Persian
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/884835380.png)
Description
The Persian looks like a soft fluff ball of fur, but beneath the voluminous coat is a muscular, sturdy, cobby body. The large, round eyes, set far apart, and the short, snub nose with a break centered between the eyes are characteristic features. When viewed in profile, the prominence of the eyes is apparent and the forehead, nose, and chin appear to be in vertical alignment. (British standards call for a more moderate nose.) The tail is thick and short, in proportion to the body, and angled down, lower than the back. This is a heavily boned, medium to large breed, with short, thick legs and an overall appearance of roundness. Adult males weigh 9 to 14 pounds; adult females weigh 7 to 11 pounds. Size is less important than type.
The head is large and round with a smooth dome and set on a short, thick neck. The ears are small and rounded, set far apart and low on the head. There are two distinct facial types: Extreme and Traditional (also called Dollface). Although the Extreme is the head type accepted in the show ring, the Traditional has many fans. In both types, the Persian has small, rounded ears set low on the head, wide, round eyes, full cheeks and a full, well-developed chin. The Extreme face is round and extremely flattened, and in many cats the nose is nearly as high as the eyes. Deformity of the skull resulting in an asymmetrical face or head is cause for disqualification in the show ring.
The Traditional Persian’s head is also round and massive. However, the nose, while also snub, is placed lower on the face and only has a slight break. The up-curving mouth helps give the desired sweet expression that fanciers prize. For those who like this look, theTraditional Cat Association (TCA) promotes the Traditional Persian, in addition to other traditional versions of pedigreed, cats such as the Siamese. According to TCA’s founder, Diana Fineran, the Traditional Persian lacks many of the medical problems that trouble some Extreme Persian bloodlines.
Traditional or Extreme, the Persian has a very long, flowing, dense coat that comes in a plethora of colors and numerous patterns. In CFA the patterns are separated into divisions of silver and golden, shaded and smoke, calico and bicolor, solid, tabby, particolor andHimalayan ( pointed patterns). Eye color, in a variety of brilliant hues, depends on coat color. No outcrosses are allowed except for the Himalayan in some associations, and the Exotic Shorthair in TICA. While the Himalayan is a division of the Persian in CFA, it’s a breed in its own right in AACE, ACFA, CCA, CFF, NCFA, TCA, and UFO. In CFA, longhaired Exotics that meet Persian color descriptions can compete in Persian color classes. However, the Exotic longhair division is for scoring only and winning points accrued by Exotic Longhairs shown in the Persian color classes will only count toward Exotic Longhair breed and color class wins, not toward wins in the Persian division.
History
The Persian, the most popular puss on the planet, has had a huge human following for hundreds of years. Persians were featured prominently in the first modern cat show, held at London’s Crystal Palace in 1871. At this ground-breaking affair organized by Harrison Weir (a noted cat enthusiast whom many regard as the father of the cat fancy), 170 cats were shown, among them Persians, Siamese, Russian Longhairs, British Shorthairs andAngora. Persians were already popular when Weir held his famous show, and subsequent cat shows only increased that popularity. In the 1800s, fanciers particularly prized blue Persians, probably emulating Queen Victoria’s passion for that color of the breed.
Persians have been around for much longer, however. In the 1600s, an Italian traveler named Pietro della Valle (1586-1652) brought the first known Persian cats to Europe. In his manuscript, Voyages de Pietro della Valle, he mentioned both Angora and Persian cats, and describes the latter as gray with very long, glossy, silky fur. According to his writings, Persian cats originated in the province of Khorasan in Persia (now Iran).
Other longhaired cats were imported to Europe from other areas, as well-Afghanistan, Burma, China, Russia and Turkey. At this point, these cats were not considered breeds as such, and for a time they were all referred to as Asiatic cats. No attempt was made to mate cats of like characteristics; cats of various lineages were commonly crossed, particularly longhairs such as Angoras and Persians.
Angoras were initially preferred for their silky white coats. Eventually, however, British fanciers came to favor the sturdy conformation, colors and longer fur of the Persian. When Weir held his 1871 cat show, distinct differences between Persians and Angoras were noted. Persians were stockier and had smaller, rounded ears, and Angoras were slender and tall-eared, just as they are today.
Persians were imported to the United States in the late 1800s. They quickly became more popular than the Maine Coon, the home-grown breed that had previously won the hearts of American fanciers and, subsequently, the turn-of-the-century cat competitions. American breeding programs began. More than 100 years of selective breeding have refined the Persian into the cats they are today—stocky, rounded, and muscular with foreshortened faces and soft, silky, extra-loooong fur. The Persian is so popular that the breed accounts for almost 80 percent of the pedigreed cat population.
The Persian looks like a soft fluff ball of fur, but beneath the voluminous coat is a muscular, sturdy, cobby body. The large, round eyes, set far apart, and the short, snub nose with a break centered between the eyes are characteristic features. When viewed in profile, the prominence of the eyes is apparent and the forehead, nose, and chin appear to be in vertical alignment. (British standards call for a more moderate nose.) The tail is thick and short, in proportion to the body, and angled down, lower than the back. This is a heavily boned, medium to large breed, with short, thick legs and an overall appearance of roundness. Adult males weigh 9 to 14 pounds; adult females weigh 7 to 11 pounds. Size is less important than type.
The head is large and round with a smooth dome and set on a short, thick neck. The ears are small and rounded, set far apart and low on the head. There are two distinct facial types: Extreme and Traditional (also called Dollface). Although the Extreme is the head type accepted in the show ring, the Traditional has many fans. In both types, the Persian has small, rounded ears set low on the head, wide, round eyes, full cheeks and a full, well-developed chin. The Extreme face is round and extremely flattened, and in many cats the nose is nearly as high as the eyes. Deformity of the skull resulting in an asymmetrical face or head is cause for disqualification in the show ring.
The Traditional Persian’s head is also round and massive. However, the nose, while also snub, is placed lower on the face and only has a slight break. The up-curving mouth helps give the desired sweet expression that fanciers prize. For those who like this look, theTraditional Cat Association (TCA) promotes the Traditional Persian, in addition to other traditional versions of pedigreed, cats such as the Siamese. According to TCA’s founder, Diana Fineran, the Traditional Persian lacks many of the medical problems that trouble some Extreme Persian bloodlines.
Traditional or Extreme, the Persian has a very long, flowing, dense coat that comes in a plethora of colors and numerous patterns. In CFA the patterns are separated into divisions of silver and golden, shaded and smoke, calico and bicolor, solid, tabby, particolor andHimalayan ( pointed patterns). Eye color, in a variety of brilliant hues, depends on coat color. No outcrosses are allowed except for the Himalayan in some associations, and the Exotic Shorthair in TICA. While the Himalayan is a division of the Persian in CFA, it’s a breed in its own right in AACE, ACFA, CCA, CFF, NCFA, TCA, and UFO. In CFA, longhaired Exotics that meet Persian color descriptions can compete in Persian color classes. However, the Exotic longhair division is for scoring only and winning points accrued by Exotic Longhairs shown in the Persian color classes will only count toward Exotic Longhair breed and color class wins, not toward wins in the Persian division.
History
The Persian, the most popular puss on the planet, has had a huge human following for hundreds of years. Persians were featured prominently in the first modern cat show, held at London’s Crystal Palace in 1871. At this ground-breaking affair organized by Harrison Weir (a noted cat enthusiast whom many regard as the father of the cat fancy), 170 cats were shown, among them Persians, Siamese, Russian Longhairs, British Shorthairs andAngora. Persians were already popular when Weir held his famous show, and subsequent cat shows only increased that popularity. In the 1800s, fanciers particularly prized blue Persians, probably emulating Queen Victoria’s passion for that color of the breed.
Persians have been around for much longer, however. In the 1600s, an Italian traveler named Pietro della Valle (1586-1652) brought the first known Persian cats to Europe. In his manuscript, Voyages de Pietro della Valle, he mentioned both Angora and Persian cats, and describes the latter as gray with very long, glossy, silky fur. According to his writings, Persian cats originated in the province of Khorasan in Persia (now Iran).
Other longhaired cats were imported to Europe from other areas, as well-Afghanistan, Burma, China, Russia and Turkey. At this point, these cats were not considered breeds as such, and for a time they were all referred to as Asiatic cats. No attempt was made to mate cats of like characteristics; cats of various lineages were commonly crossed, particularly longhairs such as Angoras and Persians.
Angoras were initially preferred for their silky white coats. Eventually, however, British fanciers came to favor the sturdy conformation, colors and longer fur of the Persian. When Weir held his 1871 cat show, distinct differences between Persians and Angoras were noted. Persians were stockier and had smaller, rounded ears, and Angoras were slender and tall-eared, just as they are today.
Persians were imported to the United States in the late 1800s. They quickly became more popular than the Maine Coon, the home-grown breed that had previously won the hearts of American fanciers and, subsequently, the turn-of-the-century cat competitions. American breeding programs began. More than 100 years of selective breeding have refined the Persian into the cats they are today—stocky, rounded, and muscular with foreshortened faces and soft, silky, extra-loooong fur. The Persian is so popular that the breed accounts for almost 80 percent of the pedigreed cat population.
Himilayan
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/743403025.png)
Description
Otherwise indistinguishable from the Persian, with the same body type and long, silky coat, Himalayans are distinguished by their pointed pattern (the pattern of the Siamese) and their deep vivid blue eyes. Because of their long fur, the pointed pattern appears softer than that of the Siamese.
The Himalayan is a medium to large breed with short, thick legs and a muscular, heavy-boned, cobby body. The head is massive and round with great breadth of skull, set on a short, thick neck. The eyes are large and round, set far apart, giving the cat a sweet expression. The nose is short, snub and broad with a break centered between the eyes. When viewed in profile, the prominence of the eyes is apparent and the forehead, nose, and chin appear to be in vertical alignment. The ears are small and rounded at the tip, set far apart and low on the head. The tail is thick and short but in proportion to the body. It is carried without a curve and at an angle lower than the back. Adult males weigh 9 to 14 pounds; adult females weigh 7 to 11 pounds. The Himmie is solid, but not fat, with an overall appearance of soft roundness. Type is more important than size.
Two different facial types exist: the Extreme and the Traditional (also called the Original). Although the Extreme head type is what you’ll see in the show ring, the Traditional has many fans. Both types have the small, rounded ears set low on the head, wide, round eyes, full cheeks and a full, well-developed chin. However, the Extreme’s face is round and extremely flattened, and in many cases the nose is nearly as high as the eyes.
The Traditional Himalayan’s head is also round and massive. However, the nose, while also snub, is placed lower on the face and has only a slight break. The up-curving mouth helps give the desired sweet expression that fanciers of this type prize. For those who like this look, the Traditional Cat Association (TCA) promotes the Traditional Himalayan and other traditional versions of pedigreed cats, such as the Siamese and Persian. According to TCA’s founder, Diana Fineran, the Traditional Himalayan lacks many of the problems that trouble some Extreme Himalayan bloodlines such as breathing difficulties and eye tearing.
The Himalayan’s coat is long, flowing and very thick, which softens the cat’s lines and accentuates the appearance of roundness. The points, consisting of the ears, legs, feet, tail, and face mask, show the cat’s basic color. Body color ranges from white to beige; a clear, uniform color is preferred, but subtle shading and darker shaded areas on the coats of older cats are allowed. Still, there must be a definite contrast between body color and point color. Point colors include chocolate, seal, lilac, blue, red, cream tortie, blue-cream, chocolate-tortie, lilac-cream, seal lynx, blue lynx, red lynx, cream lynx, tortie lynx, blue-cream lynx, chocolate lynx, lilac lynx, chocolate-tortie lynx and lilac-cream lynx.
The only allowable outcross is the Persian, except in TICA, where the Exotic Shorthair is also permitted. The Siamese is no longer used in breeding programs.
History
The Himalayan, a gorgeous cat with the color and pattern of the Siamese but the body and coat of the Persian, was deliberately created in 1950 by American breeder Marguerita Goforth. Soon after Goforth's success, British breeders also achieved the same goal. Bycrossbreeding Persians and Siamese and then crossing the resulting offspring, these breeders succeeded in producing the desired appearance. These innovative breeders weren’t the first to try this crossbreeding, but they were the first to attempt to establish this new variety as a distinct breed. In 1955 the British Governing Council of the Cat Fancy(GCCF) recognized the Himalayan under the name Colorpoint Longhair. The American associations CFA and ACFA recognized the breed in 1957 under the name Himalayan, named for the color pattern found in other animals such as the Himalayan rabbit. By 1961, all major North American cat associations that existed at that time recognized the Himalayan.
In 1984, CFA united the Himalayan and the Persian breeds, and in that association the Himalayan became a color division rather than a separate breed. By that time, the body type was the same for both breeds and only the colors and pattern remained of the Siamese ancestors. And since the breeders needed to cross their Himalayans to Persians occasionally to maintain the ideal body and head type, registration and status problems had arisen for the hybrid offspring. Before 1984 in CFA, the Persian and Himalayan were two separate breeds, and the hybrid offspring of the two were not considered true members of either breed. Now, as varieties of the same breed, the offspring could be registered and shown in whatever color division they belonged.
The decision was controversial, however, and not everyone was happy with the new policy. Some of the Persian breeders didn’t like the idea of hybrids being introduced into their pure Persian bloodlines. Some Himalayan breeders were equally concerned about the breed they had worked so hard to refine. In fact, a group of fanciers so strongly disagreed with the new policy that they split from CFA and formed their own organization, theNational Cat Fanciers’ Association (NCFA).
Today, whether the Himalayan is considered a breed in its own right depends upon the association. In CFA Himalayans are considered a color division of the Persian breed. InTICA, the Himalayan is included in the Persian Breed Group, which includes the Persian, Himalayan, and Exotic Shorthair. They share a standard but each breed is mentioned and the differences noted. However, in the AACE, ACFA, CCA, CFF, NCFA, TCA, and UFO, the Himalayan is considered a separate breed and has its own breed standard.
However, because Himalayans are regularly crossed with Persians, most of these associations have special rules for Himalayan-Persian hybrids. In TICA, for example, Persian, Himalayan and Exotic hybrids or variants may be shown as the breed they resemble. That means if a cross between a Persian and a Himalayan results in offspring who look like Himalayans, they can be registered and shown as Himalayans. If an Exotic-to-Exotic mating produces, say, a longhaired tabby, he can be registered and shown as a Persian. In ACFA, non-pointed Himalayans are included in the Himalayan standard, allowing them to be shown as that breed. This makes it much easier for breeders and avoids the problem of breeders ending up with kittens that can’t be shown for championship.
Otherwise indistinguishable from the Persian, with the same body type and long, silky coat, Himalayans are distinguished by their pointed pattern (the pattern of the Siamese) and their deep vivid blue eyes. Because of their long fur, the pointed pattern appears softer than that of the Siamese.
The Himalayan is a medium to large breed with short, thick legs and a muscular, heavy-boned, cobby body. The head is massive and round with great breadth of skull, set on a short, thick neck. The eyes are large and round, set far apart, giving the cat a sweet expression. The nose is short, snub and broad with a break centered between the eyes. When viewed in profile, the prominence of the eyes is apparent and the forehead, nose, and chin appear to be in vertical alignment. The ears are small and rounded at the tip, set far apart and low on the head. The tail is thick and short but in proportion to the body. It is carried without a curve and at an angle lower than the back. Adult males weigh 9 to 14 pounds; adult females weigh 7 to 11 pounds. The Himmie is solid, but not fat, with an overall appearance of soft roundness. Type is more important than size.
Two different facial types exist: the Extreme and the Traditional (also called the Original). Although the Extreme head type is what you’ll see in the show ring, the Traditional has many fans. Both types have the small, rounded ears set low on the head, wide, round eyes, full cheeks and a full, well-developed chin. However, the Extreme’s face is round and extremely flattened, and in many cases the nose is nearly as high as the eyes.
The Traditional Himalayan’s head is also round and massive. However, the nose, while also snub, is placed lower on the face and has only a slight break. The up-curving mouth helps give the desired sweet expression that fanciers of this type prize. For those who like this look, the Traditional Cat Association (TCA) promotes the Traditional Himalayan and other traditional versions of pedigreed cats, such as the Siamese and Persian. According to TCA’s founder, Diana Fineran, the Traditional Himalayan lacks many of the problems that trouble some Extreme Himalayan bloodlines such as breathing difficulties and eye tearing.
The Himalayan’s coat is long, flowing and very thick, which softens the cat’s lines and accentuates the appearance of roundness. The points, consisting of the ears, legs, feet, tail, and face mask, show the cat’s basic color. Body color ranges from white to beige; a clear, uniform color is preferred, but subtle shading and darker shaded areas on the coats of older cats are allowed. Still, there must be a definite contrast between body color and point color. Point colors include chocolate, seal, lilac, blue, red, cream tortie, blue-cream, chocolate-tortie, lilac-cream, seal lynx, blue lynx, red lynx, cream lynx, tortie lynx, blue-cream lynx, chocolate lynx, lilac lynx, chocolate-tortie lynx and lilac-cream lynx.
The only allowable outcross is the Persian, except in TICA, where the Exotic Shorthair is also permitted. The Siamese is no longer used in breeding programs.
History
The Himalayan, a gorgeous cat with the color and pattern of the Siamese but the body and coat of the Persian, was deliberately created in 1950 by American breeder Marguerita Goforth. Soon after Goforth's success, British breeders also achieved the same goal. Bycrossbreeding Persians and Siamese and then crossing the resulting offspring, these breeders succeeded in producing the desired appearance. These innovative breeders weren’t the first to try this crossbreeding, but they were the first to attempt to establish this new variety as a distinct breed. In 1955 the British Governing Council of the Cat Fancy(GCCF) recognized the Himalayan under the name Colorpoint Longhair. The American associations CFA and ACFA recognized the breed in 1957 under the name Himalayan, named for the color pattern found in other animals such as the Himalayan rabbit. By 1961, all major North American cat associations that existed at that time recognized the Himalayan.
In 1984, CFA united the Himalayan and the Persian breeds, and in that association the Himalayan became a color division rather than a separate breed. By that time, the body type was the same for both breeds and only the colors and pattern remained of the Siamese ancestors. And since the breeders needed to cross their Himalayans to Persians occasionally to maintain the ideal body and head type, registration and status problems had arisen for the hybrid offspring. Before 1984 in CFA, the Persian and Himalayan were two separate breeds, and the hybrid offspring of the two were not considered true members of either breed. Now, as varieties of the same breed, the offspring could be registered and shown in whatever color division they belonged.
The decision was controversial, however, and not everyone was happy with the new policy. Some of the Persian breeders didn’t like the idea of hybrids being introduced into their pure Persian bloodlines. Some Himalayan breeders were equally concerned about the breed they had worked so hard to refine. In fact, a group of fanciers so strongly disagreed with the new policy that they split from CFA and formed their own organization, theNational Cat Fanciers’ Association (NCFA).
Today, whether the Himalayan is considered a breed in its own right depends upon the association. In CFA Himalayans are considered a color division of the Persian breed. InTICA, the Himalayan is included in the Persian Breed Group, which includes the Persian, Himalayan, and Exotic Shorthair. They share a standard but each breed is mentioned and the differences noted. However, in the AACE, ACFA, CCA, CFF, NCFA, TCA, and UFO, the Himalayan is considered a separate breed and has its own breed standard.
However, because Himalayans are regularly crossed with Persians, most of these associations have special rules for Himalayan-Persian hybrids. In TICA, for example, Persian, Himalayan and Exotic hybrids or variants may be shown as the breed they resemble. That means if a cross between a Persian and a Himalayan results in offspring who look like Himalayans, they can be registered and shown as Himalayans. If an Exotic-to-Exotic mating produces, say, a longhaired tabby, he can be registered and shown as a Persian. In ACFA, non-pointed Himalayans are included in the Himalayan standard, allowing them to be shown as that breed. This makes it much easier for breeders and avoids the problem of breeders ending up with kittens that can’t be shown for championship.
Birman
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/547371453.png)
Description
The ideal Birman is a beautifully adorned cat with its long, silky fur, pointed pattern, brilliant blue eyes, and matching sets of pure white feet. This breed is popular with those who love the beautiful pointed pattern of the Siamese but dislike the supermodel thinness of today’s Extreme Siamese or the cobby body and foreshortened face of the showHimalayan. The Birman strikes a pleasing balance between the two, and combined with a personality that will keep you purring, the Birman makes a worthy companion toailurophiles who worship their cats as a matter of course.
The Birman is elongated and stocky, with a strongly built body type, neither svelte norcobby. The legs are medium in length and heavily boned, with large, round, firm paws. The tail is medium length, in pleasing proportion to the body. Adult males weigh approximately 9 to 15 pounds; adult females weigh approximately 6 to 10 pounds. Nooutcrossing is allowed.
The Birman’s distinctive head shape strikes a happy medium as well, and is neither flat like the Persian nor sharply pointed like the Siamese. The head is strong, broad and rounded with a medium-length Roman nose, full cheeks and a somewhat rounded muzzle. The jaws are heavy and the chin is strong and well-developed. The vivid, deep blue eyes are set well apart and are almost round with a sweet expression. The outer corners are tilted very slightly upward. The ears are medium in length, rounded at the tips and almost as wide at the base as they are tall. They are set as much to the side as to the top of the head.
The Birman’s coat is one of its most outstanding features. The breed has a lush ruffaround the neck that frames the face, and a bottle-brush tail that’s long and luxuriously soft to the touch. The coat is also longer on the tummy and hindquarters. The soft, silky fur is medium-long to long, but, unlike the Persian, lacks the downy undercoat that would cause it to mat easily; the tresses are usually tangle-free.
The pointed pattern is available in a variety of hues in the color classes of solid point, lynx point and particolor point. In most registries, the Birman comes in seal point, blue point,chocolate point, lilac point (sometimes called frost point), red point and cream point. The points are clearly defined with strong contrast to the body color, except on the white gloves. The body color is a paler shade of the point color, and should be even paler on the underbelly. Golden mist, a faint golden beige cast on the cat’s back and sides, is desirable in all point colors. Whatever the color, however, Birmans always have the pointed pattern, embellished by pure white feet.
Unique to the breed are their gloves and laces: the glove is the white color on each paw, on the front paws ending in front of the ankle, in an even line across the feet. On the back paws, white covers all the toes and may extend somewhat higher than the front; white continues up the back of each rear leg, forming laces. They should be evenly matched and end in a point before reaching the hock. Producing Birmans with perfect white feet is the thorn in the paw of every Birman breeder.
History
Few cat breeds are surrounded by such an aura of mystery and enchantment as the Birman. No factual records exist about the origin of the Sacred Cat of Burma—instead, we have a lovely legend. What the legend lacks in scientific fact, it makes up for in charming fiction.
