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Shorthaired Cats
The number of recognized show
breeds that have defined, inherited characteristics has increased dramatically
since the late 1950's as cats have become more popular as home companions.
The 30 to 40 distinctive breeds can be grouped into two general categories:
the longhaired and the domestic shorthair. Both of these breeds
occur in various subcategories based on their coat colour, such as white,
cream, chinchilla (or silver), smoke, tortoiseshell, and tabby (red,
blue,
and so on). Other distinctive and popular breeds include the Siamese
(with seal point, blue point, chocolate point, and lilac point colour
variations),
the long-haired Himalayan, which resembles the Siamese in coloration,
and the Abyssinian, Burmese, Manx, Rex, and Russian blue.
|
Name
|
Origin
|
Characteristics
|
Comments
|
| Abyssinian |
Egypt |
regal
appearance; lithe body with long, slender legs |
resembles
the sacred cat of ancient Egypt |
| American
Shorthair |
U.S. |
broad,
muscular body; thick, dense fur |
hardy;
natural hunter |
| American
Wirehair |
U.S. |
medium
to large in size; curly coat |
rare
outside the U.S. |
| Bengal |
U.S. |
spotted
coat; hind legs shorter than forelegs |
cross
between Asian leopard cat and American Shorthair tabby |
| Bombay |
U.S. |
elegant
appearance; resembles Indian black leopard |
cross
between Burmese and black American Shorthair |
| British
Shorthair |
England |
broad
body with short legs; short, thick tail |
oldest
natural English breed; many varieties |
| Burmese |
Burma |
medium-sized;
glossy, thick coat |
related
to the Siamese |
| Chartreux |
France |
robust;
all shades of blue-grey |
one
of the oldest natural breeds |
| Cornish
Rex |
England |
curly,
short coat; large ears |
named
after the Rex rabbit |
| Devon
Rex |
England |
coat
slightly coarser than Cornish Rex; pixie face |
nicknamed
"poodle cat" |
| Egyptian
Mau |
Egypt |
graceful
body; distinct spot pattern and banded tail |
mau
is Egyptian for "cat" |
| Japanese
Bobtail |
Japan |
triangular
head with large ears; rabbitlike tail |
symbol
of good luck |
| Korat |
Thailand |
silver-blue
coat; heart-shaped face |
native
name Si-Sawat; considered to be good luck |
| Manx |
Isle
of Man |
tailless
or with stump; double coat |
tailless
gene can cause skeletal defects and stillbirths if not bred with
a tailed cat |
| Ocicat |
U.S. |
typically
cream coat with dark or light brown spots and markings |
cross
between Abyssinian and Siamese |
| Oriental
Shorthair |
U.S.,
U.K. |
long,
lithe body; vivid green eyes |
numerous
colours unique to the breed |
| Russian
Blue |
Russia |
blue
with silver tipping; plush, double coat; fine-boned, but muscular |
considered
omens of good luck |
| Scottish
Fold |
Scotland |
typically
folded ears; short, round, well-padded body |
folded
ear gene can cause crippling when two such types are mated |
| Siamese |
Asia |
sapphire-blue
eyes; long, lean body |
noted
for its intelligence and unpredictable behaviour |
| Sphynx |
Canada |
hairless;
large ears |
rare
outside North America |
| Tonkinese |
U.S. |
blue-green
eyes; medium-sized |
cross
between Siamese and Burmese |
Longhaired Cats
The
number of recognized show breeds that have defined, inherited characteristics
has increased dramatically since the late 1950s as cats have become
more popular as home companions. The 30 to 40 distinctive breeds
can be grouped into two general categories: the long-haired Persian
and the domestic shorthair. Both of these breeds occur in various
subcategories based on their coat colour, such as white, cream, chinchilla
(or silver), smoke, tortoiseshell, and tabby (red, blue, and so on).
Other distinctive and popular breeds include the Siamese (with seal
point, blue point, chocolate point, and lilac point colour variations),
the long-haired Himalayan, which resembles the Siamese in coloration,
and the Abyssinian, Burmese, Manx, rex, and Russian blue.
|
Name
|
Origin
|
Characteristics
|
Comments
|
| Balinese |
U.S. |
long,
svelte body; sapphire-blue eyes |
mutation
of Siamese; tail sways when walking, resembling Balinese dancers |
| Birman |
Burma |
deep
blue eyes; bushy tail; white-gloved paws |
known
as the "Sacred Cat of Burma" |
| Cymric |
Canada |
stout
with heavy chest; tailless |
a
longhair Manx |
| Himalayan,
or Colourpoint Longhair |
U.S.,
Europe |
cobby
body; short, full tail; sapphire-blue eyes |
cross
between Siamese and Persian |
| Javanese |
U.S. |
graceful
with long, lithe body; silky coat |
cross
between Balinese and Colourpoint Shorthaired |
| Maine
Coon Cat |
U.S. |
large
and well-muscled; shaggy coat |
oldest
American breed |
| Norwegian
Forest Cat |
Norway |
robust,
muscular body; double coat |
featured
prominently in Nordic fables of the mid-1800s |
| Persian |
exact
origin unknown, possibly Iran |
cobby
body; massive head |
one
of the oldest and most popular breeds; many varieties |
| Ragdoll |
U.S. |
heavy
and powerful build; blue eyes |
relaxes
muscles when picked up, resembling a floppy ragdoll |
| Somali |
U.S. |
lithe
and muscular body; green or golden eyes; full brush tail |
a
longhair Abyssinian |
| Turkish
Angora |
Turkey |
long,
plumed tail; large, pointed ears |
one
of the first longhair cats in Europe |
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