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House Cats By, Nerd
Scottish fold. • In 1961 a shepherd by the name of William Ross spotted the first known Scottish Fold cat at a farm near Coupar Angus in the Tayside Region of Scotland, Northwest of Dundee. Ross asked the owners if he could have one of the kittens, and proceeded to develop the breed from the original, Susie, a white barn cat. • The unique thing about this cat was that her ears folded forward and downward on her head. The resulting look gave the impression of a “pixie,” “owl,” or “teddy bear” that has captured the hearts of many American cat fanciers and judges. The Scottish Fold was granted championship status by The Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) in 1978. • Scottish Folds come in two types: folded ear and straight (normal) ear. The folded ear is produced by an incomplete dominant gene and is the result of a spontaneous mutation.
More on Scottish fold • Over the last two decades the Scottish Fold has developed a look all its own…even though allowed outcrosses include American Shorthairs and British Shorthairs. The Fold does not necessarily resemble the American Shorthair’s hard, powerful “working cat” body and squared-off muzzle. Nor does it look like the British Shorthair’s massive, compact body, short legs, and flat planed top-head. The Fold, instead, is a medium cat with a rounded, well-padded body and a short, dense, and resilient coat. It has large, round, broadly spaced eyes full of sweetness; well-rounded whisker pads and a short nose with a gentle curve in profile. Scottish Fold kittens are born with straight ears. At about three to four weeks of age, their ears fold…or they don’t! It is usually around eleven to twelve weeks of age that the breeder can determine the quality (pet, breeder or show). Presently, only folded ear cats of Scottish lineage are permitted in the show ring, and naturally, every breeder wants to produce show cats. The straight ear progeny of Scottish Folds, nevertheless, are invaluable to the breeding program.
The Egyptian Mau • The exotic appearance of the Egyptian Mau is only the beginning of the magic of the breed. Owners of the Egyptian Mau find them unique in many ways in addition to their striking spotted coat patterns. These cats display exceptional intelligence and exhibit a fierce loyalty to their owners. Even though domesticated, several characteristics of their early ancestors have been retained. These include the Cheetah gait and a loose skin flap that extends from flank to hind leg, which allows the Mau remarkable freedom and agility in twisting and jumping. Most people are attracted to Egyptian Mau because of their exotic good looks. They fall in love with them because of their incredible, irrepressible personalities. All cats are characters, but these, well, they’re absolutely enchanting. Like all cats, they are individuals, one and all, but typical for the breed they tend to take it to extremes. Friendly to everyone in the family, they tend to be cautious with strangers and select their “Special Person.” On their own territory, they tend to be extremely outgoing with absolutely no fear and a ton of curiosity. They make wonderful companions.
More on The Egyptian Mau • The Egyptian Maus are interactive cats. They dote on their humans and expect to be an integral part of the family. Some people call them the gentle cousins of the Abyssinian. While they certainly aren’t hyper, legend has it that they have some of the fastest reflexes ever seen in a feline. They are shoulder riders, refrigerator vultures, and furry alarm clocks but can definitely take a confident hand when handling. Most Egyptian Maus have very distinct ideas about who can handle them and when. They are sensitive, people-oriented cats, but they like things on their terms and dote on their people. When you look at an Egyptian Mau, or catch sight of one out of the corner of your eye, they should draw you back through the ages to something a little exotic, a little jungle, a little breath-taking, and a little primitive. Make no mistake, these are heartbreakingly beautiful cats. No picture or book can do justice to the exotic beauty found in a silver Egyptian Mau’s dazzling green eyes and shiny spots, the ghostly elegance found in a smoke Egyptian Mau’s pattern, or the livingroom-leopard grace of the bronze.
Siamese • Siamese have fascinated people around the world since they were first officially exported from Thailand, or, as it was known them, Siam, in the late 1800s. Their sleek lines, striking color contrast, finely chiseled aristocratic heads, deep blue almond eyes, and short silky coats make them living art. Combine this beauty with acute intelligence, inquisitive personality, and a loving nature, and you have the essence of the Siamese cat. This ancient breed is able to communicate like no other. The Siamese voice is legendary. They speak both with their voice and with their body. They are the quintessential “people” cat, for they love to be in your lap, on your bed, at your table –and in your heart! Seal points, still the best known of the four CFA Siamese colors, were the first to be recognized. With their seal brown, almost black extremities and their pale fawn bodies, they were sensational. While chocolate points, with creamy white bodies and milk chocolate legs, tail, mask, and ears did appear from time to time, it was the blue point that gained CFA recognition in 1934. The blue point has a bluish-white body with slate blue points. The chocolate point was recognized next. In 1955 the lilac point followed and completed the breed. The lilac point has pinkish grey points with a white body, which makes it most ethereal and delicate in color. While color is a prominent feature in this breed, structure is also important. The Siamese is a study in length. From the start, the breed standard has called for a long, wedge-shaped head and elongated body lines. The muscular, tubular body is supported by long legs and graced by a long neck and tail. The short, silky, close lying coat accentuates the long lines perfectly.
More on The Siamese • The long Siamese head is delineated by an absolutely straight profile and well aligned chin. From the front, the outline of the face presents a smooth wedge with large ears that complete the wedge. The outstanding feature of the head is the pair of deep blue almond eyes which are set at a slant. If you have been able to resist all the other attributes of this breed, the eyes will captivate you. They radiate intelligence and emotion. It is believed that Siamese are descended from the sacred temple cats in Siam, now called Thailand. They made their appearance in the United States in 1878 when the American President received “Siam” as a gift from the American Consul in Bangkok. In 1884 a breeding pair of Siamese cats was brought to the UK by the British Consul-General in Bangkok as a gift for his sister. The breed soon spread to other parts of Europe and Asia and were appearing in English cat shows almost immediately and in American shows by the early twentieth century. Officially recognized by CFA in 1906, they are one of the original breeds of pedigreed cats.
