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Exotic

Exotic cats (or Exotic Shorthairs) have a gentle and calm personality but are a very lively, curious and playful breed. They are friendly to other cats and dogs and in fact don’t like being left alone at all. To be content they need the presence of their owner (or of voices or smells reminiscent of their owner, such as a radio). They tend to show more affection and loyalty than most breeds and make excellent lap cats. Their calm and steady nature makes them ideal cats for smaller homes. Nonetheless, Exotics retain some of the energetic spark of their American Short-hair forebears and they are often capable mouse hunters.

An Exotic short-hair Kitten
Photograph: creative commons

An Exotic Shorthair kitten will be energetic and mischievous through its entire life.
Exotics adapt well to social situations, often loving to show off whenever there are visitors in the household.

Their history began in the 1960’s when breeders of Domestic Short-hair cats sought to improve their breeds by cross-breeding them with Persian cats. Their pursuit was a huge success, eventually prompting the Cat Fancier’s Association (CFA) to bestow them with their very own breed category. They are now affectionately referred to as simply, ‘Exotics’. As a result of being cross bred with Persian cats, as well as American Short-hair, Russian Blue, and Burmese cats, Exotics benefit greatly from an expanded gene pool. Exotic kittens are often born bigger, open their eyes faster, walk quicker, play sooner, and wean earlier than their Persian cousins, as well as exhibiting a well-rounded temperament.

exotic shorthair cat

Exotic Cats are peaceful and people loving
Photograph: creative commons

These cats become very attached to their owners and will give back every ounce of time and love given to them. An Exotic cat will make a great addition to any family.

Here’s a link to the Exotic Cat Club website. Norman and I are not affiliated to this club or website :.

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Tiffanie

This stunning cat sprang from the Burmilla breeding program that used the Burmese and Chinchilla Persians as its starting point. And today there are many cat clubs and breeders totally dedicated to developing this breed to the highest possible standard, and so it is a cat that has it all.

Tiffanie Cat

Tiffanie Cats ~ intelligent and affectionate
Photo: unknown

If you want a cat that combines beauty, intelligence and personality, and has the added benefit of a luxurious semi-long coat that does not tangle or matt then the Tiffanie would be the ideal animal for you.

One of its most striking features, is its spectacular green eyes and the tipped and shaded varieties also display eye and lip liner that gives them such an appealing appearance too. The Tiffanie comes in five colours – black, brown, blue, chocolate and lilac.

Most breeders speak highly of this animal’s fine temperament that hails from both sides of its ancestry. Some are more laid back similar to the Chinchilla, and some are more outgoing and demanding similar to the Burmese.

For families, apartment dwellers, young couples and single people this is the ideal cat – in fact it will suit everyone. Similar to its Persian ancestors it is quite content to sit on a bed and preen itself in the mirror; but then its Burmese ancestry bubbles to the surface and it will want to be involved in non-stop play.

These cats are extremely intelligent animals and they will often be waiting at the door for the children to arrive home from school or their owners from work, but you will then need to be quick with a cuddle or offer to play a game with them.

The Tiffanie is also a cat that is exceptionally easy to train, is undemanding and is happy to live in most situations and will give years of loving companionship if treated with the love and respect it deserves.

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Egyptian Mau

Egyptian Maus are a medium-sized short-haired cat breed. They are the only naturally spotted breed of domesticated cat. The spots on an Egyptian Mau are not just on the coat; a shaved Mau has spots on its skin. The Ocicat is very similar in appearance to the Egyptian Mau, but was the product of selective breeding which led to its spots. Another similar looking breed is the Bengal cat, but this breed tends to be considerably larger.

The breed conformation is described by The Cornell Book of Cats
as a balance between the compactness of a Burmese and the slim elegance of a Siamese. Its medium-length body is muscular, with the hind legs longer than the front, giving the Mau the appearance of standing on tiptoes when upright.

The longer hind legs are another reason for the breed’s startling speed. The Mau also has a loose flap of skin on the lower abdomen, similar to the Cheetah, which allows a longer stride while running, again contributing to its great speed. A Mau running at full speed is impressive, with incredible acceleration.

Maus often possess very musical voices. They are known to chirp, chortle and emit other distinctly unusual vocalizations when stimulated. Another behavior, quite common in happy Maus, has been described as “wiggle-tail.” The cat, male or female, moves its back legs up and down, and appears to be marking territory, also known as spraying, but it is not actually releasing urine. Even veteran Mau owners are known to check after a joyous Mau does this little dance.

