Culture Lesson - Class #1016

It's time to return to real culture.

The information for this post has been taken from this site.

Javanese

(picture taken from this site)

History
The Javanese cat breed has originated from Siamese cats. This breed was developed by breeders who wanted to take the qualities of the Siamese and alter the coat and colors to their liking. One of the foundation cats of the Javanese breed was created by crossing a Balinese to a Colorpoint Shorthair. The outcome was a cat with all the characteristics of a Siamese but with a longer coat length and a color outside the basic four (i.e. seal, blue, chocolate, and lilac). These cats with colorful longhairs were recognized by the CFA in 1987.

Appearance
The Javanese are medium-sized and have fine bones and firm shoulders. They have a long, silky coat, which comes in a range of colors. These cats have coat style resembling to that of the Balinese. These are pointed cats though fall outside of the typically known point colors seen in Balinese cats. Javanese are also known as colorpoint cats, considering odd or rare colors, like red or white, and patterns, like tabby and tortie. Though the Javanese are almost identical to Siamese, the major difference lies in the color schemes and hair lengths. As compared to the Siamese, the Javanese have softer lines and less extreme body type because of the longer hair.

Personality
Like their Siamese relatives, these cats are very intelligent and talkative Javanese are curious, intelligent, excellent communicators and playful. They have a fascination for food and love high places. They are very talkative and have loud voice. Javanese are responsive and interactive in nature and thus, are easy to train. Javanese cats usually love to play, and are noticeably good at jumping. Like the Balinese, Javanese are also quite vocal and will "talk" for no particular reason.

Genetic Defects
Since Javanese are directly related to Siamese and Balinese cats, they might suffer from some of the similar genetic defects. Though these defects are bred out of the active lines and are becoming infrequent. They are very social cats and love to be around their owner. If they are left alone frequently, they can become depressed. The Javanese also have a tendency to become overweight if they do not receive enough exercise.

"Talk for no apparent reason". Sounds like humans.
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Culture Lesson - Class #1015

Culture time again. It's been awhile, but I've not forgotten to keep humans abreast of what's important: cats.



The information for this post has been taken from this site.

Cornish Rex




(picture taken from this site)

Cornish Rex is domestic cat breed. This breed of cat has no hair except for down i.e. like as most of the cats, Cornish Rex breed of cat do not have outer fur and awn hair but they have a simple and thin about 1 cm long undercoat. Despite having only a thin undercoat, they are found in variety of coat colors and patterns. White, black, chocolate, orange and dilutes of blue, lilac and cream are few colors in which you can find a Cornish Rex. They are also found in all kind of tabbies from classic to mackerel and ticked to tuxedo. They have been accepted as an original breed by all the cat associations except TCA.





History
The origin of this breed is traced back to Cornwall. These cats are said to be a natural breed was created as a result of a spontaneous natural mutation, which occurred in non-pedigree cats in Cornwall, England in 1950. Serena, a tortie and white short hair pet cat gave birth to five kittens in 1950, out of which four were entirely normal. The fifth kitten was however formed with curly coat and whiskers. This kitten named Kallibunker was the first ever seen Cornish Rex breed cat. He was then bred to his mother to produce two other kittens similar to him. Later one of the female kitten produced by this cross was brought to England and breeded with Siamese breed. All the Cornish Rex present today are the successors of Kallibunker.





Appearance
Cornish Rex is long and slender. The shape of its body is gently curved throughout its outline. Their size varies between small and medium. They are also very soft. They have very large ears and their coat comprises of very short hairs, very close to their body. Their head is egg shaped and their cheekbones are prominently high. Their face is distinguished by their hollow cheeks and high-bridged Roman nose and strong chin. Cornish Rexs have a small waist but very fine long legs. Despite their slender body types, they are extremely well-built and muscular. They also have long, slender and flexible tapering toward the end. An adult Cornish Rex weighs around 5-9 pounds.





Personality
Cornish Rex are said to be very affectionate, friendly, alert and people-oriented breed of cats. They are said to be one of the most attractive and interactive breeds amongst cats. They are very active, even at the age of 15 years; they behave as if they are 15 months old. They are also very curious, so in case you are planning to get along with a Rex, it is always suggested to make your home cat proof first. They are very lively and love to indulge in jumping and getting nosy with others.





