Roresishms

A Virtual World of Live Pictures.

For the first 8,000 years of their relationship with humans, cats practically took care of their own young. People kept them for a purpose, to hunt rodents, and they are already perfectly designed for that. However, more than 100 years ago, we began to breed cats systematically to appeal to our aesthetic tastes. Hair length, color, coat pattern, as well as head and leg proportions all contribute to the “look” of specific breeds.

Look at enough bodies and faces of cats, and you will see two distinctly different types.

The faces are triangular or rounded. Lean and slim bodies belong to the eastern or foreign agile races. The short legs that support a wide and compact body are characteristic of a “cobby”. Mixed breeds often have an “intermediate” body type.

There are more than 70 different breeds of cats that are recognized by formal cat registries. Some registries recognize only about 40 breeds, because they exclude those like the Bengals, which are hybrids of domestic and wild cats. Some “races” are simply variations of primary types. For example, a Balinese cat is a type of longer-haired Siamese cat.

Some breeds have roots that go back to history. The Japanese Bobtail, distinguished by a short, rabbit-like tail, dates back more than 1,000 years. The Egyptian Mau cat retains the physical characteristics of ancient Egyptian cats found in ancient paintings.

With a sleek body that looks randomly, banded legs and tail, communicative eyes, and a graceful cheetah-like gait, it’s no wonder the Mau draws so much attention at shows.

Other races reflect a new aesthetic. Ocicates and Savannah cats are wild hybrids, the result of breeding wild cats with domestic cats, fulfilling the desire of some cat lovers for a “wild” pet. The Cornish Rex, with its soft, wavy coat and curly whiskers, is a visual contrast to the typical smooth-coated cat. Likewise, the “hairless” Sphynx cat is a breed for the esoteric cat fan.

Because the Sphynx cat has little hair, it is necessary to bathe it periodically. This is an easy task with a cat that has become accustomed to the toilet since she was a kitten.

Sometimes cats are just “ordinary felines.” “Domestic” is the veterinary term used to classify cats of unknown origin. Cats in these categories are divided into groups such as domestic shorthair (DSH), domestic longhair (DLH), and medium-length domestichair (DMH). Some people classify cats according to the circumstances of their life; domestic cat or stray cat, but these are not true breeds.

Hair length and texture contribute to the “look” of a breed, but color is not a reliable identity factor. Black cats with white legs, belly and chest are known as “tuxedo cats”, but this is simply a description of the coat pattern found in both domestic and “exotic” breeds. Calico-coated tortoise-shell cats are sometimes referred to as “ginger,” “marmalade,” or “orange tabby,” which makes them sound like specific breeds. They are actually just descriptors, much like “green-eyed Asian” or “brown-eyed European.” While it is true that some cat breeds only come in one shade (Russian Blues and Korats only show gray), most breeds display a variety of coat colors and patterns.

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