Archive for the ‘Cat Breeds’ Category
Feb
2009
How To Choose The Right Cat Breed
February 23rd, 2009 at 05:52 am by Cat Lover in Cat Breeds
There are so many cat breeds. How can you decide which breed is right for you and your family? Follow this handy guide to select the perfect cat breed.
The first thing you should consider is whether you will be able to handle having a vocal cat. Some cat breeds can actually be quite noisy. While many cat owners do not have a problem with these vocal breeds, as they realize their cats are just communicating with them, a loud cat can be a problem in an apartment situation. Breeds that are very vocal are the Siamese Cat, the Korat, and the Burmese. The Scottish Fold, Somali, and the American Curl are considered to be very quiet cat breeds.
Jan
2009
A Look At The Exotic Cat Breed
January 5th, 2009 at 05:20 am by Cat Lover in Cat BreedsIf you are a fan of the beautiful longhair Persian cat, but are concerned about being able to keep your cat’s coat from matting, you may want to consider the Exotic. This breed looks exactly like the Persian, except that it has a much shorter coat.
The Exotic weighs in at seven to fourteen pounds and has a stocky body, a round head, round paws, and a short tail. This breed comes in all colors and patterns, from solid Blues to Seal Points.
Nov
2008
The Ocicat And Bengal Cat Breeds
November 4th, 2008 at 05:43 pm by Cat Lover in Cat BreedsThe Ocicat were named after the Ocelot wildcat that is found from southwestern Texas south to northern Argentina. The Ocicat, however, does not have any Ocelot blood in them. They are entirely domestic bred. The first Ocicat was produced as a happy accident in the early 1960s by breeder Virginia Daly who was was trying to breed a Siamese cat with Abyssinian colored points. She did reach her goal, but in her second litter she found a cream colored male with golden spots and copper colored eyes. She named him Tonga. Her daughter called him Ocicat because he reminded her of a baby Ocelot. Tonga was later sold as a pet and neutered.
Fortunately, the same breeding pair that produced Tonga later produced a second spotted male. His name was Dalai Dotson who became the foundation for the Ocicat breed. The first Ocicat, Tonga, was exhibited at a cat show in 1965. The Ocicat registry was established in 1966. The Ocicat was so striking and unique that other breeders were attracted and joined Daley in establishing this beautiful breed. The breeder continued to focus ion Abyssinians and Siamese for their foundation stock, but some American Shorthair was introduced as well. The American Shorthair bloodlines introduced a beautiful silver color to the ocicat.
Oct
2008
The Turkish Van Cat
October 31st, 2008 at 10:27 pm by Cat Lover in Cat BreedsA rare and ancient breed of cat, the Turkish Van was depicted on ornaments as far back as 5,000 B.C. The Turkish Van was so named for its region of origin, central and southwest Asia. The area includes the modern countries of Iran, Iraq, Armenia, Syria, and eastern Turkey. Van is a very common name in the area. There is in fact, a Lake Van which is also Turkey’s largest lake, so it is not surprising that Van was used as part of this breeds name. In fact, this cat is known sometimes in its lands of origin as the “Vancat”. Turkish Vans were brought back to Europe by the Crusaders on their return from the Holy Land. These cats were called several different names during that time including; white ringtail and Russian Longhair.
The first Turkish Van cats to arrive in England were brought in 1955.The breed was initially called the Turkish cat in England but this name was modified to Turkish Van later to avoid confusion with the Turkish Angora. The various names under which this breed was known in Europe created the misconception that is was simply a variant of the Turkish Angora. They are, in fact, very distinct breeds with separate histories. The Turkish Van is very much the new kid on the block in America having been here only since a first importation of a few kittens in the mid 1970s, but the breed only began to take off in this country with a second importation from France in 1983. The Turkish Van has since attracted a loyal and spirited group of breeders and fanciers.
Oct
2008
The Persian Cat
October 18th, 2008 at 04:09 pm by Cat Lover in Cat BreedsA very ancient breed of cat, the Persian was first mentioned in hieroglyphs beginning at approximately 1684 B.C. The Persians’ beginnings have long been lost to time. The Persian was so named for their ostensible country of origin, the great ancient empire of Persia which was located in around the modern country of Iran.
The first known Persian cats to arrive in Europe were brought by an Italian traveler, Pietro della Valle, in the 1600s. Persians became very popular throughout Europe. At the first modern cat show, held in 1871 in London at the Crystal Palace, Persians were a featured breed. The show at the Crystal Palace, and the others that followed, served only to increase the popularity of this already very popular breed. Queen Victoria herself adored blue Persians.