According to the story (which varies, depending upon the version), centuries ago in Burma, 100 sacred amber-eyed pure white cats with long, lovely hair lived in the monastery of Lao-Tsun. These cats carried the souls of departed monks through a process called transmutation. Some of the monks had souls so pure that they could not leave this world, so after they died, the goddess Tsun-Kyan-Kse transmigrated the monks’ souls into the sacred white cats. Upon the cat’s death, the monk’s soul attained Nirvana. Tsun-Kyan-Kse, the goddess of transmutation represented by a beautiful golden statue with glowing sapphire eyes, decided whose souls were worthy to be allowed to live on in the body of one of the sacred temple cats.
The head monk, Mun-Ha, so holy that the god Song-Hio himself braided Mun-Ha’s beard with gold, spent his entire life in service to the goddess Tsun-Kyan-Kse. The holy monk’s companion was a sacred temple cat named Sinh who was known for her kind and gentle nature—a sign that she was worthy company for Mun-Ha. Sinh formed a close bond with the head monk and faithfully joined him each evening when he prayed before Tsun-Kyan-Kse’s statue.
One day the temple was attacked. As Mun-Ha lay dying in front of the statue of Tsun-Kyan-Kse, faithful Sinh climbed onto his chest and purred to comfort and prepare him for his soul’s journey to the next life. When Mun-Ha died, his soul flowed into Sinh, and a miraculous transformation took place. The holy cat stood and faced the goddess, gazing up into the sapphire eyes of the statue of Tsun-Kyan-Kse. Sinh’s amber eyes changed to a brilliant sapphire blue. Her pure white coat changed to a golden hue, similar to the golden statue. Her face, ears, tail and legs darkened to the color of the earth on which Mun-Ha lay. Where Sinh’s paws touched the dead monk, however, they remained a dazzling white, a symbol of Mun-Ha’s pure spirit. The next morning, the remaining 99 cats had been similarly transformed. Sinh did not move from the place of her companion’s death in front of the goddess’s statue and refused all food. In seven days she died, carrying the soul of Mun-Ha to Nirvana. From that time on, the world has been blessed with the Birman.
The legend isn’t what you’d call empirical data, but it’s a fascinating, romantic story. Fortunately, this beautiful breed is as enchanting as the tale surrounding its creation.
However the Birman came to be, it’s generally accepted that in 1919 a pair of Birman cats were transported to France, possibly from the temple of Lao-Tsun. The male, Maldapour, died on the ocean voyage. However, the female, Sita, arrived in France bearing the Birman’s future breeding stock—Maldapour had impregnated her before achieving Nirvana. Sita’s kittens became the foundation of the breed in Europe. In 1925, the breed was officially recognized in France; the name Birman is from Birmanie, the French word for Burma.
During World War II, the breed suffered setbacks due to the loss of breeding stock, and after the war only two Birmans remained. It took many years of careful crossbreeding(very likely to Persians and Siamese, and possibly other breeds) to re-establish the Birman, but by 1955 the breed had achieved its former glory. In 1959, the first Birman pair arrived in the United States, and the breed was officially recognized by the CFA in 1967. Today, the Birman is one of the most popular longhaired breeds in the United States. All North American cat associations recognize the Birman for championship.
The ideal Birman is a beautifully adorned cat with its long, silky fur, pointed pattern, brilliant blue eyes, and matching sets of pure white feet. This breed is popular with those who love the beautiful pointed pattern of the Siamese but dislike the supermodel thinness of today’s Extreme Siamese or the cobby body and foreshortened face of the showHimalayan. The Birman strikes a pleasing balance between the two, and combined with a personality that will keep you purring, the Birman makes a worthy companion toailurophiles who worship their cats as a matter of course.
The Birman is elongated and stocky, with a strongly built body type, neither svelte norcobby. The legs are medium in length and heavily boned, with large, round, firm paws. The tail is medium length, in pleasing proportion to the body. Adult males weigh approximately 9 to 15 pounds; adult females weigh approximately 6 to 10 pounds. Nooutcrossing is allowed.
The Birman’s distinctive head shape strikes a happy medium as well, and is neither flat like the Persian nor sharply pointed like the Siamese. The head is strong, broad and rounded with a medium-length Roman nose, full cheeks and a somewhat rounded muzzle. The jaws are heavy and the chin is strong and well-developed. The vivid, deep blue eyes are set well apart and are almost round with a sweet expression. The outer corners are tilted very slightly upward. The ears are medium in length, rounded at the tips and almost as wide at the base as they are tall. They are set as much to the side as to the top of the head.
The Birman’s coat is one of its most outstanding features. The breed has a lush ruffaround the neck that frames the face, and a bottle-brush tail that’s long and luxuriously soft to the touch. The coat is also longer on the tummy and hindquarters. The soft, silky fur is medium-long to long, but, unlike the Persian, lacks the downy undercoat that would cause it to mat easily; the tresses are usually tangle-free.
The pointed pattern is available in a variety of hues in the color classes of solid point, lynx point and particolor point. In most registries, the Birman comes in seal point, blue point,chocolate point, lilac point (sometimes called frost point), red point and cream point. The points are clearly defined with strong contrast to the body color, except on the white gloves. The body color is a paler shade of the point color, and should be even paler on the underbelly. Golden mist, a faint golden beige cast on the cat’s back and sides, is desirable in all point colors. Whatever the color, however, Birmans always have the pointed pattern, embellished by pure white feet.
Unique to the breed are their gloves and laces: the glove is the white color on each paw, on the front paws ending in front of the ankle, in an even line across the feet. On the back paws, white covers all the toes and may extend somewhat higher than the front; white continues up the back of each rear leg, forming laces. They should be evenly matched and end in a point before reaching the hock. Producing Birmans with perfect white feet is the thorn in the paw of every Birman breeder.
History
Few cat breeds are surrounded by such an aura of mystery and enchantment as the Birman. No factual records exist about the origin of the Sacred Cat of Burma—instead, we have a lovely legend. What the legend lacks in scientific fact, it makes up for in charming fiction.
According to the story (which varies, depending upon the version), centuries ago in Burma, 100 sacred amber-eyed pure white cats with long, lovely hair lived in the monastery of Lao-Tsun. These cats carried the souls of departed monks through a process called transmutation. Some of the monks had souls so pure that they could not leave this world, so after they died, the goddess Tsun-Kyan-Kse transmigrated the monks’ souls into the sacred white cats. Upon the cat’s death, the monk’s soul attained Nirvana. Tsun-Kyan-Kse, the goddess of transmutation represented by a beautiful golden statue with glowing sapphire eyes, decided whose souls were worthy to be allowed to live on in the body of one of the sacred temple cats.
The head monk, Mun-Ha, so holy that the god Song-Hio himself braided Mun-Ha’s beard with gold, spent his entire life in service to the goddess Tsun-Kyan-Kse. The holy monk’s companion was a sacred temple cat named Sinh who was known for her kind and gentle nature—a sign that she was worthy company for Mun-Ha. Sinh formed a close bond with the head monk and faithfully joined him each evening when he prayed before Tsun-Kyan-Kse’s statue.
One day the temple was attacked. As Mun-Ha lay dying in front of the statue of Tsun-Kyan-Kse, faithful Sinh climbed onto his chest and purred to comfort and prepare him for his soul’s journey to the next life. When Mun-Ha died, his soul flowed into Sinh, and a miraculous transformation took place. The holy cat stood and faced the goddess, gazing up into the sapphire eyes of the statue of Tsun-Kyan-Kse. Sinh’s amber eyes changed to a brilliant sapphire blue. Her pure white coat changed to a golden hue, similar to the golden statue. Her face, ears, tail and legs darkened to the color of the earth on which Mun-Ha lay. Where Sinh’s paws touched the dead monk, however, they remained a dazzling white, a symbol of Mun-Ha’s pure spirit. The next morning, the remaining 99 cats had been similarly transformed. Sinh did not move from the place of her companion’s death in front of the goddess’s statue and refused all food. In seven days she died, carrying the soul of Mun-Ha to Nirvana. From that time on, the world has been blessed with the Birman.
The legend isn’t what you’d call empirical data, but it’s a fascinating, romantic story. Fortunately, this beautiful breed is as enchanting as the tale surrounding its creation.
However the Birman came to be, it’s generally accepted that in 1919 a pair of Birman cats were transported to France, possibly from the temple of Lao-Tsun. The male, Maldapour, died on the ocean voyage. However, the female, Sita, arrived in France bearing the Birman’s future breeding stock—Maldapour had impregnated her before achieving Nirvana. Sita’s kittens became the foundation of the breed in Europe. In 1925, the breed was officially recognized in France; the name Birman is from Birmanie, the French word for Burma.
During World War II, the breed suffered setbacks due to the loss of breeding stock, and after the war only two Birmans remained. It took many years of careful crossbreeding(very likely to Persians and Siamese, and possibly other breeds) to re-establish the Birman, but by 1955 the breed had achieved its former glory. In 1959, the first Birman pair arrived in the United States, and the breed was officially recognized by the CFA in 1967. Today, the Birman is one of the most popular longhaired breeds in the United States. All North American cat associations recognize the Birman for championship.
Ragdoll
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/441022258.png)
Description
The Ragdoll is medium to large, with a long, broad, heavily boned body and an impression of graceful, flowing movement and subdued power. The body is large and long, broad and solid, firm and muscular, with heavy boning. It’s rectangular in shape, with a full chest and equal width across the shoulders and hindquarters. While not fat, a moderate stomach pad on the lower abdomen is acceptable. The legs are heavily boned, medium length with the back legs slightly longer than the front. The tail is long.
Ragdolls are moderate in all ways, with no extremes. Mature males weigh 12 to 20 pounds; mature females weigh 8 to 15 pounds. Females may be substantially smaller in size. Altered males are more likely to reach 20 pounds than whole males. No outcrossesare allowed.
The head is proportionately large with a broad, modified wedge that is equilateral in shape, where all sides are of equal length as measured from the outside of the base of the ear to the end of the gently rounded muzzle, with the appearance of a flat plane between the ears. The cheeks are in line with the wedge. The chin is well developed and the neck is heavy and strong. The profile is slightly curving, ending in a straight, medium-length nose. The chin is well-developed, strong, and in line with nose and upper lip.
The ears are medium in size, wide set and moderately flared, continuing the line of the wedge. They’re wide at the base, have rounded tips, and tilt forward. The large eyes are vivid blue ovals, wide set and moderately slanted, complementing the wedge.
The naturally non-matting, moderately long coat is characterized by abundant guard hairsand minimal woolly undercoat. It flows with the body. The fur is short on the face, longer on the ruff, and shorter on the shoulder blades, lengthening toward the tail. The fur on the front legs is short to medium; the fur on the hind legs is medium to medium-long with full, feathery britches. The tail has a full plume.
All Ragdolls are pointed, but points are partially overlaid with white in the bicolor and van patterns. The points may be solid, shaded, smoke, lynx, tortie or tortie-lynx. The Ragdoll comes in six colors: seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, red and cream. Patterns accepted for championship competition are bicolor, van, colorpoint, and mitted. In 2008, CFA accepted the colorpoint and mitted patterns for championship; previously these patterns were in the non-champion AOV class. Other associations have accepted these patterns for years. Ragdolls can take three years, sometimes more, to reach their full color potential.
History
The Ragdoll, a large blue-eyed breed dressed in long, silky fur and sporting the colorpointpattern, is well-loved by an ever-growing group of fanciers addicted to the breed’s charms. Despite a bewildering past, the breed’s sweet nature, non-matting fur, and lovely colors and patterns have helped the Ragdoll overcome myth and mystery to claw its way up to become one of the most popular longhairs, topped only by the Persian and the Maine Coon. The Ragdoll’s history is as confusing as it is controversial. Instead of facts, we have colorful narratives, speculation, hypotheses and flat-out fiction.
The Ragdoll was developed in the 1960s by the late Ann Baker of Riverside, California, a former Persian breeder. In fact, who, where and when are just about the only details involving the breed’s origins that are not subject to debate. Now that Baker has passed on, it’s likely the true story will never be told.
According to Baker, in the early 1960s the Ragdoll’s foundation cat, a longhaired white Angora look-alike named Josephine, was taken to a laboratory after being hit by a car, where she was genetically altered as part of a secret government experiment. All subsequent offspring possessed the same characteristics: non-matting fur, docile nature, large size, and the tendency to go limp in your arms like a child’s rag doll—thus the breed's name. However, this couldn’t be confirmed, Baker claimed, since the government suppressed all the evidence.
While most well-balanced people scoff at this conspiracy theory, and genetics experts say that this kind of genetic engineering wasn’t even possible in the 1960s, this story and other Twilight Zone tales uttered by Baker have plagued Ragdoll breeders for years, since cat associations found it hard to take the breed seriously. According to the Ragdoll Connection Network, a group committed to promoting the breed, Baker’s claims became even more strange and hard to believe as time went on. For example, they say she claimed Ragdolls were crossbred with skunks to improve the cats’ tails and also represented a link between humans and extraterrestrials.
It’s more likely that Josephine simply possessed a pleasing combination of recessive genetic traits. When bred to males who added aesthetic traits of their own, Josephine produced eye-catching offspring. These attention-getting progeny, however they were produced, became the foundation of the Ragdoll breed. In particular, three of Josephine’s progeny were noteworthy—Buckwheat, Fugianna and Daddy War Bucks—and evidently all subsequent Ragdoll generations can be traced back to them. Apparently, none of these cats or their parents were purebreds, although that can’t be proven since Baker didn’t document the trysts and in fact didn’t even own Josephine, who was a semi-feral cat who lived on the property of Mr. and Mrs. Pennels, Baker’s neighbors.
Josephine and a Birman look-alike owned by the Pennels produced Daddy War Bucks, who also resembled a Birman. Baker referred to him as the father of the Ragdoll look. Josephine mated with Daddy War Bucks and produced Fugianna. Buckwheat was the daughter of Josephine and an unknown male, possibly Daddy War Bucks. Baker acquired all three offspring from the Pennels. At this point, according to some sources, Josephine was euthanized by Mr. Pennels, along with many of her offspring who were living on the Pennels’ property.
Baker bred Buckwheat to Daddy War Bucks and produced two solid colored cats and two colorpoint cats. These two colorpoints, Kyoto (a seal mitted colorpoint) and Tiki (a seal colorpoint), were registered as Ragdolls with the National Cat Fanciers' Association (NCFA) on December 30, 1966.
Over the next few years Baker increased her breeding stock and band of breeders. In 1971, Baker founded her own registry called the International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA), and, in an attempt to protect her proprietary interests and keep control of the breed, she trademarked the Ragdoll name. The trademark was valid until 2005.
She sold Ragdoll franchises, which meant IRCA breeders had to pay licensing fees, breed according to Baker’s carefully controlled guidelines and get her approval for all Ragdoll matings in order to use the Ragdoll name. In addition, breeders had to pay a 10 percent royalty for each kitten they sold. IRCA Ragdolls could only be registered with IRCA, and were not allowed to be shown or registered with the mainstream cat associations.
Many breeders were not pleased with this arrangement, and also wanted to distance themselves from the questionable claims being made about their beloved breed. These breeders split from Baker and IRCA and in 1975 formed the Ragdoll Society, later changing it to the Ragdoll Fanciers’ Club International (RFCI). Founded by Denny and Laura Dayton, the first breeders to buy Ragdolls from Baker, this group was dedicated to developing the breed and achieving recognition with the mainstream cat associations. The Daytons and the other breakaway breeders felt the Ragdoll’s trademark didn’t apply to them, since they had purchased their cats before the breed name was trademarked. Baker didn’t agree, and years of bitter litigation followed.
Later, other breed groups affiliated with the mainstream cat associations formed to promote the Ragdoll, such as the CFA-affiliated Ragdolls of America Group (RAG) in 1993. It took many years to overcome the past controversy, but the RFCI and RAG breeders and other breeders not affiliated with IRCA finally advanced the Ragdoll to championship status in every major North American cat association—even CFA, which belatedly granted championship in 2000. The Ragdoll has earned its place in the spotlight, just as it has earned its place in the laps and hearts of fanciers everywhere. Misinformation still creates occasional confusion, but Ragdoll fanciers are striving to move past all that, and look toward a bright future with one of the cat fancy’s rising stars.
The Ragdoll is medium to large, with a long, broad, heavily boned body and an impression of graceful, flowing movement and subdued power. The body is large and long, broad and solid, firm and muscular, with heavy boning. It’s rectangular in shape, with a full chest and equal width across the shoulders and hindquarters. While not fat, a moderate stomach pad on the lower abdomen is acceptable. The legs are heavily boned, medium length with the back legs slightly longer than the front. The tail is long.
Ragdolls are moderate in all ways, with no extremes. Mature males weigh 12 to 20 pounds; mature females weigh 8 to 15 pounds. Females may be substantially smaller in size. Altered males are more likely to reach 20 pounds than whole males. No outcrossesare allowed.
The head is proportionately large with a broad, modified wedge that is equilateral in shape, where all sides are of equal length as measured from the outside of the base of the ear to the end of the gently rounded muzzle, with the appearance of a flat plane between the ears. The cheeks are in line with the wedge. The chin is well developed and the neck is heavy and strong. The profile is slightly curving, ending in a straight, medium-length nose. The chin is well-developed, strong, and in line with nose and upper lip.
The ears are medium in size, wide set and moderately flared, continuing the line of the wedge. They’re wide at the base, have rounded tips, and tilt forward. The large eyes are vivid blue ovals, wide set and moderately slanted, complementing the wedge.
The naturally non-matting, moderately long coat is characterized by abundant guard hairsand minimal woolly undercoat. It flows with the body. The fur is short on the face, longer on the ruff, and shorter on the shoulder blades, lengthening toward the tail. The fur on the front legs is short to medium; the fur on the hind legs is medium to medium-long with full, feathery britches. The tail has a full plume.
All Ragdolls are pointed, but points are partially overlaid with white in the bicolor and van patterns. The points may be solid, shaded, smoke, lynx, tortie or tortie-lynx. The Ragdoll comes in six colors: seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, red and cream. Patterns accepted for championship competition are bicolor, van, colorpoint, and mitted. In 2008, CFA accepted the colorpoint and mitted patterns for championship; previously these patterns were in the non-champion AOV class. Other associations have accepted these patterns for years. Ragdolls can take three years, sometimes more, to reach their full color potential.
History
The Ragdoll, a large blue-eyed breed dressed in long, silky fur and sporting the colorpointpattern, is well-loved by an ever-growing group of fanciers addicted to the breed’s charms. Despite a bewildering past, the breed’s sweet nature, non-matting fur, and lovely colors and patterns have helped the Ragdoll overcome myth and mystery to claw its way up to become one of the most popular longhairs, topped only by the Persian and the Maine Coon. The Ragdoll’s history is as confusing as it is controversial. Instead of facts, we have colorful narratives, speculation, hypotheses and flat-out fiction.
The Ragdoll was developed in the 1960s by the late Ann Baker of Riverside, California, a former Persian breeder. In fact, who, where and when are just about the only details involving the breed’s origins that are not subject to debate. Now that Baker has passed on, it’s likely the true story will never be told.
According to Baker, in the early 1960s the Ragdoll’s foundation cat, a longhaired white Angora look-alike named Josephine, was taken to a laboratory after being hit by a car, where she was genetically altered as part of a secret government experiment. All subsequent offspring possessed the same characteristics: non-matting fur, docile nature, large size, and the tendency to go limp in your arms like a child’s rag doll—thus the breed's name. However, this couldn’t be confirmed, Baker claimed, since the government suppressed all the evidence.
While most well-balanced people scoff at this conspiracy theory, and genetics experts say that this kind of genetic engineering wasn’t even possible in the 1960s, this story and other Twilight Zone tales uttered by Baker have plagued Ragdoll breeders for years, since cat associations found it hard to take the breed seriously. According to the Ragdoll Connection Network, a group committed to promoting the breed, Baker’s claims became even more strange and hard to believe as time went on. For example, they say she claimed Ragdolls were crossbred with skunks to improve the cats’ tails and also represented a link between humans and extraterrestrials.
It’s more likely that Josephine simply possessed a pleasing combination of recessive genetic traits. When bred to males who added aesthetic traits of their own, Josephine produced eye-catching offspring. These attention-getting progeny, however they were produced, became the foundation of the Ragdoll breed. In particular, three of Josephine’s progeny were noteworthy—Buckwheat, Fugianna and Daddy War Bucks—and evidently all subsequent Ragdoll generations can be traced back to them. Apparently, none of these cats or their parents were purebreds, although that can’t be proven since Baker didn’t document the trysts and in fact didn’t even own Josephine, who was a semi-feral cat who lived on the property of Mr. and Mrs. Pennels, Baker’s neighbors.
Josephine and a Birman look-alike owned by the Pennels produced Daddy War Bucks, who also resembled a Birman. Baker referred to him as the father of the Ragdoll look. Josephine mated with Daddy War Bucks and produced Fugianna. Buckwheat was the daughter of Josephine and an unknown male, possibly Daddy War Bucks. Baker acquired all three offspring from the Pennels. At this point, according to some sources, Josephine was euthanized by Mr. Pennels, along with many of her offspring who were living on the Pennels’ property.
Baker bred Buckwheat to Daddy War Bucks and produced two solid colored cats and two colorpoint cats. These two colorpoints, Kyoto (a seal mitted colorpoint) and Tiki (a seal colorpoint), were registered as Ragdolls with the National Cat Fanciers' Association (NCFA) on December 30, 1966.
Over the next few years Baker increased her breeding stock and band of breeders. In 1971, Baker founded her own registry called the International Ragdoll Cat Association (IRCA), and, in an attempt to protect her proprietary interests and keep control of the breed, she trademarked the Ragdoll name. The trademark was valid until 2005.
She sold Ragdoll franchises, which meant IRCA breeders had to pay licensing fees, breed according to Baker’s carefully controlled guidelines and get her approval for all Ragdoll matings in order to use the Ragdoll name. In addition, breeders had to pay a 10 percent royalty for each kitten they sold. IRCA Ragdolls could only be registered with IRCA, and were not allowed to be shown or registered with the mainstream cat associations.
Many breeders were not pleased with this arrangement, and also wanted to distance themselves from the questionable claims being made about their beloved breed. These breeders split from Baker and IRCA and in 1975 formed the Ragdoll Society, later changing it to the Ragdoll Fanciers’ Club International (RFCI). Founded by Denny and Laura Dayton, the first breeders to buy Ragdolls from Baker, this group was dedicated to developing the breed and achieving recognition with the mainstream cat associations. The Daytons and the other breakaway breeders felt the Ragdoll’s trademark didn’t apply to them, since they had purchased their cats before the breed name was trademarked. Baker didn’t agree, and years of bitter litigation followed.
