Types of Cats
There is no such thing as "Just a Cat".
Robert A Heinlein
All types of cats regardless of their origin have a unique look
and special characteristics and all of them deserve the same attention
and care.
There are several basic identifiable differences among
domestic cats such as hair length, coat color and coat pattern and
variations of eye color, which are common in Purebred cats and Pedigree
cats and in Mutt-Cats with natural variation as well.
Photo By: © Debi Bishop
On this page I use the term "types of cats" regarding the basic
differences among house cats as I mentioned above by using cat
fanciers/breeders cat terms for the types.
Domestic Longhaired Cat
Domestic Longhair orange and white cat
Photo by Geoff Doggett- Copyrigth: Public Domain
A 17 year old gray long haired cat sits by a window
with the sun shining in. Although he has all the markings of a
Norwegian Forest cat, he was born in a barn and adopted from an animal
shelter when he was 8 weeks old.
The term "domestic longhair" cat is used to describe a non pedigree
cat with long or medium fur. Domestic longhair types of cats appear in a
variety of colors like the beautiful orange and white colored cat
(“bi-color”) in the picture above, or the gray with green eyes, and many
more combinations like tabby, smoke, black or white etc.
Unlike
purebred cats, it's difficult to predict non pedigree cat's temperament
as a result of their mixed ancestry. Some cats can be quiet and docile
and others active and vocal, some are sociable while others are
independent. But this can also be an advantage since there are
incredibly beautiful cats among these types of cats that can adapt to
different environments and different families in contrast to purebred
cats, which tend to be less adaptable.
A very important thing
that any longhair cat owner should know is that all longhair cats need
to be brushed at least once a week to avoid mats and hairballs from
their coats and remove loose hair from the cats’ coats. Longhair cats
must be brushed regularly for their well-being.
Cats are famous
for their cleaning habits. When they groom themselves they swallow a lot
of dead hair from their coat. Some of the hair remains in the cat
stomach and slowly forms a hairball which the cat will "upchuck" in most
cases, but it also may create a blockage in their intestine that can be
dangerous. For this reason, if the cat refuses to eat for more than a
day or so or repeatedly tries to eat but regurgitates the food, call
your veterinarian immediately .Intestinal blockages are serious health
problems and require immediate medical attention.
Some words on Domestic Shorthaired Cat
"Domestic Shorthair", like "Domestic longhair" is a term used to
describe a non pedigree cat according to the cat's fur length. Shorthair
cats appear in all colors as well as just about every pattern. They can
be tabbies, tortoiseshell, tri-color, calicos, tuxedo (black and white)
or solid color cats. They can have different body types and facial
expressions, depending on the most prominent breeds in an individual
cat’s ancestry.
As with domestic longhair cats it's impossible to
predict their personality, which is as colorful as their coat colors
because of their mixed breeding. If you’re considering adopting a mixed
breed cat, consider adopting it from someone who already knows the
nature of the cat. Most kittens display their personalities early on,
and a responsible cat breeder will be able to help match the right cat
to your family.
It's much easier to take care of shorthair
cats’grooming since they need minimal hair brushing. However they still
need brushing to remove dead hair and occasional grooming even though
they are at significantly lesser risk to develop hairballs in their
stomach.
It turns out that domestic cats including shorthair are judged in cat shows. If you are interested you can visit CFA standard for Households Pets shows for information.
If
your cat doesn't meet the standards of cat shows but he is glorious in
your eyes and you love him for being your best company, I am sure that
you would like the following quotation that I feel expresses every cat
lover's emotion toward cats. If you’re still undecided about adopting a
cat, or unsure what breed of cat to adopt,these words may help you.
"You may not be able to purchase a pedigreed cat, but you can always find a short-haired kitten that needs a home. They have an intelligence which has been sharpened through many generations by the necessity of scrambling for a living, but hardships have not marred their native courtesy. Meet a cat on the street and it hardly ever fails to rise, to bow, and to utter a polite "P-r-r-t!" of greeting-except, of course, the poor strays whose experiences have made them distrust humanity".
