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Cat Breeds & Types Kolts & Kitties Combined Cat Info

I. Cat Categories

• In 4­H, cats are divided into two categories: Household Pets Purebreds

A. Household Pets

• Most cats in America are housecats of unknown ancestry. • These cats are referred to as Household Pets (HHP). • HP cats are not judged according to a breed standard. Instead they are judged on:

Physical condition Cleanliness Temperament

Attractive or unusual appearance Presentation

B. Purebreds

• A purebred cat is a cat whose ancestors are all from the same recognized breed.

II. Breed Registries

• Cat registries are the organizations in charge of keeping records of the genealogies of purebred cats. • They also issue formal certificates attesting to a cat’s breed & documenting its lineage. These are known as

pedigrees. • Cat registries hold cat shows, where registered cats are judged according to detailed breed standards. • Titles earned during these shows are recorded in the cat’s papers. • The beginning of modern cat breeding is attributed to a cat show held at the Crystal Palace in London in 1871. • An organization called The National Cat Club was formed for the purpose of this show. Essentially, it became the

world’s first ever cat registry. • It wasn’t long before cat breeders branched out & set up new cat registries. These reflected different views of breed

standards or other aspects of breeding & showing cats. • Today there are numerous cat registries in the US & around the world, but 4 large international registries dominate

the arena. Most pedigreed cats will have their papers issued by one of these associations.

A. Cat Fancier’s Association (CFA)

• Founded in 1906, the CFA is considered to be the largest cat registry in the world. • Its headquarters are in the US & it is predominantly an American association. • The CFA is considered to be more conservative than other registries & currently recognizes 44 cat breeds. • http://www.cfa.org/

B. The International Cat Association (TICA)

• Established in the USA in 1979, TICA’s founder wanted it to be a more progressive and flexible registry. • It seems to hold true to its mission statement, with recognizing over 55 cat breeds & introducing a formal genetic

registry. • www.tica.org/

C. Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe)

• FIFeis a governing body that brings together 42 cat registries in 40 different countries. • The organization offers a unified registry with established breed standards. • Founded in France in 1949, its current board members reside in various countries in Europe. • http://fifeweb.org/

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D. American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA)

• Not to be confused with the CFA, the ACFA was established in 1955 & currently recognizes 53 cat breeds. • It emphasizes the friendly & welcoming nature of its organization & the social aspects of cat breeding. • http://www.acfacat.com/

III. Cat Breed Types

• Purebred cat breeds are divided into 3 types: Natural, Man­made (Hybrid), Spontaneous Mutation

A. Natural Cat Breeds

• Created by nature then refined & stabilized by selective breeding. • Examples of natural breeds:

Abyssinian British Shorthair Maine Coon Russian Blue Turkish Angora

American Bobtail Egyptian Mau Manx Siamese Turkish Van

American Shorthair Japanese Bobtail Norwegian Forest Cat Siberian Cymric

Birman Korat Persian Singapura

B. Man-Made (Hybrid) Cat Breeds

• Created by crossing 2 or more breeds to create a third breed. • Some are created by crossing a domestic cat with a wild cat. These are called “Exotics”. • Examples of Man-Made breeds:

Bombay = Burmese + American Shorthair Havana Brown = Black shorthair + Seal point Siamese Tonkinese = Siamese + Burmese California Spangled = Many breeds. Trying for spots Foldex = Scottish Fold + Exotic Shorthair Longhair Exotic = American Shorthair + Persian Savannah Cat = Serval cat + Domestic cat Toyger = Bengal + Domestic Shorthair

Exotic = Persian + American Shorthair +Burmese Javanese = Balinese + Colorpoint Shorthair Bengal = Asian Leopard Cat + Domestic Cat Chausie = Jungle cat + Domestic cat Himalayan = Persian + Siamese Pixiebob = Bobcat + Domestic cat Snowshoe = Siamese + America Shorthair Ragdoll = Bred from one friendly cat

C. Mutation Cat Breeds

• Created by a spontaneous change in a gene resulting in an unusual feature. • Breeders then work to develop the feature & create a new breed. • Some mutations happened so long ago that they are now considered Natural Breeds. • Examples of mutation breeds:

American Curl Devon Rex LaPerm

American Wirehair Donskoy Munchkin

Balinese Scottish Fold (Shorthair) Selkirk Rex (Shorthair)

Cornish Rex Don Sphynx Sphynx

IV. Body Types

• All cats are divided into 3 basic body types: Cobby, Moderate, Foreign • There is some overlap between types.