A cat proof home. Is there such a thing?


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Culture Lesson - Class #1014

Once again it is time to expose ourselves to the important things of life: Cat Culture.

The information for this post has been taken from this site.

Colorpoint Shorthair

(picture taken from this site)

Colorpoint Shorthairs cats are the cousins of Siamese cats. They are identified by the sixteen different "point" colors on their body apart from the four Siamese colors- seal, blue, chocolate, and lilac points. Hybrid breed and half cousins to Siamese breeds, the Colorpoint Shorthairs cats are very much similar to their first cousins even in their body structure- small to medium in size with svelte body shape. In USA, these Colorpoint Shorthairs cats are treated as an entirely different while in UK they are treated just as a variety of Siamese breed.

History

The first Colorpoint Shorthairs were developed after breeding Siamese cats with other varieties in 1940. Since then, out-breeding with Siamese cats is common. The earliest breeding were focused on generating cats with red or cream colors at their face, ears, legs, and genital regions. However, later Abyssinian, and the red domestic breed were also used for breeding with the Siamese cats to give rise to more varieties of Colorpoint Shorthairs. The place of origin of these cats is Britain and North America. These crossbreeds' cats were acknowledged as a breed by the Cat Fanciers Association in 1964. The Colorpoint Shorthairs was also later in 1974 accepted for CFA championship. Today, CCA and TCA other than CFA regard the Colorpoint Shorthair as a separate breed than Siamese.

Appearance

Colorpoint Shorthairs cat are very similar to the Siamese cats in appearance except for the similarity in their traditional four. Very much like the Siamese breed, they also have long, tube-shaped bodies, wedge-shaped heads, beautiful vivid blue eyes and big ears. However, other than the traditional seal, blue, chocolate, and lilac color points they are available in red point, cream point, lynx point, and tortie point. Their size varies from small to medium and there coat is formed of very shorthair. The colorpoint shorthairs have a svelte body and angular legs but they are still very strong and muscular. They have a slender neck and long tapered tail. They generally weigh around 7-8 pounds.

Personality

Colorpoint Shorthairs cats are said to be very loving and naughty. They are also very active, outgoing and intelligent. Whenever they are awake, you will find them busy in some work or another. They love jumping around and behave very affectionately if kept in lap and cuddled. You may ever found them curled around your bed when you are in deep sleep. They return 200 percent of the loyalty and love they receive from their master. Colorpoint Shorthairs are also interactive and chatty. They make great companions for people who love funny adventures. Color points is very sensitive towards her owner, she often tries to entertain him/her through her vaudevillian stunts and gymnastic activities.

Loving and naughty? Now this sounds like an interesting cat. Interactive and chatty? Better all the time. Great companions for people who love funny adventures. That's code for: Keep all breakables locked away. This has got to be a cool cat.
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Culture Lesson - Class #1013

Bevie has been having a lot of fun at my expense lately, so I thought it was time we returned to some real culture. But don't worry. I fixed Bevie pretty good. Gave my back three times yesterday.


The information for this post has been taken from this site.


Chartreux


(picture taken from this site)


History
The Chartreux is a natural French breed of great antiquity. Legend has it that they were raised as a companion by the Carthusian monks. However, in all likelihood due to the woolly character of their fur, Chartreux were given the same name as that of the well-known Spanish wool of the early 18th century. Its documented History is as early as 16th century.


Appearance
The Chartreux is characterized by large, sturdy, and muscular physique. It is known for its beautiful grey-blue colour, woolly double coat, quiet voice, and smiling expression. The woolly double coat is very soft and lush. The Chartreux has large eyes that are copper to gold with deep, brilliant orange as the preferred eye colour.


Personality
Chartreux are calm attentive, gentle, and adaptable cats. They enjoy the company of people. They have a mild temperament. Chatreux are highly intelligent and are quick learners. They are extremely agile as per their size and are natural hunters.


Natural hunters, eh? That certainly makes up for their enjoying human company instead of merely tolerating it. (Or taking advantage of it, right Rufus?) Heh, I could be a Chartreux.

Oh, by the way, this picture is of a "British Blue" cat. In honor of our new Kitten of the Month.

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Culture Lesson - Class #1012

Bevie wasn't going to have me post today, but I won out. It's important that we retain our culture.

