The Abyssinian In looks, the 'Aby' (as it is affectionately known in the cat world) is similar to drawings of Ancient Egyptian cats and there are some who believe it orginated in the Nile Valley, however there continues to be speculation and controversy concerning its history. There is no doubt, however, that it is one of the oldest short-haired breeds. The name is not because the breed originated in Ethiopia, formerly Abyssinia, but because the first Abyssinian exhibited at a cat show in England was imported from that country.
Abyssinians appear both lithe and sleek, with the latter feature empahsized by their glossy coats. They have an unnusual ticked fur, in which each hair has two or more dark bands. The standard Aby shade, called Ruddy or Tawny, is a warm brown ticked with black. Another very popular colouring is sorrel, which is a copper red with red-brown ticking. Rarer colours include blue, beige-fawn and silver.
Medium-sized and well muscled, Abys have large, somewhat pointed ears and big brilliant almond-shaped eyes in amber, green, or yellow, rimmed in black or brown.
Abys make ideal companions. They are busy cats, alert and active, with voices that are quiet and 'bell-like'. Independent, easy to settle and exceptionally intelligent, they are definitely a cat that likes to be with people. Once you have obtained an Aby as a companion you will never be alone. Abys are excellent at training people to do just what they want them to do!
The Balinese
The Balinese are longhaired cats in the Oriental family and were developed from the long coated cats which occured naturally in Siamese litters in the U.S.A. They were named because their elegant shape and movement reminded breeders of the native dancers on the island of Bali.
A medium cat in size, it conforms to the svelte body shape of the Siamese, but overlaying the slim body is a semi-long, fine silky coat about 50mm in length. A characteristic of the breed is the gorgeous long plumed tail. They do not require as much grooming as most other long coated breeds. Overall they are a most striking and graceful breed.
The ideal Balinese resembles the Siamese in every way except for the long coat. The eyes are blue and almond-shaped and acceptable point colours are blue, lilac, seal and chocolate.
Balinese are active, busy cats, constantly following their owners around. They are affectionate, insatiably curious, playful and talkative and chat with their owners at any opportunity.
The Balinese is an active, playful, devoted companion with elegant good looks and likes nothing better than a cuddle or a lap to sit on.
Birman
The Birman, or sacred Cat of Burma, is a strikingly beautiful and unusual breed. It has a pale coloured body, dark face, ears, tail and legs, a semi-long coat and white "gloves" on its paws. Its eyes are a beautiful, deep sapphire-blue.
A famous legend is the only explanation we have for their colouring: one hundred pure white cats lived in the Burmese temple of Lao-Tsun. One night the temple was raided and the oldest priest was killed. His pure white cat, Sinh, jumped on the body of his master and the priest's soul entered the cat, and as it did so the white hair of his body became golden (like the Temple goddess), his legs, face, ears and tail became earth coloured and his paws remained white as a symbol of purity.
Birmans have soft voices and are more active than Persians but less active and talkative than Siamese. The coat is more silky than fluffy, and for that reason it rarely mats and is easy to groom and keep in order. However, regular grooming is still a must. They are recognised in most colours with sealpoint and bluepoint being the most common.
Their history is romantic, their looks exotic and they make an ideal companion for owners desiring an indoor cat.
British Shorthair
The British Shorthair has a rags to riches history. Descended from the cats introduced into England during the Roman times the breed had centuries of "living rough" alongside man rather than with him which produced a line of strong, self-sufficient, hardy cats. Nineteenth century author and artist, Harrison Weir, so admired these cats' natural sturdiness and intelligence that he started selectively breeding the most outstanding specimens he could find and developed them into a breed.
The British Shorthair is indeed a sturdy, compact looking cat. It has a massive round head and a deep-chested, cobby body with a coat unique to its breed - short, dense, plush and "crisp", not soft to the touch.
