Cats, Cats, and more Cats! part three

Hi my friends!

Here is the last part of the cat blog where I introduce you to some more short hair cats and even a hairless cat. Enjoy!



RUSSIAN BLUE



History: This cat originated in Russia, hence the name Russian Blue. It was brought to Europe via sailors and their ships.

Temperament: The Russian Blue are loving, gentle, and quiet. They are a little on the shy side and don't like noisy households. They get very attached to their owners and are quite content to be confined to the house as long as they are with their favorite human.

Description: They have a long and graceful body with long legs. The coat is short, silky, and very thick. The tail is long and tapered. The head is a short wedge with ears that are large and pointed. The eyes are almond-shaped and wide apart. When they walk, they appear to be walking on tip toes.

Color: Just like the Korat, the Russian Blue comes in the color blue only.



CHARTREUX



History: The Chartreux has been around since the 13th century and was found in the mountains of Syria. The Carthusian monks kept them to keep the rodents out of the monasteries.

Temperament: The Chartreux is a super sweet breed with quick reflexes. They are athletic, playful, and sociable. They are very suitable for a household with dogs and kids.

Description: Chatreux have a stocky but muscular body with short, stocky legs. The head is round with round, golden eyes and medium size ears, set wide apart. Their lips point upwards on both sides, giving the impression that they smile. They have a very thick and water resistant topcoat and a very dense undercoat. Unfortunately, that brings with it a lot of shedding.

Colors: Just like the Korat and the Russian Blue, the Chartreux comes in blue only.



SCOTTISH FOLD



History: As the name suggest, the Scottish Fold was first seen in Scotland and is the result of a naturally occurring gene mutation.

Temperament: The Scottish Fold is a sweet and gentle breed. They are good with kids, other cats, and even dogs.

Description: They have a moderate body type, similar to the Manx with a thick and resilient coat. The ears are set wide apart and are folded forward and downward. The eyes are large, round, and can be of any color. The head has a completely flat appearance.

Colors: The Scottish Fold comes in any color and variation of markings.



SINGAPURA



History: The Singapura came from Singapore and originally was called the Drain Cat because it lived in gutters. It is a rather small cat.

Temperament: What it lacks in size, it makes up in personality. They are sweet, loving, and affectionate. However, they can be a little reserved at times.

Description: It is a small cat that is heavier than it looks. The coat looks similar to that of an Abyssinian. The ears are large, slightly pointed, and wide at the base. The eyes are large and almond-shaped and the head is round with a blunt muzzle.

Colors: The ticked coat is similar to that of an Abyssinian and comes in similar colors.



SNOWSHOE



History: This is a crossbreed between a Siamese and an American bi-color Short Hair which provided the gene necessary for the white paws.

Temperament: The Snowshoe is a sweet-natured cat, laid back, and intelligent. They make a great pet in a laid back household.

Description: They are quite large with a short, close-lying coat. The eyes are large, almond-shaped and always blue. The head is a medium triangular wedge with a distinct break in the nose.

Colors: They come in all the colors that Siamese and Himalayans come in but the muzzle and paws must be white.



TONKINESE



History: This is a crossbreed between a Siamese and a Burmese. The breeding program was developed in the late 1960s and early 1970s in North America.

Temperament: They are outgoing, friendly, and affectionate. Very inquisitive, they will be into anything and everything.

Description: Tonkinese are not as long and elegant as a Siamese but not as chunky as a Burmese either. The body is medium size and muscular with a short wedge-shaped head. The ears are large and rounded. The eyes are large and oval-shaped. The coat is short and dense.

Colors: They come in all the colors of the Burmese and with all the color points of the Siamese.



BURMESE



History: The first Burmese came to the United States from the Far East in 1930 as part of a breeding program. It was a small, brown female by the name of Wong Mau. The program had a very slow start because it lacked a male Burmese. When the program finally did take off, the Burmese became quite popular due to the fact that their voices are not as loud as that of the Siamese.

Temperament: Burmese are very loyal, outgoing, and don't like to be left alone. They like to be in the middle of everything and are very good retrievers. They also enjoy the company of another cat or dog greatly. So it is best to give them a cat or dog companion. They are playful and trusting. They should be indoor cats because they are so trusting and can easily end up being stolen. Burmese are also great escape artists and could have taught Houdini a lesson or two.

