cat breads part 4

The following cat list contains all the different cat breeds. Cats vary so much between breeds, it's sometimes difficult to believe they are the same species! If you have difficulty in choosing a cat breed, go through our cat list to read more about each of the different cat breeds and take a look at their pictures. Different cat breeds not only vary in looks, but also in temperament, personality and each breed has their own special history.

Munchkin

The Munchkin cat was rediscovered by a loving mother who wanted a cat for her beloved three children way back in the 1980s in Rayville Louisiana. Although considered a new breed by cat fanciers, the Munchkins has been long known in Great Britain and Germany and was previously tagged as a Kangaroo cat until 1953.

The Munchkins are famous for being an affectionate and well-balanced cat. They easily feel at ease with anybody even other household pets. They love to mingle with people and prefer to be with a companion rather than being alone. For a Munchkin, the more companions it has the merrier it will be.

Cat lovers often say that a Munchkin is the ideal indoor pet, not just because of its outgoing and social personality but also because of its adventurous nature. The lovely Munchkin cat will love playing ball games with little kids and makes an ideal family pet. Munchkins can easily learn to play fetch and can learn to obey simple voice commands in a short period of time. No wonder all Munchkin owners are so impressed with their cat and its personality.

A Munchkin's physical appearance can easily be distinguished from other breeds of cats for they have extremely short legs. In spite of their short legs, they can do the everything other cats can do. They can even scale high counter tops or run fast alognside their owner. The movement of a Munchkin cat is said to be comparable to that of a ferret with a dwarf legs.

The Munchkin usually has a medium sized body matched with a well-rounded chest. They also come in a wide variety of colors and hair lengths, but the longhair Munchkin has an especially beautiful plumed tail. Their eyes are walnut shaped and deeper in color.

Unlike other cats, Munchkins are collectors in their own way. They have an eye for little things in rooms like jewelry and small toys. An amusing habit of Munchkins is stashing their collections under the sofa, bed or even in appliances that they may find fit hiding places.

Nebelung

Photo made by Maggie Osterberg, released to Wikipedia under CC-BY-SA 2.5.

When Cora Cobb's black shorthair and blue shorthair produced a litter, she was very surprised to find a kitten with medium longhair among them. She named the kitten Siegfried and when the cats produced a second litter containing a black longhair female and a blue longhair female, she chose the blue longhair as a mate for Siegfried and named her Brunhilde. In time these long haired cats were outbred with Russian Blues and soon the breed began to resemble long haired Russian Blues.

This new cat breed was named the Nebelung, which is German for "mist dweller". Even today the CFA does not recognize the Nebelung as an official breed, but they are recognized by the TICA and the WCF. Many cat experts see the Nebelung as a long haired Russian Blue and the Nebelung cat is also judged on the same characteristics at cat shows, except of course for its coat, which should be long. The Nebelung should also have plumy tail, green eyes and a blue coat color. The Nebelung kittens are born with blue eyes which gradually changes into green as they reach maturity.

An interesting fact about the Nebelung is that their offspring will usually contain short and longhair Nebelung kittens.

The Norwegian Forest Cat

The Norwegian Forest cat is a very friendly indoor cat. In the United States they are popularly known as “Wegies”. They can interact with people and other pets. They are demonstrative, intelligent, fun to be with and enjoy everyone's company.

The Norwegian Forest cat is a very old breed from Norway. According to research they are built to match their environment for they are able to survive the long winter season of Norway. They change their coat according to the season.

They shed their downy undercoat that provides warmth during the winter in springtime. All through the summer, they usually prefer to lie at your side rather than cuddling in your lap.

The Norweigan Forest cat completes its development at five years, but every year their coats continue to grow in fullness. Their coats have extremely gorgeous long, smooth and heavy guard hairs covering a shorter thick undercoat. The Norwegian Forest cat's head's shape is that of an equilateral triangle and it usually has a very short muscled neck. Their neck is heavily tufted and their rear legs are longer than their front legs. Their ears are often pricked forward and their tails held uprigth.

Norwegian Forest cats are Mother Nature creation of masterpieces and truly eye-catching in every manner. They are blessed with the most gorgeous glowing, expressive eyes that will immediately capture your heart and attention. Their eye colors range from gold to deep, emerald green with a band of gold.

The Norwegian Forest cat is also an ideal playmate for young children. They are very sweet-natured and accommodating even to guests and will often show their appreciation by sitting on the guest's lap. They are also said to be patient and have a natural curiosity and interest to its surroundings.

Norweigan Forest cats are excellent climbers and must be provided with a device or a replica of branch tree for exercise. They love high places and having a good look-out at their area.