Because of its dense coat, the British Shorthair is exceptionally hardy and resistant to cold and has a stamina born of countless generations of life in all kinds of weather.
One of its distinctions is in the wide range of beautiful coat colourings - anything from traditional solids to tabby, tortoiseshell and new hues and patterns such as lilac and white bi-colour and silver spotted tabby. Of all these, blue has remained the favourite throughout the years.
A British Shorthair is a delight to own, being intelligent, affectionate, and untempermental. Someone once said that British Shorthairs are typically British in temperament: they have a strong character but are rather reserved by nature. They demand less attention than other breeds, although they love it, and are not at all pushy and are just the cat to cope with busy lifestyles.
Adaptable to its surroundings, the British Shorthair generally gets on well with dogs and other cats.
They are extremely resilient when interacting with children and there placid, easy going, unflappable nature means they take almost anything in their stride.
Burmese The Burmese is a personality plus cat with a sunny disposition and unflappable nature ideally suited to Australian lifestyles.
A happy go-lucky tomboy of a cat it retains its kittenish curiosity and playfulness throughout its life - thereby making it an ideal children's playmate.
This breed is totally distinctive both physically and temperamentally. It is the only natural breed of brown cat. Its short, satin-textured, glossy coat is traditionally a rich, warm sable brown and the eyes are gold. Selective breeding for other colour varieties has produced the magnificent blue Burmese as well a variety of other attractive hues ranging from red and cream to lilac and tortoiseshell.
Powerfully built, with excellent muscle tone, the Burmese is surprisingly heavy for its size. Its body is long and lithe with a rounded chest, rounded ear tips and small, dainty oval feet. Even to an untrained eye it looks exotic.
It is highly intelligent, affectionate and extremely loyal. It loves being with people, but also gets along well with other cats and even dogs. One of its most endearing qualities is that it loves to perform tricks. It readily learns to retrieve a toy in a very dog-like manner and earned the nickname "dog-cat" when it first appeared. Although its voice is softer than the Siamese the Burmese is a talkative cat quite prepared to hold long conversations with its owners.
Chinchilla
The Chinchilla is a separate colour classification of the Persian or Longhair. It has a silvery looking coat, with the characteristic sparkle coming from the black or silver tips on the luxurious white hair. Kittens are born almost black with heavy tabby markings, which disappear as they get older, making way for the pure white coat colour.
Chinchilla's eyes are large, round and emerald green or blue-green in colour.
Chinchillas are not as stout in body type as other longhaired cats. Their delicate colouring and fairy-like appearance belies the fact that they are a very hardy cat.
One of the most famous early Chinchillas was called Silver Lambkin, and it seems he was the originator of this distinctive colouring. He became quite famous, winning most of the major awards at the Crystal Palace Show in London in 1888.
As with all longhairs, this is a cat which needs grooming daily, and no potential owner should proceed unless this commitment can be made. Chinchillas moult heavily twice a year and shed some hair all year round.
Chinchillas have quite melodious voices and aptitude for adjusting to any new environment.
Cornish Rex
The Cornish Rex is a quaint but chic-looking cat, having a long narrow head with a prominent Roman nose, large flared ears and a muscular body rather akin to that of a Greyhound. Its spectacular crimped coat looks and feels like cut velvet.
The Cornish Rex is an intelligent and playful cat with boundless curiosity and makes an enchanting pet for gentle children. It craves human company and affection and gets on well with other cats and dogs.
The only problem with a Cornish Rex is that it has such a mind of its own, it is intelligent enough to get up to mischief no doubt knowing it is being naughty. But once people have owned a Cornish Rex, they seldom go back to another breed.
Its intelligence makes it adapt easily to car travel, moving house and apartment living, and it is an ideal pet for elderly people as well as families.
