Siberian
Stud males and brood queens
horses and other mammals, a stud cat can father a lot more kittens in his lifetime than any brood queen can give birth to. (He can mate almost constantly, while the female can’t give birth constantly.)
Both studs and brood queens are chosen for their overall health, appearance and temperament. Neither is, of course, an ideal pet, as the female’s caterwauling while in heat is very unpleasant, as is the unneutered tom’s knack for spraying urine and fighting. Breeders construct “stud homes,” pens situated outdoors or in an indoor area away from the human living area, as the home of stud cats is going to take a lot of wear (and stench) from tomcat urine.
Both studs and brood queens are chosen for their overall health, appearance and temperament. Neither is, of course, an ideal pet, as the female’s caterwauling while in heat is very unpleasant, as is the unneutered tom’s knack for spraying urine and fighting. Breeders construct “stud homes,” pens situated outdoors or in an indoor area away from the human living area, as the home of stud cats is going to take a lot of wear (and stench) from tomcat urine.
Ragdoll
Persian comes to mind. But no cat is more laidback than the Ragdoll, which was named from the curious trait of going completely limp when picked up. Most Ragdolls look like longhaired Siamese, but they are infinitely more docile than their Siamese ancestors.
In fact, the breed seems to have a high pain tolerance, so much so that some overly protective owners feel compelled to monitor them for illnesses and injuries. Given this cat’s docility, a quiet life indoors rather than an outdoor life is suited to this cat. One other distinctive trait: this is a very large cat. The average male weighs more than fifteen pounds. Ragdolls and Maine Coons are the largest breeds of domestic cats.
In fact, the breed seems to have a high pain tolerance, so much so that some overly protective owners feel compelled to monitor them for illnesses and injuries. Given this cat’s docility, a quiet life indoors rather than an outdoor life is suited to this cat. One other distinctive trait: this is a very large cat. The average male weighs more than fifteen pounds. Ragdolls and Maine Coons are the largest breeds of domestic cats.
Short and businesslike mating
Turkish Van
Europe and the United States in the 1950s, where owners were amazed to find that the breed didn’t mind being bathed—and actually chose to swim.
The Van has a long white coat with distinctive patches of red on the ears and tail. (Interestingly, in their native Turkey, Vans were often all white, and the Turks still prefer this to the redpatched type.) Although Vans take to water, they are basically a quiet, indoor-loving cat.
The Van has a long white coat with distinctive patches of red on the ears and tail. (Interestingly, in their native Turkey, Vans were often all white, and the Turks still prefer this to the redpatched type.) Although Vans take to water, they are basically a quiet, indoor-loving cat.
Tiffany
Burmese.
Like their Burmese ancestors, the Tiffany has a sleek seal-brown coat, but long and silky, giving the head a rounder appearance than the Burmese. Like the Burmese, the Tiffany has yellow-gold eyes and is affectionate and playful—and also “talkative” (or “noisy,” depending on your point of view).
Like their Burmese ancestors, the Tiffany has a sleek seal-brown coat, but long and silky, giving the head a rounder appearance than the Burmese. Like the Burmese, the Tiffany has yellow-gold eyes and is affectionate and playful—and also “talkative” (or “noisy,” depending on your point of view).
The original Egyptian sex kitten
Egyptian queen Cleopatra, the mistress of both Julius Caesar and Mark Antony. Cleopatra reigned over a cat-loving country, so it is no surprise she was fond of cats herself. Like many public people, the queen was obsessive about her looks, and it is said that she modeled her distinctive eye makeup on her cats’ faces.
Norwegian Forest Cat
This large longhaired cat resembles the Maine Coon, though the two breeds are not related. They do share the need to roam the outdoors, both are good hunters who like a certain amount of independence, and both breeds are very affectionate. Wegies have been known to fish and even to swim.
No fang, no mate
Cymric
Manx, with the characteristic Manx trait of having either no tail at all (a “rumpy”), a very short tail (a “stumpy”) or a halftail (a “longy”).
The breed was the result of a genetic mutation, and by the 1980s they were being exhibited in shows. Like their shorthaired Manx ancestors, the Cymrics are affectionate and active cats, with front legs shorter than back legs, giving them a curious “bunny-hop” walk.