Ocicat

For cat lovers who is fascinated by the "undomesticated" look. The Ocicat is a beautiful, wild looking cat bred to resemble the wild Ocelot. Judging by appearances, you may think the Ocicat has some wild cat blood in it, but strangely enough, this is not the case. When Virginia Daly tried to create a new breed from the Abyssinian and the Siamese cat, in Michigan, the second generation of this breed produced a single spotted kitten. Virginia's daughter named the spotted cat, Ocicat, and this clever name was later used for the breed. You might think that Ocicat was the father of all Ocicats, but this was not the case, because its owners had it neutered! However, the next litters from Ocicat's parents contained more of these strange wild looking kittens. Other breeders came to hear of this phenomenon and successfully recreated it themselves, also using the American Shorthair, thus the new cat breed, Ocicat was born. The Ocicat breed was recognized by the CFA in 1966.

An Ocicat has a spotted coat which can appear in almost all color shades together with silver. Its body build is large, athletic and muscular. The more wild, big and muscular look is preferred for show purposes.

Because Ocicats don't actually contain any wild genes, their personality highly contradicts their looks. Ocicats are loving, friendly and attention-seeking cats. They are described as being very dog-like in their behavior and can be trained to do various tricks and walk on a leash. Do not acquire an Ocicat if you are not prepared to spend a lot of time with it. Ocicats are high maintenance cats that like all the attention they can get. Grooming wise they don't need much except a weekly brush. Ocicats are generally active, strong and healthy cats.

Oriental

The Oriental cat originated from the Siamese cat, which was originally introduced from Thailand. The Oriental cat breed can be divided into shorthair and longhair varieties. Characteristics of the Oriental include a slim, slender and graceful body. The head is triangular shaped with huge ears. Its eyes are almond shaped and slanted, thus giving it the Oriental look. Eye color is normally green. The Oriental cat can be found in about any conceivable cat color combination. The main color groups include solid, shaded, smoke, parti color and tabby pattern. Despite its misleading fragile look and built, the Oriental cat is surprisingly muscular and solid.

Because the Oriental cat is essentially a Siamese variant, its personality is also very similar to the Siamese cat. Oriental cats are curious to the maximum and take a keen interest in everything their owners do. They are extremely playful and love all kinds of toys and stimulation. It is the ideal pet for a household that already contains pets, because Oriental cats can adapt easily and are very friendly towards other cats and even dogs.

The Oriental shorthair does not need a lot of grooming, a brushing a week should be sufficient. For such a graceful body type, they have large appetites and their meals should be varied with different meat and diary types as well as bones. The Oriental cat is a healthy, active cat and will be the ideal and loyal companion of anyone prepared to give it its share of attention.

Persian cat

The Persian is one of the earliest cat breeds. Introduced in Europe probably during the late 16th century, it is believed to have originated from Persia (present day Iran) with written records older than 1600 BC.

Aside from being one of the oldest, it is certainly one of the most well-known. When asked to name a cat breed, most people would almost always mention the Persian. Inherent beauty and attractiveness plus its affectionate and gentle nature contributes much to its popularity.

The Persian cat is very adaptable and will easily get along with any household. Having a personality more on the friendly and warm side, they do well with children, but sometimes, because they are also quite passive, they prefer just lounging about to playing. For this reason, straying far from home is highly unlikey, because they just love being just indoors.

Also know as the "Longhair Persian" or simply "Longhair", this relatively large cat is known for its long, beautiful, thick fur. In exchange for this majestic elegance, the Persian needs regular grooming lest its coat become a tangled, matted mess of a hairball. Though a bath may be given as seldom as just once a month, a thorough daily brushing must done religiously.

The Persian flourishes all over the globe and is now greatly diversified in appearance especially in the colors and patterns of their coats. The Persian generally has large expressive eyes, a broad nose, and small rounded ears. Nose lengths also vary with each type. Persians have relatively short, thick legs, a powerfully built body, and a short, bushy tail.

Pixie-Bob: The Mysterious Cats

The Pixie-Bob is a polydactyl domestic cat with a great resemblance to the wild Bobcat. They have a muscular bone structure, a bobbed tail, and facial appearance and coat markings similar to the bobcat. They are usually 50% larger than most house cats.

It is widely believed that the said heritage of Pixie-Bob cats is rooted centuries ago from natural mating between "polydactyl barn cats" and American Bobcats. Unfortunately, DNA analysis cannot confirm the direct relation of the Pixie-Bob to a Bobcat. Nonetheless, through the effort of Carol Ann Brewer who bred a kitten named Pixie directly from two "barn cats" in the 1980s, the breed line of the Pixie-Bob was created and finally recognized in 1997. Since the Pixie-Bob breed is relatively new, the benchmark of its life span is not yet established but it is safe to say that it can live for around 13 years.

