This Useful Guide Will Help You Recognize 20 Different Cats And Their Origins
If you only know one or two cat breeds at best, one Facebook page out there wants to help you by providing handy little guides about the different breeds of cats.
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When it comes to dogs, most of us can recognize quite a few breeds - golden retrievers, pugs, pit bulls, Pomeranians, and many more. But what about cats? Sure, you might recognize a Maine coon, a Persian, or a Bengal, but what about the others? Well, just in case these are the only ones you can recognize, don't worry - you're not alone. Lucky for you, one Facebook page out there wants to help you.
The page in question, OMG Meow, provides handy little guides that not only introduce you to some popular cat breeds but also tell you their origins. Himalayans, Bombay cats, Ragdolls and many more - check out a handful of cat breeds you might have never even heard of in the gallery below!
More info: Facebook
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Siberian is a centuries-old landrace of domestic cat in Russia and recently developed as a formal breed with standards promulgated the world over since the late 1980s. Siberians vary from medium to large in size."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Norwegian Forest cat is a breed of domestic cat originating in Northern Europe. This natural breed is adapted to a very cold climate, with a top coat of glossy, long, water-shedding hairs and a woolly undercoat for insulation."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Russian Blue is a cat breed that comes in colors varying from a light shimmering silver to a darker, slate grey. Their short, dense coat has been the hallmark of the Russian breed for more than a century. The dense coat stands out from the body."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Ragdoll is a cat breed with a color paint coat and blue eyes. They are large and muscular semi-longhair cats with a soft and silky coat. Developed by American breeder Ann Baker in the 1960s, they are best known for their docile and placid temperament and affectionate nature."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Bengal cat is a domesticated cat breed created from hybrids of domestic cats, the Asian leopard cat and the Egyptian Mau, which gives them their golden shimmer - the breed name comes from the taxonomic name. Bengals have a wild appearance and may show spots, rosettes, arrowhead markings, or marbling."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Maine Coon is the largest domesticated cat breed. It has a distinctive physical appearance and valuable hunting skills. It is one of the oldest natural breeds in North America, specifically native to the state of Maine, where it is the official state cat."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Himalayan, is a breed or sub-breed of long-haired cat similar in type to the Persian, with the exception of its blue eyes and its paint coloration, which were derived from crossing the Persian with the Siamese."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The British Longhair is a medium-sized, semi-long-haired breed of domestic cat, originating in Great Britain."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Birman, also called the 'Sacred Cat of Burma,' is a domestic cat breed. The Birman is a long-haired, color-pointed cat distinguished by a silky coat, deep blue eyes and contrasting white 'gloves' or 'socks' on each paw. The breed name is derived from Birmanie, the French form of Burma."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Bombay cat is a type of short-haired cat developed by breeding sable Burmese and black American Shorthair cats, to produce a cat of mostly Burmese type, but with a sleek, panther-like black cat. Bombay is the name given to black cats of the Asian group."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Turkish Angora is a breed of a domestic cat. Turkish Angoras are one of the ancient, natural breeds of cat, having originated in central Turkey, in the Ankara region. The breed has been documented as early as the 17th century and is believed to the origin of the mutations for both the color white and long hair."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Somali cat is often described as a long-haired African cat; a product of a recessive gene in Abyssinian cats, though how the gene was introduced into the Abyssinian gene pool is unknown. It is believed that they originated from Somalia, long lost cousin of the Abyssinian cat; which has origins in Ethiopia."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Siamese cat is one of the first distinctly-recognized breeds of Asian cat. Derived from the Wichianmat, one of several varieties of cat native to China and brought to Thailand, the original Siamese became one of the most popular breeds in Europe and North America in the 19th century."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The British Shorthair is the pedigreed version of the traditional British domestic cat, with a distinctively stocky body, dense coat, and broad face. The most familiar color variant is the 'British Blue,' a solid grey-blue coat, copper eyes, and a medium-sized tail."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Scottish Fold is a breed of domestic cat with a natural dominant-gene mutation that affects cartilage throughout the body, causing the ears to 'fold,' bending forward and down towards the front of the head, which gives the cat what is often described as an 'owl-like' appearance.'
Image source: OMG Meow
"The American Shorthair is a breed of domestic cat believed to be descended from European cats brought to North America by early settlers to protect valuable cargo from mice and rats. According to the Cat Fanciers' Association, in 2012, it was the seventh most popular pedigreed cat in the United States."
Image source: OMG Meow
"Egyptian Maus are a small- to medium-sized short-haired cat breed. They are one of the few naturally spotted breeds of domesticated cat. The spots of Mau occur on only the tips of the hairs of its coat. It is considered a rare breed."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The European Shorthair, called the European in FIFe and WCF is a cat breed originating in Sweden. The term has also been used as an elaborate way of referring to common domestic cats of Europe, causing some confusion as the pedigree cats of this breed also should resemble the typical domestic cats of Europe."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Snowshoe is a breed of cat originating in the United States of America in the 1960s. Snowshoes were first produced in Philadelphia when a Siamese breeder's cat gave birth to three kittens with white feet."
