cats breads part 2

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.

Balinese Cat

The Balinese is literally a Siamese breed of cat with a longer coat. This spontaneous mutation among the Siamese breed occurred sporadically and was once considered as an undesirable quality by the breeders. It was in 1950s when two ingenious Siamese breeders initiated a separate line of breeding to their longhair Siamese kittens. This new natural breed was named after the Balinese dancers' refinement and classiness that resembled the long silky coats of this cat.

The set breed standard for the Balinese is basically the same attributes that the Siamese breed had, a long and slender body and legs. The only exception is their lavish tail plumes and their longer coat lengths. Because the Balinese has a single coat, their fur reclines close to their body and curves naturally toward the rear. This enhances the long, slim lines of their basic body structure.

The Balinese cat became popular between 1975 and 1985. But there was some serious rifts among its breeders when some of them had the idea of classifying the Balinese as Colorpoint shorthairs. Traditionalists opposed because this would cause the Balinese to lose its class as a natural mutation of the Siamese. The reclassification controversies and the development of other cat breeds impaired the budding fame of the Balinese.

Nonetheless, an owner is a sure winner with a Balinese cat in his life. The Balinese is a great companion that can share one's emotion. They have a warm disposition and likes to be with people. Grooming them is not a burden - a Balinese just needs occasional gentle coat combing, claw clipping and teeth brushing.

Bengal Cat

The Bengal is a cross breeding descendant of a domestic cat and a wild leopard from the South East Asian jungles. This hybridization allows exotic lovers to own a fully exotic animal with the loving temperament of a domestic cat.

Modern Bengal cats are large shorthair breeds famous for their marvelously spotted coats with a nice contrast between the pattern and background colors. Their coat colors may be black, rusty, mahogany and ivory with a spotted or marbled pattern.

When the Bengal kittens are between 2 and 6 months of age, they often undergo a stage when their colors become gray with blurry markings. Though, after some time, depending on the season, their original rufous color will return.

A Bengal is a sporty, inquisitive, confident cat with balance and vigor. They are exceedingly smart; always curious about their owner's whereabouts. They can play fetch and enjoy climbing and running around. A unique trait of the Bengal cat is its love of water. They enjoy playing in the shower and diving in a tub. The Bengal cats often use their paws like hands. They hold their toys against their chests and hide them from other pets.

As their activity and play requirements are high, this is not a cat best left to its own devices for long period of time, as they can be quite mischievous and naughty when bored. If an owner is likely to spend much of the day away from the cat, having another high-energy pet companion to occupy the Bengal is an excellent idea. The Bengal cats tend to vocalize when conversing with their owner, and are quite capable of jealousy and spitefulness if they feel that another pet is getting more attention, or if they are being ignored.

Birman Cat

The Birman is a famous cat from Burma clouded with legendary myths. They are regarded as a sacred temple companion of priests. Today, most people believe that the Birman cat breed started in 1919 when a pair from Burma was secretly shipped to France.

Blue eyes are prominent with every Birman breed, matched with a strong face and heavy jaws. They have a full chin and a Roman nose. The Birman cats have semi-long silky hair. The texture of their hair is not inclined to become matte - that is why grooming of this breed is very basic. The Birman cats are also known to be a pointed cat for having darker colors on their faces, ears, paws and tails.

A Birman cat has a fairly long kittenhood and they only reach maturity at three years of age. Thus neutering or spraying these cats is not done until they are 10 months old. The life spans of the Birman cats are also longer than most cats, as they normally live for 20 years or more.

The most endearing characteristic of this breed is their beautiful temperament balance. Birman cats are smart and love to bond with the people around them. Many say they're the sweetest cat among all breeds. They don't ask for a lot of attention - just a brief scratch behind their ears or a cuddle in their owner's arms.

The intelligence of a Birman cat can be seen by their eagerness in finding out what you are doing. It is also remarkable hearing a Birman cat using its soft voice greeting you when you get back home or when they want to tell that it is time to serve their meal

Bombay cat

The Bombay cat originated when a cat breeder, named Niki Homer, decided she wanted to breed a cat that resembles a black panther as closely as possible. This was done by interbreeding sable Burmese cats with American shorthair cats. The final result produced did actually closely resemble a black panther - a true Bombay cat should a have pitch black, shiny, satiny coat. Even its nose leather and leather underneath its paws should be black. It should have large, coppery wide-set eyes as well as wide set ears that are rounded at the tips. The body size should be medium but sturdy and muscular, Bombay cats usually weigh surprisingly heavy for its size. For show cats, the nose shape is also very important. A Bombay cat’s nose angle should not be too prominent or a nose break and the nose should be rounded and not too snub.