A. Cobby Body Type

• Bodies are: heavy, short­legged, compact, broad­chested

• Examples: Persian, Manx

D. Semi­-Foreign Body Type

• Bodies are beginning to stretch out, but not too extreme.

• Examples: Abyssinian, Japanese Bobtail, Russian Blue

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B. Semi-­Cobby Body Type

• A little longer & not quite as broad­chested as cobby bodies.

• Examples: Chartreux& British Shorthair

C. Moderate Body Type

• Body is: Well balanced, Medium length, Well­ muscled, Not extreme

• Most breeds are of this type

E. Foreign Body Type

• Sometimes called Oriental or Exotic. • Bodies are extremely long & tubular. • Examples: Siamese & Cornish Rex

V. Cat Colors

• Coat, color & pattern are not breeds, they are decorations. • The original coat was a shorthaired, brown classic tabby. • All other coats, colors & patterns were mutations.

A. Basic Cat Colors

• Basic colors are: Red, Black, Chocolate, Cinnamon* • Cat Color: Red

Other names: orange, marmalade or tangerine. Light reds are called yellow. The dominant color gene

• Cat Color: Black

Other names: Ebony

• Cat Color: Chocolate

A lighter version of black. Other names: brown, sable, seal, mahogany or chestnut

• Cat Colors: Cinnamon

An even lighter version of black. Other names: terracotta, burnt sienna, tawny

B. Dilute Cat Colors

• Each basic cat color has a diluted version: • Dilute Colors: Cream • Dilute of red.

Other names: beige, tan

• Dilute Colors: Blue

Dilute of black.

Other names: grey, ash, slate

• Dilute Colors: Lilac

Dilute of chocolate. Other names: lavender, platinum, frost

• Dilute Colors: Fawn

Dilute of Cinnamon. Other names: coffee & cream, caramel

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C. White & White Markings

• A solid white coat may be any of three types: Albino white, Complete white spotting, Dominant white. • Some white cats are deaf. • Albino White

Albino whites can have pink or pale blue eyes Albino white does not cause deafness.

• White Spotting

Can cause just a few spots or an entire white coat.

• Dominant White

Caused by gene which hides all color & pattern. Eyes are a darker blue than in albino whites.

Basic Colors

Red Black Chocolate Cinnamon

Dilute Colors

Cream Blue Lilac Fawn

White & White Markings

Albino White (pink eyes) Albino White (blue eyes) Complete White Spotting Dominant White

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VI. Coat Patterns

• Patterns are:

Tabby Solid (self) Tipped Parti­-color Bi­color Pointed

A. Solid (Self)

• Cat is entirely one color. • Red & it’s variants will show faint tabby markings.

B. Tabby

• The original coat pattern. • Each hair is banded with light & dark stripes called agouti bands. • Have an “M” on the forehead & stripes on the cheeks. • Patterns: Classic Tabby

Markings are swirled creating a bulls­eye or marble cake appearance on the sides. Have solid lines on the spine. Have a butterfly mark on the shoulders.

• Patterns: Mackerel Tabby

Have stripes like a tiger (or a mackerel)

• Patterns: Spotted Tabby

Stripes are broken & appear as spots. Often looks like a mackerel tabby with dotted lines.

• Patterns: Ticked Tabby

Has no noticeable spots or stripes, just the agouti hairs.

C. Tipped

• Each guard hair is white with color only on the tip. • Variations include:

Cameo: Red tipping Chinchilla (Shell): Color only on the very tips of the hairs. Shaded: Color on the last ¼ of the hairs. Smoke: Color on the last ½ of the hairs.

