History of Pet Cats

Cats as a type of animal have been around for many thousands of years. While dogs were tamed about 25,000 years ago, cats proved to be far more wily. They treasured their independence far too much to become tame. However, about 4,000 years ago, the Egyptians figured it out - they treated the cats like gods! They gave the cats the best of food, put out the finest cushions for the cats to sit on. The cats of course loved this treatment. In return, the cats kept the homes rat-free. Considering how many diseases were carried by rats, and how big a problem rats were back in those days, it was a perfect relationship.

Fast forward to today, we have bred over 40 different recognized breeds today, as well as many mixed breed cats.

Cats are not that far off from the other "cat" creatures out there - tigers, lions, panthers, and so on. Their bodies are in essence the same shape, just a bit smaller. They mark their territory. They like to live in small groups, but they like to hunt and eat alone. They defend their territory from strange cats.

Pet Cat Senses

Eyesight
Cats are excellent hunters, and are wonderful at night particularly. They have huge eyes which let them gather up every tiny bit of light that might exist, from stars or even a sliver of the moon. Their eyes have a lining called "tapetum lucidum" which causes any light in the area to bounce around in their eyes. That means that they can sense movement even in the darkest of rooms.
Some people thought that that cats could only see in black and white. This isn't true - but they do see primarily in blue and green, because these are the colors best seen in the dark. They are best at seeing movement.


Hearing
When cats hunt little mice and critters, they have to be able to hear every move that is made. Their ears can hear up to 70,000 hertz - higher than dogs, and far higher than us humans who can only hear to 20,000 hertz.

Smell
Cats do have a sense of smell of course. When they have a strange scent, they take tiny, short sniffs, to let the aromas go across their nose properly.

Touch
Cats have an incredible sense of touch - especially in their whiskers. Their whiskers are specially formed so that they know exactly the size of the cat. That way if a cat goes into a dark tunnel, as long as the whiskers fit into the tunnel the cat knows that its body will fit as well. They can even sense air movements, to know where fresh air is coming from or if a creature causes the air to stir.

Pet Cat Breeds

About 4,000 years ago there was only one type of pet cat - the North African Wild Cat, tamed by the Egyptians. Over the next 4,000 years, cat owners have worked hard at breeding their cats to promote certain traits. The results are that in modern times we have 41 recognized individual breeds of cats - all developed from those initial one-type pets. Pretty neat!



Long Haired Cats

• American curl
• Balinese
• Birman
• Cymric
• Himalayan
• Javanese
• Kashmir
• Maine coon cat
• Norwegian forest cat
• Oriental longhair
• Persian
• Ragdoll
• Somali
• Turkish Angora
• Turkish Van
  

Short Haired Cats

• Abyssinian
• American curl shorthair
• American shorthair
• American wirehair
• Bombay
• British shorthair
• Burmese
• Chartreux
• Colorpoint shorthair
• Cornish rex
• Devon rex
• Egyptian mau
• Exotic shorthair
• Havana brown
• Japanese bobtail
• Korat
• Manx
• Ocicat
• Oriental shorthair
• Russian blue
• Scottish fold
• Siamese
• Singapura
• Snowshoe
• Sphynx
• Tonkinese

Turkish Van

Turkish Van is a rare and ancient breed that developed in central and southwest Asia, which today encompasses the countries of Iran, Iraq, southwest Soviet Union and eastern Turkey. “Van” is a common term in the region that has been given to a number of towns, villages and even a lake - Lake Van - so it is no surprise that the uniquely patterned cat native to the region was named the “Vancat” by the residents. They were first brought to England in 1955 as the Turkish cats, but this was later changed to Turkish Van to avoid confusion with the Turkish Angora. Although the breed has an ancient lineage, the Turkish Van is a relative newcomer to the United States, arriving in 1982. They are considered regional treasures in their homeland, and are not readily available for export to other countries. Even in areas where the breed has been known for centuries, they are still relatively rare.

Turkish Van Appearance

The van is a large white semi longhaired cat with coloured markings on the head and tail. It is referred to a a piebald cat. The coat has a cashmere texture and does not have an undercoat. The coat is also water resistant which goes hand in hand with one of their personality traits of having a fascination with water.

Turkish Van Personality

The Turkish Van is extremely intelligent and imaginative. A Turkish cat is very lively, loving and demonstrative pet. They frequently chatter in answer to their owners, more often than not getting the last word in.

