cats 101.

IanJSeattle, Flickr Cat Breed: Siberian Appearance: The Siberian is a medium-large cat, according to the Siberian Cat Club (SCC), with a rounded, powerful physique. It's considered a semi-longhair breed by the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), and its coat comes in all colors, though the CFA warns that the rarity of the breed means that most colors aren't widely available. Siberians usually exhibit a thick ruff around the neck with full britches and a fluffy tail. The pointed look, created by hair growing from the tops of the ears -- known as "tipping" -- is desirable. History: As its name suggests, the Siberian's history begins in the frigid forest of Russia, 1,000 years ago. According to ...

Cathy Hurley Cat Breed: LaPerm Appearance: This increasingly popular cat breed is best known for the unusual curly coat for which it's named. "LaPerm" means wavy or rippled and, according to the LaPerm Society of America, even the LaPerm's whiskers are curly. The LaPerm's distinctive coat comes in a range of lengths, from short and wavy to long with corkscrew curls, notes the Cat Fanciers' Association. Likewise, the LaPerm's coat comes in all recognized colors and patterns. History: The LaPerm breed was developed from humble, barn cat stock. In 1982, a bald kitten was born on an Oregon farm. Within eight weeks, according to the CFA, the kitten began to grow a very soft, curly coat. At the ...

Jeff Nelson Cat Breed: RagaMuffin Appearance: According to the RagaMuffin Associated Group's breed standard, the ragamuffin is a large cat with with substantial bone structure and a luxurious, medium-long coat. Known for their large, expressive eyes and impressive size, adult males can grow as to be as heavy as 25 pounds. Both sexes tend to be muscular, with a fatty pad on the lower abdomen. The ragamuffin's longish, silky coat comes in all colors and, according to the Cat Fancier's Association, is surprisingly easy to maintain, with little matting or clumping. History: The origin of the ragamuffin breed can be traced back to a 1960s car accident, according to the U.K. RagaMuffin Society. ...

Damon Dahlen, AOL Cat Breed: European Burmese Appearance: According to the official Cat Fanciers' Association breed profile, the European Burmese is an elegant, medium-sized cat with gently rounded contours and a short, fine coat. When it comes to differentiating between the North American Burmese and the Euro, the two distinguishing factors are color and eye shape. The European Burmese should have eyes with a top line that is slightly curved with a slant towards the nose, while the lower line is rounded. Due to the fact that the European Burmese was crossed with the Siamese, the breed displays a variety of ten colors: brown, chocolate, blue, lilac, red, cream, brown-tortie, ...

inrsoul, Flickr Cat Breed: Ragdoll Appearance: According to the Ragdoll Fancier's Club International (RFCI) , the ragdoll is a fairly large breed of cat with medium-long hair, a proportionate build, and brilliant blue eyes. Male ragdolls generally tip the scales at 15 to 20 pounds, with females ranging from about 10 to 15. The Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) describes the ragdoll's body as well-balanced, with no extreme or exaggerated features. Known for their silky, rabbit-like fur, ragdolls comes in six colors: seal, blue, lilac, chocolate, cream, and red. Ragdolls are a pointed breed, meaning the fur at their "points" (ears, tail, legs, and face) tend to be darker than the rest of their ...

courtneyBolton, Flickr Cat Breed: Ocicat Appearance: Named for its resemblance to the ocelot, the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA) describes the ocicat as a "large, active animal with an athletic appearance. It is very solid and well-muscled and has a short, tight coat with a satin sheen that shows off muscles and spots to their best advantage." Prized for their beautiful wild-looking spotted coats, the ocicat comes in twelve distinct color variations, including tawny, chocolate, cinnamon, silver, chocolate silver, cinnamon silver, blue, lavender, fawn, blue silver, lavender silver and fawn silver. According to the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA) breed standard, the ideal ocicat ...