Japanese Bobtail

A typical Japanese Bobtail

Japanese Bobtail is a breed of short-tailed cat developed in East Asia in the 7th century. The Japanese bobtail enjoyed special status in Japan until 1602, when a government decree required that all cats be turned loose to control rodents, which were destroying that country’s silkworm. The Japanese bobtail was introduced in the United States by returning American soldiers after World War II (1939-1945).

The Japanese bobtail has a medium-sized, lean body. The back legs are longer than the front legs, but deeply angled leg joints keep the cat’s back level when it stands. The long, triangular head has high cheekbones. Large, oval-shaped eyes that slant down toward the nose are alert. Upright ears that tilt forward are set wide apart at right angles to the sides of the head. Thin, parallel lines of dark fur run along each side of the nose from tip to brow. The short, bushy tail is less than 7.5 cm (3 in) long. It resembles a pompom or a rabbit tail, and often appears crooked.

The Japanese bobtail’s medium-length fur is soft, silky, and thickest on the tail. The most popular color for this breed is a red, black, and white combination called Mi-Ke. Tradition says that a cat with this coloring brings good luck. The coat may also be bicolored. Regardless of coloring, the coat is noted for its dramatic, contrasting markings. The Cat Fanciers’ Association recognized this breed (Japanese Bobtail)  in 1976.

A typical Japanese Bobtail

A moving Japanese Bobtail

Japanese bobtail

Japanese bobtail

Japanese bobtail

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Javanese

Javanese is a breed of long-haired cat with the body of a Siamese cat and the coloring of a colorpoint

Javanese

shorthair cat, named for the elegant dancers from the island of Java. The Javanese was developed by cat breeders who crossed the colorpoint shorthair with the Balinese to introduce the colorpoint shorthair’s colors in the Balinese breed. Colorpoints are characteristic large spots of darker fur on the face, ears, legs, and tail, contrasting with a lighter body coloring.

The Javanese has a medium-sized, slender body that is tubular in shape. Although this cat looks fragile, it is muscular and strong. The back legs are longer than the front legs. The slender neck supports a wedge-shaped head that has well-defined bone structure. Both the neck and head are long. Medium-sized, almond-shaped, blue eyes slant toward the long, straight nose. The triangular-shaped ears are strikingly large. The long, thin tail tapers to a fine tip.

The fine silky coat of the Javanese grows longer than the coat of a Siamese, but not as long as that of a Persian cat. The coat looks shorter than its real length because it lies close to the body. The fur is longest, up to 7.5 cm (3 in) in length, on the plumelike tail.

The Cat Fanciers’ Association recognized this breed in 1986, restricting recognition of individual Javanese cats to those with a light-colored coat and contrasting darker, nontraditional colorpoints. The dark colorpoints on the Javanese ears, nose, paws, and tail are limited by registration standards to a tortoiseshell point, a red point, a cream point, and a tabby or multicolored point.

Javanese

Javanese

Javanese

Javanese

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Turkish Angora

Turkish Angora is a breed of long-haired cat developed in Turkey more than 250 years ago. Also known as

Turkish Angora

the Angora, this cat originated in the city of the same name (now Ankara).

By the early 20th century, many years of breeding with Persian cats had nearly destroyed the Turkish Angora breed, which had acquired many of the Persian traits. A breeding program was started at the Ankara zoo in the early 1900s to save the Turkish Angora from extinction, but serious interest in reestablishing the breed did not emerge until the early 1960s when two Turkish Angoras were exported to the United States. Another pair was sent to the United States in 1966, and these four cats became the foundation of the breed as it appears today.

The sleek-looking Turkish Angora has a long, medium-sized body with a deep, narrow chest, long legs, and small, dainty feet. The back legs are longer than the front legs, and the cat’s rump stands higher than its shoulders. Both sexes reach maturity in about two years. A slim, graceful neck carries the small- to medium-sized, wedge-shaped head, with a gently rounded chin and a medium to long nose. Large, almond-shaped eyes angle upward at the outer corners and are amber or blue, or sometimes one of each color, depending on the color of the coat. Large, erect ears sit high on the head, have a wide base, and end in a pointed tip. This cat’s long, tapered tail has a full plume of hair that it holds at a low angle.