Later, other breed groups affiliated with the mainstream cat associations formed to promote the Ragdoll, such as the CFA-affiliated Ragdolls of America Group (RAG) in 1993. It took many years to overcome the past controversy, but the RFCI and RAG breeders and other breeders not affiliated with IRCA finally advanced the Ragdoll to championship status in every major North American cat association—even CFA, which belatedly granted championship in 2000. The Ragdoll has earned its place in the spotlight, just as it has earned its place in the laps and hearts of fanciers everywhere. Misinformation still creates occasional confusion, but Ragdoll fanciers are striving to move past all that, and look toward a bright future with one of the cat fancy’s rising stars.
Maine Coon
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/622504493.png)
Description
Known as the gentle giant of the cat fancy, the Maine Coon is a large, easygoing, affectionate cat. Despite rumors of 30- or even 40-pound Maine Coons, adult males weigh 13 to 18 pounds and adult females weigh 9 to 13 pounds, although exceptions exist. Quality and type is never sacrificed for mere size. However, the Maine Coon is still one of the largest domestic cat breeds. It’s fortunate the breed is good-natured!
The Maine Coon has a muscular, broad-chested, long body, with all parts in proportion, to create a well-balanced rectangular appearance; no part of the anatomy is so exaggerated as to foster weakness. The body feels solid, with firm muscle and no flabbiness. Since the Maine Coon is the result of adaptation to harsh conditions, it's not surprising that the breed is muscular with substantial, wide-set, medium length legs and large, well-tufted paws suitable for walking on snow. The forelegs are straight; the back legs are straight when viewed from behind. The tail is long, wide at the base and tapering. The tail fur is long and flowing.
The head is medium in width, slightly longer than wide, with high cheekbones. The muzzleis visibly square, medium in length and blunt-ended when viewed in profile. Length and width of the muzzle should be proportionate to the rest of the head and present a pleasant, balanced appearance. The chin should be strong, firm and in line with the upper lip and nose. The head’s profile should be slightly concave, relatively smooth, and free of bumps or humps.
The ears are large, not flared, well-tufted, wide at the base, and taper to appear pointed. They are approximately one ear’s width apart at the base. The large, expressive, wide-set eyes have an opened oval shape and a slightly oblique setting with a slant toward the outer base of the ear. The neck is medium long.
The size difference between the genders is substantial, but the females are still forces to be reckoned with—they firmly believe they're just as sizable as their male counterparts and tend to be slightly less easygoing, as most female cats are. Maine Coons are slow to develop and don’t reach full size and musculature until about four years of age.
The thick coat adds to the appearance of size. One of the Maine Coon’s main attractions is its semi-long, all-weather, water-resistant fur. Unlike the Persian’s, the Maine Coon’s coat doesn’t mat easily. Heavy and shaggy, the coat is shorter on the shoulders and longer on the tummy and britches, with a frontal ruff desirable. Tufts and furnishings decorate the ears. The texture is silky; the coat falls smoothly over the body. A Maine Coon with a coat that’s even overall or short is penalized.
While brown and brown with white tabby are the most common colors and patterns, Maine Coons come in all color and pattern combinations with the exception of those indicating hybridization, resulting in the colors chocolate, lavender, the pointed pattern, unpatterned agouti (Abyssinian type ticking), or these combinations with white. Eye color is not linked to coat color and can be shades of green, gold, green-gold or copper. Blue and odd eyesare permitted for white, bicolor and van patterned cats. No outcrosses are allowed.
History
The Maine Coon (also known as the Maine Coon Cat), one of the large, economy-size breeds of the cat fancy, is as all-American as the Fourth of July. This breed carved out its place in the harsh New England countryside right alongside the first colonists.
No one knows where the Maine Coon came from and when the breed arrived in the New World, but theories and tall tales abound, some more believable than others. One story tells us that the Maine Coon’s ancestors belonged to Marie Antoinette and were smuggled out of France and taken to New England before the queen lost her head. Another story tells of a sea captain named Coon who sailed to New England accompanied by hearty longhaired buccaneer cats, thus the name Maine Coon. While both are intriguing stories, there doesn’t seem to be any real evidence to back up either tale.
Another account has longhaired cats arriving on Viking ships around the 11th century, long before the Pilgrims made their journey to the New World. The similarities in coat and conformation between the Norwegian Forest Cat and the Maine Coon give some small credence to this story. Much less credence can be given to the story that the Maine Coon is a cross between domestic cats and raccoons, a scientific impossibility.
Most likely, the ancestors of the Maine Coon arrived in North America with European colonists. Since North America has no indigenous wild cat species from which domestic cats could develop, cats must have arrived with journeying humans. Brought on board to protect the food stores from rodents, these working cats were hardy, rugged survivors who needed little from their human shipmates.
When the ships reached port, some of those intrepid longhairs came ashore to pledge allegiance to their new country. While these feline pioneers didn’t help build the New World, they helped keep the seed and grain free of rodents. Called "Shags" after their shaggy coats in those early years, they became an integral part of colonial life.
New England’s climate is severe, and those first years were tough on cats and people alike. Only the strongest, quickest and most adaptable cats survived. Through natural selection, the Maine Coon developed into a large, hardy cat with a dense, water-resistant coat and an adaptable temperament. Maine Coons became known for their excellent hunting abilities, nimble, hand-like paws, and hardy constitutions.
When cat shows became all the rage in the late 1800s, Maine Coons, then called Maine Cats, were right there to show off their beautiful thick coats and wide palette of colors and patterns. Maine Coons were shown in local cat shows as early as the 1860s, and were prized for their beauty, size, intelligence, and mellow temperaments. In 1895, a female brown tabby Maine Cat named Cosey won Best in Show in the first American allbreed cat show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The breed did very well in shows in Boston and New York.
However, early in the 20th century the Maine Coon fell from grace when the fickle fancy turned its collective backs on the native breed in favor of the cats being imported from Europe. Persians began winning in the show ring, and Maine Coons, once the most numerous and popular breed, soon became a rarity except in New England. In fact, in the late 1950s the breed was declared extinct.
Happily for Maine Coon lovers, that report was in error. Due to the efforts of dedicated fanciers, the breed made a comeback. In 1953 the Central Maine Cat Club formed to promote the breed. Maine Coon shows were held in Maine, which rekindled interest in the breed. They also wrote one of the first breed standards and kept breeding records. Then, in 1968, breeders and fanciers formed the Maine Coon Breeders and Fanciers Association (MCBFA), an organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting the breed. This association worked hard to bring the Maine Coon the respect it deserved.
Despite the ups and downs, the Maine Coon finally clawed its way into the spotlight. CFA accepted the Maine Coon for provisional status in 1975, and for championship status in 1976. By 1980, the breed was accepted by all North American cat registries in existence at that time. Today, the Maine Coon is one of the most popular longhaired breeds, second only to the Persian.
Known as the gentle giant of the cat fancy, the Maine Coon is a large, easygoing, affectionate cat. Despite rumors of 30- or even 40-pound Maine Coons, adult males weigh 13 to 18 pounds and adult females weigh 9 to 13 pounds, although exceptions exist. Quality and type is never sacrificed for mere size. However, the Maine Coon is still one of the largest domestic cat breeds. It’s fortunate the breed is good-natured!
The Maine Coon has a muscular, broad-chested, long body, with all parts in proportion, to create a well-balanced rectangular appearance; no part of the anatomy is so exaggerated as to foster weakness. The body feels solid, with firm muscle and no flabbiness. Since the Maine Coon is the result of adaptation to harsh conditions, it's not surprising that the breed is muscular with substantial, wide-set, medium length legs and large, well-tufted paws suitable for walking on snow. The forelegs are straight; the back legs are straight when viewed from behind. The tail is long, wide at the base and tapering. The tail fur is long and flowing.
The head is medium in width, slightly longer than wide, with high cheekbones. The muzzleis visibly square, medium in length and blunt-ended when viewed in profile. Length and width of the muzzle should be proportionate to the rest of the head and present a pleasant, balanced appearance. The chin should be strong, firm and in line with the upper lip and nose. The head’s profile should be slightly concave, relatively smooth, and free of bumps or humps.
The ears are large, not flared, well-tufted, wide at the base, and taper to appear pointed. They are approximately one ear’s width apart at the base. The large, expressive, wide-set eyes have an opened oval shape and a slightly oblique setting with a slant toward the outer base of the ear. The neck is medium long.
The size difference between the genders is substantial, but the females are still forces to be reckoned with—they firmly believe they're just as sizable as their male counterparts and tend to be slightly less easygoing, as most female cats are. Maine Coons are slow to develop and don’t reach full size and musculature until about four years of age.
The thick coat adds to the appearance of size. One of the Maine Coon’s main attractions is its semi-long, all-weather, water-resistant fur. Unlike the Persian’s, the Maine Coon’s coat doesn’t mat easily. Heavy and shaggy, the coat is shorter on the shoulders and longer on the tummy and britches, with a frontal ruff desirable. Tufts and furnishings decorate the ears. The texture is silky; the coat falls smoothly over the body. A Maine Coon with a coat that’s even overall or short is penalized.
While brown and brown with white tabby are the most common colors and patterns, Maine Coons come in all color and pattern combinations with the exception of those indicating hybridization, resulting in the colors chocolate, lavender, the pointed pattern, unpatterned agouti (Abyssinian type ticking), or these combinations with white. Eye color is not linked to coat color and can be shades of green, gold, green-gold or copper. Blue and odd eyesare permitted for white, bicolor and van patterned cats. No outcrosses are allowed.
History
The Maine Coon (also known as the Maine Coon Cat), one of the large, economy-size breeds of the cat fancy, is as all-American as the Fourth of July. This breed carved out its place in the harsh New England countryside right alongside the first colonists.
No one knows where the Maine Coon came from and when the breed arrived in the New World, but theories and tall tales abound, some more believable than others. One story tells us that the Maine Coon’s ancestors belonged to Marie Antoinette and were smuggled out of France and taken to New England before the queen lost her head. Another story tells of a sea captain named Coon who sailed to New England accompanied by hearty longhaired buccaneer cats, thus the name Maine Coon. While both are intriguing stories, there doesn’t seem to be any real evidence to back up either tale.
Another account has longhaired cats arriving on Viking ships around the 11th century, long before the Pilgrims made their journey to the New World. The similarities in coat and conformation between the Norwegian Forest Cat and the Maine Coon give some small credence to this story. Much less credence can be given to the story that the Maine Coon is a cross between domestic cats and raccoons, a scientific impossibility.
Most likely, the ancestors of the Maine Coon arrived in North America with European colonists. Since North America has no indigenous wild cat species from which domestic cats could develop, cats must have arrived with journeying humans. Brought on board to protect the food stores from rodents, these working cats were hardy, rugged survivors who needed little from their human shipmates.
When the ships reached port, some of those intrepid longhairs came ashore to pledge allegiance to their new country. While these feline pioneers didn’t help build the New World, they helped keep the seed and grain free of rodents. Called "Shags" after their shaggy coats in those early years, they became an integral part of colonial life.
New England’s climate is severe, and those first years were tough on cats and people alike. Only the strongest, quickest and most adaptable cats survived. Through natural selection, the Maine Coon developed into a large, hardy cat with a dense, water-resistant coat and an adaptable temperament. Maine Coons became known for their excellent hunting abilities, nimble, hand-like paws, and hardy constitutions.
When cat shows became all the rage in the late 1800s, Maine Coons, then called Maine Cats, were right there to show off their beautiful thick coats and wide palette of colors and patterns. Maine Coons were shown in local cat shows as early as the 1860s, and were prized for their beauty, size, intelligence, and mellow temperaments. In 1895, a female brown tabby Maine Cat named Cosey won Best in Show in the first American allbreed cat show at Madison Square Garden in New York City. The breed did very well in shows in Boston and New York.
However, early in the 20th century the Maine Coon fell from grace when the fickle fancy turned its collective backs on the native breed in favor of the cats being imported from Europe. Persians began winning in the show ring, and Maine Coons, once the most numerous and popular breed, soon became a rarity except in New England. In fact, in the late 1950s the breed was declared extinct.
Happily for Maine Coon lovers, that report was in error. Due to the efforts of dedicated fanciers, the breed made a comeback. In 1953 the Central Maine Cat Club formed to promote the breed. Maine Coon shows were held in Maine, which rekindled interest in the breed. They also wrote one of the first breed standards and kept breeding records. Then, in 1968, breeders and fanciers formed the Maine Coon Breeders and Fanciers Association (MCBFA), an organization dedicated to preserving, protecting and promoting the breed. This association worked hard to bring the Maine Coon the respect it deserved.
Despite the ups and downs, the Maine Coon finally clawed its way into the spotlight. CFA accepted the Maine Coon for provisional status in 1975, and for championship status in 1976. By 1980, the breed was accepted by all North American cat registries in existence at that time. Today, the Maine Coon is one of the most popular longhaired breeds, second only to the Persian.
Norwegian Forest Cat
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/200368946.png)
Description
Look at these magnificent cats, with their strong bodies, large eyes, luxurious manes and beautiful bottle brush tails, and you can easily imagine them pulling the golden chariot of Freya, their gleaming coats streaming in the wind.
The Norwegian Forest Cat is a sturdy cat with a distinguishing double coat and easily recognizable body shape. The body is solidly muscled and well-balanced, showing considerable girth without being chubby. It’s moderate in length with a substantial bone structure, a broad chest, and a powerful appearance. The flanks have great depth.
Males are large and imposing; females may be more refined. Males weigh 10 to 16 pounds and sometimes more; females usually weigh 8 to 12 pounds. Slow to mature, this breed attains its full size at approximately five years of age. The legs are medium length with the hind legs longer than the front, making the rump higher than the shoulders. The thighs are heavily muscled and the lower legs are substantial. When viewed from the rear, the back legs are straight. The paws are large, round and firm with heavy toe tufting. When viewed from the front, the paws appear to toe out. The tail is long and bushy and broader at the base; the desirable tail length is equal to the body from the base of the tail to the base of the neck. Gaurd hairs are desirable.
The head is an equilateral triangle, where all sides are of equal length as measured from the outside of the base of the ear to the point of the chin. The neck is short and heavily muscled. In profile, the nose is straight from the brow ridge to the tip of the nose without a break in the line. The flat forehead continues into a gentle curved skull and neck. The chin is firm, gently rounded in profile, and in line with the front of the nose. The muzzle is part of the straight line extending toward the base of the ears, without pronounced whisker pads and without any whisker pinch.
The ears are medium to large, rounded at the tip, broad at the base, and set as much on the side of the head as on the top. They are alert, with the cup of the ear pointing slightly sideways. The outsides of the ears follow the lines from the side of the head down to the chin. The ears are heavily furnished, with lynx tips desirable but not required. The eyes are large, almond shaped, well-opened and expressive, set at a slight angle with the outer corner higher than the inner corner. Eye colors are shades of green, gold, green-gold or copper; white cats and cats with white may have blue or odd eyes.
One of the distinguishing features of this breed is the thick double coat, consisting of a dense undercoat covered by long, glossy and smooth water-resistant guard hairs hanging down the sides. The bib consists of three separate sections: a short collar at the neck, sidemutton chops and a frontal ruff. The hind legs have full britches. The coat is fuller in the winter. A softer coat texture is permitted in shaded, solid and bicolor cats. The type and quality of the coat is of primary importance; color and pattern are secondary. All colors and patterns are accepted except those showing hybridization resulting in the colorschoclate, sable, lavender , lilac, cinnamon, fawn, the pointed pattern, or these colors with white. No outcrosses are allowed.
History
The Norwegian Forest Cat, affectionately called the Wegie (pronounced Wee-jee) or, if you’re in Norway, the Norsk Skogkatt, is a beloved breed that is growing in popularity and is recognized in most parts of the world. Developed by Mother Nature rather than selective breeding, the Wegie is a domestic breed-no wild blood flows through this cat’s veins, despite its feral facade and jumbo size.
Wegies-or cats who look a lot like them-can be found in Norse mythology. Created long before written history and passed down in stories and songs, these legends are filled with tales of night gods, frost giants and thunder gods (not surprising for a region that lies partly north of the Arctic Circle, with long, dark, frigid winters and short, cool summers), trolls, dwarfs, serpents and cats. Not fierce snow leopards, as one might expect, but longhaired domestic cats who were faithful companions to the gods. Freyja, the Norse goddess of beauty, love and fertility, was well known for her golden chariot, pulled by two large, white, longhaired Norwegian cats.
Passed down by oral tradition, these myths cannot be accurately dated. Some time between 800 and 1100 C.E. , these narratives were put in writing in the Edda, collections of Norse mythology set down in poetry and prose. Since house cats figured prominently in some of these tales, it’s clear that domestic cats have shared the harsh environment of Norway with humans for hundreds or perhaps even thousands of years. Likely the cats were the descendants of shorthaired domestic cats introduced to Northern Europe by the Romans, and subsequently transported to Norway and the surrounding regions by settlers and traders. When they weren’t pulling golden chariots, they were developing vigorous constitutions, robust bodies and long, dense, water-resistant coats. They also acquired quick wits and even quicker reflexes, since well-honed survival instincts were essential in Norway’s frigid forests.
In the 1930s, the first efforts were made to bring the Norwegian Forest Cat into the cat fancy. In 1934, the first Norwegian cat club was formed, and in 1938 the first Norwegian Forest Cat was exhibited at a show in Oslo, Norway. However, World War II interrupted cat breeding and showing, and after the war the breed came close to disappearing-as did many breeds during that time. It wasn’t until the 1970s that Norwegian fanciers started a serious breeding program to save the original characteristics and beauty of the Norsk Skogkatt. In 1975, the first Norwegian Forest Cat club was formed to increase, promote and protect the breed. In 1977, FIFe accepted the Wegie for championship. The breed’s popularity slowly spread throughout Europe, although it took until 1997 for Great Britain'sGCCF to accept the breed for championship. Today, the Norsk Skogkatt is recognized in many countries around the world.
In November 1979, the first breeding pair of Wegies arrived in the United States. In 1980, a small but devoted group of American fanciers formed the Norwegian Forest Cat Fanciers Association and the members worked together to bring the Wegie into the North American spotlight. In 1984, TICA was the first to recognize the breed for championship. In 1993,CFA granted championship status. Today, the Wegie is recognized by all North American associations and has steadily gained admirers for its majestic appearance and loving temperament. In 1991, the Wegie was 25th out of the 35 breeds then recognized, according to CFA’s registration totals. By 2006 the breed had risen to 11th out of CFA’s 41 recognized breeds-very fast progress for a newly recognized breed.
Look at these magnificent cats, with their strong bodies, large eyes, luxurious manes and beautiful bottle brush tails, and you can easily imagine them pulling the golden chariot of Freya, their gleaming coats streaming in the wind.
The Norwegian Forest Cat is a sturdy cat with a distinguishing double coat and easily recognizable body shape. The body is solidly muscled and well-balanced, showing considerable girth without being chubby. It’s moderate in length with a substantial bone structure, a broad chest, and a powerful appearance. The flanks have great depth.
Males are large and imposing; females may be more refined. Males weigh 10 to 16 pounds and sometimes more; females usually weigh 8 to 12 pounds. Slow to mature, this breed attains its full size at approximately five years of age. The legs are medium length with the hind legs longer than the front, making the rump higher than the shoulders. The thighs are heavily muscled and the lower legs are substantial. When viewed from the rear, the back legs are straight. The paws are large, round and firm with heavy toe tufting. When viewed from the front, the paws appear to toe out. The tail is long and bushy and broader at the base; the desirable tail length is equal to the body from the base of the tail to the base of the neck. Gaurd hairs are desirable.
The head is an equilateral triangle, where all sides are of equal length as measured from the outside of the base of the ear to the point of the chin. The neck is short and heavily muscled. In profile, the nose is straight from the brow ridge to the tip of the nose without a break in the line. The flat forehead continues into a gentle curved skull and neck. The chin is firm, gently rounded in profile, and in line with the front of the nose. The muzzle is part of the straight line extending toward the base of the ears, without pronounced whisker pads and without any whisker pinch.
The ears are medium to large, rounded at the tip, broad at the base, and set as much on the side of the head as on the top. They are alert, with the cup of the ear pointing slightly sideways. The outsides of the ears follow the lines from the side of the head down to the chin. The ears are heavily furnished, with lynx tips desirable but not required. The eyes are large, almond shaped, well-opened and expressive, set at a slight angle with the outer corner higher than the inner corner. Eye colors are shades of green, gold, green-gold or copper; white cats and cats with white may have blue or odd eyes.
One of the distinguishing features of this breed is the thick double coat, consisting of a dense undercoat covered by long, glossy and smooth water-resistant guard hairs hanging down the sides. The bib consists of three separate sections: a short collar at the neck, sidemutton chops and a frontal ruff. The hind legs have full britches. The coat is fuller in the winter. A softer coat texture is permitted in shaded, solid and bicolor cats. The type and quality of the coat is of primary importance; color and pattern are secondary. All colors and patterns are accepted except those showing hybridization resulting in the colorschoclate, sable, lavender , lilac, cinnamon, fawn, the pointed pattern, or these colors with white. No outcrosses are allowed.
History
The Norwegian Forest Cat, affectionately called the Wegie (pronounced Wee-jee) or, if you’re in Norway, the Norsk Skogkatt, is a beloved breed that is growing in popularity and is recognized in most parts of the world. Developed by Mother Nature rather than selective breeding, the Wegie is a domestic breed-no wild blood flows through this cat’s veins, despite its feral facade and jumbo size.
Wegies-or cats who look a lot like them-can be found in Norse mythology. Created long before written history and passed down in stories and songs, these legends are filled with tales of night gods, frost giants and thunder gods (not surprising for a region that lies partly north of the Arctic Circle, with long, dark, frigid winters and short, cool summers), trolls, dwarfs, serpents and cats. Not fierce snow leopards, as one might expect, but longhaired domestic cats who were faithful companions to the gods. Freyja, the Norse goddess of beauty, love and fertility, was well known for her golden chariot, pulled by two large, white, longhaired Norwegian cats.
Passed down by oral tradition, these myths cannot be accurately dated. Some time between 800 and 1100 C.E. , these narratives were put in writing in the Edda, collections of Norse mythology set down in poetry and prose. Since house cats figured prominently in some of these tales, it’s clear that domestic cats have shared the harsh environment of Norway with humans for hundreds or perhaps even thousands of years. Likely the cats were the descendants of shorthaired domestic cats introduced to Northern Europe by the Romans, and subsequently transported to Norway and the surrounding regions by settlers and traders. When they weren’t pulling golden chariots, they were developing vigorous constitutions, robust bodies and long, dense, water-resistant coats. They also acquired quick wits and even quicker reflexes, since well-honed survival instincts were essential in Norway’s frigid forests.
