Morris' Cat Corner

Rare Domestic Cat Breeds

2009-08-19T02:49:00.001-07:00

Over the years there has been increasing fascination over the ownership of rare domestic cat breeds. These breeds of cats are either innately exotic, or products crossbreeding. Usually, these rare breeds of cats are more difficult to raise than the common ones. Some follow a specific diet, while some prefer certain temperature ranges in the climate. Extra care and attention is needed for them in order to survive. Nevertheless people's interest in these rare breeds of domestic cats have spawned breeders to broaden their ventures in producing more and more of these exotic cats. These price of the these rare breeds is exorbitantly high in the market, which make raising them a very profitable business.

One rare breed is the Sphynx (left photo). It's exotic look of having no coat contributes to its popularity. Although it appears to be hairless, it is not truly a hairless cat. It is covered with very soft hair that is often described as peach fuzz. Because sphynx cats lack a coat to shed or groom, they are not maintenance-free. Regular cleaning or bathing is necessary, and exposure to outdoor sunlight must be limited since sphynx cats may develop sunburn similar to humans.

One of the smallest breeds is the Singapura cat (right photo), which is also rare. A full grown female usually weighs 5-6 pounds while the male weighs 6-8 pounds. It has large, slightly pointed and deep cupped ears together with the large almond shaped eyes. The tail is slender, slightly shorter than the length of the body and has a blunt tip. Although this breed is small in size, it is quite expensive. In the UK, a pet-quality Singapura can cost £300-400 (US$600-800) while a show specimen can cost upwards of £600.

Another rare cat breed is the Nebelung (left photo). It is rather new with breeders in America, Canada, Russia and Europe. Nebelungs typically have long bodies, wide-set green eyes, long and dense fur, and mild dispositions. It is quite similar to the Russian Blue, another breed of cat, but with longer coat length.

Chausie (right photo), a rather large, rare domestic cat, is a hybrid of the domestic cat and the Jungle Cat. The domestic cat breed most widely used for Chausies is the Abyssinian, because they have the same look and active habits as a Jungle Cat, but are very much smaller. Chausies are known for t

heir speed and nearly six foot vertical leap.

There are still a number of rare domestic cat breeds worldwide, and more are soon to be added with breeders' attempts to produce more breeds with desirable characteristics. Selective breeding efficiently aids in the production of these new cat breeds which would offer more domestic varieties for us to choose from.

Large Domestic Cat Breeds

2009-08-19T02:34:00.000-07:00

Cats are probably the most popular of pets nowadays. Originally valued for their inbred ability to hunt various house pests such as mice and roaches, cats also offer a warm and affectionate companionship to their owners. In 1987, cats overtook dogs as the number one pet in America (about 50 million cats resided in 24 million homes in 1986) and bout 37% of American homes today have at least one cat. Domestication of cats were first believed to have originated in ancient Egypt in about 3000 BC, where cats where also revered as sacred animals. Different breeds of domesticated cats come in various sizes. Some pet owners prefer small kitten-sized ones, while some prefer large-size domesticated cat breeds.

When choosing pet cats, one must consider the breeds' characteristics in addition to its size. Here are just some of the large domesticated cat breeds that are popular with cat-lovers.

The Maine Coon

The Maine Coon is a native of the state of Maine in the USA where it is also the official state cat. It is one of the largest breeds of domesticated cats where the males can weigh anywhere between 13 and 18 pounds (5.9 and 8.2 kg) on average, and females between 8 and 12 pounds (3.6 and 5.4 kg). In 2006, the Guinness World Records named a male purebred Maine Coon the "Longest Cat". It measured 48 inches (120 cm) in length, from the tip of his nose to the tip of his tail, and weighs 35 pounds (16 kg).

The Ragamuffin

The Ragamuffin is a long-haired domestic cat. Ragamuffins are fairly large cats - females weigh between 10 to 15 pounds (4.54 to 6.80 kg), and males weigh between 15 to 20 pounds (6.80 to 9.07 kg). Ragamuffins are notable for their sweet, friendly personalities and plush, rabbit-like fur. They are adoptable as early as four months of age, but do not reach full maturity until around four years of age. The Ragamuffin is an expensive breed and costs can range from $900 - $1200 per kitten.