Turkish Van cats often retrieve toy mice, balls and crumpled paper, and will exhaust their owners long before they tire themselves.

An intriguing aspect of Turkish Vans is their insatiable curiosity for water, A few are not interested but the majority can be found dipping their paws, toys and bedding in water bowls, or sitting in sinks and baths waiting for the tap to be turned on. They will also assist with rituals like dishwashing and often sit entranced while their owners are showering.

Sphinx

Sphynx History

There have been many occurrences of hairless cats throughout history. The modern day Sphynx started in Toronto, Canada in 1966 with the birth of a hairless cat. During the 1970's several more hairless cats were born. After this time, the breed was developed principally in Europe.

Sphynx Suitability

Sphynx are suitable for active households as they crave human attention. Sphynx are very active and love to the centre of attention, they are not suited to people wanting a quiet docile cat.

Due to their unique characteristics they do require special maintenance including a weekly routine of bathing, trimming nails and cleaning ears.

Sphynx also may require extra heating during the colder months. This can usually be achieved through the use of heat mat (depending on your temperature extremes).

Sphynx Appearance

Sphynx cats and kittens are not totally hairless as they have a peach fuzz over much of their body. Their coat is often described as a warm chamois. For this reason many owners describe them as their living hot water bottle.

Sphynx have normal cat proportions. However as they lack fur their ears are more pronounced and their tail is often described as a rats tail.

Sphynx Colours

They come in all the usual colour varieties including, tortoiseshell, chocolate, black, blue, lilac, chocolate etc.

Somali

Fun, bubbly, affectionate, clever, confident and very attractive. Sounds like the perfect party guest? Of course it does, and I am talking about the Somali cat. They are not only delightful guests but also live-in companions, as they love to help with the housework!

It appears that longhairs had been appearing in Abyssinian litters for many years and from the 1960s onward several dedicated breeders in Australia, the USA and England worked to attain full recognition and acceptance of the semi-longhaired cousin of the Abyssinian. The Somali is now accepted in registries worldwide. Breed Standards (the description of the ideal breed specimen) closely resemble the Abyssinian’s aside from the coat length.


Somali Appearance and Colours
The Somali has an elegant, athletic build that is medium in size. Males tend to weigh in at 4 - 5 kg, females slightly smaller. The face retains the tabby markings of the 'M' on the forehead, however the rest of the cat should be free of tabby markings. The ears are large and pricked forwards and the expression is alert and curious. Eyes can be green or amber, the richer colour the better.

In Australia Somalis are commonly available in the four eumelanistic colours of Tawny (called ruddy in the USA, usual in the UK), Cinnamon (also called sorrel), Blue and Fawn The above four colours are also possible in a silver version, called respectively Black Silver, Cinnamon Silver, Blue Silver and Fawn Silver. In silver colours, a particular gene inhibits the base coat colour, leaving the ticking on a white undercoat. Each colour has its own special appeal. In some states chocolate and chocolate silver are being bred.


Somali Coat
The coat of the Somali really attracts attention the ticking gives a wild appearance that is very unusual for a longer haired cat. Each hair has bands of contrasting colour. The Somali coat is longest in the breeches, and the lovely ruff. A real feature of the Somali is the tail, which has earned them the name the Feline Fox. The beautiful coat is very easy to care for, due to the silky texture that does not have a tendency to matt. A weekly comb is all that is needed to keep the Somali looking and feeling good, and the cats enjoy this.

Singapura

The Singapura are affectionate, and outwardly friendly, no one is a stranger to them. They are however very quiet cats, with soft gentle voices. They love human company.

They make perfect housecats with no need or interest in going outside. They are very small in size. Singapuras are gentle cats, but they are also playful and remain so, throughout their lives - even older cats enjoy a good game.

Singapura are mischievous and inquisitive, meaning that they will investigate anything thoroughly. They are very quick witted, able to adapt and learn, intelligent, lightning fast and genuinely tough and hardy. They get on well with children and other pets.

Singapura Coat and Colours

Singapura's have a ticked sepia coat. They come in one colour brown/beige referred to as either brown ticked agouti or sepia agouti. The Singapura's eyes can be bold green or amber. The coat is short and silky and doesn't require a lot of grooming.

