Siamese Cats

Siamese Cats (also called pointed cats) are one of my favorite breeds! They have such pretty coats and I know it sounds strange, but they look the most cat-like of the cat breeds. Their features are what I affiliate with a cat when I picture one. They originated from China and Thailand and are one of the earliest known Asian cat breeds. They like to play fetch which just sounds extremely cute to me. The long-haired variant of this breed is the Balinese cat. Siamese cats a very skinny and muscular with wedge or apple-shaped heads. They are known for their fur pattern and blue eyes. Their fur has darker tones on the ears, tip of the tail, paws, and face. They have almond-shaped eyes. The earliest documentation of Siamese cats goes back to the 14th to 18th century! Early in breeding, Siamese cats had a kink in their tails that has since been eradicated in domestic cats. Some of the Siamese cats that are feral still have this tail kink. Some also used to have crossed eyes. The types of points on a Siamese cat include seal point, lilac point, and chocolate point. Seal point is the lightest and chocolate is the darkest.
 

Abyssinian Cats

Abyssinian cats originated from Ethiopia, which was previously called Abyssinia. They are one of the oldest cat breeds known to man. They are amongst the breeds of cats found mummified in Egyptian tombs! They are very playful to the point where they are known as the "Clowns of the Cat Kingdom." They are curious and not only enjoy interaction and affection from people, but actually rely on it. They are a generally extroverted and intelligent breed. They are born with dark fur that lightens as they age giving them a variation of the tabby fur pattern called ticked or agouti. There fur is still dark on their paws, tail, and on the M-shape on their forehead. There are variations of fur pattern in the Abyssinian cat where their fur can appear silver or tortoiseshell patterned instead, but these are definitely rarer to see.
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Toyger Breed

I love the Toyger breed so much and I'm hyped as heck to talk about them. These cats are bred to look like little tigers! They are one of the newest breeds of cat starting in just 1980. They were bred off of a mackerel tabby that had a change in fur pattern from the usual forehead "M" to two dots, like that of a tiger. They are a crossbred of bengals and short-haired tabbies. They are larger and longer than normal domestic cats. The goal of this cat breed is to discourage ownership of endangered big cat breeds by those who don't know how to take proper care of them (for example Carol Baskin and Joe Exotic from Tiger King on Netflix). They are outgoing and friendly getting along with other pets, strangers, and children. They are rare to find for adoption because they are such a new breed.
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Scottish Folds

Scottish Folds are a breed from Scotland that have a genetic mutation called Osteochondrodysplasia that changes their cartilage from that of other breeds. This causes their ears to look folded, thus their name. They were originally called lop-ears or lops until 1966 when their breed was finally establish as the Scottish Fold. They are also known as Highland Fold, Scottish Fold Longhair, Longhair Fold, and Coupari. Scottish folds have a good nature and get along well with other pets. They like to sleep on their backs and sit with their legs stretched and their paws on their belly. Not all Scottish Folds have folded-looking ears. Although the genetic trait that makes their ears "fold" is dominant, it is possible for their kittens to have straight ears if they have two recessive alleles from their parents.
   

Sphynx Cats

Sphynx cats are known for having little to no fur. This is a naturally occurring mutation in some cats. The development of the breed began in 1966 in Ontario, Canada. The pattern on their skin reflects what their fur would look like if they had any. All coat patterns can be found in sphynx breeds. Sphynxs are also known for having large ears. They are friendly and outgoing as a breed. They are welcoming to their owners as well as strangers making them one of the more dog-like cat breeds. Without human interaction Sphynxs get bored and lonely. Upkeep of this breed involved bathing the cat once or twice a week to prevent oil build-up that would've been absorbed through their fur. Skin cancer is more likely to occur in these breeds due to their lack of fur. They also have a higher rate of heart disease. Sphynx cats tend to be more expensive than other cats due to their rarity. They are also 95% purebred cats which ups their price tag quite a bit.
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Munchkin Cats

This is going to sound a little weird, but Munchkins are a controversial cat breed. They are bred to have short legs and, while cute, they can cause significant health problem for these cats. Their life span is 12-15 years, which is normal, but they are more at risk of developing Lordosis, a disease that causes the spine to dip and puts pressure on their organs. This can become fatal when their organs begin to grow. Due to this, Munchkins require a lot of help to maintain good health and a long life. They are known for being friendly and enjoy being around people. They also get along with other pets. They are know to sit on their haunches akin to a prairie dog. This breed is also know as "magpies" because they steal away small shiny objects to play with later. This breed was created in Louisiana in 1983. The emergence of this breed is very new in comparison to other known breeds. The breed in named after the munchkins from Munchkinland in The Wizard of Oz.

                          

Ragdoll Cats

The Ragdoll breed is the topic of this week's blog post! Ragdolls have a semi-long coat. They also have a pointed fur pattern and blue eyes. The most interesting thing about Ragdoll cats is their personality. Their behavior is often described as "dog-like." Unlike other breeds, Ragdolls will seek out physical affection from people. They are docile and affectionate. Their name derives from the cats going limp when picked up. This breed is native to the United States. In popular media, Grumpy Cat, also known by her real name, Tartar Sauce, was a Ragdoll mix.

 

Russian Blues

I'm so excited to talk about this week's breed, Russian Blues! Russian Blues live a long time, 15-20 years, and do not shed as much as other cats due to their short coat. Although there coat is short, it is very dense which makes them appear bigger than they actually are. This breed has very little coat pattern variation unlike other breeds I have previously talked about. Their eyes are almost always green. . Their coat density keeps them warm in Russian winters. They're called Russian Blues due to their blue-gray coat and, as the name implies, this breed originates from Russia. More specifically, Russian Blues are from the port of Arkhangel'sk in Russia meaning that they are also somethings called Archangel Blues or Archangel cats. In pop culture, the meme Nyan Cat is a Russian Blue.

Maine Coon Cats

The Maine Coon cat derives its name from the state its from, Maine. Maine actually has a state cat because of it! It is one of the oldest and largest domestic breeds. They can reach length of up to 48 inches. The longest cat to ever exist, Stewie, was a 48.5 inch Main Coon cat. This type of cat has a two-layer coat which makes it very fluffy. It is also very playful to the point that some compare this cat breed to dogs. Maine Coon cats are also known as gentle giants. They are also quite vocal in comparison to other cat breeds.

Tabby Cats

Tabby cats are actually not their own breed of cat, but a type of fur pattern on a cat where an "M" shape appears on the forehead. There are 4 kinds of tabby cats: mackerel, classic, ticked, and spotted. Mackerel tabbies are the most common.This type of cat is most known for having stripes on its legs, head, and cheeks. Their fur pattern is most closely related to the African wildcat. The name tabby came from the French phrase tabis which means "striped silk taffeta." A well known cartoon cat by this fur pattern is Garfield.

Felix Cats

 A Felix cat, otherwise known as a Tuxedo cat is an interesting breed. Their fur patterns vary, but they are usually affiliated with black and white cats. Other bicolor cats exist, but primarily the breed is black and white. They can be is black with a few white spots or vice versa and anything in-between. The cats pictured here have what is called a "mask and mantle" pattern. These cats can also be patterned with "cap and saddle" and "magpie" patterns. Magpie is when the color is random on the cat's fur pattern. Of course, they can also be white in a few spots like their belly and paws thus creating their famous tuxedo pattern. There is also a well-known cartoon by this breed called Felix the Cat.