Cat and Kitten Breeds - Selecting a Cat

About Cat Breeds Most people's cats are not purebred, in fact, 90 percent of pet cats in North America--whatever color or pattern they may be--are domestic shorthairs. "Domestic shorthairs" is a blanket term that applies to nonpurebred house cats, some of which could also be called domestic medium-hairs or domestic longhairs. It is quite likely that in your search for the perfect cat you will choose a domestic shorthair, but if you are looking for a cat with a very specific appearance and personality, or a cat to show, you may want to acquire one of the breeds. To help you make your choice, the breed guide introduces fifty cat breeds. Each entry provides information about the breed's origins, its appearance and temperament, any special grooming needs, its energy level, whether it is a lap cat or prefers to keep its distance, its vocal qualities, and other traits. Purebred vs. Nonpurebred: What's the difference? Few people realize that what we call "purebred" cats were actually derived from nonpurebred cats. Until about a hundred years ago, cats attended to their own breeding. Then humans got involved. By that time, nature had created numerous varieties of coat colors, patterns, textures, and lengths that have served cats well for millennia. From this rich genetic soup cat breeders have developed the fifty or so contemporary cat breeds, commonly known as purebred cats, by purposefully selecting, "capturing," and refining traits already contained within the feline gene pool. Though nonpurebreds are often called "mixed breeds," these cats are not "mutts" or mixes of different breeds, but rather are the basic, or "pure," cats from which come all the characteristics seen in the purebreds. ("Mixed breed" is a more apt term for dogs because almost every random-bred pooch shows the stamp of one or more purebreds, and there is not a single basic type of nonpurebred dog.) The virtually limitless array of colors and patterns seen in domestic shorthairs-- among them the familiar tabby, tortoiseshell, calico, black, white, and piebald--does not signify differences of breed but simply of appearance. The purebreds are for the most part carefully contrived variations on the common domestic shorthair theme. When can I breed my cat? A good question to consider before breeding any animal is: Should my pet have offspring? Sadly, there are millions of animals put to sleep in the U.S. each year because there are not enough homes to go around. Responsible breeders will allow their healthy pets to have offspring only to improve the breed, not as an educational experiment for the family, or solely for monetary gain. Good breeders also take the responsibility to provide good homes and quality medical care, including first vaccinations and deworming, to all the offspring their pets produce. It takes a fair amount of hard work, time, and money. If you have decided that the work and responsibility of pet breeding is for you, be sure your pets are healthy and fully vaccinated. This allows the mothers to pass good protective immunity to their kittens. Cats bred after 18 months of age tend to make better mothers and may have less pregnancy or kitten care problems. Proper pre- and post-natal veterinary medical care and diet are very important for breeding females and their kittens. Many books and resources exist to help you. Top 10 Cat Breed Books Learn more about your favorite breeds from these best-selling books . . . 1. Bengal Cats: Everything About Purchase, Care, Nutrition, Breeding, Health Care, and Behavior (A Complete Pet Owner's Manual) by Dan Rice, Michelle Earle-Bridges (Illustrator) 2. The Complete Book of Cat Breeding by Dan Rice 3. Ragdoll Cats: Everything About Purchase, Nutrition, Health Care, Grooming, Behavior, and Showing (Complete Pet Owner's Manual) by Karen Leigh Davis 4. Guide to Owning a Ragdoll Cat by Susan Nelson, Gary Strobel 5. Maine Coon Cats: Everything About Purchase, Care, Nutrition, Reproduction, Diseases, and Behavior (A Complete Pet Owner's Manual) by Carol Himsel Daly 6. Siamese Cats: Everything About Acquisition, Care, Nutrition, Behavior, Health Care, and Breeding/a Complete Pet Owner's Manual by Marjorie McCann Collier, Michele Earle-Bridges (Illustrator) 7. Guide to Owning a Maine Coon Cat by Abigail Greene 8. Guide to Owning a Himalayan Cat: Feeding, Grooming Exhibition, Temperament, Health by Coleman McDonald 9. That Yankee Cat: The Maine Coon by Marilis Hornidge, Marilis Hornridge 10. Guide to Owning a Persian Cat: Feeding, Grooming, Exhibition, Temperament, Health, Breeding by Juliet Seymour

Glossary of Cat-Related Terms Agouti hairs: Hairs marked with alternating bands of light and dark color and ending in a dark tip. In the tabby pattern, agouti hairs compose the lighter areas of the coat. See also Nonagouti hairs. Awn hairs: One of two hair types in the cat's topcoat. See also Down hairs, Guard hairs. Backcross: To breed a cat with one of its parents. Bicolor: A two-colored coat pattern composed of white and patches of another color, usually on the back, tail, and head. Britches: The longer, thicker hair found on the back of a cat's upper hindlegs. Calico: A coat pattern with patches of white and more prominent red and black or cream and blue markings. Cat registry: An organization that keeps a registry of purebred cats, such as the Cat Fanciers' Association. Cattery: An establishment devoted to the breeding of cats. Chinchilla: A ticked coat pattern in which the hairs are light or white except for a tip of darker color at the ends. Classic tabby: A tabby coat pattern featuring large, swirling stripes on the back and legs and blotches on