List of breeds of cats

Formation of cat breeds

The majority of the cat breeds that exist today come exclusively from European, Oriental and Asian domestic cats . The Angora cat is considered to be the oldest systematically bred breed of cat . Another very old breed is the Siamese cat . The origin of the long-haired mutation of the long-haired races is believed to be in the Middle East ( Turkish Angora , Turkish Van ). However, recent research on the cat genome has shown that e.g. B. in the genome of today's Persian cat, the genes of domestic cats of European origin dominate; possibly an indication that the influence of Russian longhair cats also already present at the beginning of planned cat breeding in England on the developing Persian breed was greater than previously assumed. From the middle of the 20th century, cat breeding developed rapidly, and other regional types were developed into independent breeds and brought to recognition. Some races were created by racial division, others by crossbreeding. Cats with unusual body features created by mutations also became the founders of new breeds.

Very recently, small cat species from the genera of the Bengal cats and the caracal group have also been crossed with domesticated cats to create new breeds . From this emerged and arise hybrid races such as B. Bengal or Savannah .

The trend towards creating more and more new breeds is unbroken. American breeders in particular are very keen to experiment. Every new breed must be recognized by the felinological umbrella organizations. Not all newer breeds are already recognized in all umbrella organizations.

Systematics of the cat breeds

Cat breeding has produced a number of different cat breeds, which, however, look much more similar to one another than the different dog breeds . In contrast to the working dog, whose tasks are of different nature (hunting or greyhound, badger and fox dog, herding dog, pointing dog, bear hunt), the cat only ever had two tasks, namely keeping mice out of the human environment and using it as a pet . Therefore there was no need for different races.

Cat breeds are traditionally divided into short-haired, long-haired and semi-long-haired races, whereby only the Persian cat and its color variants are classified as long-haired, while all other more or less long-haired breeds are classified as semi-long-haired. Genetically speaking, however, there is only short or long hair ( recessive gene l [small "L"]).

Further subdivisions are often made at pedigree cat shows. The long-haired natural breeds Maine Coon , Norwegian forest cat and Siberian cat are summarized under the umbrella term " forest cats ".

Crossing boundaries

Extreme breeding can have negative effects on the health of the animals, which in some cases means that they are questionable from an animal welfare point of view (Section 11b of the German Animal Welfare Act ). Examples include the deafness that often occurs in white cats; also the mutations built up to the "racial trait" tailless ( Manx ), short-tailed (the various Bobtails), folded (Fold) or ruffled (Curl) ears, hairlessness ( Sphynx ) and the shortening of the limbs (Munchkin) or the facial skull ( brachycephaly ) Extreme breeds of the Persian cat . The report published on June 2, 1999 on behalf of the German Federal Ministry for Consumer Protection, Food and Agriculture on the interpretation of § 11b TierSchG (prohibition of torture breeding ) lists such characteristics and breeds.

