The lookalike pairs

Ticked tabby moggies exist and are common. The Abyssinian's fine boning, large ears and complete absence of body markings separate it.

Russian Blues are slimmer and fine-boned with green eyes and a shimmering silver-tipped coat. A British Shorthair is cobby with copper eyes.

Effectively coatless. A Devon Rex has a real, if very short, wavy coat.

Maine Coons are much larger and rectangular, with a squared muzzle, heavy boning and lynx tips on the ears. Size alone is the usual giveaway.

A straight profile from brow to nose and a triangular head. Domestic longhairs have a rounder face.

Far heavier and rounder, with a very dense plush coat and a broad face. A grey domestic shorthair is not a British Shorthair.

A spotted domestic shorthair is a spotted tabby. A Bengal has rosetted spots, a glittered coat and a distinctly long muscular body.

The profile. A Norwegian Forest Cat has a straight line from the brow to the tip of the nose and a triangular head; a Maine Coon has a concave curve and a squared muzzle.

The Siberian is rounder in every dimension — a rounded head, rounded eyes and a barrel body.

Same cat, different coat pattern. Pointed with blue eyes is a Siamese; anything else is an Oriental.

The extreme wedge and ear size are unmistakable once seen. No moggy approaches them.

Ragdolls are always pointed with blue eyes. A large docile semi-longhair in a non-pointed colour is a Ragamuffin.

Without the size and the heavy boning, it is a moggy.

Ears curl backward and away from the face rather than folding forward, and the mutation is not associated with skeletal disease.

The same round build with normal upright ears — Scottish Folds were outcrossed to them.

Ragdolls are pointed and blue-eyed too, but they are large, semi-longhaired and heavily built. A Siamese is small and svelte.

Squared muzzle and a rectangular frame.