Egyptian Mau

Egyptian Mau, likely descendant of African wild cats!

Origins

The Egyptian Mau is often said to be descended from African wild cats, and a descendant of the cats seen in wall paintings of Ancient Egypt. This, while perhaps being partly true, does not reveal the careful breeding that has taken place to create the ‘purebred’ Egyptian Mau, which was only given championship status in some organisations in 1968.

The modern Mau is said to have originated in 1953, Italy, when exiled Russian Princess Natalie Troubetskoy met the cat of the Egyptian Ambassador to Italy. She convinced him to obtain several cats from Egypt for her, and she began to breed them. Maus were attempted to be created in Britain by cross-breeds of Abyssinians, Siamese and tabbies, however these did not resemble the true Maus.

Egyptian Maus will either have a ‘scarab beetle’ or ‘M’ marking on their foreheads – those with the latter tend to be from the United States.

Physical attributes
Egyptian Maus are thought by many to be one of the progenitor breeds of the modern domestic cat. They have anatomical, metabolic and behavioral differences from other cat breeds which could be considered as evidence of antiquity or at least uniqueness from other cat breeds. Besides those already mentioned, Maus are more temperature sensitive than most breeds – they are fond of very warm temperatures. They are more sensitive to medicines and anesthesia. Maus allegedly have an unusually long gestational period. The maximum normal period for cats is 69 days, although Siamese may take a day or two longer. For a Mau, it is said that 73 days is still considered normal. This, however, is not a generally accepted fact, and it is advised for one to assume a 63-67 days gestational period. One should track the cat’s temperature and if it drops by a few degrees without birthing, consult your veterinarian.

Egyptian Maus are the fastest breed of domestic cat, capable of running at 36 mph. The next fastest breed is the American Shorthair which has a top speed of 31 mph. For comparison, giraffes also run at 36 mph. Maus are powerful cats for their size, alert and active. Males are usually somewhat larger than females.

Purebred Egyptian Maus are a relatively rare breed. As of 2007, fewer than 200 kittens are registered with the GCCF each year.[2] As of 2006, a total of 6741 Maus are registered with the CFA. Maus come in five colors. From most to least common these colors are: silver, bronze, smoke, black and blue/pewter.

Black and pewter Maus cannot be shown, but may be used in breeding. All Maus must have green eyes, but an amber cast is acceptable in kittens and young adults up to eighteen months old.

Popular culture

In the 2004 movie Catwoman, the cat ‘Midnight’ who brought Patience Phillips back to life as Catwoman was played by three Egyptian Maus, as well as a computer-generated Mau. The movie reveals that the ancient Egyptian Mau breed has the (fictional) ability to restore life through its connection with the Egyptian goddess Bastet.

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Burmilla

The Burmilla breed originated in the United Kingdom in 1981. It is a cross between the Chinchilla Persian and Burmese breeds. The breed was the result of an accidental breeding between a precocious young Chinchilla, Jemari Sanquist, and Bambino Lilac Faberge, a Burmese. This resulted in a litter of four black shaded female kittens, all of foreign conformation and with short dense coats.

These kittens looked spectacular and raised such a great deal of interest that similar breedings were planned. One of the original four kittens, Astahazy Gemma, went to Therese Clarke, with the object of breeding pure shaded and tipped silver shorthairs, hence becoming a foundation queen for the establishment of the new breed, the Burmilla.

Standards were produced in 1984 and the breed gained championship status in the United Kingdom in the 1990s.

Burmillas are medium-sized with muscular bodies, round faces, short muzzles and tend to weigh between 8-10 lbs. The eye colour should be green, although some cat societies accept blue (and yellow eyes are permitted in kittens). Black cats have eyeliner in black; other colours may have no lining or soft brown.

The muscular Burmilla

Coat length comes in three variants: The most common (standard) coat is the short-hair. This is a short, close-lying coat similar in appearance to the Burmese but with a softer, silkier feel. In addition there is a recessive longhair gene producing the Longhair Burmilla. These cats have a semi-longhair coat lying close to the skin, with a soft, silky feel and a large plumed tail. The Shorthair gene is dominant, and where a cat receives one of each, the appearance will be Shorthair. Two Longhair Burmillas mated together will always produce Longhair kittens, while Shorthair matings depend on whether the Longhair genes are carried by the Shorthair parents.

A third variant has been identified recently, that of the Plush. It is not professionally recognised as being separate from shorthair in judging, however plush kittens have much denser fur which does not lie closely against the skin. How the plush coat variant is inherited is not known.

