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Turkish Angora

The Turkish Angora (Turkish: Ankara Kedisi) breed are one of the ancient, naturally occurring cat breeds, having originated in central Turkey, in the Ankara region.

These cats often have a white, silky, medium-long length coat, no undercoat and fine bone structure. There seems to be a connection between Ankara Cats and Persians (see below), and the Turkish Angora is also a distant cousin of the Turkish Van. Although they are known for their shimmery white coat, currently there are more than twenty varieties including black, blue, reddish fur. They come in tabby and tabby-white, along with smoke varieties, and are in every color other than pointed, lavender, and cinnamon (all of which would indicate breeding to an outcross).

Turkish Angora

The Turkish Angora – A blue eye can often indicate that the cat is deaf!

Eyes may be blue, green or amber, or even one blue and one amber. The W gene responsible for white coat and blue eye is closely related to the hearing ability, and presence of a blue eye can indicate the cat is deaf to the side the blue eye is located. However, a great many blue and odd-eyed white cats have normal hearing, and even deaf cats lead a very normal life if indoors.
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Ears are pointed and large, eyes are almond shaped and the head is massive with a two plane profile. Another characteristic is the tail, which is often kept parallel to the back.

Turkish Angora is an intelligent, adorable and a very curious breed which is very active throughout their life-span. Some Turkish Angoras will bathe with their owners (another link to the cousin Turkish Van cat, which is known as “the swimming cat”). They also tend to bond with their owners and try to be the center of attention, often doing their part in conversations. They usually don’t like to be held for long, but like to stay in human presence, happily playing for hours.

Like all domestic cats, Turkish Angoras descended from the African wildcat. The mountainous regions of Eastern Anatolia isolated cats brought by traders from Egypt, and through inbreeding and natural selection they developed into longhaired breeds like the Turkish Van and the Turkish Angora.

Longhaired cats were imported to Britain and France from Asia Minor, Persia and Russia as early as the late 1500s, though there are indications that they appeared in Europe as early as 1300s due to the Crusades. The Turkish Angora was used, almost to the point of extinction, to improve the coat on the Persian (cat). The Turkish Angora was recognized as a distinct breed in Europe by the early 1600s.

In 1917, The Government of Turkey in conjunction with the Ankara Zoo began a meticulous breeding program to protect and preserve what they considered a national treasure, pure white Turkish Angoras with blue and amber eyes. The program continues today. The zoo particularly prized odd-eyed Angoras (ie. Turkish Angoras with one blue eye and one amber eye). The Zoo has its own cat facility which houses the white Turkish Angoras for its breeding program.

Turkish Angora, which was most recently brought to the United States in 1963, was accepted as a championship pedigreed breed in 1973 by the Cat Fanciers’ Association. However, until 1978 only white Angoras were recognized. Today, all North American registries accept the Turkish Angora in many colors and patterns. While numbers are still relatively small, the gene pool and base of fanciers are growing.

In the Turkish Angora, an autosomal recessive hereditary ataxia is found. The kittens affected by this ataxia do not learn to move and die young. The genetic cause of this ataxia is not yet known. Another genetic illness known to the breed is HCM], which is an autostomal dominant gene wich affect many other breeds (from Maine Coons to Persians).

Many Thanks to Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

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Selkirk Rex

The Selkirk Rex breed has highly curled hair, including the whiskers (vibrissae). Unlike the Devon Rex and Cornish Rex, the hair is of normal length and not partly missing, and there are longhair and shorthair varieties. Also unlike the other Rexes, the Selkirk gene is dominant.

The Selkirk Rex originated in Montana, America in 1987, with a litter born to a rescued cat. The only unusually coated kitten in the litter was ultimately placed with a Persian breeder, Jeri Newman, who named her Miss DePesto (after a curly-haired character in the TV series Moonlighting). This foundation cat was bred to a black Persian male, producing three Selkirk Rex and three straight-haired kittens. This demonstrated that the gene had an autosomal dominant mode of inheritance. All Selkirk Rex trace their ancestry back to Miss DePesto.

Selkirk Rex

Selkirk Rex – with a curly coat

The breed has been developed in two coat lengths, long and short (medium). It is a large and solidly built breed, similar to a British Shorthair. The coat is very soft and has a woolly look and feel with loose, unstructured curls. The head is round, with large rounded eyes, medium sized ears, and a distinct muzzle, whose length is equal to half its width. An extreme break, like that of a Persian, is a disqualifiable fault.

American Shorthairs, Persians, Himalayans, Exotics, and British Shorthairs have been used as outcrosses to develop this breed. The American Shorthair has now been discontinued as an outcross. In CFA, outcrossing to Persians (including Himalayans) is scheduled to be discontinued in 2010, and all outcrosses stopped in 2015. In Australia, all outcrosses are scheduled to be discontinued in 2015.

The breed was accepted by The International Cat Association in 1992 and the Cat Fanciers’ Association in 2000.

The breed is accepted in all colors, including the pointed, sepia, and mink varieties of albinism; bicolors; silver/smoke; and the chocolate and lilac series. This breed has an extremely dense coat and high propensity for shedding. Unlike other Rex breeds with reduced amounts of hair, the Selkirk Rex is not recommended for those who might be allergic to cat allergens.

The temperament of the Selkirk Rex reflects that of the breeds used in its development. They have a lot of the laid-back, reserved qualities of the British Shorthair, the cuddly nature of the Persian, and the playfulness of the Exotic Shorthair. They are very patient, tolerant, and loving.

