Cat Reference Libraries
The Manx is a breed of cat distinguished by little to no tail. The short-to-nonexistent tail comes from a naturally occurring mutation of the spine. The cat originated on the Isle of Man (thus the name), and is called "stubbin" in the Manx language. The breed is at least 300 years old. The manx gene is dominant; one copy of the gene will give a kitten no tail, two copies are lethal. By...
The signature trait of the Japanese Bobtail is its short stubby tail that resembles the tail of a rabbit more so than that of a feline. The tail is a genetic mutation caused by a recessive gene. These cats are the cats of legends in Japan. The Japanese Bobtail is native to Japan and Southeast Asia, although it is currently found globally. It is a domestic cat with an elegant medium-sized...
The German Rex is a medium sized breed of domestic cat with slender legs. The breed has large ears, a round head, curly whiskers and a curly, short coat of any color. The German Rex has a fairly heavy body. As a breed it is a friendly and lively cat and very acrobatic. It is said that the breed goes back to Munk, a cat born in the 1930s in a villiage near Kalingrand, Russia (then part of...
The Devon Rex was discovered in Devon, UK in 1960 near a disused tin mine. They were initially thought to be related to the Cornish rex, however testing proved otherwise. The Devon Rex has only awn hair and down with no guard hair, giving them a sparse, curly, very soft coat. They are popular among pet owners and are often featured in Cat Fancy magazine, probably because of their striking...
The Cornish Rex is a breed of cat that is very distinguishable from other cats, because it has no hair except for down. Most breeds of domestic cat have three different types of hair in their coat, yet the Cornish Rex only has an undercoat, thus not shedding like other cats. Their coat is the softest of any breed. These cats are best suited for indoor living in warm and dry conditions...
The American Curl gets its name from its unusual ears, which curl back from its face toward the center of the back of the skull. The breed originally was the result of a spontaneous mutation which occurred when two longhaired kittens, one white and one black, were bred. The American Curl is a medium sized cat weighing about five to ten pounds. It is strong and healthy and remarkably free...
Tonkinese (or "Tonks" are a medium-sized short-haired cat breed that is a cross between Siamese and Burmese. These cats are distinguished by points like the Siamese and Himalayans. Some claim that this breed's appearance is similar to the original appearance of the Siamese. Tonkinese cats are generally muscular and trim, but heavier than they appear to be. They have a modified wedge-shaped...
The Snowshoe is a cross between a Siamese and a bi-colored American Shorthair. The first Snowshoes appeared in the 1960s. The breed is sturdy and pointed with white markings on the face, chest and feet. The ears and head of a snowshoe are triangular. The head typically has black markings. The eyes of a Snowshoe are always blue. The Snowshoe coat is short-haired and is white and gray; it can...
The Singapura is a small, foreign-type cat which originated in Singapore. The breed combines genes indigenous to Southeast Asia, the browns of Siamese and Burmese cats and the ticked or agouti pattern. The body of the Singapura is moderately stocky and muscular, feeling heavier than one looks. The Singapura has strong slender legs tapering to oval feet. The tail is blunt-tipped and slender....
One of the first distinctly recognized breeds of Oriental cat is the Siamese. It is believed to be from Siam (present day Thailand), where it is referred to as the "Moon Diamond". It is one of the most popular breeds of cat in North America and Europe. Despite their territory of origin, most of the development of the breed occurred after the breed was imported to Britain in the late 1800s....