Their low allergenic "Poodle-type" coat is low maintenance and sheds minimally and means that many asthma or allergy suffers who are unable to enjoy ownership of other breeds, may be able to live with a Rex. The Rex's coat is extremely low maintenance but as it does not afford the same protection as a normal coat, these cats do need to be kept warm and dry. To compensate for their lack of guard hairs, the Cornish Rex has a slightly higher surface body temperature than other breeds - making them wonderful lap and foot warmers.
Devon Rex
The Devon Rex is a feline version of "E.T". Its short wide-cheeked face, huge lowset batwing ears and delicately sculpted body - combined with a devlish sense of mischief - give it a pixie-like persona.
The Devon Rex is named after the English county where they first appeared. They have much wider ears, smaller faces, pronounced cheek-bones and shorter noses than their Cornish counterparts, and their distinctive coat is curly and feels like suede or brushed corduroy.
The Devon Rex make intelligent, extroverted and very affectionate pets. Alert and quick, they usually display a great inquisitiveness. Curiously, they tend to waver their tails when they are pleased.
Their low allergenic "Poodle-type" coat is low maintenance and sheds minimally and means that many asthma or allergy suffers who are unable to enjoy ownership of other breeds, may be able to do live with a Rex. The Rex's coat is extremely low maintenance but as it does not afford the same protection as a normal coat, these cats do need to be kept warm and dry. To compensate for their lack of guard hairs, the Devon Rex has a slightly higher surface body temperature than other breeds - making them wonderful lap and foot warmers.
Domestic Shorthair
Australia's most popular cat
Amongst all the many varieties of cats available as household pets, there's no doubt which one reigns supreme in the popularity department - the Domestic - also known as the moggie!
This basic, no frills feline with its unsophisticated charm has been part of our lives for as far back as we can remember....
Most of us grew up with a moggie, they welcomed us home from school and played with us in the backyard. Regardless of the lack of pomp and pageantry surrounding these cats there was always something reassuring about seeing them curled up contendly in front of the fireplace or sunning themselves on the front verandah.
Moggies do not conform to any standards - coming in a range of shapes and sizes,plus a riot of attractive coat colours and patterns. Interestingly, the tortoiseshell is almost invariably female, while the rare male is inevitably sterile. Red tabbies are often males, hence the title "ginger tom".
"Moggies" are invariably extremely robust, hardy cats with a no-fuss, self assured nature. Most have a short easy-care coat but some have a more fluffy coat which requires grooming.
The moggie's lack of aristocratic ancestry will never stop it being "top cat" in the hearts of millions of Australians.
Exotic Shorthair
For those who adore the drop-dead good looks and movie star appeal of the Persian, but haven't the time for all that grooming, then the 'shorthaired Persian' - or Exotic Shorthair` as this breed is officially known - is just the cat for you!
The same big round eyes, small ears, flat face with short snub nose, and sweet facial expression that remind us of perpetual kittenhood, are all there. As is the sturdy build, cobby body and short little legs which endow it with those cuddly teddy qualities. Along with the quiet voice, placid demeanour and gentle non-intrusive mannerisms of the Persian. Everything, in fact, except for that labour-intensive long coat.
Known to its growing band of admirers as the 'wash-and-wear Persian', the Exotic Shorthair has a luxurious low maintenance plush velvet jacket, which comes in a kaleidoscope of beautiful colours and patters.
The Exotic tends to be a little more playful, active and inquisitive than the Persian. Blesses with a happy laid-back, happy-go-lucky nature and unruffled manner that takes everything in its stride, it is a practical choice of feline friend for all those with busy lifestyle. For although it cherishes close interaction with people, this undemanding no-fuss feline is also intent to enjoy its own company, or that of other household poets, when its owners are not around.
The highly adaptable Exotic Shorthair readily fits in to any situation - and is quite happy to enjoy the creature comforts of home and hearth on a full-time basis. It makes a delightful children's playmate and charming all-round family pet.
Foreign White These shorthaired cats are essentially solid white Siamese - no point colour appears at all on tail, face, paws or ears.