the flanks. Cobby: A short and heavy-boned body type. Colorpoint: A pointed coat pattern in which the points are unmarked. See also Pointed. Deep color: A rich coat color, such as black or red, that is seen when the coloration is evenly distributed along the hair shaft. Dilute color: A less saturated coat color, such as gray or cream, that is seen when the coloration is unevenly distributed along the hair shaft. Domestic shorthair: A commmon house cat, or nonpurebred cat. Double coat: A coat in which the undercoat is particularly thick and dense. Down hairs: The soft secondary hairs in the undercoat that provide additional insulation. See also Awn hairs, Guard hairs. Estrous: The female reproductive cycle. Estrus: The phase of the estrous cycle when a cat is fertile (commonly called "heat"). Euthanasia: The use of deliberate medical means, usually lethal injection, to cause death. Used to avoid suffering in sick and aging pets, and to limit populations of cats in shelters. Feral cat: An untamed domestic cat living in the wild. Free-choice feeding: A method of feeding in which food is left out for the cat to eat at will. Guard hairs: The coarse, thick, protective hairs in the topcoat. See also Awn haris, Down hairs. Head bunting: A feline head-rubbing gesture used as a scent-marking practice and also as a sign of affection. Heat: See Estrus. Lynx point: A pointed coat pattern in which the points have tabby stripes. See also Pointed. Mackerel tabby: A tabby coat pattern with fishbone stripes. Mitted: A coat pattern marked with white on the paws, chin, chest, belly, and back legs. Neuter: To render incapable of breeding by surgically removing reproductive organs--the testes in males, the ovaries and uterus in females ("spaying"). Nictitating membrane: A thin protective membrane (sometimes called the "third eyelid") located at the inner corner of the eye. Nonagouti hairs: Unbanded hairs that give the cat's coat a solid pattern and that make up the dark stripes or spots in tabby coats. See also Agouti hairs. Odd-eyed cat: A cat with two different colored irises. Oriental type: A fine-boned, long-legged, and tubular body type. Outcross: To breed a cat with another cat of a different breed in order to strengthen the stock, refine and build features, and increase color varieties. Patched tabby: See Torbie. Pedigree: The line of parentage; in purebred cats, a certificate of unmixed breeding. Piebald: A coat pattern featuring a combination of white and any other color or pattern. Pointed: A coat pattern featuring a light-colored torso marked with darker shades at the body's extremities (ears, muzzle, paws, and tail). Polydactyly: Literally, "many fingers"; a genetic mutation that causes cats to have extra toes on their paws. Purebred: A cat descended from unmixed parentage within a single recognized breed. Ruff: A collar of fur around the neck. Shaded: A ticked coat pattern in which the light bands of the hairs are even lighter and wider and the dark bands narrower. Silver: A coat in which the yellowish coloration has been suppressed in part of the hair shaft, leaving it pale or white and giving the cat a "silvery" appearance. See also Chinchilla, Shaded, Smoke. Single coat: A coat in which the undercoat is relatively thin. Smoke: A solid coat in which the base of the hairs are lightened or whitened. Socialization: The process by which a cat grows accustomed to the presence of humans and other animals. Spay: To sterilize a female cat by surgically removing the ovaries and most of the uterus. Spotted tabby: A tabby coat pattern with dark blotches or spots against a background of agouti hairs. Tabby: Any of a variety of common coat patterns produced by a combination of nonagouti hairs (in the characteristic stripes and blotches) and agouti hairs (in between the stripes). The four traditional tabby patterns are mackerel, classic, spotted, and ticked. Ticked tabby: A tabby coat pattern in which the entire coat features banded agouti hairs. Topcoat: The cat's protective coat of coarse guard and awn hairs. Also called the outercoat. Torbie: A tortoiseshell coat pattern that is also marked by one of the four tabby patterns. Also known as a "patched tabby." Tortie point: A type of pointed coat pattern in which the points have a tortoiseshell pattern. See also Pointed. Tortoiseshell: A coat pattern typically marked by both black and red fur in deep coats or blue and cream fur in dilute coats. Undercoat: The portion of a cat's coat beneath the topcoat that consists of down hairs. Urine marking: Traces of urine left by cats to mark their territory or signal their presence in the breeding season. Occasionally used to signal stress about a problem (such as overcrowding) in the household. Van: A piebald-type coat pattern in which most of the body is white, with small patches of color mainly on the head and tail. Information on this page was compiled by PETsMART.com staff and PETsMART Inc. experts and other experts. Information and advice contained on this site is for your consideration only. Please consult your veterinarian for specific advice concerning the care and treatment of your pet. Here is a great resource for information about all cat breeds. Ultimate Encyclopedia of Cats, Cat Breeds and Cat Care by Alan Edwards (Hardcover) A Comprehensive visual guide to all the cat breeds of the world, from the longhaired Persian to the hairless Sphinx, the tailless Manx to the rare Singapura. Descriptions of each breed include essential grooming information, typical characteristics and temperament. This book features expert advice on how to care for a cat, from feeding to play. Over 700 color photographs and illustrations.

