Portal:Cats/Selected breed
Selected breed 1
The Maine Coon is a large domesticated cat breed. The breed is selectively bred from one of the oldest landraces in North America, and is pedigreed in all major cat registries worldwide. It originated in the U.S. state of Maine, where it is the official state cat. The Maine Coon is a large and social cat, commonly referred to as "the gentle giant". The breed is predominantly known for its large size and its long and dense coat of fur which helps it survive in the harsh climate of Maine. The Maine Coon is often cited as having "dog-like" characteristics.
The breed was popular in cat shows in the late 19th century, but its existence became threatened when long-haired breeds from overseas were introduced in the early 20th century. The Maine Coon has since made a comeback, and is the most popular cat breed in multiple global cat registries.
Selected breed 2
The Siamese cat (Thai: แมวไทย, Maeo Thai; แมวสยาม, Maeo Sayam; แมววิเชียรมาศ, Maeo Wichien Maat) is one of the first distinctly recognised breeds of domestic cat. It is selectively bred since the end of the 19th-century from the Wichianmat landrace, one of several varieties of cats native to Thailand (known as Siam before 1939), and is pedigreed in all major cat fancier and breeder organisations. Siamese cats have a distinctive colourpoint coat, resulting from a temperature-sensitive type of albinism. Distinct features like blue almond-shaped eyes, a triangular wedged head shape, large wide-set ears, an elongated, slender, and muscular body, and various colours of point colouration characterise the breed.
The breed was one of the most popular cat breeds in Europe and North America in the 19th century. Around the 1950s, the modern-style body with slender and angular features became the preferred type by Siamese enthusiasts. From the 1980s onwards, the traditional "old-style" (rounder-built) cats started to officially split off from the (modern-style) Siamese breed and were re-established by multiple registries as the separate Thai cat breed. The terms "Siamese" or "Thai" are used for cats from these specific breeds, which are by definition all purebred cats with a known and formally registered ancestry, also known as the cat's pedigree or "paperwork".
Selected breed 3
The Manx cat (/ˈmæŋks/, in earlier times often spelled Manks) is a breed of domestic cat (Felis catus) originating on the Isle of Man, with a mutation that shortens the tail. Many Manx have a small stub of a tail, but Manx cats are best known as being entirely tailless; this is the most distinguishing characteristic of the breed, along with elongated hind legs and a rounded head. Manx cats come in all coat colours and patterns, though all-white specimens are rare, and the coat range of the original stock was more limited. Long-haired variants are sometimes considered a separate breed, the Cymric cat.
Manx are prized as skilled hunters, and thus have often been sought by farmers with rodent problems, and been a preferred ship's cat breed. They are said to be social, tame and active. Two local terms for the cats on their home island are stubbin (those with a short tail) and rumpy (those with no tail). Manx have been exhibited in cat shows since the 1800s, with the first known breed standard published in 1903.
Selected breed 4
The British Shorthair is the pedigree version of the landrace of British domestic cat, with a distinctively stocky body, thick coat, and broad face. The most familiar colour variant is the "British Blue", with a solid grey-blue coat, copper-coloured eyes, and a medium-sized tail. The breed has also been bred in a wide range of other colours and patterns, including tabby and colourpoint.
It ranks among the oldest known cat landraces. This ancient British landrace was selectively bred into one of the first pedigreed cat breeds at the end of the 19th century, and today holds full recognition status in all major cat registries. It remains the most popular pedigreed breed in its native country, as registered by the UK's Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF). Half of all kittens registered with the GCCF each year are British Shorthairs, making it the most popular pedigree cat in the UK.
Selected breed 5
The Siberian is a centuries-old landrace (natural variety) of domestic cat in Russia, and recently developed as a formal breed with standards promulgated the world over since the late-1980s. Since 2006, the breed is recognised for registry and championship status with all major cat registries.
The formal name of the breed is Siberian Forest Cat, but it is typically referred to as the Siberian or Siberian cat. Formerly, sometimes the names Moscow Semi-Longhair and Russian Longhair were also used. The colourpoint variant or sister breed, called the Neva Masquerade, is categorised as a separate cat breed by some registries, including FIFe, WCF, and ACF.
Selected breed 6
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The Turkish Van is a semi-long-haired, standardised breed of domestic cat, which was developed during the 1950s in the United Kingdom from a selection of cats obtained from various cities of modern-day Turkey, especially southeast Turkey. This rare cat breed is one of the larger ones, and is distinguished by the Van pattern (named after the breed), where the colour is restricted to the head and the tail, and the rest of the cat is white; this is due to the expression of the white spotting gene, a type of partial leucism. A Turkish Van may have blue or orange eyes, or be odd-eyed (having one eye of each colour).
The breed was initially registered under the name Turkish cat in 1969 by UK-based Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF). It was later renamed Turkish Van to better distinguish it from the Turkish Angora breed. The Turkish Van has been claimed to be descended from (and is often confused with) the landrace of usually solid white Van cats, mostly found near Lake Van, though one of the two original breeders' own writings indicate clearly that none of the Turkish Van's foundation cats came from the Van area.