The information for this post has been taken from this site.

California Spangled Cat

(picture taken from this site)

History

California Spangled is a recent breed. It was developed in 1980s by a California breeder, Paul Casey who wanted to create a domestic breed similar to endangered spotted wildcats. A complex breeding program including an Abyssinian-domestic shorthair cross, a British Shorthair, an American Shorthair, a feral cat from Cairo, a spotted Manx, and a Siamese produced the desired results after eleven generations. Presently, the breed is registered with the The International Cat Association (TICA) and is slowly working its way toward Championship status with TICA and the ACA.

Appearance

California Spangled Cats are large, well-muscled cats. They have prominent cheekbones and pale, well-developed whisker pads. The forehead is slightly rounded; the eyes are almond-shaped and blue colored. The ears are rounded at the tips and set high on the head. The tail is dark-tipped and blunt. With its well-defined spots, California Spangled looks like a little leopard.

Personality

Though California Spangled is a wild looking cat, it is purely a domestic breed. They are sweet natured, intelligent and energetic. They are very devoted to their humans. They have strong hunting instincts and are easily intrigued by anything that moves. They do not demand their owner's attention.

Don't demand their owner's attention? I see two major problems here. Do you recognize them?

First, they have the ownership thing all mixed up. Humans belong to cats.

Second, what kind of cat is it that doesn't pester its humans for attention? You can't keep them trained if you just let them be. I've had to take Bevie, Spouse, and Son into paw more than once. It's hard work, but it works.

These California cats. Must be the beach air or something. At least they're colored nice.

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Culture Lesson - Class #1011

It's time to touch on culture again. The information has been taken from this site.

Burmese Cat

(picture taken from here)

History

The modern History of Burmese cat dates back to 1930 when a female cat named Wong Mau was brought to San Fransisco, USA by a naval doctor Joseph C. Thompson from Yangon, Myanmar (previously known as Burma). Dr. Thompson mated Wong Mau to a cat most similar to her type - the Seal Point Siamese. The CFA accepted the Burmese in 1936. In 1947 CFA withdrew the recognition as many hybrid Burmese/Siamese cats were being sold as purebred Burmese. The CFA reinstated the Burmese for recognition in 1953, and for Championship in 1957. The renewed recognition was based on a new standard that permitted only solid coat colors without markings.

Appearance

Burmese are small to medium sized cats with a muscular frame. Their paws are neat and oval shaped with slender legs and neck. The tail is medium in length, with a slight taper to a rounded tip. The most characteristic feature of the Burmese is their wonderful coats. Their coats are short, fine, sleek and glossy, lying close to the body, and satin-like in feel and texture. The Burmese cat has ten main recognised colours - six fully coloured (brown, chocolate, blue, red, lilac and cream) and four mixed coloured (Seal tortieshell, Chocolate tortieshell, Blue tortieshell and Lilac tortieshell)

Personality

Burmese are intelligent, boisterous, lively and alert in nature. They are gregarious and love the company of adults, children and pet. They are very affectionate and are interested in everything that humans do.

Interested in everything that humans do? Hmm. Seems like the Burmese are easily amused.

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Culture Lesson - Class #1010

Okay. I've been walking the cyber alleys of human existence. I see Bevie had the decency to include cats in the Hero story. I'm still not clear on why the cats weren't the major focus, but we'll deal with that later.

It's time to touch on culture again. The information has been taken from this site.

British Shorthair

(picture taken from this site)

History

The British Shorthair is the British counterpart of American shorthair. It is probably the oldest English breed of cat, and can trace its ancestry back to the domestic cat of Rome. In the late 1800s cat fancier Harrison Weir was instrumental in establishing the British Shorthair as an officially recognized breed. World War II resulted in their near extinction but dedicated efforts afterwards saved this species.

Appearance

The British Short hair is a compact, well-balanced, and powerful cat, with a short, very dense coat. They are round headed, broad chested, have short and strong legs and a thick tail. One of the most appealing features of the British Shorthair is their built-in smile caused by their round whisker pads. The British Shorthair comes in various colours with blue being the most popular one.

Personality

British Shorthairs are quiet, even-tempered, intelligent, alert and affectionate cats. They are extremely loyal, gel easily with people and are especially good with children and other pets. They are low-profile and tend to be independent.

