Took a snap of Tau with Zasa earlier, and was really taken aback at how much Zasa is taking after her mum, which isn't a bad thing in my books. Does anyone else own close relatives, and do they look alike?
They do look a lot alike. I'm on the other end of the scale. Know 2 from the same lines. Marshal, Mouse, and Romeo. Marshal looks nothing like the others. Romeo while he looks like Mouse, is Huge compared to Mouse and Marshal. All 3 though have the classic Mastiff temperament.
What a gorgeous pair! It's funny that sometimes genetics can go hog wild. Chii our oldest kitty is a tuxedo Munchkin...that is black and white with freakishly short legs. She had several kittens that passed on but the one that lived to adulthood was Mr. Foote. Ludie the daddy was all black with a few whisps of white. Mr Foote is gray and white and weighs around twenty pounds
I don't know how well my avatar pic can be seen but the gal looks like a smaller version of Dad in built & structure and acts a lot like him in personality. I don't look at it as genetics going hog wild. I know what you mean in terms of looking totally different from the parents or siblings that look completely different. In cats gray/blue is the same as it is with dogs. It is a recessive dilution of black so it makes perfect sense. When you have a litter from blacks that are carriers some kittens will be gray. Munchkin is dominant so about half should be short legged but for the overall size and weight that is where things can be drastic because of all the genes involved. Really big producing much as miller or vice versa.
I did feel guilty. When Chii was given to us I didn't know from breeds. Apparently Munchkins can have a very difficult time in labor. She should have never had kittens with my inexperience. Still find it remarkable that two very modest sized cats produced one the size of a medium terrier.
Size is polygenic (can be influenced by environment too) so that's one that can throw you for a loop. My dog is 33lbs, her sire about 65lbs, dam in low 40s (with 75lbs sire herself). I'm not complaining as I don't care for large Pits & prefer 25-35lbs I just expected that maybe she would be around 45lbs. Her sister is just as small too.