A Pixie-Bob is a quiet cat breed. They do not make loud noises, but can do some mild chirping or meowing to show their fondness. Though they are somewhat territorial and shy towards strangers, Pixie-Bob cats are family oriented and caring. They are devoted to their family homes and are gentle to babies and children. A Pixie-Bob can show discerning loyalty towards its home.

A Pixie-Bob's intellignce is also notable. They don't have car anxiety and are great travel companions. They are as easy to teach as dogs and easily toilet-trained. The Pixie-Bob loves to scratch wood, so it would be a great idea to give this breed an interesting piece of wood instead of a regular cat scratcher.

Ragamuffin Cats

To an untrained eye, the Ragamuffin cat looks about exactly the same as a Ragdoll cat. There are however, subtle differences. The most obvious differences are in the Ragamuffin's face shape and eyes. The Ragamuffin's eyes are walnut shaped, almost Oriental, while a Ragdoll's eyes are oval. The shape of the top of its head is also more rounded, and its nose points at a downward angle with a distinct nose bridge. Similar to the Ragdoll, the Ragamuffin cat is of a sturdy build, with broad shoulders and chest, a short neck and a little layer of fat on its tummy. It has a very cute face, caused by its fluffy cheeks and walnut shaped eyes. The Ragamuffin has a very soft, fluffy coat with a thicker ridge around its face and neck.

It is believed the Ragamuffin breed originated from cross-breeding Ragdoll cats with other domestic cats. The purpose of this breeding was to create a special Ragdoll-like cat with a unique expression and docile personality. The Ragamuffin breed is fairly new and was only accepted as an official breed in 1994. Officially the Ragamuffin's coat colour could be any point colour, a solid colour Ragdoll is not as popular but also acceptable.

Personality wise, the Ragdoll cat is an extremely docile, gentle and calm creature. They are indoor cats, love to be pampered and can't stand to be lonely. They are intelligent and can be taught some tricks. Ragdolls make excellent family pets, because they thrive on the company of children, owners, visitors and other pets. Ragamuffin kittens only reached maturity when about four years old.

The Ragdoll is not a very high maintenance cat. Its soft fur should be brushed one or two times a week to keep it healthy and nails should be clipped occasionally.

Ragdoll

Intelligent, elegant, outgoing and a boss in their own way, best describes the docile cats named the Ragdoll. This breed originated from the breeding of a white female Persian with a male Birman.

The Ragdoll breed is a less active cat but sometimes reminds of a young child that is fond of playing with toys and loves to take part on whatever activities you might be doing. You may hug them often in a baby-like manner to soothe and pamper them.

The Ragdoll is also known to be a fast learner. Research says that they are more eager to pay attention to activities when you give them a bonus or reward for accomplishments.

This breed of cats is usually large with a cute face and a touch of masculine appeal. Their classiness is best shown by their soft medium-long and non-matting coat that you will surely love to touch and feel.

Ragdolls are classified as pointed cats though they are usually born white. As they grow older their fur's color starts to develop into colorpoint, mitted and bi-color. Most colorpoint Ragdolls have darkpoints in their ears, tail, feet and face without white markings. A mitted Ragdoll is similar to a colorpoint Ragdoll, but they have a white mitt on their front paws. The Ragdoll also has a touch of white on its chin, boots on the back legs and feet, ruff and stomach. The bi-color Ragdoll has darkpoints, but can easily be distinguished by their pink noses and paw pads.

The Ragdoll posseses a non-fighting attitude so it will seldom fight back against other cats. They are often regarded as a sweet, silent cat but you will surely hear them out whenever its close to feeding time. They love being groomed.

To ensure your stylish and playful Ragdoll is healthy, you must provide them with good food, water and make sure they receive all vaccines and veterinary checkups.

Russian Blue cat

The Russian Blue cat is a cat breed distinguished by its uniquely coloured shorthair coat. The coat of a Russian Blue cat consists of two layers, the soft undercoat and a special upper coat. The upper coat is blue of colour with silver tips, which give it its unique sheen and shimmer. The coat is dense and it is said Russian Blues were once bred in Russia for the use of their special coats which resembles the coat of a seal.