Tricolor Cat
Photo:© Rachel
Pola-Tricolor Cat - My daily welcomed guest
Tricolor, Calico and Tortoiseshell receive their names from their
coat patterns. They all have a tricolor fur pattern, which must contain
all three of the following colors: orange, white and black (or blue).
A
true tricolor must have one of its colors derived from the red gene
(see the link below for more information). Only if all the three colors
are present in the cat's fur can it be called tricolor or tortoiseshell.
The
Tricolor and the Calico are only different names for the same type of
cat. The difference between Tricolor and Tortoiseshell is that in
Tortoiseshell the three colors are blended and don't form distinct
patches, while in Tricolor there is a significant amount of white, and
the other two colors are broken up into distinct patches.
Tricolor
cats are usually female. It is rare to find male tricolor cats due to
genetic determinations. There are also genetic explanations for the red
or orange color which characterize the tricolor type of cats.
If you want to learn about the genetic issues I recommend reading
"Torties, Calicos and Tricolor Cats" By Barbara French.
Calico Cat
Tortoiseshell Cat
White Cat
Why are White Cats white?
Most White Cats have white coat caused by a gene for white
coloration. Another cause for a white coat is a gene for white patching
which can be so extensive that the cat coat becomes entirely white.
For an explanation about the gene issue please visit
Genetic Example-White Cat
The
third group of white cats is the Albino that caused by lack of color
pigmentation that results in a translucent white coat and pink or very
pale blue eyes.
White Cats with blue eyes that have the white
color by the gene for white coloration have a high potential for
deafness. But since coat and eye color can be caused by different genes,
only some blue eyed whites are deaf.
If the white color is the
result of the gene of white patching the cat won't be deaf. Albino cats
are not necessarily linked with deafness as well.
For more information about white cats and deafness please visit
White Cats, Eye Colours And Deafness By Sarah Hartwell
Snow Cat
Photo: By Or Hilch
Copyrigth:creativecommons.org/licenses
The Snow Cat that turned out to be a Foreign White Cat
I have to admit that I didn’t know what type of cat a "Snow Cat"
is when I decided to add this charming white cat photo to the page. I
loved the photo with the Snow Cat title and I immediately started to
look for information about Snow Cat type. But soon I found out that the
term "Snow" is used to describe a kind of color in cats which breeders
say is affected by the colorpoint restriction gene.
But
since the cat in this picture looked to me very similar to the Siamese,
I kept searching and came across the Foreign White cat
type term. After comparing my picture with the pictures of the Foreign
White Siamese, I became more and more convinced that the "Snow Cat" in
my picture is none other than Foreign White cat breed.
However, I love this picture and I decided to leave it on this page with the original title, since the Foreign White's pure white color fur reminds me of shining white of snow.
Black Cat
What makes Black Cats to be Black
Black cats are black because of Gene Mutations. Gene Mutations.
Domestic
black cats are among 11 felidae species that express the black gene
mutation, Melanism. This gene mutation increases the presence of Melanin in an organism, which increases amount of dark pigmentation, thus causing the black color of the cat’s fur.
How does black color effects black cat's life?
First there is the black cat superstition black cat superstition
issue which often negatively influences a cat’s life. Unfortunately
many still associate black cats with witchcraft and evil, thus making
them easy targets for abuse and neglect.
A second effect is the
difficulty seeing their faces. It may be hard to see their beauty,
facial expressions and thus their personalities. It's difficult to
connect with an animal without being able to read its face. This lack of
connection often leads to a lack of sympathy and lack of home,
especially for non pedigree black cats.
But the good news for
anyone who cares about these lovely creatures is that black color may
provide resistance to some viral infections. A black cat’s chances of
surviving viral infections may be greater than that of mixed color cats.