D. Parti-Color Patterns

• Cats with both red and black. • Usually female. • Variants are:

Tortoise shell: Patches of solid red & solid black. Patched tabby: Patches of 2 or more

colors with tabby markings. Calico: A tortoise shell where the color patches are on a white background.

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Torbie: A patched tabby where the color patches are on a white background.

E. Patterns: Bi­Color

• Any cat that has white markings. • Some common variants are:

Harlequin: A cat that is white with a large spots of color. Tuxedo Cat: A black cat with white paws & chest. Van: A white cat with patches of color on the head & tail (may have a few body spots)

F. Pointed

• Body is a dilute color. • Points are a darker color. • The “points” are:

Facial mask Ears Legs Feet Tail

VII. Coat Texture

• A cat’s coat has 3 types of hairs:

Long guard hairs. Bristly awn hairs. Soft down hairs (undercoat)

• Different breeds may have more or less (or none) of each of these hairs.

VIII. Coat Length

• Short is the natural coat length. • Breeds have many terms for coat length. • 4-H only divides as short or long hair.

Cat Breeds

Unit2 – Chapter 2 continued

Body: Semi-Foreign

Coat: Short

C/P: Ticked Tabby in ruddy, red, blue or fawn

Type: Natural

Body: Moderately Long

Coat: Short or Long

C/p: Any

Tail: Long enough to show above back, not long enough to touch hock

Type: Natural

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Body: Semi-Foreign

Coat: Short or long

C/p: All

Ears: Minimum 90º arc or curl

Origin: Mutation

Body: Solidly built

C/p: Any except pointed

Origin: Natural

Body: Moderate

Coat: Short hair that is crimped, hooked or bent

C/p: Any except pointed

Origin: Mutation

Body: Moderate

Coat: Short

C/p: Spotted or marble tabby in brown, blue, peach, lilac, caramel, gold, or chocolate

Origin: Hybrid (Abyssinian x Burmese)

Also called “Spotted Mist”

Body: Foreign

Coat: Medium

C/p: Seal, chocolate, blue or lilac point

Origin: Mutation (of Siamese)

Body: Semi-Cobby

Coat: Hairless

C/p: All colors

Type: Hybrid (Munchkin x Sphynx)

Body: Moderate

Coat: Short

C/p: Spotted or marble Tabby in brown or seal

Hybrid: (Asian Leopard x Domestic Cat)

Body: Long & Stocky

Coat: Long

C/p: Pointed with white markings

Eyes: Blue

Origin: Natural

Body: Medium

Coat: Short

C/p: Black

Eyes: Gold to copper

Origin: Hybrid (Burmese x American Shorthair)

Body: Cobby

Coat: Short

C/p: Any except pointed

Origin: Natural

Body: Cobby

Coat: Short

C/p: Sable, champagne, blue or platinum

Eyes: Yellow to gold

Origin:

Body: Cobby

Coat: Short or long

C/p: black, blue champagne, chocolate, cream, lilac, platinum, red, tortoise shell

Type: Hybrid (Burmese x Persian

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Body: Foreign

Coat: Short

Coat/pattern: Spotted Tabby

Type: Hybrid (many breeds)

Body: Moderate, compact

Coat: Short

C/p: Ticked tabby in sable to golden

Type: Natural

Body: Cobby

Coat: Long

C/p: Solid or tabby in Blue, chocolate, cinnamon, lilac, fawn

Type: Hybrid (Burmese x Birman)

Called Chantilly in Canada and Tiffany in Australia

Body: Medium Long

Coat: Medium short

C/p: Any shade of blue

Eyes: Copper to gold

Origin:

Body: Medium

C/p: Solid black, black or brown ticked tabby

Eyes: Gold or yellow

Tail: ¾ to full length

Type: Hybrid (Jungle cat x domestic cat)

Body: Foreign

Coat: short

C/p: Pointed

Eyes: Blue

Origin:

