Cat breeds

Abyssinian

Other name: Bunny cat

The Abyssinian is a tireless player. 

He is constantly on the move, without making much noise or mayhem. The Abyssinian is elegant. He has an almost perfectly sculpted body. Its fur is very popular. It is short, warm and particularly elastic to the touch. It also reflects sunlight. This breed of cat has a very easy character. The Abyssinian does not like solitude, enjoys spending time with his owner to whom he is totally devoted. It requires tenderness, but also attention. His many meows while rubbing against his legs attest to this.

History of the breed

The Abyssinian is one of the oldest cat breeds. However, its origin is not very clear. Some claim that this cat originated from Asia, while the agouti-colored coat (light and dark hair) is oddly absent from this region. Another story, perhaps more serious, says that the Abyssinian is a descendant of the sacred cat from ancient Egypt, to the time of the Pharaohs. It would even seem that Ramses II had one. We thus find the drawing of this cat on many Egyptian tombs.

Marshal Sir Robert Napier brought the first Abyssinian cat back to Europe in 1868. The latter is called Zula. It was exhibited in 1871 at the Crystal Palace in London. The breeders then decide to work on this breed of cat. They cross it with the British Shorthair in particular. Also called bunny Cat because of its large ears. The Abyssinian was recognized as a breed in 1882. It was exported across the Atlantic to the United States at the beginning of the 19th century. In France, it appeared for the first time in 1926 before being recognized in 1927. Since the second half of the 20th century, the Abyssinian cat has been officially red in color.

Physical features

His body: The Abyssinian's build is average, but particularly muscular. He is slender, flexible and the males are slightly larger than the females.

His coat: The Abyssinian has a short, dense, smooth coat. A very appreciable fur that is similar to that of rabbits. Its dorsal band is slightly more provided.

Its color: Only a ticked cat can claim to be Abyssinian. It is thus agouti. Her dress can be declined in 28 different colors, be it Blue, Hare, Sorrel, Fawn or Red.

His head: It presents soft curves. Its head is triangular. His nose is quite short. Its face is proportionate to the rest of the body.

His eyes: They are large, almond-shaped and varying in color from yellow to hazelnut, sometimes with green.

His Ears: The Abyssinian's ears are large, rather pointed. They are bent slightly forward and have short, recumbent hairs.

Its tail: Tapered and proportional to the rest of the body. It is quite thick at the base.

The American Bobtail 

The American Bobtail is a fairly new cat, mostly known in the United States and still little in Europe. However, this is an adorable cat, very gentle and delicate with his owner, sometimes a pot-of-glue, who behaves like a dog. It does not present any health problem and its 2 varieties, short-haired and medium-long haired, are not difficult to maintain.

History of the breed

The American Bobtail is not descended from the Japanese Bobtail at all. Its story takes place almost exclusively in the United States. At least, that's where we find its origin around 1965. In reality, the American Bobtail born of a "marriage" between a long-tailed cat and Yodi, a brown tabby cat discovered by John and Branda Sanders on an Indian reservation, Arizona. They decided to bring him home and pair him up and therefore mate him with this female.

Several kittens, from the same litter, wore a short tail. A friend of this couple, Mindy Shultz, took a more serious look at this new breed, determined to have it recognized. This was the case in 1989 although the breed remains under development.

Physical features

His body: The American Bobtail is of medium to large size. He is muscular, athletic and gives off an impression of power. It is semi-cobby format. His body is longer than it is tall. He has a full chest and strong hips. Males are usually more heavily built than females, which retain a certain femininity.

His coat: The American Bobtail comes in 2 varieties: a first short haired and a second medium haired. Each time, the hair is shaggy and rather thick on the collar, tail, stomach and hindquarters. Tufts of hair are there at the level of the legs for the long-haired variety. A seasonal variation is allowed in the medium-long haired subject, it is notable in the short-haired subject.

Its color: The American Bobtail standard is not very difficult since it accepts all colors in all possible formats in this cat.

His head: It is large, without the slightest flat surface. Its powerful jaws are visible. In profile, we see a head with a slightly curved nose and a slight stop. The cheeks are full and the chin is strong.

His eyes: They are large, fairly wide, oval in shape and at an angle to the base of the ear. The color is often matched with that of the dress, as uniform as possible.

Ears: The American Bobtail's ears are medium in size, broad at their base, wide open, and set fairly low. A little rounded with plumes at their end.

Its tail: It is quite short since it measures between 2 and 10 cm. It never goes beyond the point of the hock.

*Behavior and character

A little wild in appearance, like the Lynx or the Bengal, the American Bobtail is very gentle, strongly devoted to his master and his adoptive family. He is quite playful, quite active, and likes to hang out in the apartment or hang out on the family sofa from time to time. He enjoys the company of children. That of fellow creatures and other animals does not bother him either. Note that he has a behavior that brings him closer to the dog, which makes him quite often called a "cat-dog". Indeed, it can sometimes turn out to be a glue with its owner. He loves the latter and is ready for any sacrifice. He knows how to adapt to all environments and lifestyles. Either way, he can't stand loneliness at all

*life conditions

The American Bobtail does not have a great need for physical activity. Therefore, living in an apartment suits him perfectly, as long as it has a balcony so that he can go and breathe the outside air from time to time. Obviously, he will need accessories such as a cat tree or a scratching post, which are essential for his personal development. He is a calm cat who would rather laze around on a couch than go out for a run.

*Health

The American Bobtail, in addition to being an excellent company, does not present a major concern for pathologies. It is not known to be hereditary. It therefore has a strong ability to resist diseases. However, it should be vaccinated against the usual pathologies of cats that are likely to develop, namely rabies, typhus, leucosis and coryza.