For more information about the Melanism issue in cats please visit Molecular Genetics and Evolution of Melanism in the Cat Family
Farm Cat
Farm Cats - Who are they
Farm cats, also known as barn cats, are named in light of their
location and lifestyle on farms. They're not defined as a special cat
type, but rather considered semi-stray cats. Since they call a farm a
home, and are fed and watered by humans, they're considered somewhat
domesticated. But as they're kept on ranches and farms to combat
vermin, and since they tend to live outside or in barns, they're usually
wilder than house cats. The most influential factor in their
environment is human interaction. Generally the more they have, the
more 'domesticated' they are than cats who have little or no human
interaction
Pfoto: by Stavrolo
Lisenced under Wikimedia Commons
Feral Cats or Homeless cats
Every time I look at the picture above it makes me sad. In
fact it's breaking my heart. The face and the eyes of the "feral" cat in
the picture, express, in my eyes, a painful misery that tells the story
of the homeless lonely cats that we call "feral".
Defining a
feral cat can be difficult; usually they are described as free-roaming
or outdoor- living. Their environments generally involve little human
contact. They’re often easily frightened and usually revert to some
degree of a wild state. No two feral cats are alike and one can never
predict how any feral cat will react to human contact.
Feral cats
develop these particular behaviors because most of them never had any
human care or because they lost contact with their owners. Most feral
cats are born on the street and spend their whole lives living in the
street. The reason they are on the streets may occur for different
reasons but the effect on the cat's behavior is the same. However, if a
feral kitten is brought into contact with humans, there is a good chance
it will socialize easily.
A lost or discarded house cat will
often respond quickly to human care. No matter how long they live alone,
almost all of them depend on people for their food source, and only few
are able to subsist by hunting. Feral cats still need humans to provide
them with food and water if they’re to have any quality of life.
As
feral cats are easily frightened and unpredictable, one must treat them
carefully. Since they lack vaccinations, they may transmit disease.
Feral cats will not attack unless provoked, so you may give them food
and water without worry of attack - just be sure to give them the
physical space they need in order not to feel threatened .
Odd eyed cats - Amazing design of nature
This odd eyed cat, one blue eye and one brown, with red fur and
white spotting, isn’t the typical odd eyed. The difference in
coloration, (heterochromia) usually of the iris but also of hair or skin, is a result of the relative excess or lack of melanin (a pigment).
Heterochromia
in cats commonly has an effect on white colored cats which carry the
dominant white gene (which cover any other color genes and turns a cat
completely white), but can be found in a cat of any color, as long is it
possesses the white spotting gene.
The sweet cat in the picture above is a good example of this.
Tabby Cat
Tabby - One of the most common coat patterns
Tabby is a coat pattern that appears in a variety of cat coat
colors. Cats with tabby pattern are obviously called "Tabby Cats". They
not considered a breed, even though the tabby pattern is recognized in
purebred cats, however with very clearly defined markings. Tabbies may
be black, red, cream, blue chocolate or lilac. The most common coat
colors with tabby pattern are red or gray. White color does not have
tabby patterns. But bi-colors can have the tabby patterns on the colored
patches of their coat.
There are four tabby patterns that have been shown to be genetically distinct:
1. Mackerel
2. Classic
3. Spotted
4. Ticked
For information about the types of tabby patterns please visit:Wikipedia: Tabby patterns.
Bicolor Cat
Photo By © Callalloo Candcy - Fotolia.com
The beautiful variety of Bi-Color
The term bi-color or literally "two colors" used to describe cats with one color combined with white markings. There are 10 identifiable grades of bicolor in cats
The range of bi color starts from low-grade white spotting, through to
solid white, which is when white markings cover the entire base of the
coat color.
Bi-color cats come in many patterns and various names
like the Van pattern (color on the crown of the head and the tail
only). The Tuxedo, see the cat in the picture above.(Solid black
coloring all over, with white limited to the paws, belly, chest, throat,
face, and possibly the chin: it should appear as if the cat were
wearing a tuxedo).The "Cow Cat" or "Moo Cat" pattern, (black spots on a
white background like the Holstein cow), or the Black Mask Cats (so
called because they look like they’re wearing a black mask over their
head).
Bi-color pattern in cat coats isn’t limited to mixed-breed
domestic cats. It can be found in many different types of pure-breed
cats as well. Some breeds of cats are especially well-known for having
bicolor coats in their breed standards. These include the Turkish Van,
American Shorthair, Manx, British Shorthair, Persian, Rag doll and some
other breeds.
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