Siamese

The Siamese is easily recognisable by its distinctive colouring and almond shape brilliant blue eyes. They are a very sleek cat with coloured points on their ears, face, tail and feet. The Siamese is a small to medium sized slender and elegant cat with a long body, neck and tail with a long wedge shaped head

Siamese Point Colors

The point colors are the color of the face, ears, tail and feet. Siamese point colors can be Seal, Chocolate, Blue, Lilac, Cinnamon, Fawn, Red, Cream, Apricot or Caramel. The points can also be Tortie and Tabby (or Lynx)

Scottish Fold

In 1961 a Scottish shepherd named William Ross saw a white barn cat named Susie with the distinctive folded ears on his neighbour's farm . William and his wife Mary obtained a white female kitten from Susie's next litter which also had folded ears. They named the kitten Snooks and all Scottish folds of today can trace their pedigrees to her.

Scottish Fold Appearance

The first thing you notice about a Scottish Fold cat are that its ears are folded forward and downward.

The Scottish Fold is a very unique and delightful cat with a sweet temperament. They require minimal care to maintain health and vigour. The Fold has developed a look all it's own, being a medium cat with a rounded, well-padded body and a soft, dense coat. The eyes are round, broadly spaced, giving an innocent and sweet expression.

Scottish Fold Information

Scottish Fold kittens are not born with folded ears but by about three to four weeks of age the ears begin to fold. There are degrees of folding, usually described as a single, double, or triple fold.

Not all Scottish Fold kittens to a litter will be born with folded ears. Most breeders use a straight eared cat usually the British Shorthair as an outcross and therefore some of the kittens in the litter will have straight ears and some will have folded ears. The straight eared kittens are known as Scottish Shorthairs.

The folded ear is produced by an incomplete dominant gene and is the result of a spontaneous mutation. The gene causing the folding of the ears was a non-lethal mutation, a single dominant gene (possibly an incomplete dominant). The responsible gene appears to manifest itself in the cartilage in the ears and may affect cartilage development elsewhere in the body

The folding of the ears occurs on a gene that affects the development of the spine, which is why two Scottish Folds should never be bred, as the resulting kittens could be born with spinal and leg deformities. Early in the development of this breed a degenerative joint disease was discovered to be linked with breeding folded-eared cats to folded-eared cats. Because of this, ethical breeders will only breed straight-eared cats to folded- eared cats. Scottish Folds who are the products of folded-ear to straight-ear breedings seldom if ever develop joint disease.

Ragdoll

The overall picture of the Ragdoll cat is that of a large muscular body, especially in males, large blue eyes, with an aesthetically pleasing solid head and body. Their coat comes in two lengths, one is short the other, medium/long. Both coats are soft and luxurious to touch, similar to that of rabbit fur.

They are a 'floppy' cat as the name Ragdoll suggests and they tend to go limp when you pick them up.

The Ragdoll's fur is non matting so they require very little maintenance and are generally a very healthy breed with no known major health problems.

Ragdoll Characteristics:

Ragdolls are born white and don't obtain their full colour until 2 years of age.

Ragdolls don't reach maturity until at least 3 years of age.

Neutered males weigh about 7-12 kilos and are a large muscular build.

Spayed females weigh about 5.5 - 8 kilos and are slightly smaller.

The Ragdoll's coat comes in two lengths, one is shorter, the other medium/long.

Ragdolls are a very healthy breed with no known major health problems.

Persian

Even people who know nothing about cats will usually be able to identify a Persian cat. They are the most recognizable of all cat breeds.

It is said that the ancestors of today's Persians were brought back from far away Persia along with silk, jewels and spices by explorers in the 17th century. They became a status symbol and were much sought after.

They were named Persians after their Country of origin. Their true origin is not completely known. References to Persians can be found in hieroglyphic records as early as 1684BC

Persian Cat Appearance

The Persian cat has a long flowing coat with luxurious full, soft wooly undercoat hairs with longer coarser guard hairs and a chunky body which is often referred to as 'cobby' Their legs are thick and stocky. Persians have round eyes set in a sweet round flat face.

Oriental

From the tip of its nose to the end of its long, whippy tail, the Oriental is a study in sleek design. This elegant cat gracefully glides across the room on its tall, slender legs. The lines of the Oriental's angular head flow into its large flaring ears, and are complimented by its almond shaped eyes. Don’t be fooled by the svelte, tubular body; these cats have surprising weight and muscle tone and are neither frail nor fragile.