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Balinese is a long-haired breed of domestic cat with Siamese-style point coloration and sapphire-blue eyes."
#1
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Siberian is a centuries-old landrace of domestic cat in Russia and recently developed as a formal breed with standards promulgated the world over since the late 1980s. Siberians vary from medium to large in size."
#2
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Norwegian Forest cat is a breed of domestic cat originating in Northern Europe. This natural breed is adapted to a very cold climate, with a top coat of glossy, long, water-shedding hairs and a woolly undercoat for insulation."
#3
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Russian Blue is a cat breed that comes in colors varying from a light shimmering silver to a darker, slate grey. Their short, dense coat has been the hallmark of the Russian breed for more than a century. The dense coat stands out from the body."
#4
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Ragdoll is a cat breed with a color paint coat and blue eyes. They are large and muscular semi-longhair cats with a soft and silky coat. Developed by American breeder Ann Baker in the 1960s, they are best known for their docile and placid temperament and affectionate nature."
#5
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Bengal cat is a domesticated cat breed created from hybrids of domestic cats, the Asian leopard cat and the Egyptian Mau, which gives them their golden shimmer - the breed name comes from the taxonomic name. Bengals have a wild appearance and may show spots, rosettes, arrowhead markings, or marbling."
#6
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Maine Coon is the largest domesticated cat breed. It has a distinctive physical appearance and valuable hunting skills. It is one of the oldest natural breeds in North America, specifically native to the state of Maine, where it is the official state cat."
#7
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Himalayan, is a breed or sub-breed of long-haired cat similar in type to the Persian, with the exception of its blue eyes and its paint coloration, which were derived from crossing the Persian with the Siamese."
#8
Image source: OMG Meow
"The British Longhair is a medium-sized, semi-long-haired breed of domestic cat, originating in Great Britain."
#9
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Birman, also called the 'Sacred Cat of Burma,' is a domestic cat breed. The Birman is a long-haired, color-pointed cat distinguished by a silky coat, deep blue eyes and contrasting white 'gloves' or 'socks' on each paw. The breed name is derived from Birmanie, the French form of Burma."
#10
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Bombay cat is a type of short-haired cat developed by breeding sable Burmese and black American Shorthair cats, to produce a cat of mostly Burmese type, but with a sleek, panther-like black cat. Bombay is the name given to black cats of the Asian group."
#11
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Turkish Angora is a breed of a domestic cat. Turkish Angoras are one of the ancient, natural breeds of cat, having originated in central Turkey, in the Ankara region. The breed has been documented as early as the 17th century and is believed to the origin of the mutations for both the color white and long hair."
#12
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Somali cat is often described as a long-haired African cat; a product of a recessive gene in Abyssinian cats, though how the gene was introduced into the Abyssinian gene pool is unknown. It is believed that they originated from Somalia, long lost cousin of the Abyssinian cat; which has origins in Ethiopia."
#13
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Siamese cat is one of the first distinctly-recognized breeds of Asian cat. Derived from the Wichianmat, one of several varieties of cat native to China and brought to Thailand, the original Siamese became one of the most popular breeds in Europe and North America in the 19th century."
#14
Image source: OMG Meow
"The British Shorthair is the pedigreed version of the traditional British domestic cat, with a distinctively stocky body, dense coat, and broad face. The most familiar color variant is the 'British Blue,' a solid grey-blue coat, copper eyes, and a medium-sized tail."
#15
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Scottish Fold is a breed of domestic cat with a natural dominant-gene mutation that affects cartilage throughout the body, causing the ears to 'fold,' bending forward and down towards the front of the head, which gives the cat what is often described as an 'owl-like' appearance.'
#16
Image source: OMG Meow
"The American Shorthair is a breed of domestic cat believed to be descended from European cats brought to North America by early settlers to protect valuable cargo from mice and rats. According to the Cat Fanciers' Association, in 2012, it was the seventh most popular pedigreed cat in the United States."
#17
Image source: OMG Meow
"Egyptian Maus are a small- to medium-sized short-haired cat breed. They are one of the few naturally spotted breeds of domesticated cat. The spots of Mau occur on only the tips of the hairs of its coat. It is considered a rare breed."
#18
Image source: OMG Meow
"The European Shorthair, called the European in FIFe and WCF is a cat breed originating in Sweden. The term has also been used as an elaborate way of referring to common domestic cats of Europe, causing some confusion as the pedigree cats of this breed also should resemble the typical domestic cats of Europe."
#19
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Snowshoe is a breed of cat originating in the United States of America in the 1960s. Snowshoes were first produced in Philadelphia when a Siamese breeder's cat gave birth to three kittens with white feet."
#20
Image source: OMG Meow
"The Balinese is a long-haired breed of domestic cat with Siamese-style point coloration and sapphire-blue eyes."DE
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