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Burmese
2008-02-05 10:38:00
DescriptionBurmese cats are often considered not only strikingly beautiful, but quite easy to get along with.PersonalityBurmese cats are generally thought to be well-behaved, sturdy, active, and healthy.HistoryThe entire Burmese cat breed can be traced back to one cat, Wong Mau. Wong Mau had been brought from East Asia to New Orleans by a sailor, and was quite striking. Dr. Joseph G. Thompson, of San Francisco got Wong Mau in 1930.Dr. Thompson gathered several breeders together to create a new breed of cats all of whom would look like Wong Mau. They chose the Siamese cat breed for the first out-cross, since there was only one Wong Mau, who was a female. At the time, the Siamese looked rather different than they do today-in fact, the Burmese of today arguably look more like the Siamese of the 1930s than today's Siamese.The breeders actually ended up creating two breeds: one, the Tonkinese, was a cat breed with more varied coats, which ironically tended to look more like the original...

British Shorthair
2008-02-05 10:37:00
DescriptionThe British Shorthair cat breed is the grand old lady of British cat breeds, being the earliest breed to establish itself in the first cat shows in the nineteenth century.Head: round and quite bigMuzzle: distinctiveEars: medium-sized, broad-based with round tipsEyes: big, round, wide-open and set wide apartBody: medium to largeLegs: short to medium in lengthPaws: round, with five toes in front and four in backTail: medium-long and thick at the base, slightly tapered, and rounded at the tipCoat: short and quite thickPersonalityBritish Shorthair cats are generally considered calm, quiet, and attentive without being demanding.HistoryThe British Shorthair is one of the oldest cat breeds. In fact, the father of the cat fancy movement, Harrison Weir, not only favored British Shorthairs but even entered one in the first ever cat show, held at the famous Crystal Palace in 1870. Not only that, but Harrison Weir's British Shorthair cat, a 14-year-old blue tabby female, won the ver...

British Longhair
2008-02-05 10:36:00
Description The British Longhair cat breed, also called the Lowlander cat breed, is the fulfillment of a dream among cat fanciers: to once again have a native longhaired cat breed, after the traditional longhaired British cat breed, the Persian cat breed, developed into a very different feline. Today, though still not a hugely popular cat breed, these cats are beloved for their pleasant tempers.Head: round and broadEars: shortEyes: round, bigBody: medium-sized with broad chestsLegs: shortPaws: roundTail: short and thickBritish Longhair HistoryPersonalityBritish Longhair cats are known as easy to get along with, and generally not so loud. While not extremely playful, they are generally able to have fun and find things to do. They can also be affectionate with people and other cats.The British Longhair cat breed brings a native long-haired cat breed back to Britain. The original British longhaired cats were cross-bred with foreign longhair cats. The result, was, arguably the Persian, ...

Brazilian Shorthair
2008-02-05 10:35:00
DescriptionThe Brazilian Shorthair is Brazil's first breed to receive international recognition.Its fabulous agility and elegance are balanced by its medium-sized, strong body. This beautiful cat is easily distinguished from other American Shorthair by its build which is sleeker than that of the American Shorthair It has an air that is not as refined, nor thin, as a Siamese. The Brazilian Shorthair's coat is short and close to the skin. It comes in a wide array of colors and patterns. Preferably the eyes match the color of the coat.A unique feature of their faces is that their eyes are set a specific distance apart. The space between both eyes is approximately equivalent to the actual size of a Brazilian Shorthair's eye. Dramatically expressive, their big eyes are almond-shaped, bright, and attentive.PersonalityThe Brazilian Shorthair is an affectionate cat, so much so that it is often referred to as clingy. Its best match is an owner who will shower it with attention and love wh...

Bombay
2008-02-05 10:34:00
DescriptionBombay s are often thought to be dog-like, even relatively easily trained for a cat, even to the point that some Bombay caretakers walk their cats on leashes.Head: rounded, broad between the eyesMuzzle: broad, roundedEars: medium-sized, set well apart, with rounded tipsEyes: set far apartBody: medium-sized, muscularLegs: proportionate to body and tailPaws: round, with five toes in front and four in backTail: straight and medium-longCoat: fine, short, shiny, with a satiny textureHistoryThe Bombay cat breed was deliberately bred to look like another animal--a panther. Nikki Horner, a cat breeder from Louisville, Kentucky, apparently often heard people say they had always wanted a panther for a cat. So, in 1953, she began the effort to breed a cat that looked like the black leopard of India: copper eyes and black short hair. She started with a male American Shorthair cat who had deep copper eyes and bred him with a Grand Champion Burmese female with deep black fur. Many breed...

