Kot: There are approximately 100 breeds of cat

Evidence: 45 • authority: 72

The Persian cat, also known as the Persian Longhair or simply Persian, is a long-haired traditional breed of cat characterised by a round face and petite, but not flat and not smashed in, muzzle. The short flat nose was created in the US from in-breeding and causes breathing difficulties in the breed, whereas, the traditional Persian breed has a petite nose which enables them to breathe without difficulties. The first Persian cats may have been brought to Italy from Khorasan as early as 1620, but there is stronger evidence for a longhaired cat breed exported from Afghanistan and Iran/Persia from the 19th century onwards. Persian cats have been widely recognised by the North-West European ca…

Evidence: 45 • authority: 72

Domestic cats have been diversified by humans into breeds and domestic and wild hybrids. Many such breeds are recognized by various cat registries. Additionally, there are new and experimental breeds, landraces being established as standardized breeds, distinct domestic populations not being actively developed and lapsed (extinct) breeds. As of 2023, the International Cat Association (TICA) recognizes 75 standardized breeds, the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) recognizes 45, the Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFe) recognizes 50, the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) recognizes 45, and the World Cat Federation (WCF) recognizes 69. Inconsistency in a breed's classification and nam…

Evidence: 41 • authority: 92

Shared alleles and genetic structures in different Thai domestic cat breeds: the possible influence of common racial origins.. Over hundreds of years, cats have been domesticated and selectively bred, resulting in numerous pedigreed breeds expedited by recent cat shows and breeding associations. Concerns have been raised about the limited breeding options and the genetic implications of inbreeding, indicating challenges in maintaining genetic diversity and accurate identification in purebred cats. In this study, genetic variability and structure were examined in 5 Thai domestic cat breeds using 15 microsatellite markers and mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) D-loop sequencing. In total, 184 samples…

Evidence: 41 • authority: 92

Comparative anatomy analysis of the accessory carpal bone across dog and cat breeds.. This study investigates the morphological variation of the accessory carpal bone in mixed-breed cats and dogs of different breeds, focusing on 3D shape differences across species. Geometric morphometric analysis was applied to 3D models of 10 dogs and 15 cats, aiming to explore species-specific adaptations in carpal bone morphology. Cats (mix breeds) exhibited negative values for PC1, indicating more compact and slender carpal bones, consistent with their enhanced mobility and smaller body sizes. Both small and large dog breeds displayed positive PC1 values, indicating that the observed shape variation doe…

Evidence: 41 • authority: 92

Reproductive Results of Selected Cat Breeds.. The main goal of purebred cat breeding is to produce healthy offspring while maintaining breed purity. Pedigree cat breeders are affiliated with international federations that enforce similar breeding regulations, which helps prevent the overexploitation of cats in breeding. The minimum age for allowing a cat to breed is at least 10 months. This study aimed to analyze the breeding performance of three cat breeds: Maine Coon (MCO), British Shorthair (BSH), and Devon Rex (DRX). These breeds are classified as late-maturing (MCO), medium-late maturing (BSH), and early-maturing (DRX). The analysis was based on pedigree data obtained from the Polish F…

Evidence: 41 • authority: 92

One Breed, Different Gene Pools? Country-Associated Genomic Structure Across Pedigree Cat Breeds. Abstract Pedigreed cat breeds are selectively bred populations whose country-labelled subsets may experience different founder effects and gene flow. Previous studies have demonstrated within-breed geographic structure, but whether its magnitude differs among breeds under identical geographic comparisons is unclear. We reanalysed a public commercial-genotyping resource and removed likely first-degree relatives with a robust kinship estimator. The primary analysis retained 3,081 cats from six breeds with at least 20 animals in Canada, Finland and the United States. Country-associated differentia…

Evidence: 41 • authority: 92

Not Just in Personalities: Cat Breeds Differ in Behavioral Variability Too. Abstract Cat breeds differ in average personality, but whether they also differ in within-breed behavioral dispersion is poorly characterized. We re-analysed two open Finnish questionnaire datasets comprising 4,316 and 5,726 cats. In the discovery dataset, personality scores were adjusted for breed mean, age, sex, and multi-cat household status, then compared across 25 breed groups using Brown-Forsythe tests. Because score variance was coupled to trait means, Yeo-Johnson transformations defined the conservative analysis. Dispersion heterogeneity remained FDR-significant for aggression toward humans, sociability towa…

Evidence: 41 • authority: 72

The Maine Coon is a large domesticated cat breed. The breed is selectively bred from one of the oldest landraces in North America, and is pedigreed in all major cat registries worldwide. It originated in the U.S. state of Maine, where it is the official state cat. The Maine Coon is a large and social cat, commonly referred to as "the gentle giant". The breed is predominantly known for its large size and its long and dense coat of fur which helps it survive in the harsh climate of Maine. The Maine Coon is often cited as having "dog-like" characteristics. The breed was popular in cat shows in the late 19th century, but its existence became threatened when long-haired breeds from overseas were…

Evidence: 41 • authority: 72

The Siberian is a centuries-old landrace (natural variety) of domestic cat in Russia, and recently developed as a formal breed with standards promulgated the world over since the late-1980s. Since 2006, the breed is recognised for registry and championship status with all major cat registries. The formal name of the breed is Siberian Forest Cat, but it is typically referred to as the Siberian or Siberian cat. Formerly, sometimes the names Moscow Semi-Longhair and Russian Longhair were also used. The colourpoint variant or sister breed, called the Neva Masquerade, is categorised as a separate cat breed by some registries, including FIFe, WCF, and ACF. The breed developed from an ancient, nat…

Evidence: 41 • authority: 72

The following is a list of experimental cat breeds and crossbreeds that do not have the recognition of any major national or international cat registries, such as The International Cat Association (TICA) in the US, Europe, and Australasia; the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) in the UK, the Fédération Internationale Féline (FiFE) in continental Europe, the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) in North America, or the more recent World Cat Federation based in Germany. Such a breed may be recognized by one of the smaller cat registries. Smaller registries include the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry (REFR), and others. This list only includes breeds recognized by at least one extant, natio…

Evidence: — • authority: 72

The International Cat Association (TICA) is considered the world's largest genetic cat registry. Originally a North American organization, it now has a worldwide presence. The organization has a genetic registry for pedigreed and household pet cats and is one of the world's largest sanctioning bodies for cat shows. TICA is one of the nine members of the World Cat Congress, making it one of the major and reputable cat registries for pedigree registration of cat breeds worldwide.

Evidence: — • authority: 92

A framework to refocus the conversation around the welfare of UK purebred cats.. Previously, consideration of purebred cat welfare has focused heavily on links between specific breeds and their predispositions to disease, extreme morphology, and behavioural traits. While these are certainly important to consider, negative messaging about purebred cats is often poorly evidenced and can be alienating to owners and breeders, with consequent limited or even negative welfare gain. Negative focus on individual breeds also risks overlooking the wider picture, where propagation of genetic traits that impinge upon welfare should be avoided across all cats ( Felis catus ). An account of purebred cat…