Throughout history, humans have bred dogs and cats to become the perfect animal companions. However, there’s always been debate between cat loves and dog loves on which animal is the superior pet. It may seem logical to think that somewhere between a dog and a cat is the perfect pet – but is it actually possible for dogs and cats to cross breed and have kuppies, or cat-dogs?
You may or may not be familiar with animated show that features a conjoined cat and dog. If you are, you may have wondered if someday, through medical and technological advancements, can a cat and a dog actually mate and have babies with each other?
Table of Contents
Is it actually possible?
To put it simply, no. There is no way for cats and dogs to have babies with each other. If you’d like a longer, more detailed reason as to why, read on.
Genetically, a dog and a cat are unable to have a baby with each other successfully because they are different species. For two animals to be compatible for breeding, they need to have an equal number of chromosomes. Cats have 19 pairs of chromosomes while dogs have 39.
Even if a dog and a cat have mated, there is no way for them to conceive and have babies. Their genes don’t match up.
How come there are hybrid animals?
You may have heard about the Liger (a lion-tiger mix), or even the Coywolf (Coyote-Wolf), or even the Grolar Bear (grizzly-polar bear). The reason why these hybrids are able to exist is because their parents are from the same species group unlike cats (felines) and dogs (canines).
Why does my cat act like a dog?
With all that being said, there are cats out there who may sometimes act like dogs. While they have no canine genes in them, they may still exhibit behaviors we would normally associate with dogs – like how some cats enjoy walking on a leash, coming when called, or even playing fetch. This is because cats are just naturally cunning. They’re smart and crafty enough to know how to win your favor.
There are some cat breeds who tend to act like dogs more than other breeds. These cats are the closest you’ll get to getting a cat-dog hybrid if that’s the sort of pet you are looking for. Ragdoll cats are also known as puppy cats because they are people pleasers. They always want to be with their humans, so much so that they’ll follow them from room to room. Abyssinians are very playful and energetic. They can be trained to walk on a leash. Maine Coons are gigantic cats who like to play fetch. Lastly, if you want the most dog-like among the cat breeds, bet on the Turkish Angora. They’re playful, devoted, and not skittish around new people.
Lastly, you can always train your cat to be more dog-like if that’s your jam. Cats are very intelligent creatures. With enough treats and patience, there’s not much in this world that’s impossible – except perhaps, an actual cat-dog.
Common questions about cats and dogs
As of now, there is no definitive answer to this question. Miacis is believed by scientists to be the common ancestor to all carnivores who live on land which includes cats and dogs. However, we still haven’t found the last common ancestor that both canines and felines share.
The earliest member of the Canine timeline is the grey wolves. By 100,000 BC they spread across Asia, the Middle East, Europe, and America. Humans started forging relationships with wolves and began selectively breeding them to favor puppy-like characteristics. We’ve played a huge role in how dogs evolved since then.
On the Feline side of things, modern cats originated with the species called Felis Silvestris. All domesticated cats are descendent from Felis Silvestris Lybica. Unfortunately, we still don’t know how exactly cats became domesticated (and they are domesticated, despite how it can sometimes feel when they poop on your pillow).
Contrary to what is commonly depicted in children’s cartoons, cats and dogs don’t always fight like cats and dogs. While the stereotype is there for a reason – sometimes cats and dogs do hate each other’s guts, that’s not always the case. It’s actually quite possible for cats and dogs to live a happy, peaceful, and even loving relationship while sharing the same household.
Love, to put it bluntly, is just chemicals – oxytocin to be exact. When humans and dogs interact with each other, they both release a dose of oxytocin, which is how we know they love us. Cats also release this hormone, although… not as much.
The thing is, this oxytocin release for dogs isn’t mutually exclusive to other humans or even other dogs. Dogs have a lot of love to give and sometimes they’ll even fall in love with their cat housemate – although we’ll never be sure if this kind of love is the romantic sort. Science hasn’t gone that far yet.
Conclusion
Nope. Cats and dogs cannot make hybrid babies with each other. This is simply because they are just too genetically different from each other.