Cat Breeds Abyssinian American Curl Bengal Birman British Shorthair Burmese Devon Rex Exotic Himalayan Kittens Longhaired Maine Coon Manx Oriental Shorthair Persian Ragdoll Russian Shorthair Scottish Fold Shorthair Siamese Somali Tabby Cats All Breeds Things to Consider Before Adopting a Cat Is a cat the right pet for you? Your cat will depend on you throughout her life, and with proper care, may live 15 years or more. Are you willing and able to care properly for her and provide a stable home for that long? Budgetary Considerations Don't get a cat without considering and planning for the costs for such a responsibility. Normal veterinary care includes spaying or neutering, yearly shots and boosters and examinations for typical diseases. Preventive and consistent care is less expensive in the long run. Normal costs could run between $100 and $300 a year. If you cannot afford veterinary care for a cat, you should not get one. Other normal costs include cat food, cat litter, litter pans and scoops, cat toys, scratching posts and more. Lifestyle Considerations Most changes in your life shouldn't affect your ability to give your cat a good home. There are people who think they must give up a cat when they move. That's not the case at all; it is relatively easy to move with a cat, even if you are moving across the county or overseas. OK -- so your budget and your lifestyle make a cat a good pet option for you. Now you have to decide what kind of cat is best for you. Energy Level Considerations Are you looking for a very active, playful cat? Do you need a cat who will be gentle with children or elderly people? Do you need a cat who won't be frightened by a barking dog? Or, are you looking for a cat who is calm and affectionate that will nap on your lap or sleep in your bed at night? Adult or Kitten? Consider adopting an adult cat. An adult cat already has a fully developed personality, so you know what you're getting. Adult cats generally adapt well to new homes and bond just as strongly with new owners as kittens do. Also, adult cats are much less likely to be adopted. Kittens require more care and watching, they may need to be litter box trained, and they require several trips to the veterinarian for vaccinations, checkups and spaying or neutering. In addition, it is difficult to predict what a kitten will turn out like when she grows up. If you decide on a kitten, the kitten should not be separated from its mother until it is eight to ten weeks old. Male or Female? Neutered males and spayed females make equally good pets. Neither gender is uniformly more affectionate, more intelligent, more calm or more playful. Unaltered cats of either gender, however, can be difficult to live with. Unaltered males mark their territory by "spraying" foul smelling urine on the walls and furniture. If allowed outdoors, they will roam and fight with other cats. Unaltered females may also spray and usually are very vocal when they are in heat. Neutered and spayed cats make much more pleasant and healthy companions. Keep in mind that, while you have several options as to where to get a cat, animal shelters are a great place to start. You will be saving a new best friend who really needs you. Bringing a Kitten into the Home of Older Pets Even if your older pet has lived peacefully with other animals in the house, there is no guarantee that he will welcome a new kitten with joy, or even tolerance. When you bring a new kitten into the home, your older pet will need lots of extra attention. The cat needs to know that you still love him and that the newcomer is not a threat to his position in your household. When you bring your new kitten home, it is important to isolate her. Choose a room in neutral territory. The first time the two pets meet face to face should be short. If the older pet is a dog, proper restraint, such as a leash, will prevent him from chasing and scaring the kitten. Your older pet needs to be reassured that the newcomer will not take over his territory. If he has a favorite sleeping place, don?t let the kitten sleep there. Provide the youngster with her own toys. Animals are often possessive of their food and feeding dishes. Ideally, since the kitten should be eating her own kitten food, have her feeding dishes in a different room or area for as long as possible.