Cat Breeds

If you've never seen an Abyssinian, the most remarkable thing about them is their triangular head with large ears and beautiful almond eyes, which may be hazel, green or gold, with a fine dark lining around their irises. They're beautiful cats of medium size, and have a ticked coat, meaning that if you look at a hair from an Abyssinian coat under a magnifying glass, you'll see that two colors in each strand alternate from root to tip.This is very striking as it gives their coats a wonderful shine.

The Abyssinian cat has warm earth colors of tan and browns in their coats, though there are some of the blue or silver varitey. Colors recognized for the breed are not the same in all countries, but in the United States, they include: fawn, red, ruddy, blue, lilac, and cream. But to qualify for a pedigree in the U. S. the animal may not have any remnant markings of the tabby.

Zula was the first Abyssian cat to land in the Western hemisphere. This was in the mid-19th century when the kitten was taken from her native home in Alexandria to England by a British officer, Captain Barrett Leonard, who crossed the indigenous Abyssinian with an orange tabby. He chose the most Abyssinian looking of the litter to portray the breed in the West. It wasn't long before Abyissinians were lauded and applauded as a breed at the 1871 exhibition in London.

But Zula is only the first documented of her breed to have made the trip to England. After the Abyssinian War, many other soldiers probably brought these good-natured cats home with them, as well. Yet, it is believed that all registered Abyssinians are of the lineage of Zula. Yet, when the Abyssinian came to the United States, the gene pool was enhanced by some Abyssinians imported directly from Alexandria in North Africa, where some still exist in the wild. The breed is now one of the most popular shorthair breeds in the U.S.

People find Abyssinians most appealing because they're one of the most active of the cat breeds. Their form is muscular, but they are friendly and quite affectionate. Though they make great pets, they aren't usually lap cats. They prefer to be out on the hunt and playing instead of sitting, but they may adopt one member of the family to call their own, who may not be the cat's true owner.

Abyssinians do not enjoy being shut up without activity. A small apartment really isn't to their liking. In fact, they enjoy attention so much that they may become depressed if left alone too long. They love climbing, though, so don't be surprised to come home and find them atop your prized antique bookcase or find them on your shoulder.

These cats are loyal, and enjoy being with people. Many Abyssinian owners love their cats so much that they insist they would never choose another among all the different cat breeds.

History

The Egyptian Mau cat's spots are believed to have come from natural interbreeding with wild cats many centuries ago. Cats were highly valued in ancient Egypt, sometimes even worshipped as deities, and were often mummified like people upon their death. Spotted cats are shown in many ancient Egyptian wall paintings and may have had special privileges.

The first Egyptian Mau is believed to have come to the West with the Egyptian Ambassador to Italy in the 1950s. The Russian Princess Natalie Troubetskoy, living in exile in Italy, was charmed by the Ambassador's distinctive spotted pet and persuaded him to get several similar cats for her, which she began to breed.

The name 'mau' comes from the Egyptian word for cat.

Appearance

The Egyptian Mau characteristic spots are not only on the hairs of the coat but are also visible in the skin pigmentation if the cat is shaved. Bengals and other spotted cat breeds have been crossed with wild cats or selectively bred to achieve their coat.

Egyptian Maus carry a distinctive M or scarab beetle shaped mark on the forehead. They also have some anatomical differences which cause some people to consider them to be biologically distinct from other cat breeds, possibly forming an evolutionary link between wild cats and other modern domestic breeds.

Their hind legs are longer than their front legs, giving them more acceleration and power when running than most cat breeds. They also have a loose flap of skin on the abdomen which helps them stretch out further with each stride in the way that a cheetah does. This flap also contributes to their amazing speed. They have been recorded running over 30 miles per hour.

Acceptable colors are silver, bronze and smoke. Black and blue/pewter coats also occur but are not recognized. Eyes must be green, although some kittens are born with an amber shade to their eyes which becomes more green as they develop. The eyes are large and slightly slanted. Ears are medium sized and may be tufted.

Temperament

Maus can have very musical voices, making different sounds that can sound like chirping or almost singing.

They are very sensitive to temperature and like to live in a warm environment.

Some Maus also have a habit of wiggling their tail, moving the hind legs up and down as if spraying to mark territory, without actually releasing urine. This is a sign of a happy cat.

When you think about cat breeds, one of the most beautiful is the Himalayan. If you wonder why it looks like a Persian and a Siamese, it's because that's exactly how that cat breed was born. Himalyans have those dramatic Siamese color points. The Persian gives them luxurious long hair of the Persian. A British man, Brian Stirling-Webb, is attributed with developing the first Himalayans in the 1950s, though none of the cat breeds associations consider the Himalayan to be a distinct breed. They are rather classified as Persians bearing color pointing.

So, where does the name come from? Of course, the Himalayan mountains, but from rabbits found there with the same color points. The cats have no connection whatsoever with the area.

The Himalayan cat breed is identical to the Persian in appearance, except for their coloring. Their beautiful long coats and dramatic color pointing make them a favorite of many. However, if cat hair is a problem, remember that they can have fur up to 7 inches long. The body is mainly white, while the pointing can be blue, brown, chocolate, red, lilac, tabby, or tortoiseshell. The most difficult pointing to reproduce, however, is the chocolate and blue points. They can only be bred from parents with the identical color genes.

