also has tall black tufts on the ears. I screamed at them thinking they brought home a bobcat.
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u/travissm2 Oct 29 '24
A couple of years ago, there was a story in the news about a woman who found a bobcat stuck in her yard. She didn't know what a bobcat was, so she brought it inside for the night and posted on Craigslist trying to find its owner. Apparently, it was very grumpy lol.
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u/Calgary_Calico Oct 28 '24
If these were large wildcat cubs they would not be this small lol though I do appreciate the due diligence
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u/RatLover928 Oct 28 '24
Definitely domestic cats. The only wild cats found in Russia are Pallas cats,the leopard cat,eurasian lynx,Amur tiger and amur leopard.
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u/SparrowLikeBird Oct 28 '24
They look like domestic kittens to me.
They have tails, so not lynxes. They aren't tiger or leopard cubs. The ears are pointy, so not pallas cats.
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u/TheRealJalil Oct 28 '24
Oh yes, not only domesticated but a couple of classic r/StandardIssueCat
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u/Ea84 Oct 28 '24
I’m afraid that kitten has a horrible deformity. It’s got a stomach head. Definitely not normal. Poor thing.
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u/JuniperElle Oct 28 '24
I was this 🤏 close to googling "cat stomach head" 🤣🤣🤣 then my brain decided to join the chat
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u/KrystalWulf Oct 28 '24
Their back fur pattern and tail remind me of the feral cats we find around my area of Florida. If those babies have spicy personalities, their parents and maybe grandparents may have been living wild for a while. They should be able to be redomesticated if they're young enough. Might never be very cuddly and affectionate though. But every cat is different, and those two might not behave like the one I had.
Glad they've got a home. :D they're super adorable.
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u/thumbsuccer Oct 28 '24
Yes they are. Feral, but still domestic standard issue cats. Poor babies, hope you're taking care of them. And please spay/neuter the mom and babies so the cycle doesn't continue 🙏
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u/Upstairs-Yak7384 Oct 28 '24
Well they COULD be feral cats that have never enjoyed human companionship. I lived in the woods many many years ago and discovered two kittens living under my house. With a lot of patience I FINALLY got them to trust me and come inside. They eventually settled in and were my beloved companions for close to twenty years.
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u/DebbieDowner73 Oct 28 '24
I have no idea, but they sure are adorable. 🐈😍
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u/Psianth Oct 28 '24
Specifically tabby cats. That’s what they call cats with that M shaped marking on their forehead.
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u/PleasantCandidate785 Oct 28 '24
I have to say that is quite possibly the cutest picture you could have posted. So adorable.
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u/Deep-Internal-2209 Oct 28 '24
Poor babies are really scared. 😱 please be nice them and care for them.
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u/Excellent_Berry_5115 Oct 28 '24
Those sweethearts are "Tabbies". They have the distinctive "M" marking on the forehead.
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u/delaina12000 Oct 28 '24
I’ve never seen one with two heads like this one, but they look like domestic short hair cats to me. In the U.S. the color is brown tabby.
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u/BeBesMom Oct 29 '24
Fluffy Floofs. They are yours. International Cat Distribution System has spoken. People drop cats in the forest as if they are not domesticated. Cruel, really. Thank goodness for your parents.
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u/OddicansMyCelium Oct 28 '24
How's Russia these days ? We seem to have lost contact - the world
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u/haskittens Oct 28 '24
We left in 2022. When I come back, it doesn’t feel like home anymore. I miss the times of my early childhood, the 2000s, it felt like we were moving forward. It’s very dark now. I still have hope, but most of my friends don’t. Most of them left too.
Please know that a lot of Russian people oppose the government’s actions, even these who choose to stay.
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u/OddicansMyCelium Oct 28 '24
I'm not comparing our issues to yours but know the rest of the world also feels dark following that very brief glimmer of hope post COVID.
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u/Gary-Beau Oct 28 '24
Probably abandoned domestic cats that are becoming feral. Hand feeding and speaking to them softly will oftentimes gain their trust over a few days and then they will start coming to you whenever you show up. If they start presenting themselves to you for petting then you have gained their trust.
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u/Haskap_2010 Oct 28 '24
Your in-laws wouldn't be able to get anywhere near them if they were true wild cats. These are standard issue tabbies.
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u/sampleballott1234 Oct 28 '24
They look like regular domestic cats to me, one of mine looks just like these.
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u/BubbleHeadMonster Oct 28 '24
They are domestic babies, would your parents take them in? They deserve a loving home.❤️
Don’t forget to tell your parents to spay/neuter and vaccines if they decide to keep them!
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u/Broccolirabi93 Oct 29 '24
I'm glad the neighbors took them in. I doubt they would have survived a russian winter outside. I'd bake them some borodinsky bread as a thank you.
