The Wonder of Cats Page 10

  In 1890, The King of Siam also gave Siamese cats to an American acquaintance, thereby introducing the breed to the U.S.A.

  The Siamese is an old breed, resulting from a natural mutation that survives today and is believed to have originated from the sacred temple cats of Siam.

  The Siamese almost went extinct because of popularity. In the 1920s, high demand for Siamese caused breeders to take shortcuts in breeding, like inbreeding, that nearly destroyed the bloodline. However, some breeders realized that and pulled the Siamese back from the brink and restored good bloodlines. Sam sez, “That was a close one or Sam the Siamese wouldn’t be Siamese.”

  Siamese cats have changed since the first ones were imported to Britain in the 1880s. The body shape is now more lithe and longer. Other than the Seal Point, there are many colorings of the points. The head is now triangular where it was round before.

  Siamese cats are born mostly white or cream colored.

  Siamese kittens mature early, as females may be sexually active at six months.

  Siamese are extroverted, affectionate, and intelligent. They are demanding and very vocal with his voice sounding like a baby. They need human companionship, often bonding to a single person. These cats are devoted and crave activity.

  Siamese have large ears, long, tapering wedge, slanting eyes, and long faces.

  Siamese also have longer legs, and the kinks in their tails have selectively been bred out.

  Siamese and other Oriental breeds have short, fine-textured hair resulting in sleek, soft coats.

  Pointed cats, like the Siamese, have darker coloration on their extremities, such as the legs, feet, tail, face, and ears. The darker shading occurs gradually as they age. Body temperatures, coat length, and climate determine the color intensity on the points. The points are darker because the body temperature in the pointed area is cooler than the rest of the body. So, the darker the fur, the cooler the temperature.

  Siamese cats have a gene that causes abnormal nerve connections between the brain and eyes, resulting in poor binocular (3-dimensional) vision. Sam sez, “I thought that bird was closer.”

  Some Siamese have crossed eyes because they all have excessive amounts of retinal nerves that cross over between the left and right hemispheres of the brain. Some Siamese compensate this by repressing some of the nerve signals and are able to have uncrossed eyes. Those that do not repress those signals have crossed eyes. Sam sez, “When I see two mice, it’s tough to catch just one.”

  Siamese are affectionate and friendly to visitors yet can show signs of jealousy against other cats and humans.

  Siamese are talkative and can prone to mood swings, like being playful at one moment and sulking and moody the next. Sam sez, “I am what I am.”

  The Siamese is one of a few breeds that can be led on a leash, like a dog.

  Any cat with Siamese in their blood usually like to climb and are more active and outgoing than Persians.

  Siamese and other Colorpoint Shorthairs have little dander on their fur and can be good for households that have cat allergies. Sam sez, “Nobody sneezes when I’m around.”

  Siamese are playful and active into adulthood. Their coat is beautiful but not effective camouflage.

  There are over twenty color point Siamese colors, including Lilac, Blue, Blue Tabby Tortie, and Chocolate Tabby, recognized by cat associations.

  Siamese are quite talkative, with the Red Point Siamese having a piercing voice. Sam sez – Never mind it’ll take too long!

  The Siberian

  It is thought that the Siberian Cat is the ancestor of all longhaired breeds, including the original Angoras and Persians.

  There is evidence that the Siberian Cats have been around for a thousand or more years with little changes. These cats are likely to have first emerged in Northern Russia. The Siberian has been found in Russian writings and paintings from hundreds of years ago.

  With the breed’s thick coat, it adapted well to the harsh winters it originated in. They are a scarce breed and have a long, water resistant coat.

  The Siberian is known for its high jumping ability and is a large, powerful feline with strong hindquarters and big stomachs. The males weigh between 15 – 20 pounds with the females being 10 – 15 pounds.

  The Singapura

  The Singapura is known as a “drain cat” in its native Singapore where cats are disliked. This breed tends to roam the streets in a wild state in Singapore and finds shelter in drains, hence the name. However, once tamed in cat friendly countries, the Singapura can be affectionate in a quiet, subdued way and prefers an indoor life. It was brought to the U.S. from Singapore in 1970.

  Because of its wild street existence, the Singapura is highly adaptive and eats a wide variety of food.

  The Singapura is the smallest breed with males weighing about six pounds and females four pounds.

  The Snowshoe

  Snowshoe breed have white paws, with the Seal and White Point Snowshoe cats having Siamese markings with white feet.

  The Snowshoe breed comes from a crossing of a Siamese and a Bicolor American Shorthair. A rare breed, it gets its name from its snow-white paws.

  The Somali

  The Somali Cats are named after Somalia (formerly Abyssinia) because of the breed’s close association with Abyssinian cats.

  In Somali and Abyssinian cross-mating either long or short hairs can result.

  On birth, Somalis have short hair that quickly becomes fluffy, but they slowly and eventually develop their sleek, smooth coat. Somali kittens are small at birth. Somali kittens tend to be slightly larger than Abyssinians.