Ocicat

The original Ocicat was the unexpected result of an experimental breeding in the USA over 40 years between an Abyssinian and a Siamese. The addition of the American shorthair to the original breed mix has provided genetic diversity giving us the beautiful and robust Ocicat. Ocicats are not prone to any genetic diseases.

Leopard Look-Alike:

The Ocicat has been bred specifically to look like a wild cat with its fabulous spotted sleek coat, rippling muscles, strong body and good solid build. The Ocicat is so named because of its resemblance to an Ocelot - but no wild blood has been used to produce this beautiful animal. Whilst the Ocicat looks wild, its temperament is anything but ferocious.

Coat and Appearance:

The Ocicat is a large, active cat with an athletic appearance. It is a very solidly built cat with a short, tight coat. The satin sheen shows off muscles and spots to their best advantage. The pattern on the coat is very special - the spots are like a thumbprint - the bigger the spots the better! The Ocicat coat comes in many beautiful colours, all of which are also repeated in the ‘silver’ series where the spots are highlighted on a silver background.

Their colours are -
• chocolate spotted,
• tawny spotted,
• cinnamon spotted,
• blue spotted,
• lavender spotted,
• fawn spotted,
• chocolate spotted silver,
• cinnamon spotted silver,
• blue spotted silver,
• lavender spotted silver,
• black spotted silver and
• fawn spotted silver

Norwegian Forest Cat

The Norwegian Forest Cat is a large muscular cat, a slow-maturing breed, taking 4 to 5 years to reach full size. The NFC's eyes are one of its prettiest features; they positively glow. They are large, expressive and almond shaped and the outer corner of the eye is tilted up to the base of the ear. Each time you see a NFC it is a feast for the eyes, with their bright green-gold eyes, long flowing coat, sweet-expressional faces and jaunty ear and toe trimmings.

A Norwegian Forest Cat in full coat is a sight to behold. Each time you touch their spun-silk soft coat it is a delight to the fingertips. NFC's have a double coat of fur in the winter. There is a seasonal change in their appearance, when they shed the thick undercoat. The outer coat resists water. Males and some females will develop a mane. Norwegian Forest Cats have a triangular face with a straight profile "ski slope nose". Their ears usually have tufts of long hair, as do their feet. The NFC holds its long fluffy tail up as if it were a beacon of light from a lighthouse... it seems to say, "Hey, I'm here".

Norwegian Forest cats chirp similar to racoons in the wild. They have a bird-like sound that they make when talking to each other. They don't meow unless they are trying to tell you something. Rather quiet compared to many cat breeds.

Maine Coon

One of the oldest natural breeds in North America, regarded as a native of the state of Maine (in fact, the Maine Coon is the official Maine State Cat) A number of attractive legends surround its origin. A wide spread (though biologically impossible) belief is that it originated from matings between semi -wild, domestic cats and raccoons. This myth, bolstered by the bushy tail and the most common colouring (a raccoon like brown tabby) led to the adoption of the name "Maine Coon." (originally only brown tabbies were as "Maine Shags.") Another popular theory is that the Maine sprang from the six pet cats which Marie Antoinette sent to Wiscasset, Maine when she was planning to escape from France during the French Revolution. Most breeders today believe that the breed originated in matings between pre-existing shorthaired domestic cats and overseas longhairs (perhaps Angora types introduced by New England seamen, or longhairs brought to America by Vikings).

Maine Coons were well established more than a century ago as a hardy, handsome breed of domestic cat, well equipped to survive the hostile New England winters. Nature is not soft-hearted. It selects the biggest, the brightest, the best fighters, the best hunters to breed successive generations. Planned breeding of Maine Coons are relatively recent. Since early breeding began Maine Coon breeders have sought to preserve the Maine Coon's "natural," rugged qualities. The ideal Maine Coon is a strong healthy cat.

Maine Coon Appearance

Maine Coons are a very large cat and it is not unusual for a male to weigh more than 9 kilos. The females weigh in at a little less. The Maine Coon has a long shaggy coat which is silky to feel. The Maine Coons coat is is water resistant and they are very easily groomed. Maine Coons have tufted ears and an extra long flowing tail.