Because Bombay cats originated from sable Burmese cats, a litter of Bombay kittens will often include one or two sable colored kittens. Those are not suitable as show cats but still make great pets. Another problem with breeding Bombay cats is a genetically carried birth defect called the Burmese Craniofacial defect that causes the skull to be malformed. It is often very difficult to tell apart a sable Burmese cat from a sable Bombay cat and this can usually only be done by an expert eye.

Bombays are known to be calm, attention seeking cats. These cats like to cuddle up, seeking body heat and some will try to sleep under your bed covers. They like close human contact, but are dominant cats, so often don't get along well with other cats, although they can be tolerant towards other dogs.

It is not necessary to groom your Bombay cat very often, due to its short, dense fur. Before a show, do not wash the cat because it will deprive its fur of the natural oils that makes it so shiny. Bombay cats needs to be spayed at an early age, because they have been known to reach maturity from as young as five months.

British Shorthair

The British Shorthair is the breed Lewis Carrol chose to represent the Chesire Cat from Alice in Wonderland. Its face is chubby and round and it seems to have a permanent grin on its face. Everything about this cat seems to be friendly and round, even its big eyes, which are usually copper in color. British Shorthair cats have rounded, broad bodies, with short legs. Due to its built, the British Shorthair is prone to obesity. The fur of the British Shorthair is, as you can deduce from its name - short. It has dense and soft fur that can be seen in almost any color, and doesn’t need to be groomed too often - a brush once a week is recommended to remove loose hair. The most common color for the British Shorthair is blue, cats with this shade of fur is known as the British Blue.

True to its appearances and much like the Cheshire Cat, this cat has a laid back attitude. Its easy to take care of, doesn't mind living in apartments and doesn't demand too much attention.

The British Shorthair originated from the United Kingdom. Breeders wanted to create a cat that looked like a bulldog. It was first bred in the Victorian time from normal English working cats.

Burmese: A dog within a cat

The origin of the Burmese cat can be traced to one cat named "Wong Mau". This brown cat from Burma was bred by Dr. Joseph Thomson in 1930s from a Seal Point Siamese cat called Tai. More selected breeding were done until a breed with a unique genetic background was developed.

There are two strains of Burmese cats, the American Burmese and the European Burmese. These two strains of Burmese are now treated as separate breeds. The Western (American) standard coats are sable, champagne, blue and platinum. While the contemporary breeds of Burmese cats in Europe and UK have coats of cream, red, lilac and four shades of tortoise-shell.

Burmese cats look elegant with their short, silky fur, medium rounded body and oval-shaped paws. Their eyes are typically yellow and dramatically stunning. Burmese are surprisingly heavy for their size.

Like Siamese, Burmese cats are very tame. Having this breed of cat is almost like having a dog because of its playful and active qualities. They can fetch a ball like a dog and like to tag on with their owners in all places. They can be a wonderful pet to a big family and can go well with children, other house pets and can even interact with house guests. The Burmese are also intellectual and emotional pets that can be easily trained to simple tricks and enjoy to be cuddled in bed.

They are great choice to give as a gift because they tend to like people. They can go along with people they don't know. Unfortunately, because of this same tendency and their very little survival nature, they must be always kept indoors for their own sake.

Chartreux cat

Chartreux cats are said to be the best mouse-catching breed of cats. In the 13th century, crusaders from France in Syria brought back wild mountain cats to France. Many of these crusaders became monks. The Carthusian monks from Grenoble had a big mouse problem and the Cartreux cat breed were bred by them from the wild mountain cats to solve their problem. They became known as their own breed and was already documented in the 17th century as a breed by French natural scientist Buffon, but they were only introduced to America in 1971.

These cats are such good mouse hunters, because they have quick reflexes and are muscular. In some characteristics they are similar to the British shorthair, namely they also seem to have a grin on their faces and are of a sturdy built. Their fur is also most commonly thick and blue in color and they usually have copper colored eyes.