Birman
2008-02-04 11:38:00
Description Birmans are distinctive for their striking sapphire-colored eyes and distinctly white paws. The modern breed originated in France in the 1920s and is assumed to have ancestry going back to the country of Burma.Head: broad and round, flat skullMuzzle: medium in length and widthEars: medium in length, wideEyes: round, set well apart, blue in colorBody: strongly built, longLegs: heavy, medium in lengthPaws: large and round with five toes on the front paws and four toes on the rear pawsTail: medium in lengthCoat: medium-long with heavy ruff around the neck and slightly curly on the stomachPersonalityBirmans tend to be neither particularly active nor particularly laid-back. They occasionally demand attention, but don't require constant attention. Many people say that Birmans are susceptible to loneliness and benefit from having another cat.HistoryIt is speculated that the Birman breed may actually have originated in Burma. According to one account, in 1919 some English peopl...
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Bengal
2008-02-01 23:30:00
DescriptionThe Bengal cat breed is another relatively new breed created as a hybrid between domestic cats and a wild species of cat, in this case, the Asian Leopard Cat (ALC).* Head: broad, rounded wedge* Ears: small, rounded* Eyes: oval-shaped* Body: about 10-15 pounds, and females sometimes smaller* Legs: medium-long, with back legs slightly longer than front* Paws: large, round* Tail: medium-long, thick, tapered, rounded at the tip* Coat: shorthair; spotted or marbled coat patternPersonalityThe Bengal cat breed has a few unique personality quirks due to its wild ancestry. For instance, Bengals are generally considered to enjoy water, especially moving water. They also tend to be exceptionally active and therefore dislike being left alone.HistoryThe Bengal cat breed is one of the relatively new breeds of cat developed as a hybrid of wild and domestic cats (another example is the Savannah cat breed). The person most commonly credited with the development of the breed was Jean Mill,...

Balinese
2008-02-01 23:24:00
DescriptionBalinese cats originated as long-haired Siamese cats. Since the 1950s, they have been bred as a separate line, though the Balinese cat breed still closely resemble the Siamese breed. * Head: long, wedge-shaped * Muzzle: wedge-shaped * Ears: very large, pointed * Eyes: medium-sized and almond-shaped * Body: medium-sized, thin, fine-boned * Legs: long and slim, with back legs higher than front legs * Paws: small and oval-shaped, with five toes on front paws and four on back paws * Tail: long, tihn, and tapered with plumed hairs * Coat: medium-length and silkyPersonalityBalinese cats are generally considered very companionable and attentive.HistoryThe Balinese cat breed was originally just called the "long-haired Siamese," since that's essentially what a Balinese cat is. Up through the 1950s, when a longer-haired kitten was born to a Siamese litter, the kitten was not allowed to contribute to the Siamese breed because the breed standard called for short-haired cats. In the ...

Australian Mist
2008-02-01 23:18:00
DescriptionThe Australian Mist cat breed is as Australian as its name. A new breed of cat from the 1980s, the breed is currently largely confined to Australia. * Head: broad and slightly rounded * Ears: medium-sized or large, with a wide base, and pointed slightly forward * Eyes: green * Body: medium-large, muscular * Legs: back legs slightly longer than front * Paws: oval-shaped * Tail: thick * Coat: short, with spotted or marbled patternPersonalityAustralian Mists are generally playful and get along well with children.HistoryAustralian Mists hold the title of the first domestically created Australian cat breed. The Australian Mist cat breed was developed as the fulfillment of a long dream by many people to create a specifically Australian breed of cat. But the actual credit for originating this breed goes to Truda Straede. The breed was created by interbreeding a number of cats with different characteristics: * the Burmese breed for its blue, brown, chocolate, and lilac coat color...