  The Sorrel Silver Somali have dark skin on their eyelids and lighter fur encircling the eyes giving the appearance of spectacles.

  Somali Cats are being bred into a growing variety of colors as they become more popular. It can take up to 18 months for Somali kittens to develop their markings.

  The Somali medium-length coat tends not to mat since it is not wooly.

  In Lavender Somalis, the kittens tend to be darker and develop lighter markings into adulthood.

  Actually, the Somali are ticked tabbies, and in the case of the Ruddy Silver Somali the silver gene leads to a glacial white ground color.

  The Ruddy Silver Somali eye color can range from green to hazel to amber. They have well-spaced expressive eyes with “spectacles” markings of lighter fur around the eyes.

  In Somalis, there can be up to four light and dark bands along the length of a single hair.

  These cats have a “wild” look with the body structure of an Oriental. They are intelligent and learn tricks quickly and eagerly.

  Some Somali are extremely shy.

  The Somali has the nickname “fox cat” for its bushy tail, large ears, a full ruff, a black stripe down its back, and breeches, giving it a foxy appearance. Sam sez, “A sly Somali.”

  The Sphynx

  The “Hairless” Sphynx are not without fur and have down or “peach fuzz” over much of their bodies. The fur consists of sparse, very short down hairs, mostly at the extremities. They feel like suede. These cats also have shorter than normal eyebrows and whiskers. Sam sez, “Maybe some Rogaine could help these cats.”

  Because of a lack of fur, the Sphynx breed is susceptible to the cold and heat, and white areas on the cat can get sunburnt. The Sphynx is best suited to a warmer climate and is prone to temperature related sicknesses. So, it needs to be an indoor puss.

  Sphynx kittens are born with denser fur but lose much of it as they age.

  They are rare and expensive to buy.

  The Sphynx originated in Canada in a litter of otherwise shorthaired kittens.

  A newer recognized breed is the Sphynx. Although its first reported appearance was in Toronto in the mid-1900s, it wasn’t officially recognized until 2002. The Sphynx is also known as the Canadian Hairless.

  They have skin color that would be their coat color had they more fur, and they have skin markings like Point, Van, Tortie, Tabby, and So
lid. Sphynx varieties also include Siamese, Red, Black, Blue Bicolor, and Blue-and-Cream. Their look gets them mistaken as Chihuahuas.

  The Sphynx, because of its hairlessness, is less likely to cause allergic reactions because of a lack of allergens that are found on the fur of other cats.

  Sphynx are highly extroverted, cuddly, affectionate, and highly intelligent. Sam sez, “Yeah, but they’re BALD!”

  The Tiffany

  Tiffany Cats are scarce.

  The Tiffany breed is basically a longhaired version of the Burmese. These cats’ eye color varies from amber to yellow, and their ears have rounded tips. Their hind legs are a little longer than their front ones.

  Tiffany kittens have shorter, paler fur until they grow up.

  The Tiffany Cat enjoys travelling and looking out the car window at the moving scenery more than other cats.

  The Tiffany is a talkative cat and usually lives a long life of about 18 years, three years longer than the average lifespan.

  The Tonkinese

  The Tonkinese was the first pedigree to originate in Canada when Burmese and Siamese were crossbred.

  The mating of two Tonkinese can result in Burmese and/or Siamese kittens in each litter with there being in a four-kitten litter: two Tonkinese, one Siamese, and one Burmese. Although, some litters contain no Tonkinese offspring at all.

  It can take up to two years for a Tonkinese to achieve its full adult color.

  Active and affectionate, Tonkinese make good pets but tend to wander if let outside.

  For the Champagne Mink Tonkinese, the point markings are not affected by temperature change.

  The Tonkinese have a distinctive blue/green eye color also called aquamarine.

  Tonkinese may seem to weigh less than their Siamese relative but are much heavier.

  The Tonkinese is very affectionate, so much so it tends to associate cars with humans with dangerous results.

  The Tortoiseshell

  The Tortoiseshell cats with black and cream and red coloration are almost always female.

  Tortoiseshell males are rare and usually sterile and are the result of a genetic abnormality.

  Because Tortoiseshells are almost always female with the few males (10 out of 1000) being sterile, it is difficult to breed purebred Tortoiseshells.

  Cats with Tortoiseshell markings live long and are good-natured and friendly.

  The Turkish Angora

  The Angora is an ancient breed and is named after the capital of its country of origin in Turkey and was introduced into Europe in the 1600s. Later, they declined in numbers and vanished so a breeding program began at the Ankara Zoo in the 1960s reviving this breed.

  In the U.K., Angoras are the result of breeding to recreate the original Angoras. Oriental Shorthairs provided the longhair gene. The Oriental bloodlines helped to increase the Angora’s numbers rapidly. These Angoras look like the originals but have the vocal characteristics of the Oriental Shorthairs.

