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Bachman Kiddens' Catcyclopedia

"The cat, in dignity and independence, is very much like the human animal should be but isn't. Perhaps that's my strongest reason for choosing the cat as a subject for the human animal to watch: some of the cat's dignity and independence may rub off on the watcher." ~ Paul Corey

A - G

Abyssinian
The Abyssinian has a moderate triangular head with large gold or green eyes set wide apart, with pencil markings under the eyes. Its large ears are slightly pointed and tufted. The front legs are slightly longer than the back ones, and the feet are small and oval. It is medium in size and carries itself with a regal grace. A slender, finely boned cat, the tail is long and tapering. It has a distinctly ticked, double coat, which can come in several colors: ruddy, red, blue, and fawn. (It is sometimes called the hare-cat because its fur is similar in pattern to that of hares.) With the warm base coat lightened to white, ruddy becomes a sparkling silver on Abyssinians. The inhibitor gene, which produces this effect, seems to have been present in the early Abyssinians, naturally or through early breeding. These colors have now been reestablished in Britain, but are not yet universally accepted in North America. It shows a lively, active interest in its surroundings.

The Abyssinian was brought to England by soldiers in the late 1860s from the Abyssinian War. Fittingly known as "the child of the gods" because legend holds that it is descended from the sacred cats worshiped in ancient Egypt. It certainly does look like ancient Egyptians bronze statues of their cats: long body, large ears, and long tail.


American Bobtail
With its pouf of a tail and its playful personality, the American Bobtail is an enchanting cat.

The breed originated with the mating of a stray male tabby with a Siamese. In the litter were a number of short-tailed cats. One of these mated with another cat and hand an entire litter of short-tailed kittens. At first these "stumpy" (stort-tailed) or "rumpy" (no tailed) cats were all shorthaired, but Himaylans were introduced into the mix, resulting in the longhaired cats we see today. In the 1970s, these cats were designated as a new breed.

Though most often seen sporting a pouf of a powder-puff tail, American Bobtails sometimes have no tail at all, or it will - very occasionally - have a long tail. And their personality is as distinctive as their tails. They are a breed of cat that has often been described as "doglike," testimony to their sociability.

Another distinction is its voice: the American Bobtail's meow is just about as small as its tail.

Its temperament is mischievous, friendly, calm, patient and intelligent.

American Curl
The American Curl is a newer breed produced in the early 1980s. The distinctive curling ears develop 2-10 days after birth, then curl and uncurl for about four months, at which point they set permanently.

The Curl has an open expression and a winning, kittenish personality. The cat's appearance has a rounded head; round eyes which can be of any color; the ears are stiff to the touch, curled up, and exposing hairy tufts; a sturdy body with either long or short hair in nearly all colors and patterns, and medium length tail. It has a playful, loving and adventurous temperment.


American Shorthair
This cat's proud claim to fame is it came over on the Mayflower - hardy, independent short-haired cats that earned their keep as mousers during the ocean voyage. Once in the New World, they were expected to continue their work, protecting homes and barns from mice and rats - a true breed of working cats - i.e., the most common American cat. Medium to large in large in size, this shorthair has a short, thick, even coat that comes in a large variety of colors; the most popular color is that of the black and silver tabby. It has an oblong head with full cheeks. The ears are slightly rounded at the tips and medium in size. It is strongly built, agile and powerful. In the tabby patterns, a "M" can be seen on the forehead. It is larger and more powerful than the British Shorthair.

In the early 1900s cat fanciers began paying more attention when the first American Domestic Shorthair was registered. Now American Shorthairs are often considered the quintessential cat. A number of tabbies have made their mark in Hollywood; some have even held political office (Wiffy La Gone was the third feline elected mayor in Guffey, Colorado, USA) and of course, a black and white cat took up residence in the White House - Socks, the First Cat.

With its loud purr, its affinity for comfortable laps and its affectionate personality, it is the perfect pet.

Tabby markings are the most commonly seen patterns. It has a wide face with full cheeks; large, round and wide eyes harmonizing in color with its coat which comes in 34 recognized colors; medium to large muscular body, broad shoulders and medium length tapering tail. The Shorthair is unassuming, good natured, hardy and a natural hunter.


Angora
The Angora breed came from Ankara, Turkey's capital, a city once named Angora. This longhaired cat is the true predecessor to the modern Persian.

British Angora - it is similar in both temperament and type to the Oriental breeds - lively, inquisitive, and long and lean, with a tail that forms a delightfully elegant plume. This energetic exhibitionist originated in Britain in the l970s.

Turkish Angora - At the beginning of this century, crossbreeding with other longhaired cats had led to the virtual extinction of the Turkish Angora breed. The breed is said to have been saved by a breeding program at the Ankara Zoo. The breed is now protected in Turkey.