One of their strengths is that they are blue-eyed white cats with sound hearing. This is because they genetically get their blue eyes from the Siamese, rather than from the gene which is responsible for blue eyes in other breeds.
The standard stipulates a body type similar to the Siamese, which they also resemble in temperament. Some breeders contend the Foreign White is more mellow than the Siamese and not as highly strung. It is also claimed that although they have the same voice, it is slightly softer.
They are very affectionate and demanding if they like you, and can be equally independent if they choose to be. Like the Siamese, they will exhibit a devotion to one human in particular and are highly intelligent, interesting individuals.
Korat
The beautiful silver-blue Korat is an ancient breed not seen outside its native Thailand until the late 19th century.
The Korat is considered a good luck cat. It has long been cherished by the Thai people and originally could only be given as a gift to someone who was deemed worthy of such a valued present. A pair of Korats are often given to a bride on her wedding day. Legend has it that the silver- tipped coat signifies wealth to the tradesman and merchant, rain clouds to the farm dweller and a happy marriage and home to the bride. Of added meaning to the farmer are the green-gold eyes which represent young rice plants.
The appearance of this breed, which falls into the Foreign Shorthair group, is that of a small sized, smoothly curved, muscular cat. Its huge, prominent, luminious green or green-gold eyes are brilliant, alert and expressive. The true Korat is always silver-blue from birth.
The coat lies sleek and close to the body because of the virtual absence of an undercoat.. This makes the Korat susceptible to cold.Although there is normal seasonal shedding, the hairs do not float off as do those of other cats when stroked.
The Korat is an active cat with strong likes and dislikes. It is very intelligent and easily trained to fetch a toy or walk on a lead.
The Korat bonds very closely with its owner and makes an outstanding companion.
Persian
The beautiful Persian has a long and distinguished history and has appeared in cat shows for over 100 years. It is currently the most popular breed registered in Australia.
Famous for their placid, gentle temperament, Persians are quiet and affectionate and have an ability to adapt to any environment. However, they do not appreciate being teased or having their hair pulled and are probably more suitable to adult households or those with gentle children.
The Persian is particularly well suited as a house or apartment cat and being an indoor cat also helps to keep its coat in optimum condition.
Potential owners must be prepared to groom the glorious coat daily. This is a high maintenance breed which depends totally on its owner for its comfort and wellbeing. If grooming is neglected for any length of time the coat matts and will require expert attention. Persians moult heavily twice a year, and shed some hair all year round.
Manx
According to a writer in 1900, "the Manx is considered by many people as a national curiosity". It differs from the ordinary cat little, except in the absence of a tail or even an apology for one. The hindlegs are thicker and rather longer than the ordinary cat's and it runs more like a rabbit. The Manx cat came from the Isle of Man originally and is a distinct breed.
The reason for the Manx cat's lack of tail is a mutant dominant gene. The mutation occured long ago, because the Manx is a very ancient breed of cat.
The degree of "taillessness" in the Manx varies. The varieties have been divided into four groups with the wonderful names of Rumpy, Rumpy-riser, Stumpy and Longy. A Rumpy Manx is the ideal exhibition animal, with no hint of a tail. Rumpy-risers have a small knob of a tail, Stumpies have a definite tail stump and Longies are hard to distinguish from normal cats.
The perfect Manx should have a distinct double coat with soft under hair and a glossier coarser top coat. They come in a whole range of coat and eye colours.
The Manx is a fascinating, attractive cat who will repay the interest of owners with intelligence and faithfullness.
Oriental
The Oriental is an entertaining livewire who completely captivates all who come under its spell, for it is a breed blessed with great charisma and character and one which lives life in the fast lane!
Inquisitive, intelligent and self-assured it insists on participating in family activities. The personality of the Oriental is identical to that of the Siamese. Like Siamese, they are intelligent, resourceful and companionable with demanding, extroverted personalities. They like to "talk" and breeders tend to say their voices are slightly quieter than their siblings from Siam.