Body: Semi-Foreign

Coat: Short & Wavy

Colors/Patterns: All

Origin: Mutation

Body: Cobby

Coat: Long

C/p: All except pointes, ticked tabby, chocolate, lavender

Tail: should appear tailless

Origin: Natural

Body: Semi-foreign

Coat: Short & wavy

C/p: Any

Type: Mutation

Body: Moderate

Coat: Short or long

C/p: ticked tabby in black, blue, chocolate, cinnamon, fawn, or lilac

Type: Hybrid (Canadian Lynx x Domestic Cat)

Body: Medium

Coat: Lots of skin wrinkles, comes in Bald, Flocked, Velour, Brush

Type: Mutation

Body: Foreign

Coat: Hairless, wrinkled skin

Type: Mutation

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Body: Semi-foreign

Coat: Short

C/p: Spotted tabby in silver, bronze or smoke

Eyes: Green

Type: Natural

Body: Medium

Coat: Short

C/p: Solid colors & tortoise shell

Eyes: Yellow to amber

Type: Hybrid (Burmese/Siamese)

Body: Moderate

Coat: short

C/P: all except pointed, chocolate, & lilac

Type: Natural

Body: Cobby

Coat: Short

C/P: Any

Type: Hybrid (Persian x American Shorthair x Burmese)

Body: Cobby

Coat: Long

C/P: All

Type: Hybrid (American Shorthair x Persian)

Body: Cobby

Coat: Short

C/P: Any

Ears: Folded

Type: Hybrid (Scottish Fold x Exotic Shorthair)

Body: Medium

Coat: Short

C/P: Brown, blue, chocolate, lilac, red, cream, tortoise shell

Eyes: Yellow

Type: ?

Body: Moderate

Coat: Curly

C/P: any except chocolate, lavender or pointed

Type: Mutation

Body: Medium

Coat: Short

C/P: Brown

Eyes: Green

Type: Hybrid (Black Shorthair x Seal Point Siamese)

Body: Medium

Coat: Long, single coat

C/P: Any except chocolate, lavender or pointed

Ears: fold forward & down

Type: Hybrid (Scottish Fold x ?)

Body: Cobby

Coat: Long & thick

C/P: pointed

Eyes: Blue

Type: Hybrid (Persian x Siamese)

Body: Cobby

Coat: Long

C/P: not pointed

Type: Hybrid (Persian x Siamese)

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Basically a Persian that carries the colorpoint gene

Body: Semi-Foreign

Coat: Long or short

C/P: Any except chocolate, lavender, pointed or ticked tabby

Tail: must have 1 or more kinks, total tail can’t extend more than 3” from body, must have a pom-pom of fur

Type: Natural mutation

Body: Foreign

Coat: Medium

C/P: Pointed

Type: Hybrid (Balinese x Colorpoint Shorthair)

Body: Medium

Coat: short

C/P: all

Ears: Folded back

Legs: Short

Type: Hybrid (Munchkin x American Curl)

Body: Semi-cobby

Coat: short

C/P: Silver tipped blue

Eyes: Green

Type: Natural

Body: Cobby

Coat: short or long

C/P: any except chocolate, lilac, & pointed

Tail: short

Type: Natural Mutation

Body: Moderate

Coat: long or short; curly

C/P: any

Type: Mutation

Body: Large, Moderate

Coat: long

C/P: Any except chocolate, lavender, pointed, ticked tabby

Type: Natural

Body: Cobby

Coat: Short or long

C/P: any except chocolate, lavender, pointed & ticked tabby

Tail: should appear tailless

Type: Natural

Body: Moderate

Coat: Thin & sparse, fur on extremities

C/P: Any

Legs: Short

Type: Hybrid (Munchkin x Sphynx)

Body: Semi-Foreign

Coat: Short, long

C/P: Any

Legs: Very short

Type: Mutation

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Body: Semi-foreign

Coat: medium long

C/P: Blue

Eyes: Green

Type: Hybrid (Russian blue x ?)