Description: Burmese are medium size, sturdy, and very muscular. The head is round with wide-set, medium size ears. The nose shows a distinct break and the eyes are almond-shaped and yellow. The coat is short and close-lying.

Colors: The come in sable, blue, champagne, platinum, red, cream, and tortie.



BOMBAY



History: The Bombay is a crossbreed between a black American Short Hair and a Burmese. They originated in 1958.



Temperament: Bombay love attention and are true lap cats. They are not shy at all and are good with other cats, dogs, and kids. They are playful and like to jump. Just wave a toy in front of a Bombay and they will try to reach the ceiling.

Description: Bombay have a small, muscular body that feels heavier then it appears. The head is round with a short muzzle. The legs are short and stocky with the hind legs slightly longer than the front. The nose is very short and the ears are medium size and wide set. The eyes are large, round and amber in color. The coat is short and silky.

Colors: The only color the Bombay comes in is deep black.


SIAMESE


History: The Siamese is one of the oldest breeds. They were once sacred cats guarding Buddhist temples. In ancient times it was an offense, punished by death for one of the cats to be stolen or let alone taken out of Siam. They did finally make it to the west and are now, along with Persians and Burmese, the most popular pedigree cats.

Temperament: Siamese are a very vocal and outgoing breed. Very noisy and demanding, they are the kind of cat you either adore or hate. They have a real need to be part of the family and don't like to be left alone for long. This cat will give you life-long devotion.

Description: The body of a Siamese is long, slim, and muscular with long, elegant legs. The tail is long and tapered. The head is a long wedge with no visible break in the nose. The ears are large, wide at the base, and set well apart. The eyes are almond-shaped with a slant and of a deep blue color. The coat is short, sleek, and fine textured. The color points are restricted to the face, ears, legs, and tail which are the cooler parts of the body. If a Siamese had surgery on a part of its body, the fur will temporarily darken in this area. Also, Siamese living in warmer climates tend to have paler coats than those living in cooler regions.

Colors: The main body should be a pale cream color with color points in seal, chocolate, blue, lilac, cream, and lynx.



JAVANESE


History: The Javanese is a gross breed between a Siamese and a Balinese. They became a recognized breed in 1979.

Temperament: Javanese are extremely affectionate, playful, and intelligent. They are as vocal as a Siamese and don't like to be left alone much.

Description: Javanese have a similar body as the Siamese but with a plumed tail and a medium length coat.

Colors: The Javanese come in the same colors as the Siamese


BALINESE


History: The Balinese have the same history and are a long-haired version of the Siamese. They were officially recognized as a breed in 1963.

Temperament: The introduction of the longhair gene somewhat modified the behavior of the Balinese. They are less vocal and not as boisterous as the Siamese.

Description: The body of the Balinese is the same as that of the Siamese except that the coat is long and silky with a plumed tail.

Colors: The Balinese comes in the same color points as the Siamese.


SPHYNX


History: This breed is a naturally occurring mutation, first seen in 1966 in Canada. The breeding program was established to produce a continuous line of completely hairless cats.


Temperament: The Sphynx is outgoing, loves people and is as naughty, and mischievous as the Rex. Surprisingly, they don't suffer much from the cold. They are highly intelligent and trainable. I once knew a family that had two Sphynx, trained to use a human toilet and flush it afterwards. If you think you have seen it all, just watch a hairless cat balance on the rim of a toilet and then flush it. Unfortunately, the owners had to turn off the water because they would make a game out of it and flush the toilet all day long.

Description: The body of a Sphynx feels hard and muscular with long, slim legs, slender neck, and a long, tapered tail. The head is longer than it is wide with large, wide set ears. The nose has no distinct break and the eyes are oval-shaped. They completely lack fur of any kind, even whiskers. However, pigmentation and pattern of the skin is present.

Colors: The Sphynx comes in skin toned with dark pigmentation in various patterns.



Well, my friends, this concludes the last part of the cat blog where I told you more about short hair cats and even a hairless cat. I would like to encourage you to visit a cat show where you can see all these lovely felines, learn more about their personalities, and their distinctions. Every cat show has a non-pedigree category as well and you might want to consider entering your own lovely feline in the show. They also have many vendors with unique and beautiful cat related items. It is definitely a worth while afternoon of learning and fun.
There is also a great book, called CATS, written by David Alderton. It is a visual guide to more than 250 types of cats from around the world with lots of useful information and great pictures.


Love and Peace,

Tiny