Cat breeds

Short-haired cats

designation	image	FIFe	WCF	GCCF	WACC	TICA	CFA	complement
Abyssinian		ABY	ABY	23	48	FROM	Abyssinian
Egyptian Mau		MAU	MAU	78	73	EM	Egyptian Mau
American Bobtail Shorthair		-	-	-	-	bra	American bobtail
American Curl Shorthair		ACS	ACR	-	82	AC	American curl
American Shorthair		-	ASH	-	51	AS	American Shorthair
American Wirehair		-	AWH	-	52	AW	American Wirehair
Anatoly		-	ANA	-	-	-
Arab Mau		-	ARB	-	-	-
Asian		-	-	72	-	-		Burma-type cats, includes Bombay and Burmilla
Australian crap		-	AUM	-	91	-		engl. Australian Mist or Spotted Mist
Bengal		BEN	BEN	76	75	BG		Hybrid breed of Bengal or Asian leopard cat (Prionailurus bengalensis) and domestic cat
Bombay		-	BOM	72	53	BO	Bombay	in the Asian race group there is also a black morph called Bombay. However, it has nothing to do with this breed and must not be confused.
Brazilian shorthair		-	BRA	-	-	-
British shorthair		BRI	BRI	14-22, 28, 30, 31, 36, 39, 40, 75	41	BS	British Shorthair	Also abbreviated as BKH. BKH blue are often referred to as "Carthusian".
Burma		BUR	BUR	27	46	BU	Burmese
Burmilla		BML	BMI	72	47	-	Burmilla	Asian silver shaded
California Spangled		-	-	-	88	-		Mixed breed of Abyssinian, American Shorthair and British Shorthair, probably extinct
Ceylon cat		-	CEY	-	67	-
Chartreux		CHA	CHA	-	45	CX	Chartreux	Chartreuse, Carthusian
Chausie		-	-	-	90	CU		Hybrid breed of pipe cat (Felis chaus) and house cat
Cornish Rex		CRX	CRX	33	54	CR	Cornish Rex
Devon Rex		DRX	DRX	33a	55	DR	Devon Rex
Don Sphynx		DSP	DSX	-	81	DH		"Naked" breed of cats, Donskoy
European shorthair		EUR	KKH	-	40	-		Also abbreviated as EKH. At the WCF Keltisch Kurzhaar . Breeding form of the European house cat
Exotic Shorthair		EXO	EXO	70	03	IT	Exotic	no German name usual, short-haired variant of the Persian cat
Foldex		-	-	-	-	-		Exotic fold cat
Foreign White		SIA	-	35		OS		White Siamese or Oriental Shorthair, white with deep blue eyes
German Rex		GRX	GRX	-	56	-
Havana		-	-	29	60	HB	Havana Brown	Oriental shorthair in brown
Japanese Bobtail Shorthair		JBT	JBT	-	58	JB	Japanese bobtail
Kanaani		-	KAN	-	66	-		Hybrid breed of black cat (Felis silvestris lybica) and house cat as well as oriental shorthair, Abyssinian and Bengal cats
Khao Manee		-	-	-	-	-		White cat from Thailand
Korat		COR	COR	34	49	KT	Korat
Kuril Bobtail		KBS	KBS	-	85	KB
La Perm Shorthair		-	-	80S	79, 80	LS	LaPerm
Manx		MAN	-	25th	61-65	MX	Manx
Mekong Bobtail		-		-	-	-		At the WCF in the Siam and OKH group
Minskin		-	-	-	-	MS
Munchkin Shorthair		-	-	-	68	MK
Ocicat		OCI	OCI	73	74	OC	Ocicat
Ojos Azules		-	-	-	43	OA
Oregon Rex		-	-	-	-	-		extinct
Oriental shorthair		OSH	OKH	29, 35, 37, 38, 41-45	70	OS	Oriental
Peterbald		-	PBD	-	86	PD		"Naked" cat breed, at the WCF in the group Siam and OKH
Pixiebob Shorthair		-	-	-	84	PB
Russian blue		RUS	RUS	16a	44	RB	Russian Blue
safari		-	-	-	-	-		Hybrid breed of small spotted cat (salt cat, rarely also called Geoffroy cat, Leopardus geoffroyi or Oncifelis geoffroyi) and house cat
Savannah		-	-	-	-	SV		Hybrid breed of serval and domestic cat
Scottish Fold Shorthair		-	SFS	-	42	SF	Scottish Fold
Selkirk Rex Shorthair		-	SRX	79	83, 87	SR	Selkirk Rex
Serengeti		-	-	-	-	SE		Mixed breed of bengal cat and oriental shorthair
Seychellois Shorthair		SYS	-	-	78	-
Siam		SIA	SIA	24, 32	71	SI	Siamese
Singapura		-	SIN	77	76	SG	Singapura
Snowshoe		SNO	-	83	59	SN
Sokoke		SOK	-	-	77	SO
Sphynx		SPH	SPH	-	57	SX	Sphynx	"Naked" breed of cats
Thai		-	THA	-	69	TH
Tonkanese		-	VOLUME	74	72	TO	Tonkinese	Tonkinese is also used in many associations
Toyger		-	-	-	-	TG		Mixed breed of Bengal cat and house cat
Ural Rex		-	URX	-	-	-