In the 1930s, the first efforts were made to bring the Norwegian Forest Cat into the cat fancy. In 1934, the first Norwegian cat club was formed, and in 1938 the first Norwegian Forest Cat was exhibited at a show in Oslo, Norway. However, World War II interrupted cat breeding and showing, and after the war the breed came close to disappearing-as did many breeds during that time. It wasn’t until the 1970s that Norwegian fanciers started a serious breeding program to save the original characteristics and beauty of the Norsk Skogkatt. In 1975, the first Norwegian Forest Cat club was formed to increase, promote and protect the breed. In 1977, FIFe accepted the Wegie for championship. The breed’s popularity slowly spread throughout Europe, although it took until 1997 for Great Britain'sGCCF to accept the breed for championship. Today, the Norsk Skogkatt is recognized in many countries around the world.
In November 1979, the first breeding pair of Wegies arrived in the United States. In 1980, a small but devoted group of American fanciers formed the Norwegian Forest Cat Fanciers Association and the members worked together to bring the Wegie into the North American spotlight. In 1984, TICA was the first to recognize the breed for championship. In 1993,CFA granted championship status. Today, the Wegie is recognized by all North American associations and has steadily gained admirers for its majestic appearance and loving temperament. In 1991, the Wegie was 25th out of the 35 breeds then recognized, according to CFA’s registration totals. By 2006 the breed had risen to 11th out of CFA’s 41 recognized breeds-very fast progress for a newly recognized breed.
Siberian
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/144747147.png)
Description
The Siberian is a large, strong, luxuriously furred cat who takes up to five years to attain its full size and splendor. At maturity, these cats are powerfully built, with an overall appearance of strength and size, along with excellent physical condition. However, the facial expression reveals the breed’s true nature: sweet, loving, and thoroughly domesticated.
The overall appearance is one of roundness and circles rather than rectangles and triangles. The body is medium in length and well muscled, with the back arched slightly higher than the shoulders. A barrel-shaped, firm belly gives a sense of solid weight. The boning and musculature are substantial. On average, males weigh 12 to 16 pounds and females weigh 8 to 12 pounds, although some breeders report larger sizes (nothing close to 45 pounds, though). Size as well as coat colors and patterns are secondary to body type. No outcrosses are allowed.
The legs are medium in length and have substantial boning. The hind legs are powerful and slightly longer than the front legs. Because of this, Siberians are extremely agile and are exceptional leapers. The feet are big and rounded with toe tufts desirable. The tail is medium in length, somewhat shorter than the length of the body. It’s wide at the base, tapers slightly to a blunt tip without thickening or kinks, and is evenly and thicklyfurnished.
The head is a medium to large modified wedge with rounded contours, in good proportion to the body, set on a rounded, sturdy, well-muscled neck. The head is broader at the top of the skull and narrows slightly to a full, rounded muzzle. The muzzle is moderately short, full and rounded. It curves slightly, but the transition between the side of the head and the muzzle is gentle and inconspicuous.
The top of the head is almost flat, with a gentle slope from the forehead to the nose and a slight concave curvature before the tip of the nose when viewed in profile. The cheekbones are neither high-set nor prominent. There’s a slight dome between the ears and an almost flat area on the forehead. The chin is well rounded but not protruding and is in line with the nose.
The ears are medium-large, rounded, wide at the base and tilted slightly forward. They are set as much on the sides of the head as on the top. The hair over the backs of the ears is short and thin. From the middle of the ear, the furnishings become longer and cover the base of the ear. The eyes are medium to large and almost round. The outer corners are angled slightly toward the base of the ears. The eyes are set more than one eye width apart and should be open, alert and expressive. There is no relationship between eye color and coat or color pattern, except for pointed pattern Siberians, who have blue eyes.
As befits a cat who has survived Siberia’s harsh winters, the Siberian has a moderately long to long triple-layered coat. The tight undercoat in mature cats is thicker in cold weather. The hair on the shoulder blades and lower part of the chest is thick and slightly shorter. An abundant, full collar ruff sets off the head in adults. The hair may thicken to curls on the belly and britches , but a wavy coat is not typical of the breed. The texture varies from coarse to soft, according to the color and pattern.
Before 2011, in CFA all colors and patterns with or without white are accepted, with the exception of those showing hybridization resulting in the colors chocolate, lavender (lilac), or these combinations with white. As of 2011, however, CFA joined the other associations and accepted all colors, patterns, and combinations, including the pointed pattern. Colors are accepted with or without white; white is allowed in any amount and in all areas. White or off-white is allowed on the chin, breast and stomach of tabbies. Buttons, spots and lockets are also allowed. Strong colors and clear patterns are desirable.
History
The Siberian may be new to North America, but it’s not a new breed. Russian longhairs have been around for hundreds of years. According to some Siberian fanciers, Russians immigrating (or being exiled) to Siberia brought their cats with them. Due to the merciless climate, these cats developed-or acquired through mating with the local cats-longer hair, weatherproof coats and larger, stockier bodies.
The Russian cats who basked in the limelight at the first modern cat show in 1871 at the Crystal Palace in London may or may not have been Siberians, since apparently no records of these cats were kept in Russia at that time. Harrison Weir, who organized the show and wrote the standards by which all the breeds were judged, referred to the cats as Russian Longhairs. He wrote that he was not able to discover from where in Russia such cats originated.
Until the 1980s, the government of the former Soviet Union discouraged its citizens from owning any kind of household pet, pedigreed or otherwise, because of housing and food shortages. However those who could afford to keep and breed dogs and cats did so; owning handsome companion animals was a status symbol. No organizations existed and few records were kept. Other cats lived in Russia during that time as well, but they earned their own keep by working as perfect mouse traps in barns, fields, and factories. It’s likely that Siberians developed in just that way, given their hardy constitutions, strong jaws, and large agile bodies.
In 1987, the government lifted restrictions on house pets, and breeders and fanciers formed cat clubs and began keeping breeding records. In 1988, the first Russian cat show was held in Moscow, and the Siberian was there in fine form. Whether these cats actually originated in Siberia is anyone’s guess; it’s possible the breed was so named to give the breed an air of romance and mystery.
The end of the Cold War opened the doors for Siberians to be imported into the United States. The first Siberians arrived in America as the result of a trade in the early 1990s.Himalayan breeder Elizabeth Terrell, then of Louisiana, read an editorial in a publication of the Atlantic Himalayan Club that said no Himalayans existed in the former Soviet Union. Breeders were asked to donate or trade Himalayans to help establish the breed. Terrell contacted Nelli Sachuk, a member of the newly formed Kotofei Cat Club (pronounced COT-ah-fay) that was affiliated with the international division of ACFA. Kotofei was one of the two Russian cat clubs to provide official pedigrees (the Fauna Club was the other). Terrell arranged to send Sachuk two Himalayans, a male and a pregnant female, and receive several Siberians in return.
After many months of delays, headaches and expense (communicating with the former Soviet Union wasn’t easy and for a time Sachuk’s letters had to be hand-carried out of Russia by visitors to the United States), in June of 1990 Terrell finally received her long-awaited cat comrades. She received three Siberian kittens: a brown tabby with white male named Kaliostro Vasenjkovich, a brown tabby with white female named Ofelia Romanova, and a brown tabby female named Naina Romanova. Soon after, she received the kittens’ metrukas (certificates of birth), which detailed their names, dates of birth, colors and patterns.
Just a month after Terrell received her Siberians, fancier David Boehm imported Siberians of his own. Instead of waiting for the cats to be sent, he booked a flight to Russia and bought every Siberian he could find. On July 4th he returned with his collection of 15 cats. He didn’t find out until he got back that he wasn’t the first to import Siberians. However, his Siberians did produce the first litter in North America, and were invaluable in enlarging the gene pool.
Terrell contacted the cat associations to announce her new arrivals and to start the process toward acceptance for the Siberian. She kept careful records over the years, which provided documentation. She asked for the help of breeders, judges and fanciers, and many mobilized to support, promote and propagate the breed. Since ACFA was affiliated with the Kotofei Cat Club, this association was the first to accept the breed for registration. Within several months, many other associations had followed suit.
Terrell received copies of the Siberian breed standards (in Russian) with her Siberians. She had them translated and, with the help of the Kotofei Cat Club, adapted them to the American associations’ formats. The Russian breeders also sent her a letter warning her that not every cat from Russia called a Siberian is actually a pedigreed Siberian, and that many people call all longhaired cats Siberians. This was particularly true when the Siberian became popular in America; some people were eager to sell any longhaired cat to Americans looking for Siberians.
In 1992, Siberian breeders started an American breed club called Taiga (pronounced Tie-GAH, a Russian word for forest) and provided award rosettes to any show in which a Siberian was entered. The best Siberian in each ring was presented with a special Taiga rosette. Any Siberian who didn’t take an award at a show was given a Certificate of Appreciation and an Honorable Mention ribbon. The club wanted to encourage Siberian fanciers to get these cats into the show ring, since show numbers were important in advancing the breed.
The Siberian has purred its way into the hearts of American cat fanciers in record time. The Siberian, known as the Siberian Cat in a number of associations and as the Traditional Siberian Forest Cat in TCA, is accepted for championship by all North American associations. While still rare, the breed has a solid fan base. Breeders usually maintain waiting lists since demand exceeds supply.
The Siberian is a large, strong, luxuriously furred cat who takes up to five years to attain its full size and splendor. At maturity, these cats are powerfully built, with an overall appearance of strength and size, along with excellent physical condition. However, the facial expression reveals the breed’s true nature: sweet, loving, and thoroughly domesticated.
The overall appearance is one of roundness and circles rather than rectangles and triangles. The body is medium in length and well muscled, with the back arched slightly higher than the shoulders. A barrel-shaped, firm belly gives a sense of solid weight. The boning and musculature are substantial. On average, males weigh 12 to 16 pounds and females weigh 8 to 12 pounds, although some breeders report larger sizes (nothing close to 45 pounds, though). Size as well as coat colors and patterns are secondary to body type. No outcrosses are allowed.
The legs are medium in length and have substantial boning. The hind legs are powerful and slightly longer than the front legs. Because of this, Siberians are extremely agile and are exceptional leapers. The feet are big and rounded with toe tufts desirable. The tail is medium in length, somewhat shorter than the length of the body. It’s wide at the base, tapers slightly to a blunt tip without thickening or kinks, and is evenly and thicklyfurnished.
The head is a medium to large modified wedge with rounded contours, in good proportion to the body, set on a rounded, sturdy, well-muscled neck. The head is broader at the top of the skull and narrows slightly to a full, rounded muzzle. The muzzle is moderately short, full and rounded. It curves slightly, but the transition between the side of the head and the muzzle is gentle and inconspicuous.
The top of the head is almost flat, with a gentle slope from the forehead to the nose and a slight concave curvature before the tip of the nose when viewed in profile. The cheekbones are neither high-set nor prominent. There’s a slight dome between the ears and an almost flat area on the forehead. The chin is well rounded but not protruding and is in line with the nose.
The ears are medium-large, rounded, wide at the base and tilted slightly forward. They are set as much on the sides of the head as on the top. The hair over the backs of the ears is short and thin. From the middle of the ear, the furnishings become longer and cover the base of the ear. The eyes are medium to large and almost round. The outer corners are angled slightly toward the base of the ears. The eyes are set more than one eye width apart and should be open, alert and expressive. There is no relationship between eye color and coat or color pattern, except for pointed pattern Siberians, who have blue eyes.
As befits a cat who has survived Siberia’s harsh winters, the Siberian has a moderately long to long triple-layered coat. The tight undercoat in mature cats is thicker in cold weather. The hair on the shoulder blades and lower part of the chest is thick and slightly shorter. An abundant, full collar ruff sets off the head in adults. The hair may thicken to curls on the belly and britches , but a wavy coat is not typical of the breed. The texture varies from coarse to soft, according to the color and pattern.
Before 2011, in CFA all colors and patterns with or without white are accepted, with the exception of those showing hybridization resulting in the colors chocolate, lavender (lilac), or these combinations with white. As of 2011, however, CFA joined the other associations and accepted all colors, patterns, and combinations, including the pointed pattern. Colors are accepted with or without white; white is allowed in any amount and in all areas. White or off-white is allowed on the chin, breast and stomach of tabbies. Buttons, spots and lockets are also allowed. Strong colors and clear patterns are desirable.
History
The Siberian may be new to North America, but it’s not a new breed. Russian longhairs have been around for hundreds of years. According to some Siberian fanciers, Russians immigrating (or being exiled) to Siberia brought their cats with them. Due to the merciless climate, these cats developed-or acquired through mating with the local cats-longer hair, weatherproof coats and larger, stockier bodies.
The Russian cats who basked in the limelight at the first modern cat show in 1871 at the Crystal Palace in London may or may not have been Siberians, since apparently no records of these cats were kept in Russia at that time. Harrison Weir, who organized the show and wrote the standards by which all the breeds were judged, referred to the cats as Russian Longhairs. He wrote that he was not able to discover from where in Russia such cats originated.
Until the 1980s, the government of the former Soviet Union discouraged its citizens from owning any kind of household pet, pedigreed or otherwise, because of housing and food shortages. However those who could afford to keep and breed dogs and cats did so; owning handsome companion animals was a status symbol. No organizations existed and few records were kept. Other cats lived in Russia during that time as well, but they earned their own keep by working as perfect mouse traps in barns, fields, and factories. It’s likely that Siberians developed in just that way, given their hardy constitutions, strong jaws, and large agile bodies.
In 1987, the government lifted restrictions on house pets, and breeders and fanciers formed cat clubs and began keeping breeding records. In 1988, the first Russian cat show was held in Moscow, and the Siberian was there in fine form. Whether these cats actually originated in Siberia is anyone’s guess; it’s possible the breed was so named to give the breed an air of romance and mystery.
The end of the Cold War opened the doors for Siberians to be imported into the United States. The first Siberians arrived in America as the result of a trade in the early 1990s.Himalayan breeder Elizabeth Terrell, then of Louisiana, read an editorial in a publication of the Atlantic Himalayan Club that said no Himalayans existed in the former Soviet Union. Breeders were asked to donate or trade Himalayans to help establish the breed. Terrell contacted Nelli Sachuk, a member of the newly formed Kotofei Cat Club (pronounced COT-ah-fay) that was affiliated with the international division of ACFA. Kotofei was one of the two Russian cat clubs to provide official pedigrees (the Fauna Club was the other). Terrell arranged to send Sachuk two Himalayans, a male and a pregnant female, and receive several Siberians in return.
After many months of delays, headaches and expense (communicating with the former Soviet Union wasn’t easy and for a time Sachuk’s letters had to be hand-carried out of Russia by visitors to the United States), in June of 1990 Terrell finally received her long-awaited cat comrades. She received three Siberian kittens: a brown tabby with white male named Kaliostro Vasenjkovich, a brown tabby with white female named Ofelia Romanova, and a brown tabby female named Naina Romanova. Soon after, she received the kittens’ metrukas (certificates of birth), which detailed their names, dates of birth, colors and patterns.
Just a month after Terrell received her Siberians, fancier David Boehm imported Siberians of his own. Instead of waiting for the cats to be sent, he booked a flight to Russia and bought every Siberian he could find. On July 4th he returned with his collection of 15 cats. He didn’t find out until he got back that he wasn’t the first to import Siberians. However, his Siberians did produce the first litter in North America, and were invaluable in enlarging the gene pool.
Terrell contacted the cat associations to announce her new arrivals and to start the process toward acceptance for the Siberian. She kept careful records over the years, which provided documentation. She asked for the help of breeders, judges and fanciers, and many mobilized to support, promote and propagate the breed. Since ACFA was affiliated with the Kotofei Cat Club, this association was the first to accept the breed for registration. Within several months, many other associations had followed suit.
Terrell received copies of the Siberian breed standards (in Russian) with her Siberians. She had them translated and, with the help of the Kotofei Cat Club, adapted them to the American associations’ formats. The Russian breeders also sent her a letter warning her that not every cat from Russia called a Siberian is actually a pedigreed Siberian, and that many people call all longhaired cats Siberians. This was particularly true when the Siberian became popular in America; some people were eager to sell any longhaired cat to Americans looking for Siberians.
In 1992, Siberian breeders started an American breed club called Taiga (pronounced Tie-GAH, a Russian word for forest) and provided award rosettes to any show in which a Siberian was entered. The best Siberian in each ring was presented with a special Taiga rosette. Any Siberian who didn’t take an award at a show was given a Certificate of Appreciation and an Honorable Mention ribbon. The club wanted to encourage Siberian fanciers to get these cats into the show ring, since show numbers were important in advancing the breed.
The Siberian has purred its way into the hearts of American cat fanciers in record time. The Siberian, known as the Siberian Cat in a number of associations and as the Traditional Siberian Forest Cat in TCA, is accepted for championship by all North American associations. While still rare, the breed has a solid fan base. Breeders usually maintain waiting lists since demand exceeds supply.
American Curl
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/1370389307.png)
Description
Like the Scottish Fold, the American Curl’s defining characteristic is its unique ears. In the Curl’s case, the ears curl backward in a smooth arc. Show quality Curls must have a curl arc that is at least 90 degrees and no more than 180 degrees. The moderately large ears must be erect and must have firm cartilage from the ear base to at least one third of the height. The ears are set equally on top and to the side of the head. The shape is wide at the base and open, and the ear tips are rounded and flexible. Furnishings are desirable. Adult Curls are disqualified if the tips of the ears touch the back of the ear or head, or if their ears are severely mismatched.
The curled ears are expressive; they perk up in curiosity, swivel to listen, and twitch back in annoyance. They can’t lie flat, however, because of the firmer cartilage.
American Curls are well-balanced cats, semi-foreign in type, flexible and moderately muscled, and slender rather than massive in build. Boning is medium—neither fine nor heavy. They are small to medium in size—adult males weigh approximately 7 to 10 pounds; adult females weigh about 5 to 8 pounds. Proportion and balance are more important than size. The tail is flexible, wide at the base but tapering at the end; its length is equal to the body’s length. Legs are medium length and in proportion to the body with medium boning, neither fine nor heavy.
American Curls come in both long and shorthair varieties. Longhairs have fine, semi-long, silky coats that lie flat, with minimal undercoat. The tail hair is full and plumed. Shorthairs have short, soft, silky coats that lie flat and are resilient without being plush or dense. They also have minimal undercoat. For both, all colors and patterns are accepted, including the pointed pattern. Allowable outcross breeds are domestic longhairs and shorthairs.
History
In June of 1981, two stray cats with unusual curled ears arrived on the doorstep of Grace and Joe Ruga in Lakewood, California. One suffered an unfortunate accident soon after arriving, but the other, a longhaired black female, was adopted by the Rugas. They named her Shulamith, a variation of a Hebrew term that means "black but comely." At first, they paid little attention to their cat’s unique ears; they assumed other curly-eared cats existed somewhere, even though they could find no mention of them in books at the local libraries and pet stores. They were more impressed with Shulamith's deep devotion and loving personality. In December of 1981, however, Shulamith gave birth, and two of the four kittens also had curled ears.
Although the Rugas didn’t know much about genetics at the time, this indicated that the gene governing the trait was dominant, since the father, a local longhaired tom named Mr. Grey, did not have curly ears or the gene for them. Because the curl gene is dominant, only one parent needs to have the gene to produce or sire Curl kittens, which is a big advantage for a breeding program. Unlike a recessive gene, a dominant gene will always be expressed in the cat's physical appearance. If a cat doesn't have curled ears, she doesn't have the curl gene. A spontaneous genetic mutation in the domestic cat population was very likely responsible for the unique ears.
Shulamith continued to have litters with the local toms, adding to the local Curl population. The Rugas gave away kittens to friends and family, including Grace's sister, Esther Brimlow. Both long and short hair appeared in early litters, and many colors and patterns, including pointed.
Esther Brimlow gave two Curls to former Australian Shepherd breeder Nancy Kiester, who showed her Curls to cat judge and Scottish Fold breeder Jean Grimm. Grimm told Kiester Curls were unknown to the cat fancy. Nancy Kiester teamed up with Grace and Joe Ruga, named the breed the American Curl, and, with Jean Grimm's help, wrote the first breed standard. Both hair lengths and all patterns and colors were included. They also made the very good decision not to include pedigreed breeds as outcrosses; this could have created resistance from other breeders in the cat fancy.
They exhibited the first American Curl at the October 1983 CFA show in Palm Springs, California. Cat fanciers immediately recognized that the Curl's unparalleled ears were unique and acceptance quickly followed. In a comparatively short time, the American Curl gained association recognition that has taken other new breeds decades longer.
Like the Scottish Fold, the American Curl’s defining characteristic is its unique ears. In the Curl’s case, the ears curl backward in a smooth arc. Show quality Curls must have a curl arc that is at least 90 degrees and no more than 180 degrees. The moderately large ears must be erect and must have firm cartilage from the ear base to at least one third of the height. The ears are set equally on top and to the side of the head. The shape is wide at the base and open, and the ear tips are rounded and flexible. Furnishings are desirable. Adult Curls are disqualified if the tips of the ears touch the back of the ear or head, or if their ears are severely mismatched.
The curled ears are expressive; they perk up in curiosity, swivel to listen, and twitch back in annoyance. They can’t lie flat, however, because of the firmer cartilage.
American Curls are well-balanced cats, semi-foreign in type, flexible and moderately muscled, and slender rather than massive in build. Boning is medium—neither fine nor heavy. They are small to medium in size—adult males weigh approximately 7 to 10 pounds; adult females weigh about 5 to 8 pounds. Proportion and balance are more important than size. The tail is flexible, wide at the base but tapering at the end; its length is equal to the body’s length. Legs are medium length and in proportion to the body with medium boning, neither fine nor heavy.
American Curls come in both long and shorthair varieties. Longhairs have fine, semi-long, silky coats that lie flat, with minimal undercoat. The tail hair is full and plumed. Shorthairs have short, soft, silky coats that lie flat and are resilient without being plush or dense. They also have minimal undercoat. For both, all colors and patterns are accepted, including the pointed pattern. Allowable outcross breeds are domestic longhairs and shorthairs.
History
In June of 1981, two stray cats with unusual curled ears arrived on the doorstep of Grace and Joe Ruga in Lakewood, California. One suffered an unfortunate accident soon after arriving, but the other, a longhaired black female, was adopted by the Rugas. They named her Shulamith, a variation of a Hebrew term that means "black but comely." At first, they paid little attention to their cat’s unique ears; they assumed other curly-eared cats existed somewhere, even though they could find no mention of them in books at the local libraries and pet stores. They were more impressed with Shulamith's deep devotion and loving personality. In December of 1981, however, Shulamith gave birth, and two of the four kittens also had curled ears.
