How to Choose from the Many Breeds of House Cats

Is it time for a new pet for your family? If the answer is yes, and if a cat is on your mind, there are plenty of breeds of house cats that you can choose from. And while you can go for a pet that will come with a pedigree, there are plenty of breeds of house cats that may not come with registration papers, but will make a wonderful family pet all the same. These types of cats generally go by different classifications than the pedigreed cats do, but rest assured that there are many distinctive and identifiable breeds of house cats that you can choose from.

Veterinarian Classifications

When a cat cannot be identifies into a specific breed of house cat, veterinarians have their own way of classifying these creatures. A “DSH” stands for a domestic short-haired cat, “DLH” refers to a domestic long-haired cat and the “DMH” is (you guessed it!) a domestic cat with medium-length hair. Your cat may also be referred to as a mixed breed if there are specific features that can be identified with a specific breed. Another interesting classification for breeds of house cats is the “polydactyl” cats, or the Hemingway cats. This name refers to cats that have extra toes, and many of these creatures were owned by the author, Ernest Hemingway. Because they indiscriminately bred, you can still find descendents of these cats today.

Color Patterns

Another way that breeds of house cats are classified is through their color patterns or markings. Tabbies are one of the oldest and most popular breeds of house cats around today. These cats can be identified through their stripes and spots, although some may have additional markings like bibs or boots. These cats are also sometimes known as tiger kitties for obvious reasons. Tabbies can come in a number of hues, including orange, grey and tan. Calico cats are always orange, black and white, although some will have faded versions of these shades and are known as “diluted” calicos. These cats can have quite beautiful coats with blocks of color throughout.

Another popular breed of house cat is the tortoiseshell, which takes the same three shades and weaves it throughout the coat, creating a tapestry effect. Usually tortoiseshell cats do not have much white on them, although a few will have some small white markings. It is interesting to note that most tri-color cats like the calicos and tortoiseshells are usually female. There are other breeds of house cats that are bi-colored, and these will generally come under patterns like the tuxedo cat and the bi-colored cat. Some cats will also only have points, like ears or paws, which are marked in a contrasting color. With the large variety of breeds of house cats available today, you are sure to find a family pet that is unique and beautiful.

Superstition Pertaining To Black Cat Breeds

Cats are among humans preferred companions in life as pets. Cats are often depicted as independent and difficult to keep in the home but are actually quite easy to domesticate and also very interesting to take care of. There are many superstitious and historical facts and beliefs concerning cats. In ancient Egypt, cats were once considered sacred while in other cultures they were considered as witches’ familiars. Black cat breeds are among the most notoriously connected animals to superstition.

The Bombay Cat And Other Black Cat Breeds

There are many breeds of cats that have black as one of their permissible colors. There can be longhaired cats or Persians that are wholly black and there are also some shorthaired varieties that can be black. There is one particular black cat breed that focuses mainly on the color black and it is the Bombay cat. This cat is so called because if resembles a panther.

Other black cat breeds often permit their black cats to have another color or be a bicolor but the Bombay cat breed is only allowed to have black as their color and this has to be throughout the entire body, and the color must be to the roots. Several long to medium haired breeds of cats permit black cat breeds in their permissible colors.

Other breeds of cats that allow solid black are American Shorthair cats but they are not exclusively black since many other colors for the American shorthair are permissible. The British Shorthair also has black variants, the Burmese cat breed also have black cat breeds in their color variations and so do other longhaired varieties of cat breeds.

Black Cat Breeds And Witches

Black cats have long been associated with superstition and other supernatural occurrences and entities. It is probably their black coloring that has them connected to these. Superstition has it that witches used black cat breeds of any kind but usually the shorthaired variety as their familiars. Legend also has it that witches can turn themselves into a black cat and roam the area freely as an animal and be virtually invisible in dark places and at night due to the coloring of the cat. Suspected witches who perished at the stake had their black cat breeds accompany them during burning at the stake.

The more common black cat breeds that are usually associated with superstition and witches are the shorthaired variety. Seldom will you see a longhair black cat breed in most illustrations and pictures connected to superstitions and witches. Modern day witches also keep all sorts of black cat breeds and these are considered sacred.

Profile Of The Bengal Cat Breed

The Bengal cat breed is a newcomer to the cat world. The breed was derived from the Asian Leopard Cat and from a domestic cat but other hybrid cats were also included in perfecting the breed along with the American shorthair and the Egyptian Mau. The breed was initially started in the early 1960’s but the project was abandoned soon after. Interest in producing a Bengal cat breed was revived during the early eighties.

Characteristics Of The Bengal Cat Breed

The Bengal cat breed is physically characterized by very recognizable horizontal striping on its face. The body of the Bengal is covered by rosettes or spots, pretty similar to those of a Jaguar, on the sides and the back. On the other parts of its body, the Bengal sports distinct stripes. Another variation of the Bengal cat breed is a marbled appearance of its coat but the most desirable markings are two toned rosettes.

Males are relatively larger and heavier than females. They weigh a maximum of around 15 lbs while females weigh about 8 – 10 lbs. The Bengal cat breed comes in three filial generations. This means that the F1 generation is a pure breed where one of the parents of the offspring is an Asian Leopard Cat. When the F1 Bengal mates with an ordinary domestic cat, the offspring is an F2. The F2 will produce F3 if it mates with a domestic cat. The further dilution of the Bengal cat breed will produce cats which will be considered as ordinary domestic cats.

Only cats up to F3 generation should be bred with each other in order to preserve the lineage of the Bengal cat breed. Any other additional mating with domestic cats will dilute the strain too much and the distinctive marking will not be retained or the offspring will retain characteristics from the domestic parent.

Temperament Of The Bengal Cat Breed

Bengal cats are not afraid of water and are often seen showing an avid interest in running or still water. The Bengal cat breed has lots of energy and is very lively. They are naturally curious about everyday activities and are often seen following their humans around the home as they perform daily tasks. These intelligent cats appreciate a good game of fetch or any other game that involves energy. They are quite friendly with people but are not your typical couch potatoes of lap cats.

The Bengal cat breed is a cat that needs lots of things to do or else it will turn destructive from boredom. They love to go outside and play with people but they are not noted to be quite good with other animals other than cats of the same breed.