Selected breed 7
The Savannah is a breed of hybrid cat developed in the late 20th century from hybridisation of a serval (Leptailurus serval) with a domestic cat (Felis catus). This hybridisation typically produces large and lean offspring, with the serval's characteristic large ears and markedly black spotted coats. F1 and F2 male Savannahs can be very large, and in 2016 an F2 male attained a world record for tallest cat at 48.4 centimetres (19.1 in). However, show-eligible F4–F5 cats range from 5.0–8.2 kilograms (11.0–18.1 lb), and therefore comparable in size to other large domestic cat breeds such as the Maine Coon or Norwegian Forest cat. The Savannah cat is the largest of the cat breeds. A Savannah cat is a cross between a domestic cat and a serval, a medium-sized, large-eared wild African cat. The unusual cross became popular among breeders at the end of the 1990s, and in 2001 The International Cat Association (TICA) accepted it as a new registered breed. In May 2012, TICA accepted it as a championship breed.
Selected breed 8
The Bengal cat (Prionailurus bengalensis × Felis catus) is a breed of hybrid cat created from crossbreeding an Asian leopard cat to domestic cats, especially the spotted tabby Egyptian Mau. Bengals have varying appearances. Their tabby coats range from domestic spots to hybrid rosettes, arrowhead markings, and marbling. The breed is selectively bred and pedigree registered with most of the major cat registries. The breed's name derives from the leopard cat's taxonomic name. The bengal cat is considered a medium to large breed.
Due to the recent hybridisation with their wild ancestor species, the breeding, trading, and ownership of Bengal cats is legally regulated in several countries.
Selected breed 9
The Ragdoll is a breed of cat with a distinct colorpoint coat and blue eyes. Its morphology is large and weighty, and it has a semi-long and silky soft coat. American breeder Ann Baker developed Ragdolls in the 1960s. They are best known for their docile, placid temperament, and affectionate nature. The name Ragdoll is derived from the tendency to go limp and relaxed when picked up. The breed is particularly popular in both the United Kingdom and the United States.
Ragdolls are known as dog-like cats due to their tendency to follow people around, their receptiveness to handling, and their relative lack of aggression towards other pets.
Selected breed 10
The Singapura, or Kucinta in Singapore, is noted for its large eyes and ears, ticked coat, and blunt tail. The majority of breed associations consider the Singapura to be the lightest and shortest pedigreed breed of cat. Reportedly established from three "drain cats" imported from Singapore in the 1970s, it was later revealed that the cats were originally sent to Singapore from the United States before being exported back to the US. Investigations by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) concluded that no wrongdoing had occurred and the Singapura kept its status as a natural breed.
Selected breed 11
The Balinese is a long-haired breed of domestic cat with Siamese-style point coloration and sapphire-blue eyes. The Balinese is also known as the purebred long-haired Siamese since it originated as a natural mutation of that breed and hence is essentially the same cat but with a medium-length silky coat and a distinctively plumed tail.
As is the case with their short-haired counterparts, a genetic distinction is made between traditional or "old-style" and modern body types. In the American standard, color variants derived from the Colorpoint Shorthair are further considered a separate breed, known as the Javanese. There is no particular connection between these cats and the Indonesian islands of Bali and Java, from which they derive their names.
Selected breed 12
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The Norwegian Forest Cat (Norwegian: norsk skogkatt or norsk skaukatt) is a pedigreed breed of domestic cat originating in Northern Europe. This landrace breed is adapted to a very cold climate, with a top coat of long, glossy hair and a woolly undercoat for insulation. The breed's ancestors may have been a landrace breed of short-haired cats brought to Norway about AD 1000 by the Vikings, who may also have brought with them long-haired cats, like those ancestral to the modern Siberian and Turkish Angora.
During World War II, the Norwegian Forest Cat was nearly extinct; then the Norwegian Forest Cat Club's breeding program increased the cat's numbers. It was registered as a breed with the European Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) in the 1970s, when a Norwegian cat fancier took notice of the breed and made efforts to selectively breed and register it.
Selected breed 13
The Sphynx cat (pronounced SFINKS, /ˈsfɪŋks/ ⓘ) also known as the Canadian Sphynx, is a breed of cat known for its lack of fur. Hairlessness in cats is a naturally occurring genetic mutation, and the Sphynx was developed through selective breeding of these animals, starting in the 1960s.
The skin of these cats has a texture of chamois leather, and may have fine hairs or be completely hairless. Whiskers may be present, either whole or broken, or may be totally absent. Per the breed standards, they have a somewhat wedge-shaped head with large eyes and ears, quite long legs and tail, and neat rounded paws. Their skin is the color that their fur would be, and all the usual cat markings (solid, point, van, tabby, tortie, etc.) may be found on the Sphynx cat's skin. Because they have no fur, Sphynx cats lose body heat more readily than coated cats, making them both warm to the touch and prone to seeking out warm places.