*Maintenance and hygiene

Due to a fairly dense undercoat, the American Bobtail requires regular maintenance but not complicated since only one weekly brushing is enough for its happiness. There is no need to do more, especially for the short-haired breed.

Except during the moulting period, brushing should be done regularly but not with pronounced determination. You have to be gentle in this exercise to preserve your coat and undercoat. It is possible to check the condition of his ears and eyes from time to time to avoid any risk of an infection developing.

*Food

The American Bobtail is easily satisfied with a processed food made from high quality kibble or cat food. Note that due to its low activity, you should be careful with your diet and not give it more than it can ingest. At the risk of becoming overweight or even obese, which is not recommended for his health.

*Siamese

Native to Thailand, the Siamese is a medium-sized, handsome and elegant cat, with a beautiful light coat paired with much darker ends. His liveliness and intelligence are well known, as is his very special temperament. It is, in fact, a feline with a strong character, but also and above all quite changeable. He alternates phases of extreme kindness and capricious moments. The Siamese is also renowned for the great attachment it shows towards its owner, as well as for its marked and frequent meowing.

*History of the breed

The origins of Siamese go back to the 15th century, if not even the 14th century, if we are to believe the manuscripts dating from that time and discovered in Ayutthaya, capital of the Kingdom of Siam (present-day Thailand). The German zoologist Peter Simon Pallas (1741-1811) also evoked cats with characteristics similar to those of the Siamese, present in Asia during this period.

2 cats still unknown at the time, having the appearance of the Siamese, were presented during the Great Exhibition at the Crystal Palace in London in 1871. During the 1885 edition, a couple of Siamese, named Pho and Mia, attracted the attention of visitors. They belonged to the sister of Major Gould, the British consul in Bangkok, who brought them back from Thailand to give them to him.

Recognized 4 years later, the breed began to gain popularity in the interwar years. The early Siamese of the time were mainly seal point, chocolate, blue and lilac point cats also began to be selected.

On both sides of the Atlantic, slightly different developments of the breed have emerged. If, among breeders in the United States, we prioritized the elegance of the body and the length of the head, among those in England, we preferred rather lower attached ears and larger, as well as an eye shape eastern.

Several other cat breeds were then created from the Siamese: the Balinese, the Himalayan, the Havana, the Oriental or the Mandarin.

The Siamese breed was recognized by the Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFé) in 1945

*Particularités physiques

His body: elegant, with a fine frame and well-developed musculature. The neck is relatively long and slender, the legs long, the feet slender and oval in shape.

His coat: short, shiny, lying flat on the body, silky to the touch, without undercoat.

Its color: all the colors of the ends (colourpoint) that are the mask, the ears, the legs and the tail, contrasting with that of the body, are allowed.

Its head: wedge-shaped, it is triangular when seen from the front. The muzzle is fine, the profile straight and the chin well marked.

Her eyes: almond shaped and an intense blue. They give the cat a typical oriental look.

His ears: large in size, wide at their attachment, fitting into the triangular shape of the head.

Its tail: thin and elongated, it is part of the continuity of the long body conformation. It ends in a point

*Behavior and character

The Siamese is a cat who, in his behavior, often goes to the extreme. He is also moody. Thus, he can be very gentle and endearing one day, then become much more capricious the next. And to make himself understood, he does not hesitate to speak up. He is indeed an extremely talkative feline. This is a factor to take into account when adopting one, as this characteristic can be annoying at times.

For the rest, the Siamese is a pleasant companion. He knows how to give affection, he who is very attached to his master and likes to follow him everywhere. He is also particularly athletic and, as such, needs frequent stimulation by interactive activities, games and toys. A large cat tree at his disposal also allows him to fully express his athleticism and agility.

Social and endowed with a strong personality, the Siamese is a cat who does not like solitude. Combined with boredom, the latter is likely to lead to unwanted behavior such as destruction

*life conditions

The Siamese cat can cope with most living environments, as long as he has enough to take care of and enjoys some freedom of movement in a secure environment. He can therefore lead a very happy and fulfilling life in an apartment if he is regularly stimulated, has the opportunity to explore his surroundings and remains active.

The Siamese also need a clean space, where they can isolate themselves when they feel the need and find some peace of mind.

*health

Although generally healthy, the Siamese cat can be prone to certain predispositions to disease. One of these is amyloidosis, characterized by the build-up of protein deposits following a failure in protein dissolution. These deposits, called amyloid substances, affect the functioning of the affected organs. Usually the kidneys and liver are affected in cats. Amyloidosis is also a major contributor to feline diabetes.

Another of the diseases affecting the Siamese is aortic stenosis. It is a congenital heart disease defined by a stricture causing a defect in the ejection of blood into the aorta

*Maintenance and hygiene

The maintenance of the Siamese does not involve any particular difficulty. It’s the same as most cats, with basic daily grooming and others like brushing, which is done once a week.

Weekly brushing helps maintain a healthy coat and skin, while reducing any hairballs that may form in his digestive tract. Hygiene measures for Siamese cats also include maintaining their claws, especially if they do not go out often, and regularly cleaning the area around their eyes and ears. It can be washed occasionally if it has become too soiled, provided you have accustomed it to the baths in your youth and you use a suitable cat shampoo

*Food

The Siamese's diet is no different from that of cats of other breeds. It should be based largely on meat. The quality of animal proteins must be high. It is also important to ensure that the kitten has a sufficient intake of phosphorus, calcium and vitamin D, otherwise disorders could occur during the constitution of its skeleton.

*Note: About 60 cat breeds have been identified through various cat records.