Introduction
At present, there are 42 purebred cats recognized by the CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Association) and 71 kinds of cats recognized by the TICA (The International Cat Association).
Today we will introduce 10 most common purebred cats in life.
1. American Shorthair
Source: dailypaws.com
History:
The American Shorthair Cat was recognized in 1906. They were originally named "Domestic Shorthair". They came to North America with the European settlers on the Mayflower to catch rats in the cabin. They are functional cats that evolved from nature. Stable varieties have been developed under human's long-term breeding optimization.
Physical Features:
Male cats weigh about 5-7 kg and female cats weigh about 3-5.5 kg. American Shorthair cats do not stop developing until they are 3 or 4 years old and live for about 15 years. They are not as "stocky" as the British Shorthair Cat.
Their eyes are widely spaced, the upper eyelid is shaped like a half almond, the lower eyelid has a semicircular curve, and their eyes are less rounded than those of the exotic shorthair cats (such as Garfield, see below) and slightly raised. They have a short muzzle and a strong chin, so their face is slightly square. Their ears are of medium size with rounded tips that are about twice as far apart as the eyes.
The American Shorthair cat has a stiff coat and is best known for its silver and brown tiger stripes.
Characteristics:
American Shorthair cats are good-natured, easygoing and popular in families. They can be very docile when playing with children. Female cats tend to be more lively than male cats, who tend to be more easygoing. In general, they are very intelligent and interested in the world around them. Many American Shorthair cats hunt insects that invade their homes. They also like to look at birds and other living things from the window sill. They love the company of humans, but they also need their own space. Some of them prefer to sit on people's laps, while others prefer to curl up near them.
2. British Shorthair
History:
The British Shorthair Cat is probably the oldest British breed of cat, with their ancestry going back to the domestic cat of Roman times. They were previously known for their strength and hunting ability. The British Shorthair began as a stray cat in Britain, but has developed into a stable breed through continuous optimization by breeders.
Physical Features:
If there was one word to describe the British Shorthair cats, it would be "stocky". Male cats weigh between 4 and 8 kg and female cats weigh between 3 and 5.5 kg. They do not stop developing until they are 3 years old and live for about 15 years.
The British shorthair has a short, dense, fluffy coat. They have round heads, short noses, full cheeks and prominent round pads. Their eyes are big and round.
Blue is the classic colour of the British Shorthair cats, so they are also known as "blue cat" due to its unusual popularity.
Characteristics:
British Shorthair cats are very common. They are friendly, loving and not particularly clingy, but they do enjoy people's attention and love. They are loyal, but do not like to sit on people's laps, preferring to huddle next to you on the sofa, so they are known as "four-legged cats on the ground". They are quiet and do not run and jump and are gentle to children and dogs. Moreover, they don't like to be held.
3. Exotic Shorthair (Garfield)
Source: thediscerningcat.com
History:
The Exotic Shorthair Cat is the result of an accidental accident. American Shorthair breeders mated the American Shorthair cats with Persian cats for a silver coat and green eyes, but the results were not satisfactory. However, this new variety looks so cute that breeders have suggested they become a new breed called "Sterling" (meaning silver). They look a lot like Persian cats, but have short, dense coats. At first only silver coats were accepted in the race, but later all other colors were accepted and the name was changed to "Exotic Shorthair". Breeders then mated Persian cats with different breeds, such as Maine Coon cats and Russian Blue cats, to get Exotic Shorthair cats with different coat colors.
Physical Features:
The Exotic Shorthair is a medium-sized cat with a large, round, flat face, down-set ears, large, round eyes, and a short nose. It has inherited the head defects of the Persian cat, such as a tendency for tear ducts to overflow, narrow nostrils, and dental problems. They have short, strong, square bodies with short, stubby legs and tails. The Exotic Shorthair is the "roundest" of all shorthair species.
The fur of Exotic Shorthair is not actually short, but more of a medium length, which is prone to shedding and requires grooming.
Characteristics:
The Exotic Shorthair is friendly, docile, and has a quiet quality similar to the Persian cat. They get your attention with looks you can't refuse. They are soft-voiced and stay well with children and other pets. They are afraid of people they don't know and have a low regard for humans.
4. Persian Cat
History:
The Persian Cat is named after the country in which they originated, Persia, but archaeological research has also pushed the history of the breed back more than 1600 BC. The Persian cat was one of the first cats to appear at cat shows. The Persian cat has long been one of humanity's favorite cat breeds. Queen Victoria, who started the Victorian era, is said to have had two blue-eyed Persian cats. The size and characteristics of Persian cats determine their noble temperament.
