Archive for the ‘Cat Breeding’ Category

There are many cat breeds out there.  If you are like most people, you don’t know much about them.  In order to help you to make a choice about breeds, here is some useful information.

Do you want a cat that can entertain himself and not get into mischief?  Then don’t consider the Sphynx, the Rex, the British Angora and the Siamese.  These cats are energetic and seem to be looking for trouble.  For those who are looking for a cat to provide them with entertainment, these are a good choice.  The Rex is a silly cat as it will attempt to amuse you.

There are other important features to consider as well.  For example, if you want a long haired or a short haired cat.  Those who do not have the time to groom the pet daily should not choose a long haired cat.  Those who choose a long hair need to realize the commitment in taking care of that coat. If you do not, it can tangle and matt up and need to be shaven.  And, it can pose a health risk too.

Vocal cats are often something that many people either consider or want nothing to do with.  They can be quite noisy.  Many cat owners do not have a problem with them, others realize that communicating with them is necessary and that in some cases, it isn’t the right choice.

Vocal/Noisy Cat Breeds:

Siamese

Burmese

Korat

Quiet Cat Breeds:

American Curl

Scottish Fold

Somali

Attitude is your next determining factor.  Some cats enjoy being held and cuddled while others want nothing to do with humans at all.  Some cats want the attention while others do not.  Choosing which the right one for you is a much is.

Affectionate Breeds are great for children:

Snowshoe

Maine Coon

Ragdoll

Abyssinian

Tonkinese

Himalayan Persian

Reserved Breeds:

Nebelung

Russian Shorthair

Norwegian Forest Cat

Lastly, choose if you would like to go with a kitten or an abandoned older cat.  Remember that kittens need to be trained but that adult cats can already be set in their ways.  You can find many breeds of kittens to choose from at the local cat show and you can look for them at your local humane society as well.  These cats need homes and these organizations are usually full to the brim with them.

I hope that you find this information useful and that it helps you find the perfect cat.

Cats were one of the last animals to be domesticated. They were first found in households in Egypt about 5000 years ago. Today they are the most popular house pets, outnumbering dogs by more than two to one.

The earliest domestic cat was probably a Tabby, descended from the wild tabby cat.

The first cat show was held in London in 1871. There were 17 breeds listed at that show.
Currently there are 37 distinct breeds recognized in the United States.

Though dogs were initially bred to do specific jobs, such as pulling, hunting or herding; cats have been bred for looks alone. Unfortunately, the desired physical trait that is bred for may carry with it undesirable defects.

Manx cats (which are tailless) for example often are born with malformed urinary tracts.
Persians can have lethal defects of the eyes, nose and jaws.
Both Persians and Siamese have a high incidence of cleft palate. Blue-eyed white cats are often born deaf, and may be sickly in general.

Coat type, longhair or shorthair, is the first level in classifying cat breeds. After that each breed is divided into its accepted color classes.

The most common and most popular “breed” is not a breed at all, but the ordinary housecat, known as the domestic shorthair or the domestic longhair. They are also commonly called tabby cats, though this term actually refers to specific markings and coloration.

Of the purebred cats, the currently most popular are the Persian, Maine Coon and the Siamese.

1. The Cat Family, or the family Felidae, includes at least 35 species of cats that are similar in physical characteristics.  Which is NOT a member of the Cat Family?
A. Kodkod
B. Margay
C. Ocelot
D. Fox

D. Fox
TBD: Did you know that cats are regarded by many biologists as the most highly developed carnivores?

2. Do you know how many breeds of domestic cat there are?
A. 20
B. 40
C. 60
D. 80

B. 40
TBD: There are about 40 varieties, or breeds, of domestic cats recognized internationally.

3. Cats became objects of worship in Egypt for what reason?
A. The dog was already worshipped by the Assyrians.
B. Egyptians worshipped the sun and recognized the cat’s affinity for the sun.
C. Their ability to keep down the rodent population in Eygpt’s economically-important grain fields along the Nile.
D. Their grace and beauty.