There are no known health problems specific to the Selkirk Rex breed. They are a healthy and robust breed. Breeding towards proper head structure is necessary to prevent kinking of the tear ducts, resulting in tear run down the front of the face, or muzzle creases that can result in dermatitis on the face. Like other Rex breeds, irritation of the ear by curly fur can occur, increasing the production of ear wax. Homozygous cats (with two copies of the dominant Selkirk Rex gene) may have a tendency towards excessive greasiness of the coat, requiring increased frequency of bathing. Other health problems may be inherited from the outcross breeds used, including Polycystic Kidney Disease from Persians and Hypertrophic Cardiomyopathy from British Shorthairs. Responsible breeders screen their breeding cats for these diseases to minimize their impact on the breed.

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Havana Brown

The Havana Brown is similar to the oriental shorthair and is a full color cat, also known as a non-blue eyed Siamese. This cat breed is also known as a Swiss Mountain cat and has been known and shown in England since the late 1890s.

During World War I and World War II, the breeding programs of pedigreed cats suffered. It was not until the post World War II era that time cat fanciers renewed their breeding efforts. In the early 1950s a group of English cat fanciers began working together to restore the breed.

havana brown cat

The Havana Brown or ‘Swiss Mountain Cat’
Photograph: Sally Anne Thompson

The ladies credited with this effort include Mrs. Armitage Hargreaves of Laurentide Cattery, Mrs. Munroe-Smith of Elmtower Cattery, the Baroness Von Ullmann of Roofspringer Cattery, Mrs. Elsie Fisher of Praha Cattery, and Mrs. Judd of Crossways Cattery. These breeders produced a chestnut (chocolate) colored kitten through mating a black shorthair and a chocolate point Siamese.

The Havana Brown is a moderately sized, muscular short-haired cat with a body of average length. For showing the coat color must be brown, typically reddish-brown, with no tabby markings at all. Whiskers should also be brown and the eye color should be green. The head should be slightly longer than wide and the nose should have a distinct stop at the eyes. Males tend to be larger than females and are average in weight compared with other breeds.

The Havana Brown is an intelligent cat that often uses its paws both to examine objects and to communicate with its owners. The most likely explanation of the breed’s name is that its coat color is very similar to that of Havana cigars.

The breed has been recognized for championship competition in both the US and Britain since the late 1950s. It is considered an endangered breed, since the breeding pool is very small. In the late 1990s, there were only 12 CFA-registered Havana Brown catteries and under 130 unaltered cats.

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Ragamuffin

The Ragamuffin is a long-haired domestic cat similar in appearance to the Ragdoll. Ragamuffins are fairly large cats, queens weigh between 4.54 and 6.80 kg (10 to 15 lb) and toms weigh between 6.80 and 9.07 kg (15 to 20 lb).

Ragamuffins are large, muscular, heavy cats that do not reach full maturity until approximately four years old. The look of the body is rectangular, with broad chest and powerful shoulders supporting a short neck. The head is a broad modified wedge with a rounded forehead and obvious nose dip. There is a puffiness to the whisker pad and cheeks are full. Large, walnut shaped eyes give a sweet appearance. The Ragamuffin has a long, dense and silky coat, like that of a heavily furred rabbit, and the hair grows longer around the face and neck (a ruff), increases in length toward the stomach, with a wispy frill on the hind legs. Every possible color and pattern is allowable.

raga muffin cat

ragamuffin – kept indoors for their own protection.

Difference from a Ragdoll: The Ragamuffin has a shorter, scooped nose, while the Ragdoll has a gentle curve with the final segment straight. Rather than having a flat plane between the ears, the skull of the Ragamuffin is gently rounded. The Ragamuffin has a bit more chubby-looking face, and slightly tipped forward ears. Ragamuffin breeders also emphasize a sweet expression and walnut shaped eyes rather than the oval eyes seen in the Ragdolls. The Ragamuffin is allowed to outcross with certain other breeds every fifth generation which is important for maintaining the excellent health of the breed.

History

The Ragamuffin is one of the newest breeds of domestic cat. It was created in 1994. The exact development of this breed is cloudy and will likely remain a mystery. It was accepted in the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) miscellaneous class in 2003.

Mrs. Ann Baker

Many believe the Ragamuffin resulted from accidental breeding. Some accounts suggested Mrs. Baker started the breed in the 1960s with a Ragdoll cat named Josephine and a regular, non-pedigree cat. The kittens turned out so cute and so special that Mrs. Baker wanted to preserve their special qualities by breeding Josephine’s offspring and by being the only person to breed and sell Ragamuffins. Mrs. Baker’s restrictions created friction between her and other breeders who, ultimately, branched off on their own and pushed for the new registry with the CFA.

Color forms

This breed has several of the color formations that are present on Ragdolls, but also has a variety of different colors. Some colors include: all variations of pointed color, including Tortie Point, Red Point, and Lynx Point.

Personality

The only extreme allowed in this breed is the very docile nature. The Ragamuffin loves people and is very cuddly and affectionate, with a tendency to go limp when held. While not terribly athletic, they love playing and climbing scratching posts and some will even fetch toys. They greet family members at the door and will follow their people around the house. Though some have been known to bite when not given the desired attention.

Because of their gentle nature, Ragamuffins are generally kept indoors for their own protection.

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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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Thanks

Here’s the credit list for Moggyblog.

Thanks to the following people and Organisations who have provided information for many posts in the blog:

  • Wikipedia. For many of the cat breed details. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Main_Page

And thanks also…

To Freddie, Jingles, Tigger, Podgy (the english sheepdog), Buki, Gingerbread, Norman and (last but not least) Oscar for the friendship, fun times and many happy hours.

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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.