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u/irishstorm04 Oct 29 '24
They are not wild in my opinion but their colors are beautiful and they are adorable
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u/BrookeB79 Oct 29 '24
I agree that they look like domestic cats - the species. Whether they are actually domesticated is another thing. They may have never been raised with humans, and are thus wild animals.
Kittens this small can absolutely be domesticated if they are actually wild and grow up to be loving companion animals. It will just take them a little time to recognize that you are good animals who won't hurt them and will give them lots of love.
There may be more from the litter out there. Please keep an eye out for them.
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u/Ju5t4ddH2o Oct 28 '24
They need to make sure there aren’t anymore out there - where they found these. There’s usually 1-2 left behind.
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u/Eyeoftheleopard Oct 28 '24
You’ve got two fine specimens there: domestic short hair tabby kitties. 🫶🏼🍁
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u/flyingmicrowave1 Oct 28 '24
Dang all I find in the woods next to my house is my own cat. Never any kittens!
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u/Psychotic_EGG Oct 28 '24
I heard what I swear was a kitten once. Turned out to be a squirrel. Once it saw me it stopped mewing and started chittering. Weirdest shit
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u/Ok-Bug-3449 Oct 28 '24
It’s hard to tell just from a picture. If they were feral you’d know. Hissing, not wanting to be touched, etc. they could have had human contact but are not fully domesticated
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u/Calgary_Calico Oct 28 '24
If these were Pallas Cat kittens they'd be much smaller, and their faces would be a much different shape. That's the only small wild cats you guys have over there and these aren't Pallas Cats, these are definitely domestic cats
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u/Bvvitched Oct 28 '24
The “M” on their forehead is characteristic of a tabby cat the only “wild” cat I can think of that has an “M” and would be close by is the European Wildcat which isn’t found in Russia.
These are just scared domestic kittens
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u/mazelbro22 Oct 28 '24
White spot on the back of their ears will tell you if they are wild or domesticated
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u/grwachlludw Oct 28 '24
Definitely domestic kittens. Perhaps they have some Siberian forest cat genetics given your location, they seem to have slight ear furnishings (fluff) and the characteristic sweet looking face.
Either way, they are absolutely adorable!
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u/barb6buch Oct 29 '24
Absolutely domestic cats. Beautiful. Guess they were hungry. Take good care of them😍
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u/215Kurt Oct 29 '24
No help but oh my freaking god they are so adorable!!! I was wondering where the head was for the second one until i looked down, what perfect little angels
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u/Exotic_Drive8893 Oct 29 '24
They have the classic tabby M on their forehead. Maybe mixed, but definitely domestic.
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u/Pie_and_Ice-Cream Oct 29 '24
These look like domestic kitties to me. If they’re happy to come live, then totally adopt them.
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u/Zaraisnothuman Oct 29 '24
They look like cats who became wild again. They look exactly like the 'wild cats' at a barn I used to work at. They have larger eyes and sharper facial features. The ears are also a little larger.
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u/Ok-Drama-963 Oct 29 '24
Those are definitely apex predators. Apex predators who will enslave you to their will.
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u/Circes_Spell Oct 29 '24
Those are two, very cute, good ole fashioned tabby cats :) aka an excellent addition to your home 😁 they pay their rent in pest control lol
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u/bodaciouschronic Oct 30 '24
Bro, I will fly to Russia if there is any chance these sweet angels aren’t getting a good permanent home. 🙏🏻
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u/Wu-TangShogun Oct 30 '24
r/standardissuecat is all these are and are one of the most fun breeds of domestic shorthaired I know of personally.
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u/sunnyseshh Oct 28 '24
cant help identifying them, but congrats to your in laws for winning the cat distribution system and getting some of the cutest babies ive ever seen
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u/Jimbo_The_Prince Oct 28 '24
100% felix domesticus, those little bugs are likely just a good home away from being awesome housecats, there isn't really a line between feral/wild and pets besides socialization. Talk to them lots, specially when feeding them, and don't be afraid of being a little pushy with affection, headrubs and slow blinks and winking are really helpful for this. But they don't look like wild born kitties to me so this might not apply, likely abandoned housecats, they're just too neat/healthy looking and relaxed and came to a house for food so they had to pick up that knowledge someplace.
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u/WyldBlu3Yond3r Oct 28 '24
https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_wildcat
They normally don't hang out that far Northeast, but stranger things happen.
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Oct 28 '24
They are beautiful and must spoil them. Is the microchip there? If not put up flyers, always nervous about flyers because anyone would claim those 2. Maybe take the picture and leave out a distinguished marking an owner would know. No idea but they are yours for now!
Edit: idk what yall are going on about the m on the forehead... my brown tabbies has it it is pretty normal for tabby cats around here.
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u/AnarchoBratzdoll Oct 28 '24
There's no wild cat species that looks like this in Russia. These are house cats.