The Turkish Angora’s coat is pure white, black, blue-gray, red, brown, or multicolored. The long, silky fur is wavy on the stomach and longer around the neck where it forms a ruff, or collar. The tail has a full brush of long, fine hair. Tufts of fur grow between the cat’s (Turkish Angora) toes and on the tips of the ears.

Turkish Angora

Turkish Angora

Turkish Angora

Turkish Angora

Turkish Angora

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Scottish Fold

Scottish Fold is a breed of shorthaired cat, the result of a genetic mutation that causes the ears to fold

Scottish Fold

down. All Scottish folds can trace their ancestry back to Susie, the first fold-eared cat, who was discovered in Scotland in 1961 by Mary and William Ross, the founders of the breed. Susie’s parents were ordinary farm cats; her folded ears were the result of a spontaneous genetic mutation.

The Scottish fold is a controversial breed because the gene that causes the folded ears may also cause cartilage abnormalities in the joints; affected cats suffer from a condition similar to arthritis. Many breeders believe that these problems can be avoided by careful selection of breeding stock and by cross-breeding the fold with the exotic shorthair, a shorthaired Persian; the American shorthair, a sturdy cat with a short, square muzzle; and the British shorthair, a strong, hardy cat with a round head and round eyes. The fold is most often crossbred with the British shorthair.

The Scottish fold is a gentle, quiet cat with a sweet facial expression. Its small ears fold forward and downward and are set like a cap on its rounded head. It has large round eyes, a short nose, and full rounded cheeks. Its body is medium-sized and well padded. Its tail should be at least two-thirds as long as its body, and must be flexible; a short, stiff tail is considered a serious defect, since it could indicate joint stiffening elsewhere in the body. The fold also comes in a longhaired variety called the Scottish fold longhair.

Scottish Fold

Scottish Fold

Scottish Fold

Scottish Fold

Scottish Fold

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Ocicat

Ocicat is a breed of shorthaired cat with a light-colored, spotted coat. Named for its resemblance to an

Ocicat

ocelot, the ocicat was developed by a Michigan cat breeder who crossed a female seal point Siamese cat with a ruddy-colored male Abyssinian cat. One of these kittens was crossed with a Siamese to produce Siamese kittens with Abyssinian colorpoints (characteristic large spots of darker fur on the face, ears, legs, and tail). During this process the ocicat was also produced.

The ocicat is a long, slender cat with a medium- to large-sized athletic body, powerful legs, and a full chest. An arching neck supports the wedge-shaped head, which has a broad, square muzzle. Large, almond-shaped eyes can be any color except blue, and they slant upward slightly at the outer corners. The ears are moderately large. A long, slim tail tapers slightly to a dark tip.

The graceful ocicat has thick, satiny fur with a lustrous shine, which gives it a sleek look. Each hair in the coat has several different colors arranged in alternating bands of light and dark. Spots form where the dark bands are lined up together. An ocicat can be any of many different colors, but all combinations exhibit a light background color with darker spots. The dark shading forms an M-shaped design on the ocicat’s forehead with lines that extend over the head and break into spots on the neck. The ocicat can be trained to respond to human commands and will walk on a leash.

The Cat Fanciers’ Association recognized the ocicat soon after it was developed, but did not grant the breed full breed status until 1987.

Ocicat

Ocicat in the play field

Ocicat

Ocicat

Ocicat

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Norwegian Forest Cat

Norwegian Forest Cat is also known as Skogkatt, or Wegie and is the first longhaired breed of cat from

Norwegian Forest Cat

Norway, similar to the Maine Coon Cat. The Norwegian forest cat is thought to have descended from shorthaired and longhaired cats brought to Norway by the Vikings and the Crusaders. It developed from a mutation, a change in breed characteristics that occurred naturally rather than through a selective process by cat breeders.

Norse mythology mentions huge Norwegian cats in its lore about the gods. In one fable, two of these cats pulled the chariot of Freya, a goddess of fertility. The Norwegian forest cat originally inhabited Norway’s forests and was known by local farmers as a large, hardy animal with superior hunting skills. Breeders did not raise the cat until after World War II (1939-1945), by which time it had nearly disappeared. The breed was introduced in the United States in 1979.

The male Norwegian forest cat is larger than the female. Both sexes take up to five years to mature. The muscular, large-boned body is box shaped. The back legs are longer than the front legs, which elevates the rump higher than the shoulders. The chest is full and the muscular neck is short. The head is triangular with a square muzzle and straight nose. Wide-set, almond-shaped green or gold eyes angle slightly upward at the outer corners. Medium- to large-sized upright ears tilt forward slightly and are rounded at the tip.