Chartreux cats are very quiet and it’s not unusual for them to never even meow at all. Their personality can be described as extremely intelligent and playful. That makes Chartreux ideal playmates for children, but remember, they like to bond with especially one person in the family. The Chartreux cat can even be taught certain tricks.

Cornish Rex

The Cornish Rex is a cat breed originating from Cornwall, England. The first litter of this breed was seen in 1950. This breed, though established, seems odd for some people because of their "extraterrestrial" look. The Cornish Rex are sometimes nicknamed Martian cats or alien cats.

A Cornish Rex has a lean body with an egg shaped head, large ears and high cheekbones. Its cheeks are said to be hollow and the nose high-bridged, with a strong chin. The back of a Cornish Rex cat is vault shaped with a tiny waist and long slender legs. It has a very short curly wave coat that is nice and soft to touch. The Cornish Rex's coat is comparable to the fur of other furry animals like rabbits or mice.

The Cornish Rex cat breed is relatively rare, but the usual standard colors and patterns are bicolor, solid white, blue, black, black smoke, and red tabby.

The racy look of a Cornish Rex cat coupled with strong legs allows them to jump high and make swift turns. The Cornish Rex is vigorous and love to participate in your family life. Aside from running around, Cornish Rex cats enjoy high-level activity and will love a vertical playing space. They also like playing with little toys at home or with anything not attached or glued down.

The grooming requirements of Cornish Rex cats are modest, their shedding is very minimal and not noticeable, but they need to be bathed to wash off skin oils that may accumulate on their skin.

The normal life span of this breed is 10-15 years, but it astounding to know that a Cornish Rex holds the record as one of the longest living cats who allegedly lived for 33 long years.

Devonshire Rex

Devonshire Rex cats have their origins in Devonshire, in the UK, where a certain Miss Cox found that a kitten born to her had very curly hair. This was sometime in 1959, and the kitten's name was Kirlee. Kirlee was later taken on by a man interested in breeding Rex cats, and when he sired kittens with other Rex cats, it was found that the resultant cats were not curly-haired. The Rex cats thus evolved into the Cornish Rex variety and the Devonshire Rex breed. Both have soft, curly and sparse hair, but have differences for example in their hair layering.

Cats belonging to the Devonshire Rex breed are among the rarest and most expensive in the world. They are distinguished by a playfulness and activity uncommon among cats, and by their willingness to be around people. A Devonshire Rex cat’s coat, being quite thin, explains also why it tends to hang around heaters and other similar heat sources, especially on cold nights. Some breeding groups recommend Devonshire Rex cats to be good cuddling companions for that reason.

The Devonshire Rex comes in different colors, but all cats of the Devonshire Rex breed have several common features. For one, they have large ears mounted on a wide head, and are often stocky-built. They also have a slightly upturned nose. One nickname given to Devonshire Rex cats are alien cats for those reasons. For another, they have long legs and huge toes, which gives them the ability to climb into nooks and crannies for that reason. This is where they can be found around the home. Males often weigh between eight to ten pounds and females weigh between five to eight pounds.

While Devonshire Rex cats do shed hair, contrary to a popular misconception, their lack of hair relative to other cats are a boon to people who have allergies to cat hair. It is for this reason that Devonshire Rex cats are often bred for people who otherwise have allergies as they can easily live with them. They require little maintenance, if any, with even a simple wipe with a damp cloth being sufficient to keep them in good condition.

Devonshire Rex cats have been described as having the personality of a cat, a dog, and a monkey combined. Nothing seems to escape their attentions or even their appetite. But their willingness to hang around people make Devonshire Rex cats an ideal companion. It is noted that if a Devonshire Rex owner is seated, the cat is most likely to be found on his or her lap. Not to mention, as some have found, eating food left lying around.

Since Devonshire Rex cats are a young breed, it is often cross-bred with American and British short-hairs to keep the gene pool quite strong. Devonshire Rex cats have been bred in the US since the late 1960s, when Marion White of Austin, TX, brought over a Devonshire Rex kitten. Devonshire Rex cats have been included in the largest US register of cat breeds, maintained by the Cat Fanciers Association, since 1979.