Oct
2008
The American Shorthair Cat
October 16th, 2008 at 09:22 am by Cat Lover in Cat BreedsOriginally known as the Domestic Shorthair, the American Shorthair is truly America’s cat. The Shorthairs’ ancestors came to America from Europe with the early settlers. Records show that the famous Mayflower had several working cats aboard her on her famous voyage to the new world. Also, written records exist that mention the cats that lived with the colonists at Jamestown in 1609. These cats were working members of their communities and valued for their contributions to the well being of these early settlements. Ever since that time, this breed has patrolled farms and stables for mice and rats all over the country.
In the early 20th century, foreign breeds arriving on these shores threatened the distinctive look and temperament of the native shorthair breed. Admirers of the American Shorthair began acquire the finest examples of the breed that they could find. They set up selective breeding programs based on these individuals to preserve this beautiful and unique breed of cats. The breed was officially recognized by the Cat Fancier’s Association (CFA) in 1904 as one of its first five breeds. The very first registered American Shorthair was named Buster Brown. In 1966 the breed registry changed its name from Domestic Shorthair to American Shorthair. The move was made to accentuate it all American heritage and to distinguish it from other shorthair breeds.
Oct
2008
Some Unusual Cat Breeds
October 13th, 2008 at 06:01 pm by Cat Lover in Cat BreedsThe Munchkin
When you think of the Munchkin, think of a cat that is built like a dachshund. A cat built with a long body and short legs. Munchkins are a very recently developed breed. They have only been established since 1983. The foundation cat was a female named Blackberry who was rescued from dogs by school teacher Sandra Hochenedel. Blackberry was a black cat with very short legs. Found pregnant, she passed on her unusual body type to her kittens. Blackberry’s son, Toulouse, was left unaltered and it wasn’t long before there were a good number of short legged cats living around his owner’s home. Strangely enough, Toulouse and his short legged sons had no trouble competing with standard toms for females.
In 1990 a study of the genetics of these short legged cats was conducted. The study found that only one copy of the short legged gene to create more cats with the same characteristic. The spines of these cats were also examined because there were fears that they would have issues just like the low long bodies dog (e.g. dachshund) have. Though nothing wrong was found at that time, judgment was reserved due to the extremely small population that existed at that time.
Oct
2008
The Turkish Angora Cat
October 3rd, 2008 at 12:50 am by Cat Lover in Cat BreedsBeautiful and rare, the elegant Turkish Angora is considered a national treasure in its home country of Turkey. The breeds name came from the former Turkish capital, Angora, now called Ankara. The Turkish Angora probably originated in the mountains of Turkey. This graceful breed may have descended from the Manul cat, which was a small cat domesticated by the Tartars. Turkish Angoras can be traced back in European writings to 16th century France.
The breed was enormously popular with French and British nobility in the 1700s. Marie Antoinette and King Louis XVI as well as King Louis XV are said to have been Turkish Angora fanciers. The breed almost disappeared entirely in the early 1900s due to indiscriminate interbreeding with Persians to the point where nearly all longhaired cats were referred to as Angoras. Fortunately, Turkish breeders continued controlled breeding of this lovely breed. In the 1950s, American servicemen discovered Turkish Angoras at the Ankara Zoo. These servicemen reintroduced the Turkish Angora to cat fanciers everywhere. All modern Turkish Angoras must trace their ancestry to Turkey.
Sep
2008
The Maine Moon Cat
September 23rd, 2008 at 11:42 am by Cat Lover in Cat BreedsThe ancestry of these big, hearty cats from New England is unknown. Most likely they came across from Europe with the early settlers as working cats on the ships. Some of these long haired ship cats apparently decided to disembark in the new world and made their home there along with the new colonists. Winter in New England can be extremely tough. Only the strongest survived those early winters, human or cat. Once they settled in to their new homes, these long haired cats began to thrive. The Shaggies, as they were called then, became a familiar part of colonial life throughout New England.
The Maine Coon Cat is a big, strong, intelligent cat. They are also very loving and devoted family members and remain very playful into old age. Maine Coon Cats do not seem to make snap decisions about people. They remain somewhat reserved when they first meet new people or move into a new home. Once they have made their decision, they become affectionate and devoted companions. Maine Coon Cats also have an unusual fascination with water. They are known to dabble in their water dishes or play in showers before the water has all run out. Once in a while, a cat will actually go swimming.
Jul
2008
The Somali Cat
July 5th, 2008 at 08:27 pm by Cat Lover in Cat BreedsIf you love the Abyssinian cat breed, but prefer longhair cats, then you may want to take a close look at the striking Somali. This cat breed is a descendant of the Abyssinian and has many of the same traits.
While longhair cats occasionally were born in Abyssinian litters for many generations, it was not until the nineteen sixties that a Canadian breeder decided to develop a cat breed from these longhair kittens. The Somali was soon quite popular and rapidly spread to the United States and Europe. Because these cats were developed without using any breed but the Abyssinian, they are also known as Longhair Abyssinians.