Their svelte, super sleek conformation and stylised elegance combine with a host of colours. Some of the more popular colours include the brown Oriental (or Havana Brown), the black Oriental (or Ebony), the blue Oriental and the lavender Oriental. As well as the solid colours, there is a whole range of patterns: tortoiseshell, tabby, spotted and ticked.
The term "Oriental Shorthair" encompasses all the cats with a Siamese body shape that are not "pointed". Orientals have much to recommend them as pets. Sassy and sleek, the Oriental is certainly a cat with mystique.
Ragdoll
Ragdolls, as their implies, are very laid-back cats. If you want a large cat which is very placid and loves to be with people the Ragdoll may be ideal.
Ragdolls are large cats with broad chests and very large hindquarters/ When picked up these cats have a tendency to completely relax - like a floppy ragdoll, which gives them their unusual name. Ragdolls have a very sweet face with large, oval, blue eyes and large, rounded ears.
The medium-long coat is non matting with a soft texture like rabbit fur. The tail is bushy and there is generally a 'ruff' around the neck and longer hair ('britches') on the hindquarters. A regular combing will keep the Ragdoll comfortable.
Ragdolls are among the prettiest of the cat breeds with distinctive markings known as 'colourpoint;, 'mitted' or 'bicolour' and comes in the following coat colours - seal, chocolate, blue an lilac.
Ragdolls are intelligent and like to please their owners. This is a very people oriented breed and they often follow owners like a puppy. They are very placid but love to play with toys and be involved in the day to day life of the household. Ragdolls are very gentle and lack the instinct to defend themselves and it is essential that they be kept as indoor pets.
Russian Blue
The Russian Blue, with its vivid green eyes, long thin body and distinctive double coat, is one of the most coveted of the short-haired cats.
As the name suggests, the Russian Blue is believed to have originated in the USSR. It is believed sailors took them to western Europe in the 1860's and early records describe their thick, seal-like coats which were their natural protection against the very cold Russian climate. They were exhibited at the Crystal Palace cat shows in England from the mid-nineteenth century.
More recent developments are the Russian White and the Russian Black. Apart from their coat colours, they are identical to the Russian Blue.
One of the special features of the Russian Blue is its prominent whisker pads - they stand out like pin cushions. A good Russian Blue should have large, thinly-furred ears, small oval feet, slender legs and a narrow tail.
The distinctive coat is a lustrous, even coloured blue with silver tipped guard hairs.Patting a Russian has been described as feeling like running a silk scarf through your hands.
As a companion, the Russian Blue/White/Black has much to recommend it. A very quite cat, it uses its voice once in a blue moon, is very affectionate and devoted and is rather shy, gentle and home-loving and bonds very closely with its owner.
Scottish Fold
The Scottish Fold has a look all of its own. It has been described as appearing to wear a helmet because from which ever way the head is viewed it appears round, accentuated by the tightly folded ears. The whisker pads are prominent and give the impression of a 'smiling' cat.
The first Scottish Fold appeared in a litter on a Scottish farm in 1961, but since then has been crossed with the British Shorthair to develop into a breed of medium sized, well padded cats with large, round, broadly spaced eyes and a sweet expression, as well as the typical folded ears. As the gene for the folded ear is a simple dominant gene, kittens with normal erect ears (known as 'pert' ears) will occur, and these are then known as Scottish Shorthairs. Scottish Folds can be found in almost every colour and combination of colours.
The Fold is a sweet natured cat which loves to play and enjoys supervising whatever you are doing. Their activity level is moderate and many have the peculiarly uncatlike habit of sleeping flat on their back!
Scottish Folds adore company and are not happy if left alone for long periods of time. A solution is to buy two Folds to keep each other from being lonely and you will get twice the love and devotion from these unique cats.
