Different Cat BreedsThe American Shorthair The American Shorthair is unique in the different cat breeds because it is North America's own breed, whose ancestors were cats that came here with the early European explorers. Records show that several cats arrived on the Mayflower. These working cats flourished alongside their pioneer owners and eventually established themselves as the native North American shorthair cat. The CFA recognized the American Shorthair among the first five pedigreed different cat breeds for registration. Originally known as the domestic Shorthair, in 1966, the name American Shorthair was chosen to better represent this "all American cat". Selective breeding and the recording and registration of many generations are what enables today's breeders to be certain that each litter of kittens will have specific qualities. The American Shorthair is a sturdy, working variety cat with a broad and powerful jaw, a massive chest, a body with excellent muscle tone and a short "hard" close lying coat. Nothing about an American shorthair calls your attention to one feature over another. The American comes in more than 80 different colors and patterns ranging from brown tabby to the solid colors to the calico. The American is sweet and gentle, and inquisitive without being pushy. But let a squirrel or a bird alight on the deck of your home, and it will be ready to pounce. It is one of the different cat breeds that is a hunter at heart.
The Birman Of the different cat breeds with the most magical fables regarding its origin, the Birman is the winner. It has been called "The Sacred Cat of Burma" who inhabited a Buddhist monastery in Burma where there was an elite colony of pure white cats with amber eyes whose job it was to protect important documents from rats. The most favored cat was Sin. One day thieves attacked the monks. As Sin's mentor lay dying, Sin climbed onto his chest to calm him. When the monk died, his soul left his body and flowed into Sin's. Her amber eyes turned blue and her white coat took on a magical quality so that her face, ears, tail and legs became a lovely seal brown and the rest of her body a golden mist. Only Sin's four feet...the only parts that were touching her mentor as his soul entered her body...remained white. You would expect such unique creatures, fabled to be temple guardians, to be prized highly...and they are. While there is no clear record of the origin of Birmans, The Birman breed was first recognized in France in 1925. There are lots of stories of how the cats first arrived in France, even that a pair were smuggled out by a Vanderbilt. However, the Birmans were almost wiped out as a breed during world War II. Only two cats were alive in Europe at the end of the war, a pair named Orloff and Xenia de Kaabaa. The foundation of the breed in postwar France were offspring of this pair. They had to be heavily out crossed with long-hair different cat breeds such as Persian and Siamese to rebuild the Birman breed. By the early 1950's pure Birman litters were once again being produced. The restored breed was recognized in Britain in 1965 and by the CFA in 1966. The first Birman cats were seal-point. The blue-point color was introduced in 1959 using Blue Persian lines. New colors were added by the work of English Breeders in the 1970-1980 period which included chocolate, red-point, and the tabby/lynx version. A Birman was also used to create new breeds like the Ragdoll cat in California.
The show quality Birman's distinctive white markings are explicitly described in the show standard. The "gloves" (that part of the white that adorns the front portion of all four feet) on the front feet should end in an even line across the paws at the third joint. The "laces" or "gauntlets" are an extension of the white on the hind feet and are found on the back of the feet going up the hocks. These laces end in an inverted "V" fashion. The gloves and laces are expected to be pure white and as symmetrical as possible. The only allowed white areas are gloves and a spot of white in another area is a fault in a Birman cat. The Birman should not be mistaken for the Burmese which is a of different cat breeds. The Birman makes a wonderful pet. It is sweet, affectionate, playful and inquisitive.