Although the Rugas didn’t know much about genetics at the time, this indicated that the gene governing the trait was dominant, since the father, a local longhaired tom named Mr. Grey, did not have curly ears or the gene for them. Because the curl gene is dominant, only one parent needs to have the gene to produce or sire Curl kittens, which is a big advantage for a breeding program. Unlike a recessive gene, a dominant gene will always be expressed in the cat's physical appearance. If a cat doesn't have curled ears, she doesn't have the curl gene. A spontaneous genetic mutation in the domestic cat population was very likely responsible for the unique ears.
Shulamith continued to have litters with the local toms, adding to the local Curl population. The Rugas gave away kittens to friends and family, including Grace's sister, Esther Brimlow. Both long and short hair appeared in early litters, and many colors and patterns, including pointed.
Esther Brimlow gave two Curls to former Australian Shepherd breeder Nancy Kiester, who showed her Curls to cat judge and Scottish Fold breeder Jean Grimm. Grimm told Kiester Curls were unknown to the cat fancy. Nancy Kiester teamed up with Grace and Joe Ruga, named the breed the American Curl, and, with Jean Grimm's help, wrote the first breed standard. Both hair lengths and all patterns and colors were included. They also made the very good decision not to include pedigreed breeds as outcrosses; this could have created resistance from other breeders in the cat fancy.
They exhibited the first American Curl at the October 1983 CFA show in Palm Springs, California. Cat fanciers immediately recognized that the Curl's unparalleled ears were unique and acceptance quickly followed. In a comparatively short time, the American Curl gained association recognition that has taken other new breeds decades longer.
Munckin
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/1370389296.png)
Scottish Fold
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/980953932.png)
Description
The Scottish Fold’s unique ears are produced by a dominant gene that affects their cartilage, causing the ears to fold forward and downward, giving the head a rounded appearance. The ears are small with rounded tips; smaller, tightly folded ears are preferred over loose folds and large ears. They should be set in a caplike fashion to expose a rounded cranium, and are not set high on the head.
Despite being folded, the ears are still expressive. They swivel to listen, lay back in anger, and perk up when something interesting is happening. The fold in the ear will become less pronounced when the cat is ill, in heat or in distress. The folded ears do not make the breed susceptible to ear infections, mites or hearing problems. The ears are not more difficult to clean or medicate than those of other breeds, although they should be handled carefully.
The Fold’s overall appearance is well rounded with medium bone structure. The cat should stand firm with a well-padded body. There is no hint of thickness or lack of mobility in the cat due to short, coarse legs. The toes are neat and well rounded. Overall appearance is that of a well rounded cat with medium bone structure. The tail is medium to long but in proportion to the body. The tail is flexible and tapering and may end in a round tip. A longer, tapering tail is preferred. Males weigh 9 to 13 pounds; females weigh 6 to 9 pounds. Outcrossing is allowed to the British Shorthair and the American Shorthair (TICA also allows the British Longhair). Since the Fold cannot breed true, outcrosses will always be necessary.
The head is well rounded with a firm chin and jaw, which blends into a short neck. The face has prominent cheeks and the muzzle has well-rounded whisker pads. The nose is short with a gentle curve; a brief stop is permitted. In profile the nose is moderate in appearance. The large, well-rounded eyes are wide open with a sweet expression, and are separated by a broad nose. Eye color corresponds with the coat color. Blue eyes and odd-eyes and are allowed in solid whites, bicolors, and van patterns. Odd-eyed cats have one blue and one gold eye of equal color depth.
The Scottish Fold comes in both longhair and shorthair. The longhair coat is medium-long to long in length. A full coat on the face and body is desirable but short hair is permissible on the face and legs. A ruff is desirable. A tail plume, britches, toe tufts and ear furnishings should be clearly visible. A cottony coat is seriously penalized or disqualified in many associations.
The shorthair coat is short to medium-short and dense, plush and even. It’s soft in texture and full of life, standing away from the body due to the coat density. Coat texture may vary due to color and regional and seasonal changes.
In most associations, the Fold is accepted in all colors and patterns with the exception of those showing evidence of hybridization resulting in the colors chocolate, lavender, thepointed pattern, or these combinations with white. In TICA and CFF, all colors and patterns are accepted, including pointed.
History
The foundation of today’s Scottish Fold is a barn cat named Susie, a unique folded-ear white feline found in 1961 on the McRae farm near Coupar Angus in the Tayside region of Scotland. All Scottish Folds can trace their pedigrees back to Susie. British Shorthair breeder William Ross noticed the unique cat, and he and his wife, Mary, fell in love with her. They also recognized her potential as a new breed. Ross asked the McRaes about the cat, and was promised a kitten from Susie’s first litter. Susie’s mother was a straight-eared white cat and her father was unknown, so it’s unclear whether this litter was the first of its kind or whether the folded ears had simply never been noticed before. One of Susie’s brothers was also a Fold, but he wandered away, never to be seen again.
In 1963, the Rosses were given one of Suzie’s folded-ear kittens, a white female like her mother, whom they named Snooks. With the help of British geneticist Peter Dyte, the Rosses started a breeding program using British Shorthairs and random-bred domestic cats as outcrosses . They quickly found that the Fold gene was dominant . Originally they called the breed Lops after the lop-ear type of rabbit. In 1966, the name was changed to Scottish Fold. The same year, the Rosses registered the breed with the GCCF .
At first, a number of breeders and fanciers were fascinated by this new breed, but soon GCCF became concerned about potential health problems. At first they worried about ear mite infestations and deafness, but these concerns were unfounded. However, GCCF soon became worried about genetic problems, which were very real concerns. By 1971, GCCF closed registration to Scottish Folds and banned further registration in the United Kingdom.
Folds had to move to America to continue as a breed. They were first introduced to the United States in 1970 when three of Snooks’ daughters were sent to New England geneticist Neil Todd, who was researching spontaneous mutations in cats at the Carnivore Genetics Research Center in Newtownville, Massachusetts. Manx breeder Salle Wolf Peters of Pennsylvania acquired one of the cats, a daughter of Snooks named Hester. She was the first of many breeders to fall in love with the Fold, and she was instrumental in recruiting other breeders and advancing and developing the breed.
Since the gene governing the Scottish Fold’s ears is dominant, all Scottish Folds must have at least one folded-ear parent to have folded ears themselves. It was quickly discovered that breeding two Folds increased the number of Fold kittens, but also greatly increased the chances of serious skeletal problems related to the Fold gene. Homozygous Folds (Folds who inherit the dominant folded-ear gene from both parents) are much more likely to develop a genetic condition that causes crippling distortion and enlargement of the bones. Not breeding Fold to Fold reduces the problem, and responsible breeders became very careful not to breed Fold to Fold and to use outcrosses to widen the gene pool. However, controversy arose because of the defect. "Why breed cats who might develop serious health problems?", some fanciers asked.
Despite the controversy, the Scottish Fold was accepted for registration by CFA in 1974. In 1977 the breed was granted provisional status, and in 1978 the breed achieved CFAchampionship status. In this amazingly short period (for a new breed), the Fold earned itself a place in the North American cat fancy. Soon all other associations accepted the breed as well.
The longhaired version of the breed was not officially recognized until the mid-1980s, although longhair kittens have been appearing in Scottish Fold litters since the breed’s beginning. Suzie may have carried the recessive longhair gene. The use of Persians in early breeding programs also spread the gene for long hair. In 1993, the longhaired Scottish Fold was recognized for CFA championship. Today, all North American cat associations accept both lengths for championship. However, the longhair’s name varies depending upon the association. Like some breeds with two hair lengths, the Scottish Fold is considered a single breed in CFA, CCA, TCA and TICA . Other associations consider them separate breeds; AACE, ACFA, and UFO call the longhair the Highland Fold, while CFFcalls it the Longhair Fold.
The Scottish Fold’s unique ears are produced by a dominant gene that affects their cartilage, causing the ears to fold forward and downward, giving the head a rounded appearance. The ears are small with rounded tips; smaller, tightly folded ears are preferred over loose folds and large ears. They should be set in a caplike fashion to expose a rounded cranium, and are not set high on the head.
Despite being folded, the ears are still expressive. They swivel to listen, lay back in anger, and perk up when something interesting is happening. The fold in the ear will become less pronounced when the cat is ill, in heat or in distress. The folded ears do not make the breed susceptible to ear infections, mites or hearing problems. The ears are not more difficult to clean or medicate than those of other breeds, although they should be handled carefully.
The Fold’s overall appearance is well rounded with medium bone structure. The cat should stand firm with a well-padded body. There is no hint of thickness or lack of mobility in the cat due to short, coarse legs. The toes are neat and well rounded. Overall appearance is that of a well rounded cat with medium bone structure. The tail is medium to long but in proportion to the body. The tail is flexible and tapering and may end in a round tip. A longer, tapering tail is preferred. Males weigh 9 to 13 pounds; females weigh 6 to 9 pounds. Outcrossing is allowed to the British Shorthair and the American Shorthair (TICA also allows the British Longhair). Since the Fold cannot breed true, outcrosses will always be necessary.
The head is well rounded with a firm chin and jaw, which blends into a short neck. The face has prominent cheeks and the muzzle has well-rounded whisker pads. The nose is short with a gentle curve; a brief stop is permitted. In profile the nose is moderate in appearance. The large, well-rounded eyes are wide open with a sweet expression, and are separated by a broad nose. Eye color corresponds with the coat color. Blue eyes and odd-eyes and are allowed in solid whites, bicolors, and van patterns. Odd-eyed cats have one blue and one gold eye of equal color depth.
The Scottish Fold comes in both longhair and shorthair. The longhair coat is medium-long to long in length. A full coat on the face and body is desirable but short hair is permissible on the face and legs. A ruff is desirable. A tail plume, britches, toe tufts and ear furnishings should be clearly visible. A cottony coat is seriously penalized or disqualified in many associations.
The shorthair coat is short to medium-short and dense, plush and even. It’s soft in texture and full of life, standing away from the body due to the coat density. Coat texture may vary due to color and regional and seasonal changes.
In most associations, the Fold is accepted in all colors and patterns with the exception of those showing evidence of hybridization resulting in the colors chocolate, lavender, thepointed pattern, or these combinations with white. In TICA and CFF, all colors and patterns are accepted, including pointed.
History
The foundation of today’s Scottish Fold is a barn cat named Susie, a unique folded-ear white feline found in 1961 on the McRae farm near Coupar Angus in the Tayside region of Scotland. All Scottish Folds can trace their pedigrees back to Susie. British Shorthair breeder William Ross noticed the unique cat, and he and his wife, Mary, fell in love with her. They also recognized her potential as a new breed. Ross asked the McRaes about the cat, and was promised a kitten from Susie’s first litter. Susie’s mother was a straight-eared white cat and her father was unknown, so it’s unclear whether this litter was the first of its kind or whether the folded ears had simply never been noticed before. One of Susie’s brothers was also a Fold, but he wandered away, never to be seen again.
In 1963, the Rosses were given one of Suzie’s folded-ear kittens, a white female like her mother, whom they named Snooks. With the help of British geneticist Peter Dyte, the Rosses started a breeding program using British Shorthairs and random-bred domestic cats as outcrosses . They quickly found that the Fold gene was dominant . Originally they called the breed Lops after the lop-ear type of rabbit. In 1966, the name was changed to Scottish Fold. The same year, the Rosses registered the breed with the GCCF .
At first, a number of breeders and fanciers were fascinated by this new breed, but soon GCCF became concerned about potential health problems. At first they worried about ear mite infestations and deafness, but these concerns were unfounded. However, GCCF soon became worried about genetic problems, which were very real concerns. By 1971, GCCF closed registration to Scottish Folds and banned further registration in the United Kingdom.
Folds had to move to America to continue as a breed. They were first introduced to the United States in 1970 when three of Snooks’ daughters were sent to New England geneticist Neil Todd, who was researching spontaneous mutations in cats at the Carnivore Genetics Research Center in Newtownville, Massachusetts. Manx breeder Salle Wolf Peters of Pennsylvania acquired one of the cats, a daughter of Snooks named Hester. She was the first of many breeders to fall in love with the Fold, and she was instrumental in recruiting other breeders and advancing and developing the breed.
Since the gene governing the Scottish Fold’s ears is dominant, all Scottish Folds must have at least one folded-ear parent to have folded ears themselves. It was quickly discovered that breeding two Folds increased the number of Fold kittens, but also greatly increased the chances of serious skeletal problems related to the Fold gene. Homozygous Folds (Folds who inherit the dominant folded-ear gene from both parents) are much more likely to develop a genetic condition that causes crippling distortion and enlargement of the bones. Not breeding Fold to Fold reduces the problem, and responsible breeders became very careful not to breed Fold to Fold and to use outcrosses to widen the gene pool. However, controversy arose because of the defect. "Why breed cats who might develop serious health problems?", some fanciers asked.
Despite the controversy, the Scottish Fold was accepted for registration by CFA in 1974. In 1977 the breed was granted provisional status, and in 1978 the breed achieved CFAchampionship status. In this amazingly short period (for a new breed), the Fold earned itself a place in the North American cat fancy. Soon all other associations accepted the breed as well.
The longhaired version of the breed was not officially recognized until the mid-1980s, although longhair kittens have been appearing in Scottish Fold litters since the breed’s beginning. Suzie may have carried the recessive longhair gene. The use of Persians in early breeding programs also spread the gene for long hair. In 1993, the longhaired Scottish Fold was recognized for CFA championship. Today, all North American cat associations accept both lengths for championship. However, the longhair’s name varies depending upon the association. Like some breeds with two hair lengths, the Scottish Fold is considered a single breed in CFA, CCA, TCA and TICA . Other associations consider them separate breeds; AACE, ACFA, and UFO call the longhair the Highland Fold, while CFFcalls it the Longhair Fold.
Selkirk Rex
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/1370389234.png)
Turkish Van
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/778530774.png)
Description
The Turkish Van is a natural breed, known for its distinctive color pattern. In fact, the word "van" is now used by the cat fancy to describe white cats with colored head and tail markings. The Van body is moderately long, broad, sturdy, deep-chested and muscular. Mature males show marked muscular development in the neck and shoulders; the shoulders are at least as broad as the head and flow into the well-rounded rib cage and then into a muscular hip and pelvic area. The legs are muscular, moderately long and set wide apart. The tail is long but in proportion to the body, with a brush appearance. Tail hair is long and full. Adult males weigh 12 to 17 pounds; adult females weigh 9 to 13 pounds. The Van can take three to five years to reach full maturity, so show judges take gender and age into account when judging the Van.
The head is a substantially broad wedge with gentle contours and a medium length nose, prominent cheekbones, and a firm chin in a straight line with the medium length nose—all harmonizing with the large, muscular body. In profile, the nose has a slight dip below eye level. The muzzle is rounded. The ears are moderately large, wide at the base, set fairly high and well apart. The tips are slightly rounded; the insides are well feathered . The clear, alert, and expressive eyes are moderately large with a rounded aperture that is slightly drawn out at the corners and set at a slant, equidistant from the outside base of the ear to the tip of the nose.
The Van’s fine, silky-smooth coat lies flat and lacks a wooly undercoat, making it gloriously touchable and resistant to matting as well. The adult coat is semi-long, soft, and water-resistant. Feathering is seen on the ears, legs, feet and belly; facial fur is short. The coat changes according to season; in summer it is short and in winter it’s substantially longer and thicker. The neck ruff and full tail plume become more prominent with age.
The only pattern accepted is glistening chalk white with colored markings, preferably only on the head and tail. In CFA, random markings of color covering up to 15 percent of the entire body (excluding head and tail color) are permissible, but not of a size or number that detract from the van pattern, making the cat appear to be bicolor rather than van. Color in excess of 15 percent is a disqualifying fault. Other associations are a bit more liberal. In TICA, AFCA, and AACE, for example, color in excess of 20 percent is merely penalized, not cause for disqualification.
Color is required on the head from eye level up to the back of the head and on the tail. Markings may be any other color and white, with the exception of those showing evidence of hybridization resulting in the colors chocolate, lilac, etc., and the pointed pattern. The eye colors are amber, blue or odd-eyed, and the color may fade with age. The breed has no allowable outcrosses.
History
Several tall tales are told about the origins of the Turkish Van. One that Turkish Van fanciers tell with enthusiasm involves two longhaired, ring-tailed cats who were along for the ride on Noah’s Ark. When they reached Mount Ararat in what is now Turkey, the cats leapt into the water and swam for dry land where they’ve lived ever since.
The actual history of this magnificently tailed swimming cat is at least as intriguing as the legends. Although the Turkish Van is a relative newcomer to the United States, this natural Turkish breed has lived in the Van region for thousands of years. Turkish Vans can also be found in the nearby areas of Armenia, Syria, Iran, Iraq and areas of the former Soviet Union. No kind and gentle environment here; Lake Van, the largest lake in Turkey and one of the highest lakes in the world, knows extreme temperatures in both summer and winter. Since summer temperatures reach well above 100 degrees, the Van may have learned to swim to cool off. Or perhaps the breed was hunting herring, the only fish that can survive in the briny water of Lake Van. Whatever the reason for the Van’s tolerance of water, it probably explains the development of the cashmere-like, water-repellant coat, which enables the Van to swim and come out relatively dry.
No one knows for sure when the cats arrived in the Lake Van region for which the breed was named. Ornaments depicting cats who look remarkably like the Turkish Van date as far back as 5000 B.C.E. from the ancient kingdom of Urartu, centered in the mountainous region around Lake Van. If these artifacts depict actual cats, the Van could be one of the oldest cat breeds still in existence. According to some, the breed should be called the Armenian Van, since the land around Lake Van was ruled by the Armenians for many years before Turkish rule. Local Armenian folk stories and songs mention the Van cat.
In the Lake Van region and surrounding areas, the Van was and still is treasured for its hardiness, temperament and lovely fur. Turkey is largely a Muslim country, and Turkish Vans who have the "thumbprint of god" pattern are highly prized. These Vans have a color patch between the shoulder blades called the Mark of Allah, and it’s believed these special cats have been blessed.
Vans were reportedly first brought to Europe by soldiers returning from the Crusades, some time between 1095 and 1272. Over the centuries, Vans were transported throughout the Mideastern countries by the many invaders, traders and explorers.
In 1955, while photographing Lake Van, British citizens Laura Lushington and Sonia Halliday became fascinated by the beautiful Van cats of the area. Lushington was given a pair of auburn and white Van cats because of the work she had done for the Turkish Tourist Board. She began a breeding program and eventually imported three more Vans in 1959. The breed was registered with the British GCCF as "Turkish cats." In 1969, the Turkish Van was given full status by the GCCF.
The first Van kittens arrived in the United States in the 1970s, but it was not until breeders Barbara and Jack Reark imported two Vans from France in 1983 that the breed began to flourish in North America. Acceptance from many of the cat registries quickly followed. In 1985, TICA granted the Turkish Van championship status. CFA accepted the breed for championship in 1994. Today, the Turkish Van is still one of the lesser known breeds, but has a spirited group of fanciers. Since Turkish Vans are rare and breeders few, demand usually exceeds supply.
Because of a 1992 survey by a Turkish university found only 92 pure Turkish Van cats in their native region, the Turkish government officially recognized the breed in the mid-1990s and added breeding facilities at the Ankara zoo for the Van in order to preserve the breed, just as they did for the Turkish Angora. Vans are now considered a national treasure in the Republic of Turkey, and are no longer permitted to be exported; most breeding stock imported into America comes from European countries. Since the gene pool in the United States is still quite small and since breeding the Van with other breeds is not allowed, Vans from Australia, Sweden, and England are imported to add vigor to the existing lines.
The Turkish Van is a natural breed, known for its distinctive color pattern. In fact, the word "van" is now used by the cat fancy to describe white cats with colored head and tail markings. The Van body is moderately long, broad, sturdy, deep-chested and muscular. Mature males show marked muscular development in the neck and shoulders; the shoulders are at least as broad as the head and flow into the well-rounded rib cage and then into a muscular hip and pelvic area. The legs are muscular, moderately long and set wide apart. The tail is long but in proportion to the body, with a brush appearance. Tail hair is long and full. Adult males weigh 12 to 17 pounds; adult females weigh 9 to 13 pounds. The Van can take three to five years to reach full maturity, so show judges take gender and age into account when judging the Van.
The head is a substantially broad wedge with gentle contours and a medium length nose, prominent cheekbones, and a firm chin in a straight line with the medium length nose—all harmonizing with the large, muscular body. In profile, the nose has a slight dip below eye level. The muzzle is rounded. The ears are moderately large, wide at the base, set fairly high and well apart. The tips are slightly rounded; the insides are well feathered . The clear, alert, and expressive eyes are moderately large with a rounded aperture that is slightly drawn out at the corners and set at a slant, equidistant from the outside base of the ear to the tip of the nose.
The Van’s fine, silky-smooth coat lies flat and lacks a wooly undercoat, making it gloriously touchable and resistant to matting as well. The adult coat is semi-long, soft, and water-resistant. Feathering is seen on the ears, legs, feet and belly; facial fur is short. The coat changes according to season; in summer it is short and in winter it’s substantially longer and thicker. The neck ruff and full tail plume become more prominent with age.
The only pattern accepted is glistening chalk white with colored markings, preferably only on the head and tail. In CFA, random markings of color covering up to 15 percent of the entire body (excluding head and tail color) are permissible, but not of a size or number that detract from the van pattern, making the cat appear to be bicolor rather than van. Color in excess of 15 percent is a disqualifying fault. Other associations are a bit more liberal. In TICA, AFCA, and AACE, for example, color in excess of 20 percent is merely penalized, not cause for disqualification.
Color is required on the head from eye level up to the back of the head and on the tail. Markings may be any other color and white, with the exception of those showing evidence of hybridization resulting in the colors chocolate, lilac, etc., and the pointed pattern. The eye colors are amber, blue or odd-eyed, and the color may fade with age. The breed has no allowable outcrosses.
History
Several tall tales are told about the origins of the Turkish Van. One that Turkish Van fanciers tell with enthusiasm involves two longhaired, ring-tailed cats who were along for the ride on Noah’s Ark. When they reached Mount Ararat in what is now Turkey, the cats leapt into the water and swam for dry land where they’ve lived ever since.
The actual history of this magnificently tailed swimming cat is at least as intriguing as the legends. Although the Turkish Van is a relative newcomer to the United States, this natural Turkish breed has lived in the Van region for thousands of years. Turkish Vans can also be found in the nearby areas of Armenia, Syria, Iran, Iraq and areas of the former Soviet Union. No kind and gentle environment here; Lake Van, the largest lake in Turkey and one of the highest lakes in the world, knows extreme temperatures in both summer and winter. Since summer temperatures reach well above 100 degrees, the Van may have learned to swim to cool off. Or perhaps the breed was hunting herring, the only fish that can survive in the briny water of Lake Van. Whatever the reason for the Van’s tolerance of water, it probably explains the development of the cashmere-like, water-repellant coat, which enables the Van to swim and come out relatively dry.