Selected breed 14
The Scottish Fold is a breed of domestic cat characterised by a naturally occurring autosomal dominant mutation associated with feline osteochondrodysplasia (FOCD). This genetic health condition affects cartilage development throughout the body and produces the breed's defining feature: ears that "fold" forward and down towards the front of the head, contributing to its often described “owl-like” appearance.
Research has revealed that all Scottish Fold cats are affected by FOCD, a developmental abnormality that affects cartilage and bone formation throughout the body. This systemic disorder causes the ear fold as well as skeletal abnormalities that may lead to painful, progressive degenerative joint disease, sometimes manifesting at a young age. In certain individuals, the disorder may progress to a severity that requires euthanasia, even at a relatively young age. Due to these welfare concerns, breeding of Scottish Fold cats is prohibited in several countries, and the breed is not recognised by some major cat registries.
Selected breed 15
The Persian cat, also known as the Persian Longhair or simply Persian, is a long-haired traditional breed of cat characterised by a round face and petite, but not flat and not smashed in, muzzle. The short flat nose was created in the US from in-breeding and causes breathing difficulties in the breed, whereas, the traditional Persian breed has a petite nose which enables them to breathe without difficulties.
The first Persian cats may have been brought to Italy from Khorasan as early as 1620, but there is stronger evidence for a longhaired cat breed exported from Afghanistan and Iran/Persia from the 19th century onwards. Persian cats have been widely recognised by the North-West European cat fancy since the 19th century, and after World War II by breeders from North America, Australia and New Zealand. Some cat fancier organisations' breed standards subsume the Himalayan and Exotic Shorthair as variants of this breed, while others generally treat them as separate breeds.
Selected breed 16
The Munchkin is a breed of cat characterized by its very short legs, which are caused by a genetic mutation. Compared to many other cat breeds, it is a relatively new breed, documented since 1940s and officially recognized in 1991. The Munchkin is considered to be the original breed of dwarf cat, the breeding of which is prohibited in several countries and states, due to concerns for the animals' welfare.
Much controversy erupted over the breed when it was recognized by The International Cat Association (TICA) in 1997 with critics voicing concerns over health and mobility issues. Many pedigree cat associations around the world have refused to recognize the Munchkin cat due to the welfare of the breed, including the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF). Breeding of Munchkin cats is prohibited by law in several countries due to these genetic health concerns. The Fédération Internationale Féline prohibits breeds based on dwarfism, and specifically mentions the Munchkin as an example of unacceptable manipulation of "genetic disease".
Selected breed 17
Pixie-bob is a pedigreed breed of domestic cat. The breed was originally claimed to contain bobcat admixture. However, it is generally regarded as pure domestic stock based upon historical DNA testing reportedly conducted in 1996, although the underlying methodology and primary data do not appear to be publicly available.
They were selectively bred in the United States from a number of domestic cats which were believed to contain admixture with the North American bobcat (Lynx rufus). They are relatively large-sized polydactyl cats with a short tail, and have a black spotted tabby coat.
Selected breed 18
The Cymric (/ˈkɪmrɪk/ KIM-rik, /ˈkʌmrɪk/ KUM-rik) is a Canadian cat breed. Some cat registries consider the Cymric a semi-long-haired variety of the Manx breed, rather than a separate breed. Except for the length of fur, in all other respects, the two varieties are the same, and kittens of either sort may appear in the same litter. The name comes from Cymru (Welsh pronunciation: [ˈkəmrɨ]), the indigenous Welsh name of Wales, even though the breed is not associated with Wales. The name may have been chosen to provide a "Celtic" sounding moniker for the breed. While the breed's Manx bloodline originated from the Isle of Man, the long-haired variant is claimed to have been developed in Canada. The breed is called the Longhair Manx or a similar name by some registries.
Selected breed 19
The Snowshoe is a rare breed of domestic cat originating in the United States of America in the 1960s. Its short-haired coat has a bicolour colourpoint pattern. The breed takes its name from the characteristic white feet forming the white shoe pattern. It is a pointed cat with blue eyes.
Snowshoes were first produced when a Siamese breeder's cat gave birth to three kittens with white feet. The breeder, Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty, then began a breeding programme to produce what were originally called "Silver Laces", crossing the strangely marked Siamese cats with bicolour American Shorthair cats and other breeds. Despite having existed for 45 years, Snowshoes are rare due to the difficulty of reproducing the correct coat markings.
Selected breed 20
The toyger is a breed of domestic cat, the result of breeding domestic short-haired tabbies (beginning in the 1980s) to make them resemble a "toy tiger", as its striped coat is reminiscent of the tiger's. The breed's originator, Judy Sugden, has stated that the breed was developed in order to inspire people to care about the conservation of tigers in the wild. It was recognized for "registration only" by The International Cat Association in the early 2000s, and advanced through all requirements to be accepted as a full championship breed in May 2007. The Toyger Cat Society database lists 30 active Toyger breeders as of 2024.
In 2020, 469 toygers are registered on the Pawpeds Database, and kittens were stated to cost up to $5,000.
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