Himalayans usually have solid bodies with broad hips and shoulders and rather short legs. Because of their long fur, their bellies seem to be quite close to the ground when they are in motion. The point color only appears on the ears, legs, tail, and face. Their beautiful eyes are round, their faces are gentle and precious. There is a variance in some noses. Some are so flat to the face that the noses appear to be directly between the eyes, while others have more outward projection. Their faces look less "pushed in," and to some this is more desirable, while others prefer the smashed nose look.

Whatever their face appearance, this cat breed is friendly, and loves to be close to their owners, often taking part in whatever it is they're doing. Their voices are pleasant and melodious, and they are hard to resist because they are so loving. Most 'Himmy' owners have more than one.

However, there has been inbreeding, and some pedigrees have tendencies to genetic disorders. They may have trouble with their joints, have polycystic kidney disease, or other genetic abnormalities. They are also very prone to hairball problems because of their long, soft coats.

Unlike shorter-haired cat breeds, Himalayans also require a lot of grooming. But it seems that the Siamese influence in their genes makes their top coat a little more silky and their undercoat less woolly than the Persian, making them easier to groom than the Persian. Plus, their coats don't mat quite as easily.

If you become the proud owner of an Himalayan, you'll have to brush the cat daily. You'll probably also need to wipe the cat's face. A bristly brush and a wide toothed comb will help you keep your cat in shape, and you'll probably want a finer toothed comb for the face and ears. It's also a good idea to give the cat frequent baths to reduce oil.

Though Himalayans require more work than some of the short-haired cat breeds, their owners feel that they are well worth the extra effort. Not only are Himalayans a loving breed, they can be a lot of fun, too, and it's hard to find a more beautiful specimen of feline, when they're well-kept.

As cat breeds go,the Maine Coon is certainly one of the largest of cats. It is also only long-haired cat native to the U. S. Most cat breeds have a history that can be followed, yet the origins of this breed are not well known.

Some say that the Maine Coon is descended from cats that belonged to Marie-Antoinette, which were sent to the United States during the French Revolution for their safety. These long-haired cats are thought to have bred with the local American cats.

Others say that the Maine Coon is the result of a long-haired cat breeding with a raccoon. Though this is a fallacy as it is biologically not possible, the legend may have given this cat breed its name.

It may be that the breed formed in the United States when imported long-haired cats bred with local shorthairs. Natural selection took over and the long-hair gene dominated, due to the cold New England winters.

Maine Coons are prized for their hunting abilities and were kept in order to control the mouse population, just as American Shorthairs were kept to keep the rats off ships and out of barns.

Often called the 'gentle giant' of the cat world, the Maine Coon male can often weigh over 20 pounds and grow to be over 40 inches long. That's a big cat!

The coat of the Maine Coon is long on the belly and tail and shorter on the back and shoulders. They also have a sort of 'beard' of hair called a "ruff" below the head, which seems somewhat like a lion's mane. Main Coons also have longer hair on the backs of their legs. Their coats are shaggy, easy to groom, and even water resistant. They're actually pretty self-sufficient, only requiring help from their owners now and then.

There are many colors in this breed, including shades of tabby, bi-color, black, red, white and tortoiseshell. Their eyes are usually a beautiful shade of green, hazel or gold, though white Maine Coons may have blue eyes or one blue and one gold.

Main Coons' the largest of all cat breeds. They also sport an "M" marking on their foreheads. The heads are angular, and their ears may have tufts.

One drawback for the Maine Coon is that they have a genetic tendency toward heart disease, but breeders are working to factor out these negative characteristics. Maine Coons are also prone to be polydactyl, which is in now way an endangerment to their health.

Because of their size, Maine Coons are huggable, and their stately, slow gait is quite attractive. The strikingness of their size also makes them one of the most majestic of all cat breeds.

Maine Coons are also quite intelligent and have a very gentle disposition. They like people and unlike some cat breeds, they get along well with most other pets. Yet, they aren't lap cats, perhaps owing to their size which makes sitting on a lap uncomfortable for them. They love to play and might even be trainable to tasks such as fetching.

But trait that makes the Maine Coon distinctive among cat breeds is that Maine Coons prefer to eat with other cats or with humans, while other cat breeds find it more pleasing to eat alone.

Because Main Coons are adept at using their paws, they may learn to open doors or tun on faucets. They can also pick things up with their rather large paws and may be rather mischievous. They enjoy toppling things over or shoving objects off table tops. Playing with the water in their bowls isn't out of the question, and it's odd to see, but some actually drink from their cupped paws instead of directly from the bowl.

This cat breed's meow is like a trilling noise, and it will exhibit it when disturbed or surprised. Not unpleasant, it is a signature of the breed.

Maine Coons are great cats to have as pets, as long as they aren't left alone to their own devices inside too long. Bored cats are known to wreak havoc because they just enjoy having company around them. Owning a Maine Coon takes only a little patience with their whimsical nature to fall totally in love with the breed. A lasting relationship and regular visits to the Vet to watch for potential heart problems will be in order.