The Burmilla can have a variety of coat colours, including black, blue, brown, chocolate and lilac. Although red, cream and tortoishell (calico) varieties have been bred, these colours are not recognised by most judging bodies. In addition the undercoat is either Silver or Golden, depending on the colour in the Persian heritage. The Burmilla’s shading comes in three major coat patterns which relate to the depth of colour. These are Tipped, Shaded and Smoke. Tipped Burmillas have at least 3/4 of their fur in the underlying colour (Silver or Golden) and the remainder is a light dusting of “colour” over the top. In the case of Silvers, these cats appear almost white. Shaded Burmillas have 1/4 – 1/2 as their colour, and Smoke have almost all colour with only a faint pale base to each hair. The cats have nose leather which is red to pink (smoke cats have black). In addition their paw pads correspond to the coat colouring: Black cats have black paw pads, Brown cats have brown, both Blue and Chocolate have pink, and Lilac cats have very pale paw pads. At this stage it is not possible to determine visually whether a Lilac kitten is Chocolate- or Blue-based, so the paw pads of the two genetic colours may differ slightly.

Burmilla (an independent Cat ~ Arn’t they all :-))

The Burmilla was actually created accidentally in the United Kingdom. Two cats, a Chinchilla Persian named Sanquist, and a lilac Burmese named Faberge, were both awaiting a partner of the same breed in different rooms. Accidentally, one night the cleaner left the door open and the rest is history. The results, four kittens born in 1981, were so adorable that a new breed was born.[1]

The Burmilla is quite an irreverent and independent cat who adores its owner and displays many kitten-like characteristics even into adulthood. In temperament they are sociable, playful, and affectionate, and get along well with children and other animals.

In GCCF (Governing Council of the Cat Fancy), the Burmilla is considered part of the Asian cat breed. It is accepted in FIFe as the Burmilla. Some governing bodies have used the name Australian Tiffanie, however, there is not international acceptance and standardisation for this breed – Tiffany has been used to describe many different breeds having the appearance from Ragdoll to Birman and may contain any of these breeds and more. Many Australian Tiffanies in Australia contain more than three-quarters Persian Chinchilla and retain the appearance and temperament of the Old Fashioned Chincilla. The name’s use is declining in favour due to the lax standards for the breed name, the lack of unique identity and varied genetic makeup.

[1] Complete Guide to Cats”. Chanticleer Press, 1999.

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Somali

The Somali is a long-haired Abyssinian cat. The breed appeared spontaneously in the 1950s from Abyssinian breeding programs when a number of Abyssinian kittens were born with bottle-brush tails and long fluffy coats. Abyssinians and Somalis share the same personality (active, intelligent, playful, curious) and appearance. The only difference between them is the fur length and therefore the amount of grooming required. Unlike most long-haired cats, Somalis shed very little excess hair. Their coat is generally shed en masse, or “blown”, once or twice a year, rather than constantly shedding like a Persian or other long-haired cat.

Somali long-haired Abyssinian cat

Somali. Long-haired Abyssinian cat

Somalis have a striking, bushy tail, which, combined with their ruddy coat, has earned them the nickname of “fox cats” in some circles. In addition to the fluffy tail, the Somali breed features a black stripe down its back, large ears, a full ruff and breeches, contributing further to the overall “foxy” look. Their coats are ticked, which is a variation on tabby markings, and some Somalis may show full tabby stripes on portions of their bodies, but this is seen as a flaw, and tabby Somalis are only sold as neutered pets. The only tabby marking on a show Somali is the traditional tabby ‘M’ on the middle of the forehead. Like Abyssinians, they have a dark rim around their eyes that makes them look like they are wearing kohl, and they have a small amount of white on their muzzles and chins/throats. White elsewhere on their bodies disqualifies them from show-status.
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Temperament

They are smart and lively, but also alert and curious. They are freedom-loving and must have plenty of room to roam and explore. They are best kept indoors or in outside runs for their own safety.

Colors and Patterns

There are four main Somali colors officially accepted within the United States: ruddy, red, blue, and fawn. European Somali organizations have a different naming convention: “Usual” for ruddy and “sorrel” for red. European Somali clubs also promote various silver colors.

Genetic problems
In the 1990s, many purebred Somalis had significant dental problems due to congenital problems magnified by inbreeding. As a result, many Somali cats had to have all their adult teeth removed. (Dental abscesses, especially below the gumline, can cause cats to stop eating, which often leads to hepatic lipidosis, a condition that’s often deadly.) As of 2006, the CFA breed standard makes no mention of this, and breeders say they’ve made much progress in breeding out this unfortunate trait.