  Angoras are believed to have come to America via Marie Antoinette’s ship that was to take her safely to the U.S. during the French Revolution. However, she was beheaded before she could get on the boat, but her belongings that included six Angoras made it to American shores.

  Turkish Angoras tend to have different colored eyes, like one amber and the other blue, with the side with the blue eye being deaf.

  In the Green-eyed White Angora, all the kittens are born with blue eyes but are not deaf.

  The Blue Cream Turkish Angora is a female-only variety.

  The Turkish Angora sheds so much of its fur in spring it starts to look like a shorthair. The longhair grows back in time for cold weather.

  Some Turkish Angoras will join their owners in their bath. Sam sez, “Not me, man!”

  The Turkish Van

  Getting its name from the Lake Van in Turkey, the Turkish Van is an ancient breed from southwest and central Asia.

  Turkish Vans enjoy water, like swimming, and are easy to bathe, unlike most other cats. Sam sez, “Not one drop. NOT…ONE…DROP!!”

  Because of its love of water, the Turkish Van is known as the “swimming cat.” They love to immerse themselves in water, and if he is an indoor cat with no body of water to get in, the Turkish Van will play in the toilet and stir the water in their bowl.

  Turkish Vans are large, muscular cats often weighing as much as 20 pounds with strong legs for high jumping.

  They are also good climbers and have a melodious voice.

  Purring Through The Ages

  Cats in history: Worshipped in Ancient Egypt and killed as accomplices to witchcraft in Europe during the Middle Ages.

  It is uncertain when cats first became domesticated. Some early evidence is Egyptian paintings, dating back 4,000 years.

  The domesticated cat has essentially stayed the same for thousands of years.

  Poetry and art have exploited the cat since Ancient Egypt, and the cat was a major shape in the Art Nouveau of the West in the 1920s.

  Man has brought cats to other parts of the world that previously did not have felines, such as: Australia, Galapagos Islands, and Antarctica.

  Because of their effective rodent control, cats have been welcomed the world over on farms.

  Unlike other domesticated animals, cats decided to live with humans (not the other way around).

  Stretching & Yawning: The Waking Feline

  Fossils of ancient cats are few, leaving scientists to try to piece together an evolutionary timeline.

  The first feline forerunners evolved about 35 million years ago, leading to a cat-like animal 10 million years later.

  In what is now North America and Europe, the first cat, known as Pseudolurus, lived 20 millions years ago.

  The earliest cats that are forerunners of the house cat appeared on earth 10 - 13 million years ago.

  A fossil similar to today’s cat is believed to be 12 million years old.

  The first true cats, similar to today’s wild cats, lived up to about 12 million years ago.

  About three millions years ago, many cat forms that do not exist today roamed the lands.

  Two millions years ago cats were on most continents.

  The first ancestors of the domesticated cat lived about 13,000 years ago.

  The earliest evidence of the domesticated cat was 9,500 years ago in Cypress. Cat bones were discovered in the village of Shillouro. Since cats are not native to Cypress, it is believed they were brought there, maybe as pets.

  A cat’s tooth of unknown origin was found in Neolithic excavations in Jericho, dating back 9,000 years.

  Domestic cats originated from African Wild Cats (Felis lybica) who had tabby markings.

  The African Wild Cat is relatively docile and is easily compared to the pet cat, leading to the belief that the modern pet cat came from the African Wild Cat. Additionally, the African Wild Cat has little fear of people and has been made a pet by North Africans.

  Through the study of pet cat genes and African Wild Cat genes, identical genes were discovered linking the cats as coming from the same DNA, further proving the pet cat came from the African Wild Cat.

  In theory, the African Wild Cat pre-domesticated itself. In other words, it came to humans and chose to live with people without being trapped and forced into domestication, like other animals.

  Rubbing the Legs of the Ancient Egyptians

  Egyptian religious leaders at first worshipped the lion, which proved dangerous so they switched their cat worship to the smaller feline. These smaller cats were not as tame as the domesticated cat is today but were more manageable and easier, if not less dangerous, to handle than the lion.

  The Egyptians first domesticated the wild Kaffir cat of Africa about 4,500 years ago. These cats were good at keeping rodents and snakes away from grain stores. They would also hunt and retrieve birds.

  In Ancient Egypt, two species of small wild cats inhabited the Egyptian wilds: The Felis chaus (or Jungle Cat) and the Felis silvestris lybica (or African Wild Cat). Ea
rly pictures of cats strongly resemble the African Wild Cat. It is believed the African Wild Cat overcame its fear of humans and became domesticated by the Egyptians.

  Cats were first tamed by the Ancient Egyptians for their rodent and pest control, leading to cats becoming household pets with great status.

  Man’s interest in cats dates to at least 4,500 years ago with images of cats on tomb walls, cat statues, and even mummified cats.