Himalayan

The history of the Himalayan is well known and documented. Experimental breeding of Himalayans took place in the United States and England as far back as the early 1920's when the Persian and Siamese breeds were bred together, but actual recognition as a purebred cat did not come until 1957 in USA. The name Himalayan because their coat patterns were similar to that of the rabbits and goats with the same colouring found in the Himalayans in Asia. Early Himalayan cats looked more like Siamese but now have the same head and body type as other Persians.

Himalayan Description

The Himalayan is one of the most popular of all Persians. They have a round head, short nose, large round eyes, small ears and heavy boned, cobby body of the Persian coupled with coloured points like Siamese. One of the most striking characteristics is their eye colour, which is vivid blue.

Exotic Shorthair

The Exotic Shorthair is the perfect cat for people who love the look and personality of the Persian cat but without the daily grooming. It is often referred to as the “Lazy Mans Persian”. That’s not to say that it never needs grooming and they love to sit on there owners lap and be brushed regularly, but it doesn’t matter if it’s not done every day.

The easiest way to describe an Exotic is to say it is a "shorthaired Persian"; the Exotic must conform to the Persian breed standard in every way except coat length. They have a round cobby body, short thick legs and round massive head, a flat face, short snub nose with large open nostrils and huge round eyes set wide apart. The difference is that the coat on an Exotic should be very soft and dense and stand away from the body due to its thickness.

Egyptian Mau

Egyptian Mau In Ancient Egypt

The exact origin of the Egyptian Mau is not documented and therefore cannot be known for certain. However, the popular belief is that the Egyptian Mau is an ancestor to the African Wild Cat. This belief is due to the Egyptian Mau’s remarkably similar appearance to the African Wild Cats. The African Wild Cats were also known to be in the same region where the Mau first appeared. No matter how they came about, once this breed was domesticated it became indispensable.
The Egyptian Mau is an elegant beauty that graced Ancient Egyptian art as early as 2200 B.C. Throughout most of the Ancient Egyptian timeline, these cats were seen as both loving companions to be treasured and valuable protectors to be honored and revered. Egyptian Maus were originally trained to hunt prey, such as birds and fish, and return the bounty to their humans. They were also taught to guard crops by keeping away small animals that would disturb them. Cats were held in such high regard that if anyone were to be caught killing a cat in this time period, they would be immediately stoned to death for their crime.

Egyptian Mau Appearance
The proper Egyptian Mau should look proportioned with an overall medium size. The face should be medium length, with a rounded muzzle. Adult males may also show jowls. The ears should rest well back on the head with sufficient space between them. The eyes should be large and almond shape. Gooseberry Green is the only acceptable eye color, however, many Egyptian Maus begin life with Amber colored eyes; the Egyptian Maus eyes are allowed to mature like a fine wine for up to eighteen months, changing from Amber to Gooseberry Green. Many times the majority of the iris will be Amber with a defined ring of Gooseberry Green around the pupil.
The feet of the Egyptian Mau are small and oval. There should be five toes on the front paws and four longer toes on the back paws. The shoulder blades should be visible and stand up higher than the back line. A loose skin on the stomach, or “belly flap,” is highly desirable. The tail should be medium at the base and have a slight taper as it extends outward. The back legs are higher than the front legs, but the Egyptian Mau should walk evenly regardless. These powerful legs allow the Egyptian Mau to reach speeds of over 30 miles per hour.
The Egyptian Mau showcases a scarab, or an “M,” on their forehead. The scarab turns into dorsal stripes at the back of the head and flow down to the tip of the tail. The tail also sports bands perpendicular to the dorsal stripe. The legs, both front and back, should also have bands, however, the leg bands do not need to flow evenly or be perfectly horizontal. At least one broken necklace should appear on the chest of the Egyptian Mau.
The Egyptian Mau’s spots do not need to make a pattern. They may be small and round, large and oblong, or any combination in between. Their spots should never make any type of tabby or mackerel pattern, and connected spots are undesirable. Silver and smoke Egyptian Maus should have black spots and stripes, where bronze Egyptian Maus should show dark brown markings. Oftentimes, the toes and ears are spotted as well. The ears may also have lynx tips without penalization.
Certain matings can result in producing kittens whose coats are either tarnished or cold. With Egyptian Maus, tarnished generally refers to a silver cat that has areas of fur that are bronze in coloring. Cold is often used to describe a bronze Egyptian Mau whose bronze coloring is not as dark as desired. Cold bronze was once another known as another color itself, called Pewter.