Sounds like a very decent cat. Even if it does smile too much.

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Culture Lesson - Class #1009

Here is the next in our series of culture lessons. The information has been taken from this site.

Bombay Cat

(pictures taken from this site)

History

The Bombay was created in 1953 by an American Breeder, Nikki Horner who wanted to develop a cat that possessed the conformation of the Burmese but with a sleek black coat and copper eyes instead of brown fur and yellow eyes. She named the breed after Bombay, India, land of the black leopard. In 1976 the Bombay was recognised for championship status in The Cat Fanciers' Association.

Appearance

The Bombay cat is a medium sized cat with a solid muscular body. They are jet black in colour and the eye colour ranges from golden to deep copper with copper eyes considered the more superior. Though the Bombay Kittens look rather ordinary but like scotch whisky they improve with age.

Personality

Bombay cats are extremely agile, affectionate and intelligent. Bombays are very attached to their owners and want constant attention. They are silent in nature and are not very vocal.

Silent cats? What the use in that? The only time I'm silent is when I'm sneaking up on someone. Usually Spouse or Son. It's fun to walk up and wop them on the leg.

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Culture Lesson - Class #1008

I thought we should return to something positive and hopeful, and what could be more positive and hopeful than to learn about cats. Right? So here is the next in our series of culture lessons. The information has been taken from this site.

Birman

(picture taken from this site.)

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History Origins of Birman cat are not clear but they are believed to have originated in Burma where they were considered sacred. The modern History of Burman cat started in 1919 when a pair of Burman cat was brought to France from Burma. The male cat died during the journey but the female cat that was pregnant survived. The breed flourished and in 1925 the Birman was formally recognized in France. The Birman became recognized in England as a separate breed in 1966 and by The Cat Fanciers' Association in 1967.
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Appearance The ideal Birman is a large, strongly built, elongated and stocky cat. They are colour pointed cats with long, silky hair and four pure white feet. Birmans are born pure white, and then develop color on the points. The shading of the legs comes later. Their hairs are not very thick. Birmans come in blue, chocolate, lilac and seal points.
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Personality The Birmans are loving, gentle, active and playful with a docile, quiet demeanour and a soft-spoken voice. They are very intelligent and affectionate and generally greet visitors with curiosity rather than fear. Because of their soft temperament they are easy to handle and care. They get along very well with other pets

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Sounds like the Birmans have trained their humans well. Sacred. I like the sound of that.
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Culture Lesson - Class #1007

We've had some delay in our cultural education, so I'm posting our seventh lesson on Cat Breeds. As always, the information has been taken from this site.

Bengal

(picture taken from this site)

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History
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The Bengal cat is a distinct, unique breed of spotted domestic cat originated from the ancestral crossing of a domestic cat such as an Abyssinian, American Shorthair, Burmese or Egyptian Mau with an Asian Leopard Cat. The main credit for this breed goes to Jean Sudgen of the USA. Jean Sudgen crossed a black shorthaired domestic cat with a female Asian Leopard Cat in 1963. Offspring were produced proving that a second generation was possible. Jean carried further crossing and finally in 1984 Bengal cat was recognized by the International Cat Association.
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Appearance
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Bengal are usually short haired . They come in six colours - the Brown (Black) Spotted, the Brown (Black) Marbled, the Blue-Eyed or AOC-Eyed (any other coloured) Snow Spotted Bengals, and the Blue-Eyed or AOC-Eyed Snow Marble Bengals.
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Personality
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The Bengals are very mischievous and boisterous. They are also very vocal, intelligent, loving and people oriented cats. They are very affectionate and mix well with children and other animals

There were better pictures of the Bengal, showing off their spots. But this picture shows attitude. I like it. By the way, isn't saying a cat is intelligent kind of redundant? Mix well with children and other animals? I guess that means the cats are in charge. mrrrooowwwll

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Culture Lesson - Class #1006

It is time, fellow felines, to remind ourselves of our own important. Yes, it is culture time. Once again, our cat breed is taken from this site.

Balinese

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(picture taken from this site)

History

The Balinese breed originated in early 1900s as a spontaneous longhaired mutation of the Siamese cat. A Siamese with long hair was registered with CFF in 1928, but it wasn't until 1940's that the long-haired version was promoted as a breed.