The head of the Turkish Angora is a smooth wedge, with the narrow muzzle continuing the lines without a pronounced pinch at the whisker pads. The eyes, odd or not, may be any color - copper to gold or green to blue. Graceful and athletic, with fine bones and a silky coat, Turkish Angoras fit the fashions of the late twentieth century. It is a small to medium-sized cat covered by a single coat hat shimmers when it moves. Breeders consider Turkish Angoras to be quick-witted and vivacious.


Asian Group
Not yet recognized in North America, the shaded, smoke, self, tabby, and Tiffanie Asians are designated by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy as a group rather than a breed.

Asian Shaded cats are striking cats, which are the founding members of the group and commonly known as Burmillas. Their type is inherited from their Burmese parentage and the shaded coat comes from their Chinchilla Persian side.


Balinese
A typical pointed cat, it does not have dramatically long hair, and from a distance some indiviuals look Siamese except for the graceful plume of a tail. The face is wide between the ears, narrowing in straight lines to a fine muzzle. Tabby Points show clear facial markings in the mask. Slender, fine-boned, and refined as royalty in appearance, the Balinese is in fact an intensely social breed, happiest when it is underfoot or at the center of activity. It is also called "the fashion model of the cat world" because of its sleek and elegant beauty. Highly inquisitive, it is indefatigable in its curious investigation, warm and intelligent, and is very vocal.


Bengal
Still rare worldwide, the Bengal breed has a distinctively thick and luxurious coat marked very much as the leopard. Because of its wildcat origins, a dependable temperament is a vital feature in breeding. It is nowhere near as wild in behavior as its appearance might lead one to think. Although not recognized by all associations, the Bengal is increasing in popularity.

It originated from crossbreeding between domestic shorthair cats and the wild Asian leopard cats (Felis bengalensis) in the early 1960s.

It has the spotted or rosetted coat which comes in yellow, buff, tan, golden, and orange, with the rosettes in black, brown, tan, chocolate, or cinnamon. Its short to medium coat is thick and soft to the touch. Bengals are divided into three color groups: leopard, snow leopard, and marble leopard.

The head is a broad wedge with full muzzle and high, pronounced cheekbones; it is small in proportion to the body. The eyes are large and set wide. The ears are small, rounded, and set far back on the head. The Bengal has a robust, long body with large paws and thick tail. Instead of hissing when annoyed, it will growl.

Unlike many other cats, it loves water. Some have been known to jump into a bath or shower with their surprised owners. Although the Bengal has a wild ancestry, its personality is amiable, quick, alert, affectionate, playful, independent and not the least aggressive. It is a natural hunter.


Birman
According to tradition, the Birman descends from the temple cats in Burma. Legend has it hat when the temple was attacked, the cat, who lived in the temple of a golden goddess with sapphire eyes, took on the goddess's colors and inspired the monks to fight the attackers.

The strikingly marked Birman is a well-built cat with highlighted paws and large, blue eyes. The breed was almost extinct in the West at the end of World War II, when only two indivuals remained in France.

The Cream Point is one of the most recent additions to the Birman range. With maturity, the mask extends to cover all of the face and any tabby markings fade.


Bombay
The majestic Bombay breed has a coat like jet-black patent leather, a pleasant and distinctive voice, and a gregarious personality. Like its Burmese forebear, it thrives on human company. It's a heat-seeker, most often found in the lap of its owner.


Burmese
American Burmese: Richly colored and wide-eyed, the American Burmese has been described as "bricks wrapped in silk." Although it is fond of human company, the Burmese is less vocal or demonstrative than other Oriental breeds.

European Burmese: descended from the American breed - American cats were imported into Europe after World War II. However, Europeans began to breed the Burmese to achieve a more Oriental look and color variety than is available in the American Burmese.


Breeds
Most cat breeds are not defined by coat color or patterns. Many breeds share these attributes with each other. Breeds are more often differentiated by their bodies and faces, and sometimes distinctive physical characteristics such as taillessness or folded ears.

More new breeds have appeared in the twentieth century than in the entire history of domestic cats preceding it. Some new breeds are simply longhaired versions of older shorthaired breeds. Others are coat mutations. Other mutations die out or are limited because they are potentially lethal.


British Shorthair
The impressively built British Shorthair is self-possessed and self-reliant. Although undemanding and gentle, this breed is not overly tolerant of handling. Judges and breeders describe them as "four-feet-on-the-ground" cats.

The breed was developed in the 1800s from the farm, street, and household cats of Britain. A curious feature separates the British Shorthair from most shorthaired cats - about half of all British Shorthairs have Type B blood, a rare trait.


British Turkish
One of the most peculiar breeds is the British Turkish cat. It is not unusual in its appearance - it's similar to the Turkish longhair - but in its habits. This breed loves to swim and play in shallow, warm water.


Cat
Today's cat remain close to the ancient stock of self-domesticated wildcats. Without socialization in kittenhood, even the most selectively bred pedigreed cat will turn its back on countless generations of domestication.

The domestic cat has been a remarkably successful migrant. It has spread from the Near East and Africa to all the continents except Antarctica. Cats became valuable in fighting rodents, and it was in this terminating role that they traveled across the world's trade routes.