The breed was the result of a genetic mutation, and by the 1980s they were being exhibited in shows. Like their shorthaired Manx ancestors, the Cymrics are affectionate and active cats, with front legs shorter than back legs, giving them a curious “bunny-hop” walk.
Somali
Abyssinian, so the breed gives the impression of being a small (and longhaired) cougar. Like their Abyssinian ancestors, the Somali is playful and inquisitive and fond of the outdoors (meaning that, unlike the Persian, the Somali is not a good apartment cat). The Somali has the fairly large ears of the Abyssinian as well as the same affectionate nature and soft voice.
Love bites
Maine Coon
American farm cats and wild raccoons—or so the legend goes. (Cats and raccoons do not mate.)
Probably the Maine Coon resulted from the breeding of shorthaired farm cats with Angora cats brought back to New England by sailors. (A more “all-American” explanation is also possible: the Maine Coons resulted from a genetic mutation in Maine farm cats, with no help at all from foreign longhairs.)
These lovable, longhaired, bushy-tailed cats were popular in America in the 1800s both as pets and show cats, but they lost ground to Persians. (There is lots of trendiness in the pet world.)
Maine Coons are popular once again, particularly with people who like longhaired cats that are more active and outdoorsy than the Persians. (Maine Coons aren’t lap cats, but they do like to be in their owners’ company.) Like the Persians, the Maine Coons are found in a multitude of colors and patterns, even within the same litter.
Probably the Maine Coon resulted from the breeding of shorthaired farm cats with Angora cats brought back to New England by sailors. (A more “all-American” explanation is also possible: the Maine Coons resulted from a genetic mutation in Maine farm cats, with no help at all from foreign longhairs.)
These lovable, longhaired, bushy-tailed cats were popular in America in the 1800s both as pets and show cats, but they lost ground to Persians. (There is lots of trendiness in the pet world.)
Maine Coons are popular once again, particularly with people who like longhaired cats that are more active and outdoorsy than the Persians. (Maine Coons aren’t lap cats, but they do like to be in their owners’ company.) Like the Persians, the Maine Coons are found in a multitude of colors and patterns, even within the same litter.
Unpredictable heat
people find attractive but others find maddening. One thing that is unpredictable is the female’s estrus, or heat. Dogs predictably go into heat every six months, with the estrus lasting for twenty-one days, but there is no such predictability with cats. A cat who just went out of heat might be in heat again in days—or weeks—or months. No one knows, and no one can predict.
Selkirk Rex
Devon Rex or the Cornish Rex. Like their shorthaired cousins, the Selkirks have a playful personality.
The kittens go through a rather unattractive phase before taking on the distinctive longhaired curly look of the adult cat. It is the “ugly duckling” syndrome at work, for the adult Selkirk Rex is truly a beautiful animal.
The kittens go through a rather unattractive phase before taking on the distinctive longhaired curly look of the adult cat. It is the “ugly duckling” syndrome at work, for the adult Selkirk Rex is truly a beautiful animal.
Turkish Angora
The Angora has a more slender build than the Persian, with a more triangular face that is more “catty” than the round, snub-nosed Persian face. The Angora’s long coat does not mat and tangle as easily as the Persian’s does and comes in as many colors as a Persian’s.
They also share the Persian’s genetic flukes: blue-eyed white cats that are often deaf and “odd-eyed” cats that have one blue eye, and one copper or green eye. Though we can’t be certain, it’s highly possible that the Angoras were a naturally occurring breed, and that Persians were developed from them.
Nurse Nightingale
love for their fellow humans can also be very fond of cats. One of the great humanitarians of history was Florence Nightingale (1820–1910), the English woman credited with improving the science of nursing and of making hospitals more sanitary. The amazing Miss Nightingale had a whole bevy of cats, mostly Persians, who often accompanied her on her travels. With her sensitivity to human suffering, she was well aware that pets (cats especially) made good companions for sick people, especially those with chronic illnesses.
Javanese
Siamese), and like the Balinese, was named for an Indonesian island (even though both breeds originated in the United States).
The Javanese are longhaired, white or cream in color, with “points” like their Siamese ancestors and the blue eyes of the Siamese. Like all the longhaired breeds descended from the Siamese, the Javeneses’ points are much less distinctive than those of their shorthaired ancestors.