The Ocicat The Ocicat originated from the hybridization of the Abyssinian, Siamese and American Shorthair, all different cat breeds. It is the only spotted domesticated cat bred especially to emulate the cats of the wild. The ideal Ocicat is large, active and athletic in appearance. Solid and well-muscled, the Oci has a short, tight coat with a satin sheen that shows off both the animal's muscles and spots. The original Ocicat was the unexpected result of an experimental breeding that attempted to produce Aby-point Siamese. It was in the second generation breeding that the surprise occurred: an ivory kitten with golden spots! The breed was called the Ocicat, because of its resemblance to the ocelot. The CFA recognized the Ocicat for registration in 1966, but it wasn't until May 1987 that the breed gained the support for championship status of different cat breeds. The Ocicat is well-structured of different cat breeds with good muscle tone, a wedge-shaped head and a broad chest and shoulders. The beautiful, large, well-defined and contrasted spots are what most attracts people. The Ocicat truly looks like a "wild cat" but its temperament is easy going and not demanding. It is devoted to its human, curious, intelligent and easily trained. Many will respond to voice commands and adapt to household rules.
The Norwegian Forest Cat The Norwegian Forest Cat is one of the different cat breeds of domestic cats native to Northern Europe. It is adapted to a very cold climate. It has a top coat of long, water-shedding hairs and a wool-like undercoat for insulation. It is believed that the breed's ancestors may have been short-haired cats brought to Norway by the Vikings and may also have a heritage including the Siberian and Turkish Angora. The first Norwegian forest Cat Club was formed in 1938. The club's movement to preserve the breed was interrupted by World War II and due to cross-breeding with outside domestic cats during the war, the breed became nearly extinct. The Norwegian Forest Cat Club helped the cat breeds by creating an official breeding program. It was not registered as a breed with the European Federation Internationale Feline until the 1970's and then Sweden in 1978. Britain recognized it in 1989 but it was not recognized by the American Cat Fanciers Association until 1994. The Norwegian Forest Cat is very popular in Norway, Sweden, and France, where it has become the fifth most popular of cat breeds since 2003. It is believed that the origins of the Norwegian Forest Cat are rather romanticized. It took natural selection, survival of fittest, to overcome Norway's cold weather. Its ancestors may include shorthair cats brought to Norway from Great Britain sometime after 1000 AD by the Vikings. It is believed the Vikings had the ancestors of the Norwegian forest Cat serving as mousers on Viking ships. Another source of ancestry is thought to be of the longhaired different cat breeds brought to Norway by the Crusaders. These longhaired and shorthaired cat breeds would reproduce with farm and feral stock and would eventually evolve into the modern-day Norwegian Forest Cat. Throw into the mix the Siberian and Turkish Angora, longhaired cats from Russia and Turkey......and the possible ancestors of the breed are extremely intriguing. Norse legends refer to the Skogkatt as a "mountain dwelling fairy cat with an ability to climb sheer rock faces that other cats could not manage". Since the Norwegian forest Cat is the most adept climber, there are those that believe the Skogkatt could be the Norwegian Forest Cat. The Norwegian Forest Cat is well built and is similar in size to the Maine Coon. The breed has a long, sturdy body, long legs, and a bushy and full tail. The coat has a water-repellant top coat and a woolly undercoat, and is thickest at the legs, chest, and head. The profile of the breed is generally straight. The head is long, with an over-all shape similar to an equilateral triangle, a strong chin, and a muzzle of medium length; a square or rounded head is considered to be a defect. The eyes are almond shaped and oblique, and bay be of any color. The ears are large, wide at the base, high set, have a tufted top, are placed in the extension of the triangle formed by the head, and end with a tuft of hair like the ears of the lynx. All coat colors are accepted except chocolate and lilac and dilutions fawn and cinnamon. Since the cats have very strong claws, they are very good climbers, and can even climb rocks. The Norwegian Forest cat has a quiet voice but can be talkative. It is good with people, friendly and intelligent, but it has a high amount of energy and can be very demanding of attention. If outdoors, they can be swift and effective hunters, but this example of the different cat breeds adapts well to indoor life but the voice will get louder if there is a dog in the house. They are tall and often require more food than most other domestic breeds. Males are considerably heavier and larger-boned than females. They live to be 14-16 years old.
Related Articles......
Having trouble finding what you need? Cat Health Index & Site Map
|