Body: Moderate

Coat: Long, double coat

C/P: any except chocolate, sable, lavender, lilac, cinnamon, fawn or pointed

Type: Natural

Body: Moderately long

Coat: Short

C/P: Spotted Tabby

Type: Hybrid (Abyssinian x Siamese x American Shorthair)

Body: Moderate

Coat: Short

C/P: Any

Eyes: Blue

Type: Mutation

Body: Foreign

Coat: Short or long

C/P: any

Eyes: Green or blue, not crossed

Type: Hybrid (Siamese x ?)

Body: Cobby

Coat: Long & thick

C/P: Any, pointed Persians are called Himalayan

Type: Natural

Body: Foreign

Coat: Hairless or brush

C/P: Any

Type: Hybrid (Oriental Shorthair x Donskoy)

Body: Medium

Coat: Short or long

C/P: Spotted or ticked tabby

Tail: 2” to hock length

Type: Hybrid (bobcat x domestic cat)

Body: Cobby

Coat: Medium to long

C/P: any

Type: Bred from one very friendly cat

Body: Moderately long

Coat: Long

C/P: Bi-color, van, colorpoint, mitted patterns; seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, red, cream; must have points

Eyes: Blue

Type: Bred from one very friendly cat

Body: Medium

Coat: long or short, curly

C/P: Any

Ears: curled back

Type: Mutation

Body: Medium, fine-boned

Coat: Short, double coat

C/P: Blue

Type: Natural

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Body: Moderate

Coat: Short

C/P: Brown spotted tabby

Type: Hybrid (Geoffrey’s Cat x Domestic Cat)

Developed by WSU for Leukemia research

B ody: Semi-foreign

Coat: short to medium

C/P: black, brown spotted tabby, silver spotted tabby, black smoke

Type: Hybrid (African Serval Cat x Domestic Cat)

Body: Medium

Coat: short or long

C/P: Any except chocolate, lavender, pointed

Ears: Small & folded

Type: Mutation

Body: Semi-foreign

Coat: Short

C/P: Spotted tabby, solid black, Silver/Smoke

Type: Hybrid (Bengal x Oriental)

Body: Foreign

Coat: Short or long

C/P: Van, white with any solid color, tail must be a solid color

Type: Hybrid (Siamese x Oriental)

Body: Medium

Coat: short or long; curly

C/P: Any

Type: Mutation

Body: Foreign

Coat: Short

C/P: Seal, chocolate, blue or lilac; pointed

Type: Natural

Body: Cobby

Coat: long, triple coat

C/P: Any

Type: Natural

Body: Semi-Cobby, small

Coat: Short

C/P: Sepia agouti, no white

Type: Natural

Body: Semi-foreign

Coat: Short

C/P: Pointed mitted, pointed bicolor

Eyes: Blue

Type: Hybrid (Siamese x American Shorthair)

Body: Semi-foreign

Coat: Very short, no undercoat

C/P: Brown ticked or classic tabby

Type: Natural

Body: Semi-foreign

Coat: Medium-long, double coated

C/P: Ruddy, red, blue or fawn ticked tabby

Type: Natural or mutation

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Body: Medium

Coat: appears hairless

C/P: any

Type: Mutation

Body: Foreign

Coat: very short

C/P: Pointed

Eyes: Blue

Type: Natural

Sometimes called the “traditional Siamese”

Body: Medium

Coat: Medium short

C/P: Mink, solid or pointed

Type: Hybrid (Siamese x Burmese)

Body: Medium

Coat: Short

C/P: Tabby with “glitter”

Type: Hybrid (Bengal x Domestic Shorthair)

Body: Semi-Foreign

Coat: Long; single coat

C/P: Any except chocolate, lavender; pointed

Type: Natural

Body: Moderately long

Coat: Semi-long with no undercoat

C/P: red, cream, black or blue in solid, tabby or tortoise shell; must have van pattern

Type: Natural

Body: Medium

Coat: Semi-long

C/P: chocolate or lavender in any pattern; may have white

Type: Selective natural