Portrait of Cats [antikvár]

To the uninitiated, a cat is just a cat, and even the genuine cal-lovcr may rcccivc something of a shock in discovering just how many diflercnt cat breeds arc ofiicially rccognized tliroughoul the world. Pedigree cals are divided into two basic types, defined by ihcir bone structure and general conformation. The first type is .short and stocky; powerful in appearance; with short legs, back, neck and tail; liny ears; and big, round eyes set in a large, full-cheeked head. The second type is lighter in bone .structure; lithe and slender; with long legs, back, neck and tail; a longer head; large, pricked ears; and oriental or almond-shaped eyes. The first group can be further classified according to hair length. Tliose cats with long, flowing coats are known as the Persian or longhaired breeds, and those with short, close coals as British shorlhaired, American shorthaired or European shorthaired, depending upon the country in which the variety originated or was developed. The second group is divided also, for although these svelte cats are only bred in shorthaired varieties, the group includes the very popular Siamese which, in this book, will be treated in a separate section. The other varieties within this group are known collectively as the foreign shorthaired and include exotic, self-coloured cats derived from Siamese ancestors, as well as the older, well-established breeds such as the Abyssinian, Russian Blue and Burmese, and the uniquely curled rex. Two fairly rare breeds of cat, meticulously bred for purity and never outcrossed with any other breeds, are the Birman and the Turkish. This has ensured lhal their unique features and intermediate type have been maintained through the generations, so that they do not really fit into any of the main groups of breeds, but require a special section of their own which we shall call the semi-longhaired group. Several unusual varieties of cat are bred and fully recognized in America for breeding and show purposes, which are not known in Britain, and range from the selectively developed Peke-face Persian to the hairless mutant, the Sphynx. These interesting varieties have also been given their own section. Finally, we have perhaps the most special cals of all, those which do not fit into any 'type' or 'standard of points of perfection', the common or garden house-cat. No genuine cat book is complete without a section on non-pedigree cats, for every true cat-lover will maintain that there is no such thing as an 'ordinary' cat. Even the most famed of breeding catteries have their mongrel pets, receiving exactly the same food, attention and love as the potential prize-winners. In Britain, the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy looks after the interests of all matters pertaining to the breeding, exhibiting and registration of pedigree cats. It also has specialist committees which deal with aspects of cat care, genetics and cat genealogy, and approve standards of points for new breeds, grant breed numbers and championship status. It issues stud lists and stud books and presents champion challenge certificates at appropriate shows. The Council is composed of delegates elected annually by the members of affiliated cat clubs, societies and associations, and is run on very democratic lines. Most other countries with large pedigree cat populations have governing bodies very similar to that of Britain. To become a member of the Cat Fancy, one has merely to be a registered owner of a pedigree cat or kitten,