Russian Blues are said to have originated from the Archangel Isles of Russia, or known as Arkhangelsk in Russian. According to legend, these cats were companions to Czars, and later brought to England by sailors. The Russian Blue cat breed is a naturally occurring breed and has not intentionally been created by cat breeders. About 50 years ago, the Russian Blue was out crossed with a blue Siamese to strengthen the gene. Due to this out crossing, some Russian Blue litters will contain pointed coat kittens, which are not acceptable standard for cat shows. The Russian Blue's coat should be a solid blue colour, with no white markings or dark tail markings. If this colouring occurs, the cat is still considered a true Russian Blue, but not cat show standard.

The eyes of a true Russian Blue should be a dark bottle green. Its mouth has been described as having a smiling expression. It should have a broad head with wide-set ears and a lean, muscular physique. Other recognized cat breeds that were created by using Russian Blues are the Nebelung cat and the Havana Brown. Russian white and black cats have also been created, but are not recognized by all organizations.

The personality of a Russian Blue cat is a little shy, especially towards strangers. They do become very loyal towards their owners and will show a very playful side to them. These cats are very sensitive to their owner's or other family members' moods and can try to cheer you up by entertaining you when it senses you are feeling a little down. Russian Blues are highly intelligent cats and also independent and not in need of constant human companionship. They will enjoy a regular brushing (about once a week is recommended) and their nails should be clipped.

Savannah

The appearance of a Savannah cat is very similar to that of a Serval. Savannah cats can grow quite big and may weigh anything between 15 to 20 pounds. They have a slender, long legged body built, a long neck, with a shorter tail. Its body height descends from its rear to its head. At birth, Savannah kittens have blue eyes, which turn green as they grow older. Depending on the percentage of Serval blood in them, the cats may have a more wild or domesticated appearance. Their appearance also depend on the breed of domestic cat used, Bengal cats and other exotic looking cats are the most popular. F1 level Savannah cats (the direct offspring of a Serval and a domestic) have striking spotted coats with black rings around the tail ending in a solid black tip. The face of a Savannah cat is longish, with big ears streaked with black around the edges. It also has black tear markings on the sides of its nose.

The first Savannah kitten was bred by Judee Frank and named Savannah. At first she had some difficulty persuading other Serval breeders to breed Savannahs, but eventually a Serval breeder named Joyce Sroufe began to share her enthusiasm for this unique breed. In year 2000 the Savannah cat was accepted as an official cat breed by TICA. Savannah male cats are often infertile and that makes Savannah breeding very difficult. Joyce Sroufe is one of the few breeders who has managed to breed later levels of fertile male Savannahs.

The Savannah cat's personality also depends a lot on its level of wildness. F1 and other high level Savannahs can show a lot of wild traits. They may sometimes not mew at all, but rather produce a "chirping" sound. They can also hiss loudly at any perceived danger. Savannah cats are highly intelligent creatures and can be taught a variety of tricks (and may even learn some tricks by themselves, such as opening cupboards). They do not possess the usual cat's fear of water and they are also known to like to play with dogs.

A lot of controversy exists about the care and diet of a Savannah cat and owners are advised to consult a veterinarian.

Scottish Fold

The Scottish Fold is normal cat with a difference - its ears are folded against its head. As its name indicates, the Scottish Fold originated from Scotland. It was discovered by a farmer and cat breeder named William Ross, who noticed the cat with the strange ears on his neighbour's farm. He used their kitten, a long haired, white Scottish Fold named Susie for breeding more kittens with folded ears. They became a registered breed in the 1970s.

The Scottish Fold's folded ears are actually due to a defect in the cartilage of their ears. Due to this cartilage fault, some Scottish Folds may also experience stiff legs and tails and this must be inspected in every cat show. Strangely enough not every kitten born as a Scottish Fold will have folded ears, although the fold is the predominate gene. To keep the breed's gene healthy, a folded ear Scottish Fold should always be outcrossed by a non-folded. Scottish Folds with normal ears cannot be entered for cat shows but are invaluable for breeding plans and still make good pets.

There are different degrees of folds for the ears - single fold, double fold and even triple fold. With a triple fold, the ears are folded so closely against the head; it almost looks like the cat has no ears at all! The eyes of the Scottish fold are huge and give it an owl-like appearance enhanced by its folded ears. Scottish folds can come in the short and longhaired variety and in almost every colour except Siamese point. Their body type is stocky, well-padded with shorter thick legs and they have dense coats. Scottish Folds have been compared to cuddly teddy bears.

The Scottish Fold is a non-fussy cat. Folds usually are sociable, but quiet. They seem to like sleeping in strange positions, such as on their back or on their tummies with legs spread out. They are generally low maintenance cats, but care should be taken to clean their ears and prevent ear infection, especially with the triple fold.