No one knows for sure when the cats arrived in the Lake Van region for which the breed was named. Ornaments depicting cats who look remarkably like the Turkish Van date as far back as 5000 B.C.E. from the ancient kingdom of Urartu, centered in the mountainous region around Lake Van. If these artifacts depict actual cats, the Van could be one of the oldest cat breeds still in existence. According to some, the breed should be called the Armenian Van, since the land around Lake Van was ruled by the Armenians for many years before Turkish rule. Local Armenian folk stories and songs mention the Van cat.
In the Lake Van region and surrounding areas, the Van was and still is treasured for its hardiness, temperament and lovely fur. Turkey is largely a Muslim country, and Turkish Vans who have the "thumbprint of god" pattern are highly prized. These Vans have a color patch between the shoulder blades called the Mark of Allah, and it’s believed these special cats have been blessed.
Vans were reportedly first brought to Europe by soldiers returning from the Crusades, some time between 1095 and 1272. Over the centuries, Vans were transported throughout the Mideastern countries by the many invaders, traders and explorers.
In 1955, while photographing Lake Van, British citizens Laura Lushington and Sonia Halliday became fascinated by the beautiful Van cats of the area. Lushington was given a pair of auburn and white Van cats because of the work she had done for the Turkish Tourist Board. She began a breeding program and eventually imported three more Vans in 1959. The breed was registered with the British GCCF as "Turkish cats." In 1969, the Turkish Van was given full status by the GCCF.
The first Van kittens arrived in the United States in the 1970s, but it was not until breeders Barbara and Jack Reark imported two Vans from France in 1983 that the breed began to flourish in North America. Acceptance from many of the cat registries quickly followed. In 1985, TICA granted the Turkish Van championship status. CFA accepted the breed for championship in 1994. Today, the Turkish Van is still one of the lesser known breeds, but has a spirited group of fanciers. Since Turkish Vans are rare and breeders few, demand usually exceeds supply.
Because of a 1992 survey by a Turkish university found only 92 pure Turkish Van cats in their native region, the Turkish government officially recognized the breed in the mid-1990s and added breeding facilities at the Ankara zoo for the Van in order to preserve the breed, just as they did for the Turkish Angora. Vans are now considered a national treasure in the Republic of Turkey, and are no longer permitted to be exported; most breeding stock imported into America comes from European countries. Since the gene pool in the United States is still quite small and since breeding the Van with other breeds is not allowed, Vans from Australia, Sweden, and England are imported to add vigor to the existing lines.
Cymric
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/1370389375.png)
Description
Taillessness appears absolute in the perfect specimen. Because of the idiosyncrasies of the tailless gene, Cymrics do not breed true. Four distinctly different tail types are produced. The rumpy is highly prized; this tail type—or rather, lack thereof—is favored in the show ring. Entirely tailless, rumpies often have a dimple at the base of the spine where the tail would ordinarily begin. Rumpy-risers have a short knob of tail that consists of one to three vertebrae connected to the last bone of the spine. Risers can be shown if the vertical rise of the tail doesn’t stop the judge’s hand when the cat is stroked. Stumpies are usually pet quality; these cats have a short tail stump that is often curved, knotted or kinked. Longies have tails almost as long as an ordinary cat’s. Most breeders dock the tails of longie kittens four to six days after birth. This makes it easier to find homes for them, since few people are willing to adopt a Cymric with a tail. Also, breeders say the Manx gene can cause problems for longie adult cats five years of age and older. The tail may become ossified and arthritic, causing great pain.
It’s impossible to predict what tail types will appear in any given litter, even when breeding rumpy to rumpy. Since other genetic defects are more likely to occur when rumpies are bred together for three or more generations, experienced breeders include all four tail types in their breeding programs.
The Cymric is a solidly muscled, compact, medium to large cat with a sturdy bone structure. Adult males weigh 9 to 13 pounds; adult females weigh 7 to 11 pounds. The overall impression is of roundness; the round head with prominent cheeks and jowls enhances the round appearance. The eyes are large, round and full. The ears are medium-sized, widely spaced and wide at the base, tapering gradually to a rounded tip.
The hair is medium-long, dense and well padded over the main body, adding to the rounded appearance. The hair gradually lengthens from the shoulders to the rump, and the full breeches are thick to the hocks. The hair on the abdomen and neck ruff is usually longer than that on the main body. The cheeks have thick, full hair, and the ruff extends from the shoulders to the chest like a bib. Toes and ears have impressive tufts. Even though the coat is full and plush because of the dense undercoat, the hair is soft and silky and falls smoothly over the body. As with most longhairs, coat length changes with the seasons; the summer coat is shorter than the longer, heavier winter coat.
In CFA and most other associations, all colors and patterns are accepted except those showing hybridization resulting in the colors chocolate, lavender, the Himalayan pattern, or these combinations with white. Eye color can be copper, green, hazel, blue or odd-eyed, depending upon the color and pattern of the coat. However, in TICA all colors and patterns are accepted.
History
Although the Cymric was officially accepted relatively recently, the breed has been around for hundreds of years, for as long as the Manx itself. The Cymric developed on the Isle of Man, a small island in the Irish Sea midway between England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The island has been inhabited since Neolithic times. Since the Isle has no indigenous felines from which the Cymric could develop, domestic cats must have been introduced by human settlers, traders, and explorers; who and when (and from where) is not known. Some believe the Isle of Man cats descended from British cats, which is possible given the Isle’s proximity to Britain. However, during the 17th and 18th centuries trading vessels from all over the world stopped at the Isle of Man’s ports. Since such ships commonly kept cats for their rodent-catching abilities, the Cymric and Manx ancestors could have easily come from somewhere else. Both long and shorthaired cats were transported to the island, and both hair lengths developed there.
According to island records, taillessness began as a mutation among the island’s domestic cat population, although some believe the mutation occurred elsewhere and was later transported onto the island. We’ll never know for sure, though, since it happened hundreds of years ago. Given the Isle’s closed environment and small gene pool, the dominant gene that governs the Cymric’s taillessness easily passed from one generation to the next, as did the gene for long hair. Soon a thriving population of tailless cats of various types and hair lengths roamed the green hills and wooded glens of the Isle of Man, playing hide and squeak with the resident mice.
Unlike the taillessness gene, long hair is governed by a recessive gene, which means a cat must inherit the longhair gene from both parents to exhibit the trait. Because of this, longhaired kittens can and do appear in Manx litters. Since the longhair gene is recessive, it can be carried for generations without manifesting in the physical appearance. Even though longhaired cats were on the Isle all along, it took many years before the Cymric was recognized as a breed in its own right by the cat associations. In North America, the Manx was recognized in the 1920s, but the Cymric wasn’t shown until the early 1960s and didn’t begin to gain popularity until the mid-1970s. In 1976, CCA was the first to accept the Cymric for championship status. Other associations soon followed, and today the Cymric enjoys championship status in all but one association.
In 1994, the CFA dropped the name Cymric and accepted the "Longhair Manx" as a division of the Manx breed. TICA and TCA accepted the breed in the same way. This is a benefit to breeders, since longhaired kittens born to Manx parents can be registered and shown in the longhair division. Except for coat length, the standard for both breeds is the same.
All other cat associations that recognize the breed consider the Manx and the Cymric separate breeds, but most allow longhaired Manx offspring to be registered and shown as Cymrics. This eliminates problems with "split litters" in which both hair lengths are present. While the Cymric is still rare, the breed has a steady following and many Manx breeders also breed Cymrics, or Manx Longhairs, depending upon their chosen association.
Taillessness appears absolute in the perfect specimen. Because of the idiosyncrasies of the tailless gene, Cymrics do not breed true. Four distinctly different tail types are produced. The rumpy is highly prized; this tail type—or rather, lack thereof—is favored in the show ring. Entirely tailless, rumpies often have a dimple at the base of the spine where the tail would ordinarily begin. Rumpy-risers have a short knob of tail that consists of one to three vertebrae connected to the last bone of the spine. Risers can be shown if the vertical rise of the tail doesn’t stop the judge’s hand when the cat is stroked. Stumpies are usually pet quality; these cats have a short tail stump that is often curved, knotted or kinked. Longies have tails almost as long as an ordinary cat’s. Most breeders dock the tails of longie kittens four to six days after birth. This makes it easier to find homes for them, since few people are willing to adopt a Cymric with a tail. Also, breeders say the Manx gene can cause problems for longie adult cats five years of age and older. The tail may become ossified and arthritic, causing great pain.
It’s impossible to predict what tail types will appear in any given litter, even when breeding rumpy to rumpy. Since other genetic defects are more likely to occur when rumpies are bred together for three or more generations, experienced breeders include all four tail types in their breeding programs.
The Cymric is a solidly muscled, compact, medium to large cat with a sturdy bone structure. Adult males weigh 9 to 13 pounds; adult females weigh 7 to 11 pounds. The overall impression is of roundness; the round head with prominent cheeks and jowls enhances the round appearance. The eyes are large, round and full. The ears are medium-sized, widely spaced and wide at the base, tapering gradually to a rounded tip.
The hair is medium-long, dense and well padded over the main body, adding to the rounded appearance. The hair gradually lengthens from the shoulders to the rump, and the full breeches are thick to the hocks. The hair on the abdomen and neck ruff is usually longer than that on the main body. The cheeks have thick, full hair, and the ruff extends from the shoulders to the chest like a bib. Toes and ears have impressive tufts. Even though the coat is full and plush because of the dense undercoat, the hair is soft and silky and falls smoothly over the body. As with most longhairs, coat length changes with the seasons; the summer coat is shorter than the longer, heavier winter coat.
In CFA and most other associations, all colors and patterns are accepted except those showing hybridization resulting in the colors chocolate, lavender, the Himalayan pattern, or these combinations with white. Eye color can be copper, green, hazel, blue or odd-eyed, depending upon the color and pattern of the coat. However, in TICA all colors and patterns are accepted.
History
Although the Cymric was officially accepted relatively recently, the breed has been around for hundreds of years, for as long as the Manx itself. The Cymric developed on the Isle of Man, a small island in the Irish Sea midway between England, Scotland, Northern Ireland and Wales. The island has been inhabited since Neolithic times. Since the Isle has no indigenous felines from which the Cymric could develop, domestic cats must have been introduced by human settlers, traders, and explorers; who and when (and from where) is not known. Some believe the Isle of Man cats descended from British cats, which is possible given the Isle’s proximity to Britain. However, during the 17th and 18th centuries trading vessels from all over the world stopped at the Isle of Man’s ports. Since such ships commonly kept cats for their rodent-catching abilities, the Cymric and Manx ancestors could have easily come from somewhere else. Both long and shorthaired cats were transported to the island, and both hair lengths developed there.
According to island records, taillessness began as a mutation among the island’s domestic cat population, although some believe the mutation occurred elsewhere and was later transported onto the island. We’ll never know for sure, though, since it happened hundreds of years ago. Given the Isle’s closed environment and small gene pool, the dominant gene that governs the Cymric’s taillessness easily passed from one generation to the next, as did the gene for long hair. Soon a thriving population of tailless cats of various types and hair lengths roamed the green hills and wooded glens of the Isle of Man, playing hide and squeak with the resident mice.
Unlike the taillessness gene, long hair is governed by a recessive gene, which means a cat must inherit the longhair gene from both parents to exhibit the trait. Because of this, longhaired kittens can and do appear in Manx litters. Since the longhair gene is recessive, it can be carried for generations without manifesting in the physical appearance. Even though longhaired cats were on the Isle all along, it took many years before the Cymric was recognized as a breed in its own right by the cat associations. In North America, the Manx was recognized in the 1920s, but the Cymric wasn’t shown until the early 1960s and didn’t begin to gain popularity until the mid-1970s. In 1976, CCA was the first to accept the Cymric for championship status. Other associations soon followed, and today the Cymric enjoys championship status in all but one association.
In 1994, the CFA dropped the name Cymric and accepted the "Longhair Manx" as a division of the Manx breed. TICA and TCA accepted the breed in the same way. This is a benefit to breeders, since longhaired kittens born to Manx parents can be registered and shown in the longhair division. Except for coat length, the standard for both breeds is the same.
All other cat associations that recognize the breed consider the Manx and the Cymric separate breeds, but most allow longhaired Manx offspring to be registered and shown as Cymrics. This eliminates problems with "split litters" in which both hair lengths are present. While the Cymric is still rare, the breed has a steady following and many Manx breeders also breed Cymrics, or Manx Longhairs, depending upon their chosen association.
Nebelung
![Picture](https://www.editmysite.com/editor/images/na.png)
Turkish Angora
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/829872389.png)
Description
Poised, regal and refined, the Turkish Angora is arguably one of the world's most beautiful breeds, with its fine, silky plumage, long, elegant body, pert, pointed ears and large, lovely eyes. The Angora has a long and slender medium-size body with fine boning and firm musculature. Though muscular and strong, this breed is elegant, refined and graceful. The shoulders are the same width as the hips, and the rump is slightly higher than the shoulders. Overall balance, grace and fineness of bone are more important than size. The legs are long, with the hind legs longer than the front, ending in small, round, dainty paws.Tufts between the toes are preferred. The tail is long and tapers from a wide base to a narrow end, and possesses a full brush. Adult males weigh 7 to 10 pounds; adult females weigh 5 to 8 pounds. No outcrosses are allowed.
The head is a medium long, smooth wedge shape, small to medium in size and in balance with the length of the body and the extremities. The nose has no The head is a medium long, smooth break. The muzzle is a continuation of the smooth lines of the wedge with neither pronounced whisker pads nor a pinch.
The ears are large, vertical, wide at the base, erect, pointed and tufted. They are set close together and high on the head. The eyes are large and almond-shaped, slanting slightly upward with an open expression. Eye color has no relationship to coat color, and the color of the eyes can change, especially as the cats mature. Acceptable colors include blue (sky blue to sapphire), green (gooseberry to emerald), green-gold (any gold or amber eye with a greenish cast or ring), amber (gold to rich copper), and odd-eyed (one blue eye and one green, green-gold or amber eye). While no points are specifically allocated to eye color, deeper, richer tones are preferred. Odd-eyed cats should have similar depth of color in each eye.
The fine, silky coat shimmers with every movement. The length of the single-coated fur varies, but the hair on the tail and the ruff is long, full, finely textured and has a silk-like sheen. The hind legs have full britches. Although solid white is the best known and most popular color, all colors and patterns are accepted with the exception of those showing hybridization, resulting in the colors lavender (lilac), choclate, the pointed pattern, or these combinations with white.
History
The Turkish Angora, named for the former Turkish capital of Angora (now Ankara), has been around for thousands of years, although no one is sure when the breed originated or how it got its long, lovely locks. Most cat experts agree that it's likely the recessive gene for long hair came about through spontaneous mutation, rather than hybridization with longhaired wildcats. Some researchers speculate that the gene for long hair arose in three separate areas: Russia, Persia (now Iran) and Turkey. Other researchers believe the mutation developed in Russia and then spread to Turkey, Persia and surrounding countries. Still others think the trait developed in Turkey and was later transported to other areas. Because Turkey forms a land bridge between Europe and Asia, with the Black Sea to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south, it was always an important trade route for Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East.
When a mutation occurs in an isolated area, the trait is more likely to be passed around the local cat population through inbreeding. Because of the high elevations and cold winter temperatures in some areas of Turkey, cats with long fur had a better chance of survival and natural selection therefore favored those cats. The long hair was perpetuated and developed in confined, mountainous areas that limited outcrossing. These hardy survivors with flowing, non-matting fur, lithe bodies and the intelligence to survive in an unforgiving environment passed on these traits to their offspring.
Either they already had the dominant white gene that is one of the distinctive characteristics of the breed, or at some point they evolved or inherited it. By the time the breed was transported to Europe, the Turkish Angora looked much as it does today. White was not the only color, however. Early writings say that Angoras came in slate blue andred, and in tabby, spotted and bicolor patterns.
In the 1600s, Turkish, Persian and Russian longhaired cats were imported to Europe and quickly became popular; they were prized because their beautiful coats were so different from the plush, short coats of European cats.
The distinctly different body and coat types of the three longhairs were established by that time. The longhairs of Persia were stocky, short-eared cats with long, double-layeredcoats. The Russian longhairs were large, powerful cats with thick, all-weather coats. The Turkish Angora was a lithe, long-bodied cat with a long, single-layered coat, beneficial for the temperature extremes in winter and summer in the areas in which it developed. The 36-volume Histoire Naturelle (Natural History, published 1749 to 1804), by French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, includes an illustration that shows the long body, silky coat and tail plume of the Angora, which he noted came from the part of Turkey located in Asia.
In the 1800s, Turkish Angoras were also imported to North America, where they quickly became popular, along with Persians and other "exotic" cat breeds. Unfortunately for the Angora, in 1887 the British cat fancy decided that all longhaired cats would be grouped into the category "longhairs." Persians, Turkish Angoras and Russian Longhairs were interbred, and the Angora was extensively used in Persian breeding programs to add length and silkiness to the Persian's coat. For many years, people used the words "Angora" and "Persian" to describe any longhaired cat, creating confusion.
Gradually, the Persian became the preferred type and Angoras stopped appearing in cat show halls. They virtually ceased to exist except in their native land. In 1917, the Turkish government, seeing that their national treasure was in danger of extinction, began a breeding program at the Ankara zoo. At that time, it was decided that only white blue-eyed or odd-eyed Angoras would be included in the breeding program, since they were considered to be the only pure examples of the breed-even though other colors and patterns had existed since the breed's earliest days.
After World War II, interest in this statuesque breed was rekindled in North America, and Angoras were imported from Turkey to re-establish the blood line. Because the Turkish people valued these cats so highly, obtaining Angoras from the Ankara zoo was very difficult. Liesa Grant, wife of Army Colonel Walter Grant, who was stationed in Turkey at the time, is credited with importing the first two Angoras into the USA in 1962: Yildizcek, a white amber-eyed female, and Yildiz, a white odd-eyed male. In 1966 the Grants returned to Turkey and were able to bring home another pair to add to their breeding program. After the Grants opened the door, other breeders managed to import Angoras as well, some from Turkey and some from breeders in Europe who had managed to get cats from the Ankara zoo or from the Turkish people. A careful and cooperative breeding program established the Turkish Angora in North America. In 1970, CFA became the first North American registry to accept the Turkish Angora for registration. In 1973, CFA accepted the breed for championship. Other associations soon followed, and today all North American cat associations accept the breed.
At first, the North American cat associations accepted only white Angoras. It took breeders years to convince the associations that the Angora traditionally came in many additional colors and patterns. The dominant white gene masks other colors and patterns, so it’s impossible to tell what colors and patterns a cat may carry under that pure white fur. White-to-white matings can and do produce colorful kittens. Finally, in 1978 CFA accepted other colors and patterns for championship status. Today, all cat associations recognize the breed in other patterns and colors, and colorful Turkish Angoras are becoming increasingly well-known and popular. The CFA breed standard now says that all colors should be considered of equal value—a very different position than the breed originally enjoyed.
In an effort to preserve the small gene pool, in 1996 the Turkish government banned the export of white Turkish Angoras. However, Angoras of other colors are still being born in Turkey, so the North American Angora gene pool is still being supplemented by Turkish stock of other colors and patterns.
Poised, regal and refined, the Turkish Angora is arguably one of the world's most beautiful breeds, with its fine, silky plumage, long, elegant body, pert, pointed ears and large, lovely eyes. The Angora has a long and slender medium-size body with fine boning and firm musculature. Though muscular and strong, this breed is elegant, refined and graceful. The shoulders are the same width as the hips, and the rump is slightly higher than the shoulders. Overall balance, grace and fineness of bone are more important than size. The legs are long, with the hind legs longer than the front, ending in small, round, dainty paws.Tufts between the toes are preferred. The tail is long and tapers from a wide base to a narrow end, and possesses a full brush. Adult males weigh 7 to 10 pounds; adult females weigh 5 to 8 pounds. No outcrosses are allowed.
The head is a medium long, smooth wedge shape, small to medium in size and in balance with the length of the body and the extremities. The nose has no The head is a medium long, smooth break. The muzzle is a continuation of the smooth lines of the wedge with neither pronounced whisker pads nor a pinch.
The ears are large, vertical, wide at the base, erect, pointed and tufted. They are set close together and high on the head. The eyes are large and almond-shaped, slanting slightly upward with an open expression. Eye color has no relationship to coat color, and the color of the eyes can change, especially as the cats mature. Acceptable colors include blue (sky blue to sapphire), green (gooseberry to emerald), green-gold (any gold or amber eye with a greenish cast or ring), amber (gold to rich copper), and odd-eyed (one blue eye and one green, green-gold or amber eye). While no points are specifically allocated to eye color, deeper, richer tones are preferred. Odd-eyed cats should have similar depth of color in each eye.
The fine, silky coat shimmers with every movement. The length of the single-coated fur varies, but the hair on the tail and the ruff is long, full, finely textured and has a silk-like sheen. The hind legs have full britches. Although solid white is the best known and most popular color, all colors and patterns are accepted with the exception of those showing hybridization, resulting in the colors lavender (lilac), choclate, the pointed pattern, or these combinations with white.
History
The Turkish Angora, named for the former Turkish capital of Angora (now Ankara), has been around for thousands of years, although no one is sure when the breed originated or how it got its long, lovely locks. Most cat experts agree that it's likely the recessive gene for long hair came about through spontaneous mutation, rather than hybridization with longhaired wildcats. Some researchers speculate that the gene for long hair arose in three separate areas: Russia, Persia (now Iran) and Turkey. Other researchers believe the mutation developed in Russia and then spread to Turkey, Persia and surrounding countries. Still others think the trait developed in Turkey and was later transported to other areas. Because Turkey forms a land bridge between Europe and Asia, with the Black Sea to the north and the Mediterranean Sea to the south, it was always an important trade route for Europe, the Middle East, and the Far East.
When a mutation occurs in an isolated area, the trait is more likely to be passed around the local cat population through inbreeding. Because of the high elevations and cold winter temperatures in some areas of Turkey, cats with long fur had a better chance of survival and natural selection therefore favored those cats. The long hair was perpetuated and developed in confined, mountainous areas that limited outcrossing. These hardy survivors with flowing, non-matting fur, lithe bodies and the intelligence to survive in an unforgiving environment passed on these traits to their offspring.
Either they already had the dominant white gene that is one of the distinctive characteristics of the breed, or at some point they evolved or inherited it. By the time the breed was transported to Europe, the Turkish Angora looked much as it does today. White was not the only color, however. Early writings say that Angoras came in slate blue andred, and in tabby, spotted and bicolor patterns.