The Ocicat

The Ocicat is an all-domestic breed of cat which resembles a 'wild' cat but has no wild blood. It is named for its resemblance to the ocelot, which is a wild cat. Ocicats are a very outgoing breed. They are often considered to have the spirit of a dog in a cat's body. Most can easily be trained to fetch, walk on a leash and harness, come when called, speak, sit, and lie down on command. On average ocicats weigh about 12.1 pounds or 5.5 kilograms.

The Turkish Van

The Turkish Van is a large, semi-longhaired cat with a swimmer's body. The cat is moderately long and its back legs are slightly longer than its front legs. The coat is the most fascinating trait on this cat. The semi–long haired, water resistant single coat, is thick in winter but very soft, like rabbit fur or cashmere. During the spring and summer months when it becomes extremely hot, the long hair on the body is shed for a shorter coat that retains the cashmere feel. Male Vans grow to about 16 pounds (7.3 kg) while females tend to be a bit lighter in weight, 12 to 14 pounds (5.4 to 6.4 kg). Vans, because of their fine fur, are hypo-allergenic cats. They are considered excellent pets for those with allergies.

Pixie-Bobs

Pixie-Bobs are a fully domestic breed of cat bred

to resemble the North American Bobcat. Pixie-Bobs are a large breed, with males reaching 18 pounds (8 kg) and females reaching 14 pounds (6 kg). The Pixie-Bob’s body is stocky and solid. Pixie-Bobs are also the only polydactyl breed recognized by The International Cat Association (TICA). These cats may have anywhere from six to seven toes on each foot.

These large-size cat domestic cat breeds are only a few of the ones available for pet purposes. It is important to take note of the qualities of the breed of cat before we decide which ones to adopt, as this would remarkably affect the way we take care of them. Knowing such could help make things a lot easier for us pet owners as we go about our endeavor in raising our pets.

How Many Breeds of Domestic Cats are there Worldwide?

2009-08-19T02:32:00.000-07:00

A cat breed is an infrasubspecific rank for the classification of domestic cats. A cat is considered to be of a certain breed if it is true breeding for the traits that define that breed. The list of the different domestic cat breeds worldwide is quite large. There are various cat registries around the world that record and certify the pedigree. Some organizations have different standards than the others which may lead to the differences in the number of officially recognized breeds of the group. Most cat registries actually recognize between 30 and 40 breeds of cats, while several more are in development. This is due to the case that one or more new breeds are being recognized each year on average, having distinct features and heritage.

The International Cat Association (TICA), boasts of the world's largest genetic registry of pedigreed cats and the world's largest registry of household pets. The organization has members and clubs in Latin America, North America, Asia, Europe and Africa. It is also one of the world's largest sanctioning bodies for cat shows. Currently, TICA recognizes fifty-five breeds of cats for championship competition.

The International Progressive Cat Breeders' Alliance (IPCBA), on the other hand, recognizes 73 new and old breeds of cats, making it the largest all-breed cat registry in the world. It is a subsidiary of the International Progressive Breeders' Alliance, founded in 1996, and was developed to “give creative freedom to breeders to develop new breeds of cats and to preserve the old breeds as they wish without interference from registries.”

Another international organization, The Cat Fanciers' Association, Inc. (CFA) recognizes 40 pedigreed breeds for showing in their Championship Class, and 1 breed as provisional. CFA was established in 1906 and is the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats, and the predominant pedigreed cat registering association in North America.

With the development of new techniques in cross-breeding, more and more new breeds of cats are being produced. These do not only include breeds from domesticated cats alone, but also domestic cats which have been crossbred with wild varieties, producing hybrid cats. All in all, if we sum up how many breeds of domestic cats are there worldwide, including the ones not yet officially recognized, we would definitely come up with a number much higher than the ones mentioned above.