Devon Rex

The Devon Rex is a breed of unique appearance. Its large eyes, short muzzle, prominent cheekbones, curly whiskers and huge, low-set ears create a characteristic elfin look.

The Devon Rex is a fine to medium build, small cat. Females weigh an average of 2-3 kilos when full grown, and males range from 3-4 kilos. Although it may look fragile, the Devon Rex is a sturdy, agile and very muscular breed.

Another striking feature of the Devon Rex is its coat, which varies greatly between individuals. Devon Rex have a short, rippling coat, which is either fairly loose with a slight wave in the fur, or tight with a definite kink. The coat is velvety soft, being mainly "down" fur -although there are a few guard hairs, which break the smoothness (these guard hairs are also softer than those found in other cats).

Devon Rex kitten coats usually thin out (moult) one or more times during kittenhood. Generally a Devon Rex kitten born with a nice, curly coat will maintain a curly coat as an adult.

Cornish Rex

Once seen, never forgotten. The Cornish Rex cat is delightful, distinctively different, constantly charming and captivating. Rexes need people, and given a choice will spend most of their time with humans. When they are free to choose their own sleeping quarters, their first choice is the owners bed. This is partly due to their desire for warmth. Even tempered and very affectionate, they also appeal because of their extremely quiet voices.

It is hard to find words to do justice to all Cornish Rex fine qualities, but whether as a show cat or just as a pet, no-one could be immune to their magnificent coat. The Cornish Rex is truly one of natures miracles.

In personality, the Cornish Rex is extremely affectionate and people-oriented. They are also active cats whose kitten-like antics last for their lifetime and who can be very inventive in their play. The Cornish Rex is one of the few breeds which enjoy the crowds and excitement found at a cat show. Where other cats are frightened or annoyed by the many onlookers and the noise, the Cornish Rex watches with interest. They like people and they also like to participate in their activities. Using its paws like hands, a Cornish Rex can pick up small objects, and some have even learned to turn door knobs and open doors. Give a Cornish Rex a piece of string and watch it go into action. Its movements are, like its very body, a study in curves as it jumps, dances and rises up on its hind legs. Its keen intelligence is observable through the alert interest with which it regards people and their antics. Yet the same Rex who has just been gracefully flying through the air will be very happy to cuddle up on its owner's lap or, even better, right under his chin. Truly a study in contrasts, a Cornish Rex is one of the most versatile pets with a mood to match every occasion-it is truly a cat for all seasons. When not paid the proper amount of attention, the Cornish will make their feelings known.

Burmese

The Burmese is a strong, athletic and elegant short haired cat that carry surprising weight for its size and has often been described as "brick wrapped in silk." It has a fine, close, even, and glossy coat . Their coats are very short, satin-like in texture, and generally require little grooming other than daily petting. At maturity males are large, the females are more delicate and graceful, and the difference in weight between them may be two or three pounds.
The Burmese is a compactly built cat with a small round head and wide-set eyes which are yellow or golden. A Burmese's tail is tapered. The European Burmese is an elegant yet not so fragile cat. It is medium sized, has good bone structure and muscular development and very expressive eyes. The major difference between these breeds is the colours:

Burmese Colours

The Burmese cat has ten main recognised colours;

Brown - the original Burmese color, a rich warm seal brown.
Blue - a soft blue-gray with a silver sheen.
Chocolate - a warm milk chocolate.
Lilac - a pale delicate dove gray with a pinkish cast.
Red - tangerine.
Cream - cream with a distinct bloom on the head and back, giving a powdered effect.
Brown tortie - brown with shades of red.
Blue tortie - Blue with shades of cream.
Chocolate tortie - Chocolate with shades of red.
Lilac tortie - lilac with shades of cream.

British Shorthair

British Shorthairs are the ideal choice as a house cat. The average life span of these cats is 15-18 years, although many live past that age. They are a very hardy cat. British Shorthairs can be bred in over 30 different colours, although some colours are not readily available.

Despite its origin as a vagabond of no fixed address (or perhaps because of it) the British Shorthair now very much gravitate towards the comforts of home and hearth. Here it greatly enjoys snoozing and lounging around the house - and even when outdoors doesn't usually wander far from home. Having "fallen on its feet", this cool, calm and collected cat nowadays quietly embraces family life, while making a decorative, dignified and much loved member of the household. Home sweet home, in fact is just up its alley.

The British Shorthair breed, though slow to mature, will quickly win your heart