In the 1600s, Turkish, Persian and Russian longhaired cats were imported to Europe and quickly became popular; they were prized because their beautiful coats were so different from the plush, short coats of European cats.
The distinctly different body and coat types of the three longhairs were established by that time. The longhairs of Persia were stocky, short-eared cats with long, double-layeredcoats. The Russian longhairs were large, powerful cats with thick, all-weather coats. The Turkish Angora was a lithe, long-bodied cat with a long, single-layered coat, beneficial for the temperature extremes in winter and summer in the areas in which it developed. The 36-volume Histoire Naturelle (Natural History, published 1749 to 1804), by French naturalist Georges-Louis Leclerc, includes an illustration that shows the long body, silky coat and tail plume of the Angora, which he noted came from the part of Turkey located in Asia.
In the 1800s, Turkish Angoras were also imported to North America, where they quickly became popular, along with Persians and other "exotic" cat breeds. Unfortunately for the Angora, in 1887 the British cat fancy decided that all longhaired cats would be grouped into the category "longhairs." Persians, Turkish Angoras and Russian Longhairs were interbred, and the Angora was extensively used in Persian breeding programs to add length and silkiness to the Persian's coat. For many years, people used the words "Angora" and "Persian" to describe any longhaired cat, creating confusion.
Gradually, the Persian became the preferred type and Angoras stopped appearing in cat show halls. They virtually ceased to exist except in their native land. In 1917, the Turkish government, seeing that their national treasure was in danger of extinction, began a breeding program at the Ankara zoo. At that time, it was decided that only white blue-eyed or odd-eyed Angoras would be included in the breeding program, since they were considered to be the only pure examples of the breed-even though other colors and patterns had existed since the breed's earliest days.
After World War II, interest in this statuesque breed was rekindled in North America, and Angoras were imported from Turkey to re-establish the blood line. Because the Turkish people valued these cats so highly, obtaining Angoras from the Ankara zoo was very difficult. Liesa Grant, wife of Army Colonel Walter Grant, who was stationed in Turkey at the time, is credited with importing the first two Angoras into the USA in 1962: Yildizcek, a white amber-eyed female, and Yildiz, a white odd-eyed male. In 1966 the Grants returned to Turkey and were able to bring home another pair to add to their breeding program. After the Grants opened the door, other breeders managed to import Angoras as well, some from Turkey and some from breeders in Europe who had managed to get cats from the Ankara zoo or from the Turkish people. A careful and cooperative breeding program established the Turkish Angora in North America. In 1970, CFA became the first North American registry to accept the Turkish Angora for registration. In 1973, CFA accepted the breed for championship. Other associations soon followed, and today all North American cat associations accept the breed.
At first, the North American cat associations accepted only white Angoras. It took breeders years to convince the associations that the Angora traditionally came in many additional colors and patterns. The dominant white gene masks other colors and patterns, so it’s impossible to tell what colors and patterns a cat may carry under that pure white fur. White-to-white matings can and do produce colorful kittens. Finally, in 1978 CFA accepted other colors and patterns for championship status. Today, all cat associations recognize the breed in other patterns and colors, and colorful Turkish Angoras are becoming increasingly well-known and popular. The CFA breed standard now says that all colors should be considered of equal value—a very different position than the breed originally enjoyed.
In an effort to preserve the small gene pool, in 1996 the Turkish government banned the export of white Turkish Angoras. However, Angoras of other colors are still being born in Turkey, so the North American Angora gene pool is still being supplemented by Turkish stock of other colors and patterns.
Somali
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/866823515.png)
Description
If you want a cat with the high spirits of the Abyssinian but with a glorious, semi-long coat, look no further than the Somali. Somalis are no longer simply longhaired Abyssinians—the years of selective breeding have created a number of differences. A medium to large breed, Somalis are larger than their Aby relatives. The body is medium long, lithe and graceful, showing well-developed muscular strength. The rib cage is rounded and the back is slightly arched, giving the appearance of a cat about to spring; the flank is level with notuck-up. The conformation strikes a balance between the extremes of the cobby andsvelte types. When standing, the Somali gives the impression of being nimble and quick. The legs are in proportion to the torso; the feet are oval and compact. The tail is thick at the base and tapers slightly, with the length in balance with the body. Males weigh 10 to 12 pounds; females weigh 6 to 10 pounds.
The head is a modified, slightly rounded wedge shape without flat planes. The brow, cheeks and lines of the profile all show a gentle contour, with a slight rise from the bridge of the nose to the forehead. The forehead is of good size with width between the ears flowing into the arched neck without a break. The muzzle follows the gentle contours and is not sharply pointed, with no snippiness, foxiness or whisker pinch. The chin is full, neither undershot nor overshot, and has a rounded appearance.
The ears are large, alert, moderately pointed, broad and cupped at the base. The ears are set on a line toward the rear of the skull. The inner ear has horizontal tufts that reach nearly to the other side of the ear. The eyes are almond shaped, large, brilliant, expressive, and accented by dark lids surrounded by lighter areas. Eye color is usually green or gold. The more richness and depth of color the better, although some associations accept gold, green, hazel and copper-colored eyes. Above each eye is a short, dark vertical line with a dark pencil line continuing from the upper lid toward the ears.
The medium-long fur is extremely fine, very soft to the touch and double coated, the denser the better. The hair is slightly shorter over the shoulders, but overall is long enough to accommodate four to six alternating light and dark bands of ticking. Ruff andbritches are preferred, which give a full-coated appearance to the cat. The tail has a full brush, which is fluffy and fox-like. Somali coat color develops slowly; it doesn't show mature ticking and color until the cat is about 18 months old.
The coat is ticked (both the Abyssinian and the Somali are what’s called ticked tabbies), and in most associations the accepted colors are ruddy, red (called cinammon or sorrel in some associations), blue and fawn. Other associations, such as TICA, accept the breed in the widely accepted four colors plus silver, silver ruddy, silver red, silver blue and silver fawn. AACE also accepts cinnamon silver and chocolate silver. In the silver pattern, the undercoat is icy white and the alternating light bands of ticking on each hair shaft are replaced with white (the darker bands of ticking remain the same color, i.e., for ruddy Somalis the darker bands stay dark brown or black with the darkest color decorating the hair tip). This gives the coat its sparkling silver effect. Silver is controversial, however, because some breeders believe that the gene responsible for the silver effect will ruin the ruddy coloration.
The only allowable outcross is the Abyssinian. Outcrossing to the Aby, however, produces shorthaired Somalis, since the shorthair gene is dominant; only one copy of the shorthair gene is needed for a cat to have short hair. How shorthaired Somalis are classified and whether they are allowed to compete depends upon the association.
History
The Somali shares much of its history with the Abyssinian, since the Somali comes from Abyssinian bloodlines. Although the Somali didn’t gain recognition as a breed until the 1960s, its parent breed, the Abyssinian, has been around for hundreds or perhaps even thousands of years.
The Somali made its first appearance in the United States, when longhaired kittens began appearing in otherwise shorthaired Abyssinian litters. The Aby breeders, rather than being delighted with these small, furry bonuses, quietly gave away the longhaired interlopers and tried to eliminate the longhair gene from their Aby bloodlines. The recessive gene for long hair must be inherited from both parents for a kitten to have long hair, and therefore the gene can be carried for generations without anyone knowing it’s there. Because most breeders didn’t keep records of these cats (no breeder wanted it known that their Abys weren’t "pure"), it’s hard to say just how early they appeared. Without doubt they were around by the 1950s.
There are two schools of thought about the presence of the longhair gene in Aby lines. Some believe it originated in Britain when breeders used longhaired cats in their Abyssinian breeding programs after World Wars I and II. Many Abys from those periods have parents or ancestors of unknown origin in their pedigrees, any of which could have been carrying the longhair gene. Particularly after World War II, when the breed was reduced to a mere dozen or so cats, breeders were forced to crossbreed their few remaining Abys to save them from extinction, as did European fanciers of so many other breeds.
Others, however, believe the long coat was a mutation within the Abyssinian bloodline. The idea that the Somali arose spontaneously from Abyssinian lines without help from crossbreeding is popular with many fanciers, because it means the Somali is a natural breed instead of a hybrid. Spontaneous mutation is certainly a possibility.
Wherever the gene came from, longhaired Abys were treated like the cat fancy’s illegitimate children until the 1970s. Abyssinian breeder Evelyn Mague of Gillette, New Jersey, is credited with starting the Somali on the road to acceptance. New to the cat fancy, Mague and fellow Aby breeder Charlotte Lohmeyer agreed that whoever had the first male Aby would help the other by letting him father kittens. Mague won the male race and her Lord Dublin mated Lohmeyer’s Trilly. In the litter was one strange-looking fuzzy male whom they decided must be a longhair. Since they were Abyssinian breeders, they were not fans of the longhair gene in their lines. So Lohmeyer gave the kitten away at the much-too-early age of five weeks.
But by Dickensian coincidence, the cat (then named George) came back to Mague via her work with Cat Placement, an animal welfare group of which she was president. Mague thought George was the most beautiful cat she’d ever seen, and was astonished to find he was the same cat Lohmeyer had given away. George had had five homes in less than a year and never had proper socialization or care. Mague found herself becoming angry that George had been treated so poorly when his littermates, only one gene apart, were valued pedigreed cats.
Mague set out to make sure the Georges of the cat world would be given the recognition they deserved. She worked very hard to overcome the ridicule and resistance she encountered from judges, Abyssinian breeders and cat associations. Aby breeders, in particular, didn’t want to see these longhairs in the show halls-or anywhere else, for that matter. One told her the breed would be recognized "over my dead body." Indeed, the breed achieved recognition after that breeder’s death.
Aby breeders of the time were also vehemently opposed to Mague calling her new breed the Longhaired Abyssinian. So to distinguish her longhaired rebels, Mague chose the name Somali, named for a country that borders Abyssinia (now Ethiopia).
Those early years were a battle for Mague and any other breeder brave enough to join her. Mague made contact with a Canadian breeder working with Aby longhairs, Don Richings, who became an invaluable ally. Slowly her small band of breeders grew. However, the cat-loving public, unaware they were supposed to despise the upstart Somali, loved the breed for its beauty and personality.
In 1972, Mague founded the Somali Cat Club of America, which brought together those interested in working with and promoting the new breed. In 1979, the Somali received championship status in CFA. By 1980, the Somali was recognized for championship by all North American cat associations in existence at that time. At last, the Somali had won over-or outlived-most of its detractors. While numbers are still lower than its sister breed the Abyssinian, the Somali has earned its place in both the show ring and the hearts and homes of cat fanciers.
If you want a cat with the high spirits of the Abyssinian but with a glorious, semi-long coat, look no further than the Somali. Somalis are no longer simply longhaired Abyssinians—the years of selective breeding have created a number of differences. A medium to large breed, Somalis are larger than their Aby relatives. The body is medium long, lithe and graceful, showing well-developed muscular strength. The rib cage is rounded and the back is slightly arched, giving the appearance of a cat about to spring; the flank is level with notuck-up. The conformation strikes a balance between the extremes of the cobby andsvelte types. When standing, the Somali gives the impression of being nimble and quick. The legs are in proportion to the torso; the feet are oval and compact. The tail is thick at the base and tapers slightly, with the length in balance with the body. Males weigh 10 to 12 pounds; females weigh 6 to 10 pounds.
The head is a modified, slightly rounded wedge shape without flat planes. The brow, cheeks and lines of the profile all show a gentle contour, with a slight rise from the bridge of the nose to the forehead. The forehead is of good size with width between the ears flowing into the arched neck without a break. The muzzle follows the gentle contours and is not sharply pointed, with no snippiness, foxiness or whisker pinch. The chin is full, neither undershot nor overshot, and has a rounded appearance.
The ears are large, alert, moderately pointed, broad and cupped at the base. The ears are set on a line toward the rear of the skull. The inner ear has horizontal tufts that reach nearly to the other side of the ear. The eyes are almond shaped, large, brilliant, expressive, and accented by dark lids surrounded by lighter areas. Eye color is usually green or gold. The more richness and depth of color the better, although some associations accept gold, green, hazel and copper-colored eyes. Above each eye is a short, dark vertical line with a dark pencil line continuing from the upper lid toward the ears.
The medium-long fur is extremely fine, very soft to the touch and double coated, the denser the better. The hair is slightly shorter over the shoulders, but overall is long enough to accommodate four to six alternating light and dark bands of ticking. Ruff andbritches are preferred, which give a full-coated appearance to the cat. The tail has a full brush, which is fluffy and fox-like. Somali coat color develops slowly; it doesn't show mature ticking and color until the cat is about 18 months old.
The coat is ticked (both the Abyssinian and the Somali are what’s called ticked tabbies), and in most associations the accepted colors are ruddy, red (called cinammon or sorrel in some associations), blue and fawn. Other associations, such as TICA, accept the breed in the widely accepted four colors plus silver, silver ruddy, silver red, silver blue and silver fawn. AACE also accepts cinnamon silver and chocolate silver. In the silver pattern, the undercoat is icy white and the alternating light bands of ticking on each hair shaft are replaced with white (the darker bands of ticking remain the same color, i.e., for ruddy Somalis the darker bands stay dark brown or black with the darkest color decorating the hair tip). This gives the coat its sparkling silver effect. Silver is controversial, however, because some breeders believe that the gene responsible for the silver effect will ruin the ruddy coloration.
The only allowable outcross is the Abyssinian. Outcrossing to the Aby, however, produces shorthaired Somalis, since the shorthair gene is dominant; only one copy of the shorthair gene is needed for a cat to have short hair. How shorthaired Somalis are classified and whether they are allowed to compete depends upon the association.
History
The Somali shares much of its history with the Abyssinian, since the Somali comes from Abyssinian bloodlines. Although the Somali didn’t gain recognition as a breed until the 1960s, its parent breed, the Abyssinian, has been around for hundreds or perhaps even thousands of years.
The Somali made its first appearance in the United States, when longhaired kittens began appearing in otherwise shorthaired Abyssinian litters. The Aby breeders, rather than being delighted with these small, furry bonuses, quietly gave away the longhaired interlopers and tried to eliminate the longhair gene from their Aby bloodlines. The recessive gene for long hair must be inherited from both parents for a kitten to have long hair, and therefore the gene can be carried for generations without anyone knowing it’s there. Because most breeders didn’t keep records of these cats (no breeder wanted it known that their Abys weren’t "pure"), it’s hard to say just how early they appeared. Without doubt they were around by the 1950s.
There are two schools of thought about the presence of the longhair gene in Aby lines. Some believe it originated in Britain when breeders used longhaired cats in their Abyssinian breeding programs after World Wars I and II. Many Abys from those periods have parents or ancestors of unknown origin in their pedigrees, any of which could have been carrying the longhair gene. Particularly after World War II, when the breed was reduced to a mere dozen or so cats, breeders were forced to crossbreed their few remaining Abys to save them from extinction, as did European fanciers of so many other breeds.
Others, however, believe the long coat was a mutation within the Abyssinian bloodline. The idea that the Somali arose spontaneously from Abyssinian lines without help from crossbreeding is popular with many fanciers, because it means the Somali is a natural breed instead of a hybrid. Spontaneous mutation is certainly a possibility.
Wherever the gene came from, longhaired Abys were treated like the cat fancy’s illegitimate children until the 1970s. Abyssinian breeder Evelyn Mague of Gillette, New Jersey, is credited with starting the Somali on the road to acceptance. New to the cat fancy, Mague and fellow Aby breeder Charlotte Lohmeyer agreed that whoever had the first male Aby would help the other by letting him father kittens. Mague won the male race and her Lord Dublin mated Lohmeyer’s Trilly. In the litter was one strange-looking fuzzy male whom they decided must be a longhair. Since they were Abyssinian breeders, they were not fans of the longhair gene in their lines. So Lohmeyer gave the kitten away at the much-too-early age of five weeks.
But by Dickensian coincidence, the cat (then named George) came back to Mague via her work with Cat Placement, an animal welfare group of which she was president. Mague thought George was the most beautiful cat she’d ever seen, and was astonished to find he was the same cat Lohmeyer had given away. George had had five homes in less than a year and never had proper socialization or care. Mague found herself becoming angry that George had been treated so poorly when his littermates, only one gene apart, were valued pedigreed cats.
Mague set out to make sure the Georges of the cat world would be given the recognition they deserved. She worked very hard to overcome the ridicule and resistance she encountered from judges, Abyssinian breeders and cat associations. Aby breeders, in particular, didn’t want to see these longhairs in the show halls-or anywhere else, for that matter. One told her the breed would be recognized "over my dead body." Indeed, the breed achieved recognition after that breeder’s death.
Aby breeders of the time were also vehemently opposed to Mague calling her new breed the Longhaired Abyssinian. So to distinguish her longhaired rebels, Mague chose the name Somali, named for a country that borders Abyssinia (now Ethiopia).
Those early years were a battle for Mague and any other breeder brave enough to join her. Mague made contact with a Canadian breeder working with Aby longhairs, Don Richings, who became an invaluable ally. Slowly her small band of breeders grew. However, the cat-loving public, unaware they were supposed to despise the upstart Somali, loved the breed for its beauty and personality.
In 1972, Mague founded the Somali Cat Club of America, which brought together those interested in working with and promoting the new breed. In 1979, the Somali received championship status in CFA. By 1980, the Somali was recognized for championship by all North American cat associations in existence at that time. At last, the Somali had won over-or outlived-most of its detractors. While numbers are still lower than its sister breed the Abyssinian, the Somali has earned its place in both the show ring and the hearts and homes of cat fanciers.
Chantilly/ Tiffany
![Picture](https://www.editmysite.com/editor/images/na.png)
Tiffane
![Picture](https://www.editmysite.com/editor/images/na.png)
Balinese
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/565549098.png)
Description
Coat length is the only difference between the Siamese and the Balinese. The Balinese is a svelte cat with long, tapering lines, very lithe but strong and muscular. A medium-length coat covers its tubular body. Adult males weigh 7 to 9 pounds; adult females weigh 5 to 7 pounds. The head is a medium-size tapering wedge with a flat forehead, wedge-shaped muzzle and good width between the ears. In profile, a straight line can be drawn from the top of the head to the tip of the nose. The eyes are almond-shaped, medium in size and deep, vivid blue. They are not crossed and are set not less than one eye-width apart, with a slight slant toward the nose. The ears are very large, pointed, wide at the base and set wide on the head, continuing the lines of the wedge. The neck is slender, the legs long and thin, and the tail is long and tapering and without kinks.
The coat is fine, silky and lies against the body so it appears shorter than it really is. But the hair on the tail is a sure give-away that you are looking at a true Balinese. Semi-long, soft fur spreads out in a luxurious plume. Because the Balinese has no downy undercoat, you can spend more time playing with your Balinese than grooming him. The longer coat gives the Balinese a softer, less angular appearance than the Siamese and other breeds of similar type.
In CFA, the Balinese used to come in only four coat colors: seal point, chocolate point,blue point and lilac point, and one pattern--colorpoint, also called point restricted or the pointed pattern. However, as of May 1, 2008, the Javanese was declared a division of the Balinese, and additional colors were added. The Balinese palette now includes solid colorpoint in red point and cream point; lynx (tabby) point in blue, blue-cream, chocolate, chocolate-tortie, cinnamon, cinnamon-tortie, cream, fawn, fawn-cream, lilac, lilac-cream, red, seal, seal-tortie point; and parti-colorpoint in blue-cream, chocolate-tortie, cinnamon-tortie, fawn-cream, lilac-cream, and seal-tortie point. Tortie point is a mixture of black and red or their dilute colors, blue and cream.
In 2010, the CFA Javanese standard and profile were eliminated, fully combining the two breeds into one. Other associations have included those colors in the Balinese breed for many years; the Traditional Cat Association (TCA) is the only association that still considers the Javanese a separate breed, under the name Traditional Colorpoint Balinese.
The "points" of the body—ears, face mask, feet and tail—are darker than the rest of the body due to a temperature-controlled enzyme that creates greater depth of color at the parts of the body farthest away from the heart. These areas are a few degrees cooler, and so the color is concentrated in those areas. Body color generally darkens with age. Balinese allowable outcrosses are Siamese, Colorpoint Shorthair, Javanese, and certain limited outcrossings with the Oriental Longhair in litters born before 01-01-2016.
Today, fanciers have two styles from which to choose: the Extreme Balinese and the Traditional Balinese. The Extreme Balinese is the only one you'll see at cat shows—it has the svelte body style and wedge-shaped head described above. The Traditional Balinese has the stockier body style and the rounder head type of the Traditional Siamese, and has a medium-length coat. The Traditional Balinese is popular among cat lovers who remember with affection the sturdy, rounder Siamese of yesterday. These and other traditional breeds are recognized by the Traditional Cat Association, Inc., an association created to preserve, promote and protect traditional cats. According to Traditional Siamese fanciers, Traditional cats are healthier and hardier than the Extreme types. UFOalso accepts the Traditional Balinese, Traditional Siamese, and Traditional Colorpoint Shorthair; TICA accepts the Traditional Siamese under the name “Thai,” and CFF accepts the Traditional Siamese under the name “Old Style Siamese.”
You won’t see the Traditional Balinese at most cat shows, except perhaps in the Household Pet category, because it doesn’t conform to most associations’ breed standards, which call for the Extreme conformation. Still, if you’re looking for a terrific companion, rather than a show cat, the Traditional fits the bill. So does the Extreme—it just depends on your sense of style.
History
The Balinese, essentially a longhaired Siamese, was not intentionally created—first. In fact, in the early 1900s Siamese breeders were horrified when longhaired kittens began appearing in their otherwise shorthaired litters. It's possible for two Siamese to produce longhaired offspring if both carry the longhair gene. Since long hair is a recessive trait, meaning a cat must inherit the gene from both parents to have long hair, cats can have one copy of the gene, carry it for generations, and pass it along to their descendants without exhibiting the trait themselves. But Siamese breeders were afraid that other fanciers would think they were using longhaired outcrosses in their breeding programs, which was, and still is, a major no-no.
How the Siamese bloodlines acquired the gene for long hair has been the subject of heated debate for many years, particularly in the early years. Some fanciers think it was introduced into the Siamese gene pool in Europe after World War I. Since the Siamese was almost obliterated during the conflict, after the war other breeds and some random-bred domestic cats were used to revitalize the breed. The Turkish Angora—a breed with a silky, semi-long coat similar to the Balinese’s—was thought to have been one of the breeds used.
Today, many people believe the gene for long hair originated as a spontaneous mutation in certain Siamese bloodlines. It's certainly to the advantage of Siamese and Balinese breeders for that to be so, since a naturally created breed is more acceptable to the cat fancy than dubious crosses would be. But no one really knows for sure, since few records were kept of the prohibited crosses.