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Cornish Rex

The Cornish Rex has no hair except for a fine down. Most breeds of cat have three different types of hair in their coats: the outer fur or “guard hairs”, which is about 5 cm long in shorthairs and 10cm+ long in longhairs; a middle layer called the “awn hair”; and the ‘down hair’ or undercoat, which is very fine and about 1 cm long. Cornish Rexes only have this undercoat and thus only lose a few of these very fine hairs at a time. They don’t shed like many other cat breeds.

Cornish Rex..not from Egypt or the outer reaches of our galaxy either

The coat of a Cornish Rex is extremely fine and is the softest fur of any cat breed. However, their light coat means that they are best suited for indoor living in warm and dry conditions. Consequently, these cats tend to hang around the warmest places they can find in the house (you know … the tops of computer monitors, under strong lamps and on top of radiators..that kind of thing). Some Cornish Rexes also have a mild cheesy smell peculiar to the breed; this odour comes from scent glands in the paws (cheese on toast anyone:))

Often the breed referred to as the Greyhound of the cats, because of the sleek appearance and the galloping run characteristic of the breed. Some Cornish rexes like to play fetch, race other pets, or do acrobatic jumps. The Cornish Rex is an adventurous cat and is very intelligent. It can readily adapt to new situations and will explore wherever it can go, jumping into refrigerators, examining washing machines, etc. Some humans consider its antics to be deliberately mischievous. The Rex is extremely curious, seeks out the company of people and is friendly towards other companion animals. It is a suitable pet for timid children.

Origin

The Cornish Rex is a genetic mutation that originated from a litter of kittens born in the 1950s on a farm in Cornwall, UK; hence the first part of the breed’s name. One of the kittens, a cream-colored male named Kallibunker, had an extremely unusual, fine and curly coat; he was the first Cornish Rex. The owner then bred Kallibunker back to his mother to produce 2 other curly-coated kittens. The male, Poldhu, sired a stunning female called Lamorna Cover who was later brought to America and crossed with a Siamese, giving the breed their long whippy tails and big ears.

cornish rex

Cream & White Tabby Cornish Rex

The Devon Rex looks similar in appearance to the Cornish Rex, but has guard hairs and sheds. The Devon Rex mutation is different than the Cornish Rex mutation in that the Devon has shortened guard hairs, while the Cornish Rex lacks guard hairs altogether. Crosses between Devon and Cornish Rexes are not permitted in pedigrees and matings between them will not produce a cat with short wavy fur. Another hair-deficient breed is the Sphynx cat, which has no hair but may have a very light coat of fuzz.

Despite some belief to the contrary, the Cornish Rex’s short hair does not make it non- or hypo-allergenic. Most people who have cat allergies are allergic to cat dander and cat saliva. Since Cornish Rex cats groom as much as or even more than ordinary cats, a Cornish Rex cat will still produce a reaction in people who are allergic to cats. However, because of the fine, light fur that is shed from these cats, people with only mild allergies may experience fewer or no symptoms with a Rex.

Using the word “Rex” to imply curly or otherwise unusual fur originates from an occasion when King Albert I of Belgium (1875-1934) entered some curly-haired rabbits in a rabbit show. They did not meet the breed standard, but the show’s officials did not wish to risk offending the king by rejecting them. Instead, they accepted them but wrote “Rex” (Latin for “king”) beside their names.

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Colorpoint Shorthair

Colorpoint Shorthair is the name the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA), a United States breed association, uses to refer to pointed cats of Siamese ancestry and type in colors other than the four “traditional” Siamese colors (seal, chocolate, blue, and lilac point). This name is also given to cats of Siamese ancestry in the four recognized colors whose eight generation pedigree show ancestors with other colors. In registries of other countries, however, “Colorpoint (or “Colourpoint”) is the name given to cats of Persian type and pointed coloring, as in Himalayans.

Colorpoint. …not a breed in its own right but part of the Siamese breed

In the CFA, a Colorpoint Shorthair cat may also be any of the four traditional Siamese colors; however, they may only be shown in the red point (also called flame point in Persian Family) or cream point, or any of the above colors in tabby point (also called lynx point) or tortoiseshell point.

In all registries except CFA, the Colorpoint Shorthair is not considered a separate breed but is included in the Siamese breed.