Turkish Angora cats nearly went extinct in the 1900s but thanks to a concerted breeding effort at the Ankara Zoo, the breed was been saved, although it is still very rare. Now Turkey takes conserving its ‘national’ cat very seriously and won’t even consider mixing it with other breeds, no matter how similar in looks.
Somali cats are, in essence, longhaired Abyssinians and they share many characteristics. These include intelligence, playfulness, energy and desire to be the center of attention. Somalis first came about in 1963 but it wasn’t until 1979 that they were recognised by the US Cat Fanciers Association.
Ragdoll cats come from an entirely unpedigreed stock. They originated in North America in the 1960s and were bred from different longhaired and semi-longhaired cats. It was generations before Ragdolls were officially recognised as a breed by cat fanciers.
Cymric (kim-rick) cats are part of the Manx group of cats; they’re a tailless breed with the only difference between the two being the length of their coats. Cymric cats have long coats and Manx cats have short coats. They originated in the Isle of Man, where the relative isolation helped to quickly establish the taillessness as a breed trait.
There are two types of Burmese cats, American Burmese and European Burmese. They are largely similar in character, differing primarily with regard to appearance. European Burmese have more rounded heads, less compact bodies, and more coat colors than their American counterparts.
Birman cats regularly rank among the top 10 preferred cat breeds in the world, and it’s no wonder with their good looks and friendly personalities. They originated in Burma (now Myanmar) but came close to extinction before intense efforts saved the breed.
Australian Mist cats are a cross between Burmese, Abyssinian and Australian domestic short hairs. They were originally called Australian Spotted Mist cats. That is, until breeders created a marbled pattern.
American Shorthair cats originated with the cats that crossed the Atlantic with the European settlers. Their good looks and sweet personalities made them a favorite and soon cat fanciers started concentrating their efforts on breeding a representative North American working cat.
There is a perception, especially among anti-cat people, that felines are unfriendly, unsociable, and highly independent. The independent part is right, but many cat owners argue that their cats are as affectionate and sociable as dogs. While cats are individuals with different characters and levels of attachment, there are certainly affectionate cat breeds out there.
Many people consider smoking cigarettes to be a slow form of suicide; even smokers admit that they’re killing themselves, and still it’s not motivation enough to quit the habit. But what if they knew that their second hand smoke was also killing their pets slowly and painfully?
