Tag Archives: cat breeds

The Sokoke: Exotic Forest Cat

This breed of cat is very old, originating in the Sokoke Arabiuke forest on the coast of Kenya, which is one of the few remaining but rapidly diminishing rainforests in East Africa. The Giriama tribe called this creature “Kadonzo,” which means “looks like tree bark.” In ancient times, these cats were part of the general diet and eaten in preference to domestic stock. They were referred to as “very sweet to eat.” These African shorthaired cats were not known in Europe until the twentieth century. In 1978, a farmer in Kenya found a litter of kittens on a coconut plantation, … Continue reading →

The Tonkinese Cat: One Classy Feline

An elegant cross between the Burmese and the Tonkinese, this breed was developed in Canada in the 1960s and was awarded championship status in 1984. Although relatively new as far as the time it has been around competing, this cat actually dates back to the Ayudha Period in Siam (1358-1767), and is depicted in “The Cat Book Poems of Siam.” It is also sometimes known as the “Ancient Copper Cat of Southeast Asia.” In the early 1800s, these cats were imported to England under the name of “Chocolate Siamese.” In the Unites States, these cats can trace their lineage back … Continue reading →

The Snowshoe Cat: No Two Alike

As is often said about snowflakes, there are no two Snowshoe cats that are exactly alike. It is a hybrid breed, originating as a variant from Siamese parents. In 1960, Dorothea Hinds Daugherty of the Kensing Cattery of Philadelphia, PA, found three kittens in a litter of Siamese, each with four white feet. She single-handedly developed the first “Snowshoe” line by crossing her Siamese with a bicolor American shorthair. Although the variant did not re-occur at first, eventually this cross breeding resulted in the popular “V” face that has become the trademark of this breed. Between 1960 and 1977, interest … Continue reading →

The Siberian Cat: A Buncha Love!

The Siberian Cat is the national cat of Russia and is often featured in its literature and legends. This breed dates back at least one thousand years, to the dawn of recorded history. It is naturally occurring, and was included in Harrison Wier’s book “Our Cats and all About Them,” which contained information on one of the earliest cat shows ever held in England back in 1871. The breed was first imported to the United States in 1990, and despite its enormous popularity, is still extremely rare in America. There are long waiting lists for the privilege of owning one … Continue reading →

The Cymric Cat: Another Tale of No Tail

The tailless Cymric, whose name is derived from the Gaelic word for “Wales,” along with its short-haired cousin, the Manx, are among the oldest breeds of cats known to man. Native to an island in the Irish Sea between England and Ireland known as The Isle of Man, these cats lost their tails as the result of a spontaneous mutation. The isolation of their origins and centuries of inbreeding easily established the genetic nature of the tailless trait, and both long and short haired cats existed on the Isle of Man before the appearance of this strange mutant gene. The … Continue reading →

The Habari Cat: Exotic Beauty and Sweetness

These large, sweet-natured cats are a unique breed because they were developed for the pet market and not for championship appearance. The Habari registry is based solely on DNA profiling and not on pedigrees. Foundation breeds most likely include the Bengal and other exotic hybrid cats. Known for their strong spotted and rosetted pattern against a cream to gold basecoat, these cats are the perfect addition to any family and by all standards are adorable “love machines.” Despite their size, they are lap cats that thrive on love and affection. They are head butters extraordinaire, and form very strong bond … Continue reading →

The Savannah Cat: Exotic Beauty

Savannah cats are very rare and expensive, and are produced by cross breeding Servals (wild African) and domestic cats. Breeding is highly selective and limited to a few developers around the world. The goal of the breeding program is to create a uniquely beautiful domestic cat, which has the physical features of the Serval cat but retains the loving temperament of the domestic feline. While it is not difficult to breed a Serval to a Serval, the mating of a Serval with a domestic can be very difficult. Judy Frank, a Bengal breeder from Pennsylvania accomplished the very first documented … Continue reading →

The Singapura Cat: What Beautiful Eyes!

Originating in the streets of Singapore, this breed of cat was brought to the United States in the 1970s by two Americans (Hal and Tommy Meadow). Its name derives from the city itself and means Singapore in the Malaysian language. These cats represent a naturally occurring combination of the ticked coat and dark brown color patterns, both of which are indigenous to South East Asia. They are smaller than average cats and veterinarians seeing a Singapura for the first time might think something was wrong because the kittens of this breed are so very small. They are also very slow … Continue reading →

The Peterbald Cat: Geez, Put Some Clothes On!

This breed of cat originated in 1993, and was the result of a cross between a very oriental-looking brown mackerel tabby Don Hairless male and a tortoise Oriental female. These oriental type felines are very graceful and appear to be completely hairless, although they are not technically. Their skin is wrinkled, thin and delicate, like “chamois,” and it moves easily, with a fine down coat along the extremities. Whiskers and eyebrows are broken off near the surface of the skin and the ears are very large. The body is elongated and muscular; the head long and wedge-shaped, with high cheekbones … Continue reading →

The Foldex Cat: Isn’t Nature Remarkable?

Originating in Canada in 1992, the “new age”, Foldex cat is a cross between Exotic Shorthairs and Scottish Folds. Currently, The Canadian Cat Association (CCA), is the only one that accepts this breed for championship status, but with the passing of each year and showing, it is becoming more and more popular. The Foldex remains controversial because of the skeletal defects that are associated with the Scottish Fold. The body of the Foldex (with the exception of its folded ears), is like that of the Persian cat; massive with good bone structure and a short neck. The head is very … Continue reading →