Regardless of whether long hair was acquired through forbidden trysts or Mother Nature’s redecorating, most early Siamese breeders quietly gave away these occasional longhairs. It wasn’t until the 1940s that fanciers realized these lovely outcasts might make a worthy breed. At that time, New York breeder Helen Smith and California breeder Sylvia Holland began working with the longhaired cats born in purebred Siamese litters. No crossbreeding was used—only Siamese and the longhaired cats born from Siamese.
To say most Siamese breeders were not pleased with this new development is an understatement. Much hissing and spitting at the Balinese and their breeders took place before the breed gained acceptance. Balinese fanciers were persistent, however, and by 1970 all major North American cat associations accepted the Balinese as a breed in its own right. Today, Balinese numbers are relatively low according to the most current Cat Fanciers’ Association registration numbers, but fanciers swear it’s the best of the breeds derived from the Siamese.
Coat length is the only difference between the Siamese and the Balinese. The Balinese is a svelte cat with long, tapering lines, very lithe but strong and muscular. A medium-length coat covers its tubular body. Adult males weigh 7 to 9 pounds; adult females weigh 5 to 7 pounds. The head is a medium-size tapering wedge with a flat forehead, wedge-shaped muzzle and good width between the ears. In profile, a straight line can be drawn from the top of the head to the tip of the nose. The eyes are almond-shaped, medium in size and deep, vivid blue. They are not crossed and are set not less than one eye-width apart, with a slight slant toward the nose. The ears are very large, pointed, wide at the base and set wide on the head, continuing the lines of the wedge. The neck is slender, the legs long and thin, and the tail is long and tapering and without kinks.
The coat is fine, silky and lies against the body so it appears shorter than it really is. But the hair on the tail is a sure give-away that you are looking at a true Balinese. Semi-long, soft fur spreads out in a luxurious plume. Because the Balinese has no downy undercoat, you can spend more time playing with your Balinese than grooming him. The longer coat gives the Balinese a softer, less angular appearance than the Siamese and other breeds of similar type.
In CFA, the Balinese used to come in only four coat colors: seal point, chocolate point,blue point and lilac point, and one pattern--colorpoint, also called point restricted or the pointed pattern. However, as of May 1, 2008, the Javanese was declared a division of the Balinese, and additional colors were added. The Balinese palette now includes solid colorpoint in red point and cream point; lynx (tabby) point in blue, blue-cream, chocolate, chocolate-tortie, cinnamon, cinnamon-tortie, cream, fawn, fawn-cream, lilac, lilac-cream, red, seal, seal-tortie point; and parti-colorpoint in blue-cream, chocolate-tortie, cinnamon-tortie, fawn-cream, lilac-cream, and seal-tortie point. Tortie point is a mixture of black and red or their dilute colors, blue and cream.
In 2010, the CFA Javanese standard and profile were eliminated, fully combining the two breeds into one. Other associations have included those colors in the Balinese breed for many years; the Traditional Cat Association (TCA) is the only association that still considers the Javanese a separate breed, under the name Traditional Colorpoint Balinese.
The "points" of the body—ears, face mask, feet and tail—are darker than the rest of the body due to a temperature-controlled enzyme that creates greater depth of color at the parts of the body farthest away from the heart. These areas are a few degrees cooler, and so the color is concentrated in those areas. Body color generally darkens with age. Balinese allowable outcrosses are Siamese, Colorpoint Shorthair, Javanese, and certain limited outcrossings with the Oriental Longhair in litters born before 01-01-2016.
Today, fanciers have two styles from which to choose: the Extreme Balinese and the Traditional Balinese. The Extreme Balinese is the only one you'll see at cat shows—it has the svelte body style and wedge-shaped head described above. The Traditional Balinese has the stockier body style and the rounder head type of the Traditional Siamese, and has a medium-length coat. The Traditional Balinese is popular among cat lovers who remember with affection the sturdy, rounder Siamese of yesterday. These and other traditional breeds are recognized by the Traditional Cat Association, Inc., an association created to preserve, promote and protect traditional cats. According to Traditional Siamese fanciers, Traditional cats are healthier and hardier than the Extreme types. UFOalso accepts the Traditional Balinese, Traditional Siamese, and Traditional Colorpoint Shorthair; TICA accepts the Traditional Siamese under the name “Thai,” and CFF accepts the Traditional Siamese under the name “Old Style Siamese.”
You won’t see the Traditional Balinese at most cat shows, except perhaps in the Household Pet category, because it doesn’t conform to most associations’ breed standards, which call for the Extreme conformation. Still, if you’re looking for a terrific companion, rather than a show cat, the Traditional fits the bill. So does the Extreme—it just depends on your sense of style.
History
The Balinese, essentially a longhaired Siamese, was not intentionally created—first. In fact, in the early 1900s Siamese breeders were horrified when longhaired kittens began appearing in their otherwise shorthaired litters. It's possible for two Siamese to produce longhaired offspring if both carry the longhair gene. Since long hair is a recessive trait, meaning a cat must inherit the gene from both parents to have long hair, cats can have one copy of the gene, carry it for generations, and pass it along to their descendants without exhibiting the trait themselves. But Siamese breeders were afraid that other fanciers would think they were using longhaired outcrosses in their breeding programs, which was, and still is, a major no-no.
How the Siamese bloodlines acquired the gene for long hair has been the subject of heated debate for many years, particularly in the early years. Some fanciers think it was introduced into the Siamese gene pool in Europe after World War I. Since the Siamese was almost obliterated during the conflict, after the war other breeds and some random-bred domestic cats were used to revitalize the breed. The Turkish Angora—a breed with a silky, semi-long coat similar to the Balinese’s—was thought to have been one of the breeds used.
Today, many people believe the gene for long hair originated as a spontaneous mutation in certain Siamese bloodlines. It's certainly to the advantage of Siamese and Balinese breeders for that to be so, since a naturally created breed is more acceptable to the cat fancy than dubious crosses would be. But no one really knows for sure, since few records were kept of the prohibited crosses.
Regardless of whether long hair was acquired through forbidden trysts or Mother Nature’s redecorating, most early Siamese breeders quietly gave away these occasional longhairs. It wasn’t until the 1940s that fanciers realized these lovely outcasts might make a worthy breed. At that time, New York breeder Helen Smith and California breeder Sylvia Holland began working with the longhaired cats born in purebred Siamese litters. No crossbreeding was used—only Siamese and the longhaired cats born from Siamese.
To say most Siamese breeders were not pleased with this new development is an understatement. Much hissing and spitting at the Balinese and their breeders took place before the breed gained acceptance. Balinese fanciers were persistent, however, and by 1970 all major North American cat associations accepted the Balinese as a breed in its own right. Today, Balinese numbers are relatively low according to the most current Cat Fanciers’ Association registration numbers, but fanciers swear it’s the best of the breeds derived from the Siamese.
Angora (British)
![Picture](https://www.editmysite.com/editor/images/na.png)
Oriental longhair
![Picture](https://www.editmysite.com/editor/images/na.png)
LaPerm
![Picture](https://www.editmysite.com/editor/images/na.png)
Kurile Island Bobtail
![Picture](https://www.editmysite.com/editor/images/na.png)
Japanese Bobtail
![Picture](/uploads/1/9/6/3/19636259/1370389259.png)
Description
Japanese Bobtails are living works of art with their sculptured bodies, short pert tails, alert ears, and large window-on-the-soul eyes. The breed’s general balance is of utmost importance. Medium-sized with clean lines and bone structure, the Japanese Bobtail is well-muscled but straight and slender rather than massive in build. The body is long, lean and elegant, and shows well-developed muscular strength without coarseness. It’s nottabular like the Siamese nor cobby like the Persian. The legs are long and slender but not dainty or fragile in appearance, ending in oval paws. The hind legs are noticeably longer than the forelegs, but deeply angulated when the cat is standing relaxed so the torso remains nearly level. Adult males weigh 7 to 10 pounds; adult females weigh 5 to 7 pounds.
Although the head appears long and finely chiseled, it forms an almost perfect equilateral triangle with gentle curving lines, high cheekbones and a noticeable whisker break. Themuzzle is fairly broad and neither pointed nor blunt, and the chin is full. The nose is long and well-defined, with a gentle dip at or just below eye level. The ears are large, upright, expressive, and set wide apart but at right angles to the head, rather than flaring outward. In repose, they give the impression of being tilted forward. The eyes are large, oval, wide and alert, and set into the skull at a pronounced slant when viewed in profile. The eyeball has a shallow curve and doesn’t bulge beyond the cheekbone or the forehead.
The Japanese Bobtail’s tail is not the only characteristic feature of this breed, but it is the defining one. Like lotus blossoms, each tail is unique—the length, shape and flexibility vary greatly from cat to cat. Therefore, the standard is more of a guideline rather than a strict description of the tail, and the standard doesn’t promote one type of tail over another, since so many types exist. The extension of the tail bone should be no longer than three inches from the body. The tail is composed of one or more curves, angles or kinks, or any combination of these. The tail may be flexible or rigid and the size and shape should harmonize with the cat’s appearance. The direction in which the tail is carried is not important. However, the tail must be clearly visible; the Japanese Bobtail is not a tailless cat.
While a short, curly tail can be considered a malformation, since it differs from the standard feline design, fanciers love the breed for just this trait, particularly since health is not affected. Because the tail length is governed by a recessive gene, a cat must inherit two copies of the gene—one from each parent—to have the characteristic tail. So when two Japanese Bobtails are bred together, all of the offspring have short tails because the dominant long-tail gene is absent. The Japanese Bobtail’s tail is always naturally short.
The Japanese Bobtail comes in both long and short hair lengths. The soft and silky fur of the longhair is medium-long to long with no noticeable undercoat. A ruff is desirable. Over the shoulders, the coat may be shorter and close-lying; the coat should lie in a way that accents the body’s lines. The fur becomes longer toward the rump and noticeably longer on the tail and britches. The tail is fluffy, and ear and toe tufts are desirable. The tail hair can puff out, making the tail look like a miniature pom-pom. The shorthair’s soft, silky fur is medium in length with no noticeable undercoat and no ruff .
HistoryThe origin of the Japanese Bobtail has been lost in the passage of time; when and where the mutation responsible for the short tail first arose we will likely never know. However, it’s safe to say the Japanese Bobtail is one of the oldest existing cat breeds and has a history as rich with legends and folklore as the country for which the breed is named.
It’s thought that the ancestors of today’s Japanese Bobtail arrived in Japan from Korea or China at the beginning of the sixth century. Cats were kept aboard ships transporting grain, documents, silk and other valuable goods that could be easily damaged by rodents. Whether these seafaring cats had bobbed tails is anyone’s guess, since it was their skill as mousers, not their cute pom-poms, that was prized. Today, bobtailed cats can be found in most parts of East Asia, indicating the mutation occurred long ago.
Bobtailed cats can be found in many Japanese woodcut prints and silkscreen paintings from the Edo period (1603-1867), although they graced their native land long before that. These cats were prized for their cleanliness, grace and beauty. The Japanese considered them to be spiritual creatures capable of bestowing good luck. Bobtailed cats born with a particular pattern of red, black and white markings were called mi-ke (pronounced mee-kay, meaning "three fur" in Japanese), and were considered particularly lucky. Such cats were treasured and often lived in Buddhist temples and in the imperial palace.
The most famous story about the mi-ke is the legend of Maneki Neko, which means "beckoning cat" in Japanese. As the tale goes, a tri-colored Japanese Bobtail named Tama lived at the poor Kotoku temple in Setagaya, Tokyo. The monk often shared his meager food with his beloved cat to make sure she got enough to eat. One day, Lord Ii Natotaka was caught in a rain storm near the temple. While he sought shelter under a nearby tree, he noticed Tama beckoning to him from the temple gate. A moment after he left the tree in response to the cat’s welcoming gesture, the tree was struck by lightning. Since Tama had saved his life, Lord Ii Natotaka took the temple as his family’s own, bringing it great prosperity. The lord renamed the temple Gotokuji and built a large new temple building. Tama, revered for bringing such good fortune, lived out her life in comfort and was buried with honors in the temple cemetery.
Other legends about Maneki Neko abound, but all associate the cat with good luck and prosperity. In Japan today, figurines of Maneki Neko can be found in many shops and restaurants as charms to bring luck, prosperity and happiness. These small statues clearly show the tri-colored pattern, the bobbed tail and the raised, beckoning paw. Many of these statuettes can be found in the hall of the deity of mercy at Gotokuji Temple. (To Americans and Europeans, it appears Maneki Neko is waving rather than beckoning. Japanese people beckon by holding up the hand, palm out, and folding the fingers up and down.)
Japanese Bobtails might have been temple cats forever if not for the Japanese silk industry. Some four centuries ago, Japanese authorities ordered all cats set free to protect the silkworms and their cocoons from the growing rodent populations. Afterward, the Japanese Bobtail became a street and farm cat instead of a pampered temple and house cat. Years of natural selection and survival on the streets and farms of Japan turned the Japanese Bobtail into a strong, intelligent, adaptable cat. Until recently in Japan, the Japanese Bobtail was considered a common working cat.
The Japanese Bobtail came to North America in 1967, when Elizabeth Freret saw a Japanese Bobtail at a Maryland pet show. Entranced by the cat’s beauty and personality, she started the year-long process of importing Japanese Bobtails into the United States so she could begin a breeding program. A year later, three Japanese Bobtails arrived courtesy of Judy Crawford, an American living in Japan at the time.
Around the same time, CFA judge Lynn Beck imported eight Japanese Bobtails through a connection in Tokyo. Freret and Beck wrote the first American breed standard and worked to get the breed recognized by CFA. Other fanciers joined the cause, and in 1969 CFA accepted Japanese Bobtails for registration and in 1976 granted the breed championship status. More cats were imported to widen the gene pool and keep the breed healthy, and more breeders signed on to advance the breed.
Although the longhaired Japanese Bobtail wasn’t officially accepted for championship by any North American cat association until 1991, longhaired Japanese Bobtails have been around for centuries. Two longhaired Bobtails with feathery pom-pom tails appear in a 15th century painting, currently housed in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. Longhaired mi-ke Bobtails appear in 17th-century Japanese artwork alongside depictions of their shorthaired relatives. Although they were not as common as their shorthaired countrymates, longhaired cats have been seen in Japan’s street cat populations for many centuries, particularly in Japan’s northern islands where a long coat is valuable protection against the colder weather.
Until the late 1980s, North American Japanese Bobtail breeders sold as pets the longhaired kittens that occasionally occurred in their shorthaired litters, and made no effort to promote them. In 1988, however, breeder Gena Garton started the Japanese Bobtail Longhair on the road to acceptance by exhibiting a longhair kitten born in one of her otherwise shorthair litters. Other breeders soon followed and together they began seeking recognition for the Japanese Bobtail Longhair. In 1991 TICA recognized the longhair for championship. CFA followed two years later. Today, all the cat associations recognize the Japanese Bobtail Longhair except CFF.
Japanese Bobtails are living works of art with their sculptured bodies, short pert tails, alert ears, and large window-on-the-soul eyes. The breed’s general balance is of utmost importance. Medium-sized with clean lines and bone structure, the Japanese Bobtail is well-muscled but straight and slender rather than massive in build. The body is long, lean and elegant, and shows well-developed muscular strength without coarseness. It’s nottabular like the Siamese nor cobby like the Persian. The legs are long and slender but not dainty or fragile in appearance, ending in oval paws. The hind legs are noticeably longer than the forelegs, but deeply angulated when the cat is standing relaxed so the torso remains nearly level. Adult males weigh 7 to 10 pounds; adult females weigh 5 to 7 pounds.
Although the head appears long and finely chiseled, it forms an almost perfect equilateral triangle with gentle curving lines, high cheekbones and a noticeable whisker break. Themuzzle is fairly broad and neither pointed nor blunt, and the chin is full. The nose is long and well-defined, with a gentle dip at or just below eye level. The ears are large, upright, expressive, and set wide apart but at right angles to the head, rather than flaring outward. In repose, they give the impression of being tilted forward. The eyes are large, oval, wide and alert, and set into the skull at a pronounced slant when viewed in profile. The eyeball has a shallow curve and doesn’t bulge beyond the cheekbone or the forehead.
The Japanese Bobtail’s tail is not the only characteristic feature of this breed, but it is the defining one. Like lotus blossoms, each tail is unique—the length, shape and flexibility vary greatly from cat to cat. Therefore, the standard is more of a guideline rather than a strict description of the tail, and the standard doesn’t promote one type of tail over another, since so many types exist. The extension of the tail bone should be no longer than three inches from the body. The tail is composed of one or more curves, angles or kinks, or any combination of these. The tail may be flexible or rigid and the size and shape should harmonize with the cat’s appearance. The direction in which the tail is carried is not important. However, the tail must be clearly visible; the Japanese Bobtail is not a tailless cat.
While a short, curly tail can be considered a malformation, since it differs from the standard feline design, fanciers love the breed for just this trait, particularly since health is not affected. Because the tail length is governed by a recessive gene, a cat must inherit two copies of the gene—one from each parent—to have the characteristic tail. So when two Japanese Bobtails are bred together, all of the offspring have short tails because the dominant long-tail gene is absent. The Japanese Bobtail’s tail is always naturally short.
The Japanese Bobtail comes in both long and short hair lengths. The soft and silky fur of the longhair is medium-long to long with no noticeable undercoat. A ruff is desirable. Over the shoulders, the coat may be shorter and close-lying; the coat should lie in a way that accents the body’s lines. The fur becomes longer toward the rump and noticeably longer on the tail and britches. The tail is fluffy, and ear and toe tufts are desirable. The tail hair can puff out, making the tail look like a miniature pom-pom. The shorthair’s soft, silky fur is medium in length with no noticeable undercoat and no ruff .
HistoryThe origin of the Japanese Bobtail has been lost in the passage of time; when and where the mutation responsible for the short tail first arose we will likely never know. However, it’s safe to say the Japanese Bobtail is one of the oldest existing cat breeds and has a history as rich with legends and folklore as the country for which the breed is named.
It’s thought that the ancestors of today’s Japanese Bobtail arrived in Japan from Korea or China at the beginning of the sixth century. Cats were kept aboard ships transporting grain, documents, silk and other valuable goods that could be easily damaged by rodents. Whether these seafaring cats had bobbed tails is anyone’s guess, since it was their skill as mousers, not their cute pom-poms, that was prized. Today, bobtailed cats can be found in most parts of East Asia, indicating the mutation occurred long ago.
Bobtailed cats can be found in many Japanese woodcut prints and silkscreen paintings from the Edo period (1603-1867), although they graced their native land long before that. These cats were prized for their cleanliness, grace and beauty. The Japanese considered them to be spiritual creatures capable of bestowing good luck. Bobtailed cats born with a particular pattern of red, black and white markings were called mi-ke (pronounced mee-kay, meaning "three fur" in Japanese), and were considered particularly lucky. Such cats were treasured and often lived in Buddhist temples and in the imperial palace.
The most famous story about the mi-ke is the legend of Maneki Neko, which means "beckoning cat" in Japanese. As the tale goes, a tri-colored Japanese Bobtail named Tama lived at the poor Kotoku temple in Setagaya, Tokyo. The monk often shared his meager food with his beloved cat to make sure she got enough to eat. One day, Lord Ii Natotaka was caught in a rain storm near the temple. While he sought shelter under a nearby tree, he noticed Tama beckoning to him from the temple gate. A moment after he left the tree in response to the cat’s welcoming gesture, the tree was struck by lightning. Since Tama had saved his life, Lord Ii Natotaka took the temple as his family’s own, bringing it great prosperity. The lord renamed the temple Gotokuji and built a large new temple building. Tama, revered for bringing such good fortune, lived out her life in comfort and was buried with honors in the temple cemetery.
Other legends about Maneki Neko abound, but all associate the cat with good luck and prosperity. In Japan today, figurines of Maneki Neko can be found in many shops and restaurants as charms to bring luck, prosperity and happiness. These small statues clearly show the tri-colored pattern, the bobbed tail and the raised, beckoning paw. Many of these statuettes can be found in the hall of the deity of mercy at Gotokuji Temple. (To Americans and Europeans, it appears Maneki Neko is waving rather than beckoning. Japanese people beckon by holding up the hand, palm out, and folding the fingers up and down.)
Japanese Bobtails might have been temple cats forever if not for the Japanese silk industry. Some four centuries ago, Japanese authorities ordered all cats set free to protect the silkworms and their cocoons from the growing rodent populations. Afterward, the Japanese Bobtail became a street and farm cat instead of a pampered temple and house cat. Years of natural selection and survival on the streets and farms of Japan turned the Japanese Bobtail into a strong, intelligent, adaptable cat. Until recently in Japan, the Japanese Bobtail was considered a common working cat.
The Japanese Bobtail came to North America in 1967, when Elizabeth Freret saw a Japanese Bobtail at a Maryland pet show. Entranced by the cat’s beauty and personality, she started the year-long process of importing Japanese Bobtails into the United States so she could begin a breeding program. A year later, three Japanese Bobtails arrived courtesy of Judy Crawford, an American living in Japan at the time.
Around the same time, CFA judge Lynn Beck imported eight Japanese Bobtails through a connection in Tokyo. Freret and Beck wrote the first American breed standard and worked to get the breed recognized by CFA. Other fanciers joined the cause, and in 1969 CFA accepted Japanese Bobtails for registration and in 1976 granted the breed championship status. More cats were imported to widen the gene pool and keep the breed healthy, and more breeders signed on to advance the breed.
Although the longhaired Japanese Bobtail wasn’t officially accepted for championship by any North American cat association until 1991, longhaired Japanese Bobtails have been around for centuries. Two longhaired Bobtails with feathery pom-pom tails appear in a 15th century painting, currently housed in the Smithsonian Institute in Washington, DC. Longhaired mi-ke Bobtails appear in 17th-century Japanese artwork alongside depictions of their shorthaired relatives. Although they were not as common as their shorthaired countrymates, longhaired cats have been seen in Japan’s street cat populations for many centuries, particularly in Japan’s northern islands where a long coat is valuable protection against the colder weather.
Until the late 1980s, North American Japanese Bobtail breeders sold as pets the longhaired kittens that occasionally occurred in their shorthaired litters, and made no effort to promote them. In 1988, however, breeder Gena Garton started the Japanese Bobtail Longhair on the road to acceptance by exhibiting a longhair kitten born in one of her otherwise shorthair litters. Other breeders soon followed and together they began seeking recognition for the Japanese Bobtail Longhair. In 1991 TICA recognized the longhair for championship. CFA followed two years later. Today, all the cat associations recognize the Japanese Bobtail Longhair except CFF.
Exotic
![Picture](https://www.editmysite.com/editor/images/na.png)