Asian Semi-Longhair Or Tiffanie
2008-02-01 23:01:00
DescriptionAsian Semi -Longhairs are so beautiful, they are perhaps better called by their breed's other, prettier name, Tiffanie. True to their breed's name, these cats have hair that is neither very long nor short. They are essentially very much like the Asian Shorthair cat breed, only instead of having short hair, they have medium-long hair. Like the Asian Shorthair and Burmese, they are recognized in any of the typical fur colors and coat patterns of those breeds. Also like the Asian Shorthair, the Asian Semi-Longhair cat breed was bred in Britain. The breed is less popular in the US and elsewhere.PersonalityPerhaps the most attractive characteristic of the Asian Semi-Longhair or Tiffanie breed is that their wonderful coats are not nearly as hard to groom as for many similar-looking breeds. Other than that, the personality traits of this breed are not much commented on.Asian Semi-Longhair HistoryThe Asian Semi-Longhair cat breed was developed in Britain in the mid-1980s. It is ...

American Wirehair
2008-02-01 22:52:00
DescriptionThe American Wirehair cat breed is another one of the new cat breeds that developed in the US toward the end of the twentieth century, as a result of spontaneous genetic mutations. In this case, the mutated gene was for the characteristic wiry coat. * Head: round * Muzzle: well-developed * Ears: medium-sized * Eyes: big and round * Body: medium-sized or large * Legs: medium-long, muscular * Paws: rounded, with five toes on front paws and four toes on the back paws * Tail: tapered * Coat: medium-long and wiry-lookingPersonalityAmerican Wirehairs are generally considered to be friendly, companionable cats. In fact, despite their status as a pure breed of cats, American Wirehairs are generally better as pets than as show cats, since so few of the cats possess the ideal characteristics. HistoryThe first American Wirehair, named Council Rock Farm Adam, was found in an upstate New York barn in 1966 as a kitten. The farm's owner, together with a neighbor, bred the cat with his ...

American Shorthair
2008-02-01 22:47:00
DescriptionThe American Shorthair cat breed, once simply called the Domestic Shorthair, is thought to represent the cats that lived in North America from colonial times through the late nineteenth century, when foreign cats first came to North American shores in large numbers.* Head: large, slightly oblong* Muzzle: square* Ears: medium-sized* Eyes: big, wide, with upper eyelids shaped like almond halves* Body: muscular and solid-looking* Legs: medium-long and muscular* Paws: firm, rounded, with five toes on the front paws and four toes on the rear paws* Tail: medium-long and tapered* Coat: short and thickPersonalityUsually known as gentle, playful, and companionable, American Shorthairs are said to be good with children and even dogs.HistoryBy some accounts, the American Shorthair came to North America with the earliest English settlers. Some even wonder whether their ancestors came over on the Mayflower, as history records the ship having several rat-hunting cats. Over the centurie...

American Keuda
2008-02-01 22:31:00
DescriptionWhile a lot of care and thought goes into developing any cat breed, the American Keuda breed is perhaps unique for having resulted from a formal study of cat traits. The breed should perhaps more properly be called the American Keuda type rather than breed, since it is still undergoing selective breeding.* Head: medium-sized* Muzzle: "not short; refined"* Ears: medium-large in a slightly rounded triangle shape* Eyes: medium-sized and almond-shaped* Body: medium-sized* Paws: oval-shaped, with five toes on front paws and four toes on back paws* Tail: slightly tapered* Coat: any pattern or colorPersonalityAmerican Keuda cats have been bred to be the ideal barn cat, athletic and hard-working.HistoryThe American Keuda's history is still very much in development, as the breed has not been finalized. More properly speaking, the breed is not a true cat breed but rather a "type," on its way to becoming a breed as breeders refine the animals' features through selective breeding.T...

American Curl
2008-02-01 22:11:00
DescriptionOne of the newest breeds of cat, dating back only to 1981, the American Curl cat breed is known for its distinctive curled-back ears, for which the breed was named.* Head: longer than wide* Muzzle: rounded* Ears: curled at at least a 90 degree angle but not more than 180 degrees* Eyes: walnut-shaped, medium-large* Body: half again as long as tall (at the shoulder)* Legs: medium-length* Paws: medium-sized, rounded* Tail: tapered and as long as the body* Coat: longhair and shorthair variety, both silkyPersonalityAmerican Curls have a very diverse ancestry, which means they can't easily be pigeon-holed for traits other than the basic physical traits of the breed. In general, they are known to be companionable.HistoryThe American Curl breed is one of the newest cat breeds. The first American Curl was a cat named Shulamith. In June 1981, Shulamith showed up in the front yard of the home of Grace and Joe Ruga. The Rugas adopted the cat, along with another cat, Panda, who appea...