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Appearance

Balinese is dainty and aristocratic in Appearance with a long body, head, legs, and tail. The Balinese has a fine and silky, single coat lying close to the body, with hair length between half an inch to two inches on the body. They are characterized by their long, plume tail. Balinese come in variety of colors like blue, chocolate, lilac, seal, lynx, cream and red.

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Personality

Balinese cats are demonstrative, affectionate and extremely intelligent cats with a healthy curiosity. They are known for their ability to communicate vocally. Balinese are agile leapers. They also seek attention.

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"Intelligent cat". Sounds redundant to me. All cats are intelligent. Humans have no idea how smart a feline has to be in order to look silly. It's all an act, people! We're really quite brilliant. Just ask any cat.
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Culture Lesson - Class #1005

Welcome, culture lovers. It's time again to explore the wonderful world of Cat Breeds.

Using this site, which lists various cat breeds, we come to the fifth in our series.

American Wirehair

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(picture taken from this site)

History

American Wirehair originated as a spontaneous mutation in the do mestic cat population in 1966. The first American wirehairs were born to ordinary barn cat parents on small farm in Verona, New York. Breeders petitioned the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) for getting the breed recognized. In 1967 the CFA accepted the American wirehairs for registration and in 1978 granted championship status.

Appearance
American Wirehairs are medium to large in size, strong and well muscled with strong legs and firm full paws. The head is round with prominent cheekbones and a well-developed muzzle and chin. The ears are medium size and slightly rounded, and the eyes are large, round, and set well apart. The medium length tail tapers to a rounded tip.

The coat is the characteristic that separates the American Wirehair from all other breeds. Each hair is crimped, hooked or bent, including the whiskers and the hair within the ears, giving this breed a unique coat that's short, springy, resilient, coarse, and very dense. Significant variation exists in the texture and length of the individual coats.

Personality
American Wirehairs have a sweet, loving Personality. They crave human attention and affection. They are active without being hyper, and affectionate without being clingy. Wirehairs generally dislike being held and cuddled.

Craving attention, but disliking being held? That's a cat all right. mrrrooowww
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Culture Lesson - Class #1004

Using this site, which lists various cat breeds, I am presenting the fourth in our series of Cat Breeds.

American Shorthair

(picture taken from this site)

History
American shorthair has a History of approximately 400 years. They arrived in America with the Europeans. Evidence indicates that several cats may have sailed over from England aboard the Mayflower in 1620. These cats were brought along to hunt rats that ate the ship's food supplies and were first prized for their hunting abilities. With the import of foreign breeds in the early 1900s the original American Short hair bloodlines became diluted. A group of breeders began a selective breeding program to preserve the natural beauty, mild temperament, and hardiness of the American Shorthair.

Appearance
American Short hair is a strongly built, well-balanced, symmetrical cat with a look that signifies power, endurance and agility. They are medium to large in size with a solid body and wide chest with thick hind legs. Their heads are oblong in shape with a wide face, wide-set ears and round eyes. American Shorthair comes in variety of colours but the most striking and best known color is the silver tabby

Personality
American Shorthairs are very gentle and affectionate and make wonderful companions. They are known for their amiability with children and other pet animals. They are sociable and can be easily trained. They generally do not like to be picked up and they cherish their freedom.

Now this is a cat I understand.
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Culture Lesson - Class #1003

Bevie has been taking up all the blog posts of late, so I decided to interrupt that human effort with a piece of real culture.

Using this site, which lists various cat breeds, I am presenting the third in our series of important issues. Namely, Cat Breeds.

American Curl

(picture taken from this site.)