C. Their ability to keep down the rodent population in Eygpt’s economically-important grain fields along the Nile.
TBD: A very practical notion.

4. What is the collective name for a group of cats?
A. Sleuth
B. Murder
C. Gang
D. Clowder

D. Clowder
TBD: The other answers are collective names as well. You have a sleuth of bears, a murder of crows, and a gang of elks.

5. Cats are indigenous to all continents except which two?
A. Antarctica and Australia
B. Eurasia and South America
C. Antarctica and North America
D. Australia and Eurasia

A. Antarctica and Australia
TBD: This was new to us, too!

6. Who or what was Bastet?
A. The first domestic cat.
B. Egyptian cat goddess with the body of a woman and the head of a cat.
C. Egyptian goddess of war who was assisted by a magical cat.
D. The Egyptian pharaoh who declared that cats were sacred.

B. Egyptian cat goddess with the body of a woman and the head of a cat.
TBD: She was the goddess of love and fertility.

7. All cats are digitigrade which means they walk on their toes with the back part of the foot raised.  Which cats do NOT have claws that are completely retractile?
A. Geoffrey’s Cat
B. Cheetah
C. Jaguar
D. Little spotted cat

B. Cheetah
TBD: Actually the Cheetah is the only cat, including all the other large cats, with this distinction.  Who knew?

8. Which is NOT a way that the Egyptians used the cat?
A. Retriever for birds
B. Racing animals
C. Object of worship
D. Hunting animals

B. Racing animals
TBD: It was true that cats were trained to retrieve birds brought down by their masters!

9. These breeds are all lacking something, what is it (respectively)?  The Manx, Cymric, and Sphynx.
A. Tail and hair
B. Ears, hair, and tail
C. Claws, tail, and hair
D. Tail

A. Tail and hair
TBD: The Sphynx is a hairless cat while the Manx and Cymric are shorthaired and longhaired cats without tails.

10. Which region CANNOT claim a breed of rex?
A. Selkirk
B. Devonshire
C. Wales
D. Cornwall

C. Wales
TBD: There is a Selkirk Rex from Wyoming’s Selkirk Mountains, a Devon Rex from Devonshire, England, and a Cornish Rex from Cornwall, England, but no Welsh Rex.

11. What is the scientific classification of the domestic cat?
A. Felis catus
B. Felis domesticus
C. Acinonyx jubatus
D. Panthera leo

A. Felis catus
TBD: That was too easy!  By the way, The QuizQueen made Felis domesticus up, Acinonyx jubatus is the cheetah, and Panthera leo is the lion.

12. Which is NOT a characteristic of the cat?
A. The ability to taste sweet things
B. The ability to hunt in the dark
C. Using its sensitive whiskers to sense changes in the environment
D. Papillae to clean the flesh from the bones of animal prey

A. The ability to taste sweet things
TBD: This was new to us, too!

13. Two pigments form the basis for all coat colors in the modern domestic cat.  These two pigments may be combined with each other or with white (the absence of pigment). What are the two pigments?
A. Black and orange
B. Black and white
C. Black and blue
D. Orange and blue

A. Black and orange
TBD: Scientists believe the domestic cat’s original coat color was probably greyish-brown with darker tabby stripes, a color that provides excellent camouflage in a variety of environments.  All other coat colors are the result of genetic mutations.

14. How many vocal sounds does a cat have?
A. 10
B. 50
C. 100
D. 150

C. 100
TBD: Most dogs have only about 10.

15. When a famous cartoon Cat and Mouse made their debut in 1939, what was the Cat’s name?
A. Tom
B. Jerry
C. Jasper
D. Morris

C. Jasper
TBD: In later cartoons, they would become Tom and Jerry, but in Puss Gets the Boot, the feline co-star was named Jasper.