Physical Features:
Persian cats are medium to large in size. They have short square bodies, short legs, a round head and a stubby tail. Their eyes are big and round, like copper coins. Their ears are small, rounded and low in position. Their noses are short and pointed upwards, with a distinct depression between the nose and the forehead.
Persian cat's hair is very long, which can grow up to 15 cm, making it look elegant. Their heads are surrounded by a thick collar of hair that runs down their bodies like water to the ground, and their tails act like a thick feather duster.
Persian cat's fur is prone to tangles and requires daily grooming. They also shed tears easily and require daily scrubbing.
Characteristics:
Persian cats are cute and gentle, they like a stable environment and like to be treated gently. They are immobile, playless and quiet, communicating mainly with their large eyes. They don't need too much attention, can stay alone at home, and are relatively timid.
5. Ragdoll
History:
The Ragdolls were developed by American breeder Ann Baker in the 1960s. They are almost entirely descended from stray cats. Ann mated a long-haired white female cat she had adopted with other cats. The offspring of this female cat had an unusually quiet character, and when she held these cats, they hung loosely around her arm like ragdolls. She invented the breed of Ragdoll after screening them for their color and appearance.
Physical Features:
The Ragdolls are large and have medium length hair. Male cats can weigh up to 7-10 kg and female cats can weigh up to 4.5-7 kg. Male cats can be over a meter long (tail included).
The Ragdolls have attractive, slightly raised blue eyes. Their heads are equilateral triangle and the ears are of medium size. The ears are far apart and tipped forward.
Ragdoll is a variety of point coloration. Point coloration means that the color of the body is lighter than that of the point position (face, legs, tail, ears). It is divided into three varieties: colorpoint, bicolor and mitted (only the feet are white). Each variety has the color of seal point, blue, chocolate, light purple, laurel, light yellowish brown, red, cream color, as well as hawksbill, lynx or tiger stripes.
Ragdolls are relatively late maturing. Generally, they can only be fully developed at the earliest age of 3 and at the latest age of 4-5.
Characteristics:
Like children's dolls, they are friendly and quiet. They are not very active and don't mewing very much. They are known for their endurance, being able to put on clothes and be carried around without resisting. Because of their friendliness and intelligence, they are often compared to dogs.
6. Scottish Fold
Source: petinsurance.com
History:
In 1961, a shepherd named William Ross found a cat with folded ears on a Scottish farm. He asked the farm owner for a kitten, Susie, and bred the Scottish Fold Cat. Susie is the ancestor of almost all Scottish Fold cats.
Physical Features:
As a medium-sized cat, the Scottish Fold's most distinctive feature is its ears, which fold downward and cling to its head. Scottish Fold cats are born with straight ears and at 3-4 weeks there is a certain probability (50%) that their ears will fold. The feature of folded ear is due to an incomplete gene expression.
The Scottish Fold has a large, round face and eyes, and a rounded body.
Scottish Fold cats come in a variety of colors and features, including traditional/point, long/short coat, and a variety of eye colors, but copper is the most common color among them.
Scottish Fold cats can have bone defects that affect locomotion. They can't hear as well as regular cats and are more susceptible to ear mites.
Characteristics:
Scottish Fold cats are intelligent, curious and loyal to their owners. They are bold and like to follow people around. Quite a few Scottish Fold cats stand up like marmots to observe. They get along well with children.
7. Siamese
History:
The earliest record of a Siamese Cat is in a manuscript in 1350, which describes a cat with a white body and black face, tail, feet and ears. Siamese cats were exported around the world from Thailand in the late 19th century, when the country was called Siam.
Physical Features:
Siamese cats have a long tubular body, long legs, and a tapered tail. They have long, triangular faces and large triangular ears. Siamese cats have characteristic almond-shaped, dark blue, slanted eyes. They have long, straight noses.
Siamese cats have short, shiny, smooth hair that clings to their bodies.
Siamese cats were originally only in seal point color, but blue, chocolate and light purple were later accepted. In the 70s, tabby, red and cream spotted Siamese cats appeared. Silver tabby and smoky blotches appeared around the 90s.
Characteristics:
Siamese cats are great pets for owners who need a lot of interaction. They get along well with other pets and children. They are loving, loyal, clingy and needy of human attention.
8. Sphynx Cat
History:
Sphynx cats have been bred since 1966. In Canada, a breeder found that a black cat and a white cat had given birth to a hairless kitten. The kitten was bred with other cats to make the hairless recessive gene into a new breed. The cat was called the Sphynx Cat because of its resemblance to the Sphynx statue in ancient Egypt.