History
The American Curl has a very short history. The breed originated in June 1981 as a spontaneous genetic mutation in the domestic cat population. By 1986 it was recognized by two of the largest cat registries.
American Curl history began June 1981 in Lakewood, California. Two curled cats wandered up to the doorstep of cat lovers Joe and Grace Ruga. One disappeared soon after arriving. The other, a longhaired black cat that Ruga named Shulamith stayed . In December 1981, Shulamith delivered her first litter of four kittens. Of the four, two had ears that curled. A geneticist was contacted to study this phenomenon and he confirmed that this unusual ear was a genetic trait and was inherited in every case, causing it to be labelled a dominant gene, with no deformities attached to it. Referred to as a spontaneous mutation, the gene that causes the ear to curl appeared to be following a single dominant pattern.
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Appearance
The ideal American Curl is a medium sized, alert cat with an elegant appearance and a sweet, open expression complimented by their remarkable ears. At birth, Curl kittens look like any other kitten, but between one and seven days the ears get firmer and start to plump up and curve back. American Curls come in both longhair and shorthair with both varieties having soft, silky, lustrous, flat-lying coats.
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Personality
American Curls are very people-oriented, faithful, and affectionate cats. They love companionship and adjust remarkably fast to other pet animals, children, and new situations. Curls are even-tempered and intelligent. They are known for their affinity with children.
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Another cat breed associated with humans. Well, not all cats are perfect. But if one wishes to join the Alley Cat Walk, she/he is very welcome.

Culture Lesson - Class #1002

It is time to return to our culture lessons using this site, which lists various cat breeds.

American Bobtail

(picture taken from this site)

History
American Bobtail cat breed is the descendant of naturally occurring bobtail cats found in the wild. The American Bobtail originated in late 1960s. The original Bobtail bloodline came from a mating between a short-tailed brown tabby male and a seal point Siamese female. Birman, Himalayan and a Himalayan/Siamese cross were then added to the bloodline by the breeders. American Bobtail was accepted for championship status by TICA in 2002 and as Provisional in CFA.

Appearance
American Bobtail is medium to large sized, sturdy, rugged-looking breed. They are short-tailed cats. They have either short dense coat or a longer, shaggy-appearing coat. American Bobtails have large, oval shaped eyes. The color of the eyes depends upon color of the coat. American Bobtails come in all colors and patterns.

Personality
Contrary to its rugged appearance, the American Bobtail is not a wild cat. American Bobtails are playful, energetic, friendly, and intelligent cats. They are very people-oriented and demand human attention.

Demand human attention, huh? I hope that only means they require their humans to do a lot of extra work.

They come in a variety of colors, so choosing an appropriate image required a lot of effort. After looking at a bunch of American Bobtail pictures, I came to the inevitable choice of an orange/buff colored cat. It seemed to make sense. You agree, Rufus? That's a very good color for a cat.
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Culture Lesson - Class #1001

Thought I would add some real culture to the site (besides pictures of me - rrroowwl). I found this site listing various cat breeds. It's hardly all-incluse as there are less than 50 breeds. But the Snowshoe, Persian and Norwegian Forest are all listed, and since those are the breeds associated with the current list of slaves/peons I thought I would use it.

We will begin alphabetically, which means the first cat breed is:

Abyssinian

(picture taken from site)

History
The Abyssinian is one of the oldest known breeds of pedigree cat. It is believed to be descended from a cat called Zula, brought to England by Captain Barrett Leonard at the conclusion of the Abyssinian war in 1868. There are no verifiable, written records tracing early Abyssinians to Zula, but Abyssinians were exhibited at Crystal Palace in 1871 so it is certain that all Abyssinians are descended from cats bred in the United Kingdom. Recent genetic studies indicate that today's Abyssinian may have descended from a breed found in Southeast Asia and the coast of the Indian Ocean. Abyssinians do resemble the African wildcat (Felis silvestris lybica) - the progenitor of all domestic cats.

Appearance
The Abyssinian is a ticked or agouti breed. The distinctive coat appearance comes from the combination of colors on each hair shaft. Abyssinians are medium in size, lithe and muscular. Abyssinians come in several colours. Usually, sorrel, fawn and blue are the most widely accepted colours in the UK, while the American colour terms are ruddy, red, fawn and blue. In Australia, the popular colours are tawny, cinnamon, blue and fawn. The Abyssinian's eyes are oval shaped usually green, hazel or gold and eye lined.

Personality
Abyssinian cats have lively personalities showing interest in all activities around them. Temperamentally they are well balanced. They enjoy the company of human beings and are very intelligent, affectionate and loyal.

Genetic Defect
Abyssinians are prone to gingivitis and tooth decay. They are also susceptible to amyloidosis - a renal disease thought to be hereditary.

Personally, I think it looks like a Puma, only much smaller. A British cat, huh? Rufus, have you met any of these?
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