Semi-longhair cats

designation	image	FIFe	WCF	GCCF	WACC	TICA	CFA	complement
American Bobtail Longhair		-	-	-	-	BB	American bobtail
American Curl Longhair		ACL	ACL	-	19th	AL	American curl
Balinese		BAL	BAL	61	21st	BA	Balinese	Siamese longhair
British Longhair (Highlander)		-	BLH	-	-	BL
Burma		SBI	SBI	13c	10	BI	Birman	Holy Burma, (Sacré de Birmanie, hence SBI)
Bohemian Rex		-	-	-	-	-
Chantilly		-	-	-	22nd	-		Chantilly / Tiffany, Foreign Longhair. Not the same as the Tiffanie.
Cymric		CYM	-	-	26-30	CY		Manx long hair
German longhaired hair		-	DLH	-	-	-		European longhair, formerly also called German Angora
Javanese		-	-	-	20th	OIL		Oriental longhair, mandarin
Japanese Bobtail Longhair		JBT	JBT	-	58	JL	Japanese bobtail
Karelian Bobtail Longhair	-	-	KAB	-	-	-
Kuril Bobtail		KBL	KBL	-	32	KL
La Perm Longhair		-	-	80L	34, 37	LP	LaPerm
Maine Coon		MCO	MCO	65	14th	MC	Maine Coon
Mandarin		-	-	-	-	OIL		Oriental longhair, Javanese
Munchkin Longhair		-	-	-	39	ML
Nebelung		NEB	NEB	-	38	NB
Neva Masquarade		NEM	SIB	82	25th	SB		partly as a Siberian cat with mask drawing, partly as an independent breed
Norwegian forest cat		NFO	NFO	64	13	NF	Norwegian Forest Cat
Ojos Azules long hair		-	-	-	-	OJ
Oriental longhair		OLH	OSL	62	-	OIL	Oriental	Javanese, Mandarin, British Angora, Angora
Pixiebob Longhair		-	-	-	-	PL
RagaMuffin		-	RGM	-	-	-	Ragamuffin
Ragdoll		RAG	RAG	66	16, 17	RD	Ragdoll
Scottish Fold Longhair		-	SFL	-	24	SS	Scottish Fold	Highland Fold, Coupari
Selkirk Rex Longhair		-	SRX	79	35, 36	SL	Selkirk Rex
Seychellois Longhair		SYL	-	-	08	-
Siberian cat		SIB	SIB	82	25th	SB	Siberian
Somali		SOM	SOM	63	15th	SO	Somali	Abyssinian semi-long hair
Snowshoe longhair		-	-	-	31	-
Tibetans		-	-	-	33	-		Tonkanese Longhair, Burmalayan, Himbur, Iranese, Layanese, Mink Longhair, Mink Persian, Silkanese, Tonkalayan
Tiffanie		-	-	68	-	-		Asian longhair. Not the same as the Chantilly.
Turkish Angora		TUA	TUA	62	12	TA	Turkish Angora
Turkish Van		TUV	TUV	13d	11	TV	Turkish Van
Turkish Vankedisi		-	-	13w	-	TV		White Van Cat
Ural Rex longhair		-	Url	-	-	-

Longhair cats

designation	image	FIFe	WCF	GCCF	WACC	TICA	CFA	complement
Angora cat		-	-	-	-	-		Historic white long-haired cat from the 17th - 20th centuries
Carthusian cat		-	-	-	-	-		Historical dark blue-gray long-haired cat from the 17th - 20th centuries
Maltese cat		-	-	-	-	-		Historical light blue-gray long-haired cat from the 17th - 20th centuries, breeding of images since 2012
Persian		BY	BY	1-13, 50-55	01	PS	Persian
Exotic longhair		-	-	-	-	-		Have Exotic Shorthair in their pedigree
Colourpoint		-	BY	13b1-13b20	01	HI		Himalayan
Non Pointed Himalayan		-	BY	-	-	-		Carry the recessive gene for mask drawing

See also

• Pedigree cat
• Cat show
• List of breeds of pets

Web links

European organizations

• Breed standards and breed descriptions of the FIFe
• Breed standards of the WCF
• GCCF breed codes (xls file; 26 kB)
• Deutsche Edelkatze eV
• Race and color codes of the WACC

American organizations

• Breed standards and breed descriptions from the CFA
• Breed standards of the TICA
• AACE breed standards and breed descriptions
• Breed standards and breed descriptions of the ACFA
• Breed descriptions of the CCA (Canada)

Others

• Cat Breeds, Types, Variants by Sarah Hartwell (English)
• Online information portal about pedigree cats
• Purebred cats in the world of cats
• Cat breeds - digital cat guide
• WACC - World Association of Cat Clubs