The Javanese are longhaired, white or cream in color, with “points” like their Siamese ancestors and the blue eyes of the Siamese. Like all the longhaired breeds descended from the Siamese, the Javeneses’ points are much less distinctive than those of their shorthaired ancestors.
Heat, phase II
maintain for up to three minutes without stopping.
Bothersome as it is to us, it serves the obvious purpose of letting the tomcats know she is available. (And remember that the tomcats’ ears are much more sensitive than ours, which explains why toms sometimes travel a long distance to locate the amorous female.) While the howling is going on, the female is likely to roll on the floor, which, if a tom is in sight, is another sign that she is sexually receptive. In short, she is making a perfect spectacle of herself—and the tomcats love it.
Bothersome as it is to us, it serves the obvious purpose of letting the tomcats know she is available. (And remember that the tomcats’ ears are much more sensitive than ours, which explains why toms sometimes travel a long distance to locate the amorous female.) While the howling is going on, the female is likely to roll on the floor, which, if a tom is in sight, is another sign that she is sexually receptive. In short, she is making a perfect spectacle of herself—and the tomcats love it.
Balinese
Siamese, the Balinese started out as a real Siamese—specifically, as a genetic mutation in a litter of Siamese kittens in the 1950s.
Having too long a coat to be exhibited as Siamese, the mutant kittens were given a new breed name, even though they had no connection at all with the island of Bali, except perhaps that their graceful movements reminded people of Balinese dancers. The Balinese has long hair, though not as fluffy as the Himalayan or Birman. Personality-wise and body-wise, this cat is all Siamese—playful and slender.
Having too long a coat to be exhibited as Siamese, the mutant kittens were given a new breed name, even though they had no connection at all with the island of Bali, except perhaps that their graceful movements reminded people of Balinese dancers. The Balinese has long hair, though not as fluffy as the Himalayan or Birman. Personality-wise and body-wise, this cat is all Siamese—playful and slender.
Birman
Burmese, obviously. (The two breeds are not related at all.) The Birman, like the Himalayan, gives the appearance of being a longhaired Siamese, but the Birman occurs naturally, while the Himalayan is the result of deliberate crossbreeding.
The Birman has an offwhite coat and the Siamese-like “points” of black or dark brown on the face, ears, legs and tail, plus attractive blue eyes. Though not as rambunctious as Siamese, Birmans are not as laidback as Persians are.
The Birman has an offwhite coat and the Siamese-like “points” of black or dark brown on the face, ears, legs and tail, plus attractive blue eyes. Though not as rambunctious as Siamese, Birmans are not as laidback as Persians are.
Heat, phase I
time her owners might notice that she is more affectionate than usual, wanting to be petted more.
On the other hand, she may be more aggressive than usual, more inclined to bite or pounce. If there is a tomcat about, the female isn’t quite yet ready for mating, but she is willing to seriously flirt, rolling on the floor in front of the tom. Proestrus is brief, usually no more than a couple of days.
On the other hand, she may be more aggressive than usual, more inclined to bite or pounce. If there is a tomcat about, the female isn’t quite yet ready for mating, but she is willing to seriously flirt, rolling on the floor in front of the tom. Proestrus is brief, usually no more than a couple of days.
Himalayan
Siamese. That’s exactly what breeders did back in the 1930s, and the result is the longhaired Himalayan, which some call the Himalayan Persian.
This cat inherited the stocky body and round face of the Persians, but the distinctive “pointed” coloration and the blue eyes of the Siamese, giving an appearance (obviously) of a longhaired Siamese. (Its blue is more subdued than the blue of the Siamese.)
Personality-wise, this cat seems more Persian than Siamese—fairly quiet, soft-voiced and less demanding than the typical Siamese. Thanks to a thick coat, a Himalayan also requires a lot more grooming than a Siamese does.
This cat inherited the stocky body and round face of the Persians, but the distinctive “pointed” coloration and the blue eyes of the Siamese, giving an appearance (obviously) of a longhaired Siamese. (Its blue is more subdued than the blue of the Siamese.)
Personality-wise, this cat seems more Persian than Siamese—fairly quiet, soft-voiced and less demanding than the typical Siamese. Thanks to a thick coat, a Himalayan also requires a lot more grooming than a Siamese does.
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