Physical Features:
The Sphynx Cat is one of several hairless cats. Their appearance is very characteristic. Their skin has a goatskin texture, with little hair visible behind the nose and ears. They have huge ears and tend to be 5-8 cm tall. Their large eyes are lemon shaped. Their bellies are big and they look as if they've just had a big meal. They are great for people who are allergic to cat hair. Their whiskers are fragile and often broken.
Most cats show their colour on their coat, whereas Sphynx cats show it on their skin.
Sphynx cats are prone to sunburn and lack the ability to resist the cold. They may also have trouble navigating in the dark due to their whiskers.
Characteristics:
Sphynx cats are intelligent and very gentle and friendly. They often sleep with their owners in their beds. They like to stay on people's legs. Becasue they have no fur, Sphynx cats tend to catch cold, so they like to stay in warm places like computer monitors, windows exposed to the sun, or televisions.
9. Devon Rex
Source: cattime.com
History:
Devon Rex Cat originated in the UK. In the 1960s, a tortoiseshell and white striped stray cat was adopted by Beryl Cox. It gave birth to a litter of kittens, including a male with dark-brown curly fur. Miss Cox kept that cat and named it Kirlee. She thought Kirlee was a Cornish Rex and wrote to Brian Sterling-Webb, a cat breeding expert. But tests revealed that Kirlee's curly genes were completely different from those of the Cornish Rex. There were also variations in gene expression. For example, Cornish Rex cat's whiskers are curved, while Kirlee's whiskers are short and thick; Kirlee's curly hair is very dense, while that of the Cornish Rex is like a wave. Breeders then began to breed this new breed and named it the Devon Rex. All Devon Rex cats are descended from Kirlee.
Physical Features:
Devon Rex cats are medium sized and weigh about 3-4 kg. The shape of their short curly coat varies from cat to cat. Some of them have a thick coat like a messy mop, while others have less fur like goatskin, and some of them even have bald patches. Their hair is not as insulated as other cats, so it feels very warm when you pick them up.
The Devon Rex has very large ears and eyes and looks like an elf. It has a long and thin neck and a very strange head shape. E.T. is said to be based on the Devon Rex.
Because the whiskers of the Devon Rex cats are often broken, it is difficult for them to accurately judge their position and orientation in the dark. In addition, they have almost a single undercoat of hair, which makes them difficult to keep warm and therefore suitable only for staying at home.
Characteristics:
The Devon Rex cats are smart, mischievous and very active. They love to play and are good at jumping. They can turn up in any place you wouldn't expect. They are very clingy and love to stay on human legs. They are quiet and stay well with children and other pets.
10. Abyssinian Cat
Source: dailypaws.com
History:
The Abyssinian Cat is one of the oldest domestic cat breeds. Abyssinian cats are said to be descendants of ancient Egyptian god cats because they resemble cats in ancient Egyptian murals and artifacts. But recent research suggests that the ancestors of Abyssinian cats may have come from Bangladesh.
Physical Features:
As one of short haired cats, the Abyssinian Cat has a medium body size and developed muscles. Male cats can weigh up to 3.5-4.5 kg and female cats can weigh up to 2.7-3.2 kg. They are long and slender with long legs.
The Abyssinian Cat's ears are large and arched forward, sometimes bunched like those of the African wild cat. They have small, slightly wedge-shaped heads. Their large almond-shaped eyes appear to have a black eyeliner. The nose and mouth are naturally embedded in the contour of the face, neither protruding nor shrinking. So they look very elegant and dignified.
Abyssinian Cat's hair has a gradient color similar to that of a stinger, and each hair has 4-6 shades. Their hair is very elastic and clings to the body, and when stroked backwards, it immediately returns to its original position. There is a dark line down the back to the tail on their body.
Their coat colors are red, chocolate, laurel, blue, light purple and light yellowish brown. There is also a silvery breed with ice - and - snow - colored fur near the skin that changes toward the tip.
Characteristics:
Abyssinian cats are loyal, loving, highly intelligent and enjoy interacting with their owners. They explore everywhere, but rarely knock over anything. They take a keen interest in their surroundings. Abyssinian cats sometimes perch on their owners' laps, but can suddenly become childlike and assume bizarre poses. They enjoy the company of humans of all ages, love to play and will want to bring their owners into their activities.
Reference:
1. The Cat Fanciers’ Association. https://www.cfa.org.
2. The International CatAssociation. https://www.tica.org.
3. International Cat Care. https://icatcare.org.
4. The Cat Encyclopedia: The Definitive Visual Guide, Bruce Fogle