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C O N T E N T S Introduction 7 T H E C AT S 14 R E P O R TA G E 96
Glossary 110 Shows & Associations 110
Index 112
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THE CATS
BENGAL
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TOM
BENGAL
B
ENGALS are the cats that bring the jungle into the drawing room; they are handsome hybrids created by crossing the Asian Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) with a domestic tabby, most successfully with Egyptian Maus. First confirmed in the 1940s, they became an established breed in the mid-1980s.
Features Sleek, robust, and muscular, with sturdy limbs, big round feet, and a thick, rounded tail, Bengals wear a gorgeously distinctive coat. It comes in every shade of brown, from cream to tan, with contrasting patterns, from rust to deepest chocolate. No two Bengal cats are the same, as the exotic patterns vary so much: spots, rosettes, or a marbled effect created by the blend of leopard and tabby ancestry. The dense, soft fur is short to medium, and looks as though it has been lightly dusted with glitter.
Bengal Lore Bengals are not named after the Bengal tiger but instead after the taxonomic name of the Asian Leopard Cat. The breed is not yet recognized by the Cat Fanciers Association, the world’s largest cat breed registry, although other associations have accepted it.
Size Tom ..... 10–15 lb (4.6–6.8 kg) Molly ..... 6–12 lb (2.7–5.45 kg)
Origin & Distribution American Jean Mill started work on a breeding programme in the 1970s, but it was not until the 1980s that she produced her first Bengals. There are now around 60,000 Bengals registered in America, Europe, and Australia. USA
Related Breeds
Bengals and Ocicats are currently being bred to develop a spot-rich “Cheetoh.” Bengals and striped tabbies have also been crossed to produce a pocket tiger, called a Toyger (a clever blend of “toy tiger”).
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THE CATS
SELKIRK REX
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M O L LY
SELKIRK REX
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he newest of the Rex breeds, SELKIRKS were first recognized in the early 1990s. The first Selkirk was born in 1987, the offspring of a pedigree Persian and a rescue cat with strange fur. Selkirks wear the distinctive Rex curly coat, but unlike other Rexes, this can be either short or long. Features Cobby, big-boned, and muscular with a thick neck and round eyes, Selkirks are reassuringly robust. Their most glorious feature is their soft, thick, plush coat, curly all over (including the whiskers), but especially so on the neck, tail, and belly. Kittens’ coats are also born curly, but within weeks their fur will become straight; however, the curls return again at around eight months, and reach tip-top condition at two years. Selkirks come in all colors and markings.
Selkirk Lore Selkirk Rexes are named for their Rex-style coat and after the stepfather of the breeder of the first Selkirk. This makes them the only cat breed to be named after an individual.
Size Tom .... 11–16 lb (4.9–7. 25 kg) Molly .... 6–12 lb (2.7–5.45 kg)
Origin & Distribution The first Selkirks were bred in Montana, USA, in the late 1980s —the product of a curly haired cream-blue and white stray from a Montana rescue center bred with a black Persian male. The breed was accepted by TICA (The International Cat Association) in 1992, and was introduced into the UK and Europe in 2002. Montana, USA
Related Breeds
The Cornish Rex, originating in Cornwall, UK, in the 1950s has no topcoat, only a curly down undercoat; and the Devon Rex, which came along a decade later, but is not genetically linked, has all three coat layers, but very short guard hairs on the top, and extremely curly whiskers.
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THE CATS
BRITISH BLUE SHORTHAIR
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TOM
BRITISH BLUE SHORTHAIR
K
nown as the bulldog of the feline world, the BRITISH BLUE SHORTHAIR, around unofficially since the Roman Occupation, was established in the nineteenth century. During the wars, the British Blue population declined (although not shorthairs in general), but was revived in the 1950s, with the introduction of the Longhaired Blue.
Features Chubby and round-bodied, British Blues conform to the standard shorthair type: muscular and robust with stout limbs, round features, a deep chest, and short, thick fur that breaks over the body contours. Their distinguishing features are gorgeous orange- or copper-colored eyes and distinctive thick, plush slate-blue coats. The breed standard for the coat color has changed from dark slate to a lighter blue, and there should be no tabby markings.
British Blue Lore Blue is the most common color for British (and American) Shorthairs, a legacy from the number of Chartreux and blue Persians added to the bloodlines after the population crashed post World War II.
Size Tom .... 8–18 lb (3.6–8.82 kg) Molly .... 6–14 lb (2.7–6.35 kg)
Origin & Distribution After World War II, when many car breeds were decimated, the British Blue fell into decline, but was revived by determined breeders in Britain in the 1950s. In 1970, the ACFA (American Cat Fanciers Association) recognized the British Blue Shorthair; they are now found in America, throughout Europe, and Australasia. UK
Related Breeds
The Chartreux has a blue coat, and although unrelated, was bred with Shorthairs in the 1950s in an effort to restock the gene pool. Though the Russian Blue owns a blue coat, it is not related to the British Blue.
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THE CATS
BURMILLA
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M O L LY
BURMILLA
B
URMILLAS came about quite by accident. They were the result of an unscheduled tryst between a Burmese and a Chinchilla, after whom they are named. Once they arrived, however, the charming Burmillas quickly won favor, and by the 1990s, the breed had achieved championship status.
Burmilla Lore All Burmillas come from the four black and silver kittens produced when Lilac Burmese female, Bambino Lilac Faberge, met Silver Chinchilla, Jemari Sanquist. The cats were not meant to breed, but their kittens were so striking that their owners could not resist starting a breeding programme.
Size Tom ..... 8–10 lb (3.6–4.6 kg)
Features Burmillas are the supermodels of the catworld; elegant, slender yet muscular with long lithe legs and neat little oval paws. The Burmilla wears a shimmering silvery coat in blue, brown, black, or lilac, with red and cream also available, but not officially recognized. They have clear, green eyes, outlined with smoky “eyeliner” and short or semi-long silky coats. Burmillas can be tipped or shaded; tipped coats are just a light dusting of colour; shaded have a mantle over the back, shoulders and outside leg. The brown silver shaded Burmilla is shown here.
Molly ..... 6–9 lb (2.7–4.1 kg)
Origin & Distribution The first Burmillas were bred in the UK in 1981, and the breed was officially recognized in 1987. Burmillas are now accepted in America, Europe, and Australia. UK
Related Breeds
Burmese of any color and Chinchilla Persians are direct relations. Their two distinct “effects”—tipped or shaded—means that Burmillas have a choice of 30 colors to express themselves.
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