The Norwegian forest cat has a long, soft top coat of smooth hair. A woolly undercoat is covered with long, water-repellent hair. The fur is longest around the neck, where it forms a collar or ruff, and on the full, flowing tail, which is as long as the body. The Norwegian Forest Cat coat can be almost any color and pattern.

Norwegian Forest Cat

Norwegian Forest Cat

Norwegian Forest Cat

Norwegian Forest Cat

An eight months old Norwegian Forest Cat

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Maine Coon Cat

Maine Coon Cat is a large breed of cat, North America’s only native longhaired breed. The Maine coon was

Maine Coon Cat

probably developed by natural selection in response to New England’s harsh climate. It is a muscular cat with a long body, heavy bones, and large round paws. A full-grown Maine coon male weighs from 5 to 8 kg (12 to 18 lb); females are smaller. Maine coons do not reach their full size until they are four or five years old. The Maine coon has a long, shaggy coat; large ears; a long, square muzzle; and a long, full plume of a tail. Maine coons come in a range of colors. The most common Maine coon color is the brown tabby (brown with black stripes).

The Maine coon’s gentle, easygoing disposition and affectionate nature make it an ideal companion. It has a soft voice, ranging from a soft trill to a nearly-silent squeak. Many Maine coons use their paws to eat food and drink water; this raccoonlike habit, combined with the fact that a large brown tabby Maine coon somewhat resembles a raccoon, led to its name.

Maine Coon Cat

Maine Coon Cat

Maine Coon Cat

Maine Coon Cat

Maine Coon Cat

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Korat

Korat is a breed of rare, shorthaired cat from Thailand, one of the oldest natural cat breeds (developed

Korat

through natural selection rather than through a selective process by cat breeders). The Korat is named for the Thai province where it was discovered.

The Korat is a small- to medium-sized cat with a broad chest and muscular body. Smooth curves give the body a limber appearance. The forehead is large and flat, and the face is heart-shaped. Large, light green eyes are set far apart. Upright ears with slightly rounded tips are large and sit high on the head. The tapered tail is heavy at the base. The Korat has short, fine, silvery-blue fur. Its glossy hair does not pull free when stroked, making it a good cat for people with allergies.

The first recorded reference to the Korat breed appeared in a manuscript from the city of Ayudha in Siam (now Thailand), which was destroyed in 1767. The city was over 400 years old at the time, so the manuscript is evidence that the breed has existed at least since the 14th century. Natives call it the Si-Sawat, which means mingled color with smooth, glossy shell. The Korat symbolizes good luck, and new brides in Thailand sometimes receive a pair of these cats to encourage a happy marriage.

The breed was introduced to the United States in 1959. All North American cat registries now recognize the Korat.

Korat

Korat

Korat

Korat

Korat

Korat sisters

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Selkirk Rex: An overview

The Selkirk rex has a wavy coat that can be either short or long. A third curly-coat mutation causes the wavy

Selkirk Rex

coat; the gene differs from the Cornish rex and the Devon rex genes in that the Selkirk gene is dominant, whereas the other two are recessive. The new mutation appeared in the American state of Wyoming in 1987; the curly-coated kitten was sent to a Persian breeder in Minnesota who eventually developed the breed. The Selkirk rex is a large, sturdy, muscular cat, unlike the other two rex breeds, which are smaller and more delicate. The Selkirk Rex is relaxed, outgoing, and people-oriented.

Selkirk Rex

Selkirk Rex

Selkirk Rex

Selkirk Rex

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Russian Blue

Russian Blue is a breed of shorthaired cat, originally from the vicinity of the city of Arkhangel’sk, Russia, but

Russian Blue

known in England by the mid-19th century. At first the breed was known by a variety of names, including Spanish blue, Archangel, and Maltese. The cat has a distinctive light blue coat with guard hairs that give it a silvery sheen. The coat is double, dense, and silky, similar to the coat of a seal.

The Russian blue is an elegant cat with an angular, wedge-shaped head and vivid green eyes. Its body is fine-boned but muscular. Russian Blue is a gentle, shy cat with a loving disposition and a quiet voice.

Russian Blue

Russian Blue

Russian Blue

Russian Blue

Russian Blue

Russian Blue

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