Historically, cats have played a remarkably ambivalent role in human society. Worshipped as beneficent gods in some cultures, they were castigated as the agents of evil in others, including Christianity. (For more in-depth information, see Lore of the Cat.) In the current culture, cats now represent sensuousness and refinement.

Many more people are likely to be allergic to cats than to dogs, because of their sensitivity to a protein in cats' saliva and skin. Cats are naturally hygienic animals, and cover their hair with saliva as part of the fastidious grooming routine.

A unique and curiously appealing aspect of the cat's behavior is its ability to relax into deep sleep apparently at will. Cats sleep an average of sixteen hours a day. Just why cats sleep so much is not yet properly understood.


Cat Fancy
Just as fashions change with time, the cat fancy, like the breeds themselves, is constantly changing. Those who favor experimentation pursue as many new developments and traits as possible. Purists want to keep breeds as distinct, and often as limited, as possible.


Chartreux
Possibly originating in Syria, the Chartreux's ancestors would have arrived in France by ship. It is mentioned as early as 1558 by the poet Joachim du Bellay. These blue, gray, and blue-gray cats are mentioned throughout French literature. The name Chartreux is first recorded in the 1723 edition of the Universal Dictionary of Commerce.

There is a legend of the Chartreux that says these cats were brought back by monastic knights during the Crusades. They were taken to a Grenoble monastery run by the Carthusian monks, who carefully breed them to get their unique coloring. By the 1700s, the breed was described by the naturalist Buffon as the "cat of France." After World War II it effectively became extinct.

It is a sturdy cat with dense, medium-short, water-repellent fur. A blue-gray, its color shades range from ash to slate with copper to gold eyes. Its head is broad and round, with full cheeks and a small, tapering muzzle. This cat is agile, intelligent, amiable, and soft-spoken.


Cornish Rex
In 1957, the Cornish Rex arrived in the United States, where Oriental Shorthair and Siamese lines were introduced. A similar rexed breed was known in Germany, developed from a stray adopted by breeders in 1951. Crossing with the Cornish produced rexed kittens, revealing that both breeds had the same mutation.

Extroverted and curvaceous, with washboard waves of hair, the Cornish Rex is a show stopper. The coat is gloriously soft to touch, much like cut velvet. It is also an Olympic jumper and thinks nothing of springing from the floor to your shoulder to greet you.


Declaw
Possession proud owners declaw their cats, some go as far as to declaw all four paws. This surgical procedure robs the cat of a vital part of its anatomy. A declawed cat is a maimed cat. To remove a cat's claws is far worse than to deprive cat owners of their finger/toenails. Cat owners would lose only their nails; a declawed cat looses what is equilivant to a cat owner's first joint of each finger or toe. Amputating a cat's claws can only be described as maiming a cat for human convenience. For a thorough background on declawing, read the entire declaw section of Lisaviolet's Educate! Don't Amputate!! site.


Devon Rex
Startling, dramatic eyes and strikingly oversized, low-set ears give the Devon Rex the look of an elfin clown. Its coat ripples and has been greatly improved by good breeding. Some claim that this cat is nonallergenic, but this can never be guaranteed.

A combination of broad chest and quite slender legs can make this breed appear bowlegged, but the legs do not really curve. There are no skeletal deformaties associated with this breed.

The pointed clors of the cream point Devon Rex are the result of crossbreeding with Siamese cats in the early development of the breed, now no longer allowed. These colors were once called "Si-Rex," a term not used today.


Domestic Shorthair
Commonly called DSH - these domestic cats arrived in North America with the first settlers. This new land brought new environmental pressures to bear; the descendants of surviving cats developed thick, hard coats to protect them from moisture, cold, and injury and grew larger than their European relatives.


European Shorthair
A cat with a whole continent to call home might easily be assumed to have wide popularity, but the European Shorthair is less know than either the British Shorthair or the American Shorthair. Its personality tends to be calm and affectionate, and it is relatively quiet.

In the Red Silver Mackerel Tabby, the undercoat is a pure, glistening white, giving a cool tone to the color. This cat is heavily silvered, with color restricted to the ends of the hairs.


Feral Cat
Ferals are simply homeless domestic cats (or offspring born from domestic cats) - some have wandered off, most others have been abandoned by their owners. Ever since the African Wild Cat was domesticated by the ancient Egyptians, individual cats have reverted to the semiwild state. With their natural hunting instincts, they have been able to survive and establish territories and social groupings.

Worldwide there are literally millions of ferals eking out an existence. Many animal welfare organizations and private individuals do what they can to help. Some organize routine feeding of feral cat communities, some routinely trap the cats, feed them, give them veterinary care, neuter them, and find adoptive homes for them.

The struggling feral population exists today as a permanent reminder of our broken contract with the cat: an animal we originally enlisted as a highly valued pest controller, then gradually devalued after taming it, leaving it to fend for itself as a wild animal.

Continuation:

Catcyclopedia H - Z

Reference:
Morris, Desmond, Cat World

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