Tag Archives: cat facts

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 →

The Javanese Cat: A Wonderful Playmate

Most registries, with the exception of the Cat Fancier’s Association, consider the Javanese part of the Balinese breed. The CFA considers the Javanese to be a distinctive breed in itself, the only difference being a larger range of acceptable colors. The Javanese Cat is similar in type and personality to a Siamese although the hair is much longer. They are sometimes mistaken for Siamese until the long plumed tail gives them away. The body is long, graceful and lithe; the coat of medium length, fine and silky. They are muscular and deceptively heavy when lifted (which they love for their … Continue reading →

The Pixie-Bob: A Feline Delight

This unique breed of cat claims a true bobcat heritage. In every geographic region of the North American Continent where the Bobcat may be found, so are kittens from resulting from matings with domestic barn cats. A Washingtonian named Carol Ann Brewer officially founded this breed back in the 1980s when she purchased a male polydactyl kitten that was the result of a mating between a Coastal Red Bobcat and a short-tailed, polydactyl barn cat. She soon discovered that this “breed” was naturally occurring and not just in the Pacific Northwest. Carol Brewer named her cat “Legend Cat” and began … Continue reading →

The Chantilly/ Tiffany: A Chocolate Delight

This medium-sized cat is known for its striking appearance and it has an intriguing history. In 1967, a woman named Jennie Robinson purchased two semi-long haired chocolate cats with golden eyes (Thomas and Shirley) at a New York estate sale. These cats mated and the first litter was identical; all six kittens were a beautiful, all chocolate color. Robinson was so amazed that she began a breeding program, and in the early 1970s, these cats were registered by the ACA as “Foreign-Longhairs.” All American cats of this breed are descended from Thomas and Shirley. Some of Ms. Robinson’s kittens were … Continue reading →

The Bombay Cat: The Parlor Panther

The Bombay is a shorthaired breed that is closely related to the Burmese. Noted for its black, shiny coat and copper eyes, these cats are very affectionate and playful. A woman in Louisville, Kentucky named Nikki Horner developed the breed back in the 1950s. She set out to create a “miniature “black panther”(with no politics), and that’s what she got by crossing a sable Burmese with a solid black American Shorthair. The first results were disappointing, but eventually she got what she was looking for: a well-developed muscular cat with a short black coat. It took 18 years for these … Continue reading →