Different Cat Breeds
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.
Abyssinian
The Abyssinian cat is one of the most popular breed of shorthair in the 20th century. They are medium built cats with a modified rounded head, broad and blunt ears, expressive almond eyes and quite a long and thick tail.
Their coat is dense and soft to touch. Abyssinian cats take pride in the legacy of their imperial appearance. Acceptable colors for the Abyssinian are Ruddy, Red, Blue and Fawn.
The modern Abyssinian still portrays the century old Abyssinian cat found in the artifacts of ancient Egypt. Although the authentic genesis of the Abyssinian is clouded by speculations and myth, there were some shows in England way back in the 1870s that already exhibited an Abyssinian type of cat. The lineages of today's Abyssinian cats is rooted from Britain.
Regarded as the most independent breed of domesticated cat, the Abyssinian is not your typical house cat that enjoys resting on its owner's lap. They are at their best when allowed to roam around the house. They are energetic and active even in maturity. They are busy all day and continuously exploring the world around them. Breeders and owners both agree about the exceptional intelligence of the Abyssinian cat demonstrated through its dog-like attitude and loyalty. Its a cat that likes to know what people do.
Maintaining and grooming the Abyssinian cat is easy as they do not demand much attention. Occasional brushing will suffice and bathing once a year especially during their shedding season will make them happy. They are generally healthy, but since the Abyssinian cats are prone to gingivitis, a weekly teeth cleaning/brushing is essential. This habit should be routine and be establish during their kittenhood.
American Bobtail
Cat-lovers like to believe that the American Bobtail originated from the interbreeding of a normal Tabby cat with a wild Bob cat. 
However, this has not been proved. It is known that they were introduced in North America by Brittish Settlers and became a recognised cat breed by TICA (The International Cat Association) in 1989.
The Bobtail is easily recognized by it's shorter than normal tail that is a result of a mutation. Their tail length usually range between 1 to 4 inches. Only two short-tailed parents can produced short-tailed litter, but it is also not uncommon for a litter to contain kittens with full-length tails.
The American Bobtail breed can be further divided into longhair and shorthair types. A longhair's coat will be denser around its neck, belly and tail. Bobtails come in a variety of colours, with the most popular being the more wild-looking colours such as spotted brown or silver. They have well-toned, muscular bodies, with a sturdy, longer body.
At cat shows, it is more popular for Bobtails to have a straight tail that will be raised upright when the cat is paying attention to somthing. The "wilder" the cat looks, the better. However, their tails can also be curved or knotted. This cat's eyes are almond-shaped, alert looking and can be almost any colour. It has a wedge-shaped and broad head.
The Bobtail has an extremely intelligent personality, and can at times be almost dog-like. They are also very loving and sensitive to people's feelings. They are sometimes used in therapy because of their sensitivity and are also known as good travelling companions. American Bobtails are very adaptive in almost any environment.American Curl
The American Curl is a relatively new breed and easily recognized by the distinct curling shape of its ears. Although not all American Curls necessarily have curved ears, it is desirable for show cats to have ears that curve all the way back towards the center of their heads, away from their face.
The first American Curl was a natural genetic mutation called Shulamith. She was a stray cat found by Joe and Grace Ruga in California in 1981. Out of her first litter of 8 kittens, 4 had curled ears. The American Curl was recognized as a cat breed by TICA in 1987.
When breeding with American Curls, a true curl-eared cat can breed with a normal domestic cat and 50% of their litter will normaly have curled ears, although the curled ear in kittens will only become visible at about 3 days after birth. The litter with non-curled ears will not be used in cat shows but are very valuable for breeding and make good pets.
The American Shorthair cat
The American shorthair is America's own cat variety whose predecessors moved toward to North America with early settlers from Europe. This breed is distinctly different from the cats that can be seen in the farm and neighborhood. They are known to be a working cat that is why some of them have a slight pouch under their belly that provides protection when they're on the go.
An ASH (short name for American Shorthair) is a cat breed that dislikes being cuddled but enjoys the idea of following you from one place to another. The American Short hair has a trait not common to a cat - they are fascinated with water! It’s pretty normal among these cats to hop their paws to feel the cooling effect of water.
Another amazing trait of this friendly and sociable breed is their ability to communicate with their sweet chirps and squeaks. They also often have their silent meows.
The American Shorthair cat is known for their independence. It is typical to them to just sit beside you for they enjoy the floor very much, rather than your lap - that's why they are tagged as "four-on-the-floor cats". So don’t be frightened when they struggle if you carry them too far but watch out for their cue as there are certain times when they seemed to seek some gentle cuddling.
The American Shorthair has a variety of colors such as striking silver classic tabby, shaded silvers, flashy calico vans, shimmering blue-eyed white. And their eye colors are dashing too! You can stare for hours on their almond shaped eye with sparkling color of gold or green or blue one.American Wirehair
A long time ago, 1966 in New York, Council Rock Farm Adams of Hi-Fi, the first American Wirehair cat was born. Both his parents were just normal barn cats, but Council Rock Farm's unusual wiry coat and whiskers caught their owners attention and soon also captured the interest of professional cat breeders. Council Rock Farm and one of his sisters (Tip-Toe of Hi-Fi) was quickly bought by Rex breeder Mrs. William O'Shea. .
Tip Toe's litters produced more Wirehaired cats and new this new Wirehair breed even caught the attention of breeders from foreign countries. It didn't take long for the American Wirehair cat to become an officially recognized cat breed. Wirehair mutations occur spontaneously in normal cat litters, and the Wirehair gene is always the most dominant one - half of the litter's kittens can have this mutation. American Wirehair cats are also definately American - no occurence of this mutation have been observed in any other foreign country yet
The primary and almost only characteristic of the American Wirehair is its wiry coat and curly whiskers. To be a model American Wirehair, the coat should be coarse and not too long, since a heavy coat tend to turn waivy or straighter. The best Wirehairs are usually produced by a pair of true American Wirehairs. Council Rock Farm is the forefather of all Wirehairs. The personality of an American Wirehair can be described as intelligent, playful cats that like to keep their distance and do their own thing, but will also show affection. American Wirehairs are generally a very healthy cat breed.
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