3 Dogs and 2 Cats

August 11, 2007

Himalayan

Filed under: Cat Breeds,Cats,Dogs — shae @ 3:05 am

The Himalayan, also called colorpoint Persian and colloquially referred to as Himmy, is a breed of cat with extremely long, fluffy fur, and the blue eyes and the points of a Siamese. Himalayan is the American term, while in Europe they are referred to as colorpoint Persians.
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They were bred from Siamese (for the markings) and Persians (for coat-length and temperament), and share the characteristics of both breeds. Himalayans are now considered the same breed for cat registries (CFA), (TICA) as the modern Persian show cat since they have the exact same conformation with a pointed coat.

The body of a Himalayan is white or cream, but the points come in many different colors: blue, brown, lilac, chocolate, flame, red and cream. The points can also be tabby or tortoiseshell-patterned. Both the chocolate and lilac point Himalayan are the most difficult to produce. These color traits are autosomal recessive, meaning both parents must possess the gene in order for any offspring to express the trait.

These cats are sweet-tempered, intelligent and generally very social and good companions. Because of their heritage from the Siamese cats they tend to be more active than ordinary Persians. They are more prone to hairballs than other breeds. Due to the amount of inbreeding involved in breeding these cats commercially, they are prone to genetic deformities and have a greater likelihood for developing inherited problems such as joint problems, organ abnormalities, and particularly Polycystic kidney disease among other diseases.

Like many long-haired cats, Himalayans need to be brushed daily to keep their coats looking their best and healthiest. In addition, they may need their face wiped daily, depending on the cat. Bathing a Himalayan is also recommended by some breeders, to help reduce the amount of oil on the cat’s fur and skin. The Himalayan will bring great joy to your home. So be sure that you and your pet have a great connection to be friends.


July 21, 2007

Tabby Cats

Filed under: Cat Breeds,Cats — shae @ 7:33 am

A tabby cat is a cat with a distinctive coat that features stripes, dots, or swirling patterns. Tabbies are often mistakenly assumed to be a breed of cat, it’s a color. In fact, the tabby pattern is a naturally occurring feature that may be the original coloration of the domestic cat’s distant ancestors. Tabby color is found in many cat breeds, as well as among the general ‘moggy’ (mixed-breed or mongrel) population. When cats are allowed to breed randomly, the coloration of the population tends toward brown mackerel tabbies with green eyes, leading geneticists to believe that this is the common wild phenotype of the domestic cat. The tabby cat usually is gray and has an “M” mark on its fore head. But sometimes Tabis can be orange. For instance it could be orange and have blue eyes, or tanish orange and have green eyes.

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There are four tabby patterns that have been shown to be genetically distinct: mackerel, classic, spotted and ticked. A fifth includes tabby as part of another basic color pattern, the “patched” tabby, which may be a calico or tortoiseshell cat with tabby patches (the latter is called a “torbie”. A number of other variations are due to the interaction between domestic cats and wildcat genes in cat breeds such as the Bengal and can now be seen in Bombay .

June 26, 2007

Siberian Cats, some of the Cute Kittens from Russia

Filed under: Cat Breeds,Cats — shae @ 12:09 pm

Siberian cats are from Kravchenko, Russia. They are pretty much a dog trapped in a cats body.

siberian-cat.jpg

Personality: Warm, friendly, a fearless cat that enjoys the company of a wide range of pets, but seeks out human interaction. Siberian kittens are affectionate and clever, gentle and calm in nature. Generally quiet but will talk in distinctive chirps.


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