Siamese
The Siamese is for all those who want a full-on relationship with a character cat. No shrinking violet, the Siamese both demands and provides extremely stimulating compaionship.
Legend has it that the Siamese were originally temple cats and received the souls of mortals upon their deaths.
From an exotic past, the Siamese has become one of the most recognised breeds of cat,in the world.
A feature of the breed is its markings, or points of colour, on the face, ears, lower legs and tail. The body colour of the Siamese can be frosty white or cream, and the "points" range from the original seal point to tabby, tortie, red, cream, blue, chocolate and lilac point.
Whatever the colour scheme of the cat, the Siamese will always have vivid blue eyes.
Siamese kittens develop early and quickly and show an individual personality. They are very active and dislike being left alone. They are "talkers" and converse in loud and sometimes harsh voices. One of the reasons they make such good companions is this ability to have a conversation.
Extremely intelligent and elegant, they insist on taking an active part in their owner's lives. With such an interesting and individual personality cat you can be sure life will never be dull - they are excellent company for those wanting a loving, lively and entertaining companion..
Somali The Somali is best described as a long haired version of the Abyssinian and its colouring and beautiful bushy tail give it a fox-like appearance.
It is a medium sized cat, graceful and well-muscled, with eyes that are big and almond-shaped and full of expression.
The coat is not as long as in the Persian, and its silky texture means it is less likely to mat, but it still must be groomed regularly.
Each hair has many band of black of chocolate brown ticking. The four basic coat colours are tawny, cinnamon (sorrel), blue and beige-fawn, plus these four colours in the silver range. It takes along time for the beautiful richly coloured coat to develop fully; kittens are born very dark and only achieve a fully ticked, ruddy brown or reddish colouring at about 18 months old.
The Somali's nature is vigorous, athletic and playful and curious. They are even-tempered and easy to handle and ideal for gentle children. They are very quiet cats with a soft voice which they don't use a great deal.
For those who want a 'party animal' who enjoys people and games the Somali is an ideal choice.
Australian Mist
The delightful Australian Mist, formerly known as the Spotted Mist, proudly wears the label 'Made In Australia". This home-grown Aussie cat breed has evolved from a predominantly Burmese background, with Abyssinian and domestic shorthair input. From this combination has come the most confident and companionable of cats
Blesses with the loving personality of the Burmese, the joie-de-vivre of the Abyssinian and the resilience of the 'moggie', the Australian Mist reflects the best of its mixed ancestry - combined with its own unique charms.
The breed's hallmark spotted jacket comes in a wide variety of attractive hues, from warm brown to blue, chocolate to lilac and gold to peach - with the misty background colours highlighting its delicate but distinctive spots.
A personality-plus puss with a penchant for fun, the Australian Mist thrives on human companionship. Tolerant of even the youngest of children, these friendly felines enjoy playing games and being part of the hustle and bustle of a busy household making entertaining companions for people of all ages.
"Spotties", as they are affectionately known, are extremely alert and attentive. Super athletes, they are possessed of limitless energy and a cheeky, inquisitive nature.
Independent, intelligent and self-assured, these cats know exactly what they want out of life - and how to go about getting it!
Turkish Van
Cats, for the most part, actively dislike getting wet - so why should the Turkish Van be any different?
These cats are auburn and white, but with a coat pattern very rare inc cats; the red colour is restricted to areas around the ears and on the tail. (This has come to be known as the Van pattern.)
Obviously swimming cats need to have a waterproof coat and the Turkish Vans have a semi-longhaired coat which requires some grooming. They moult extensively during the summer, assuming a virtually shorthaired appearance but throughout the year keep the beautiful brush-like tail.
They have a gentle disposition, a hearty appetite and are lively, intelligent and inquisitive with an ability to adjust easily to most situations. They maybe somewhat apprehensive with strangers but are very affectionate towards their owners, with whom they bond very closely - being almost doglike in their devotion.
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