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| Long-haired
cats are
elegant looking creatures. However, we should remember
that originally the length and texture of a cat's coat
serves a purpose in nature... basically protection from
the elements. The color of the coat provides camouflage,
enabling a cat to easily blend into its' environment. The coats of domestic cats (Felis Cattus) can be attributed more or less to natural mutations and/or selective breeding. A conformation 'standard' has been established for each of the various breeds of cats. Coat length, texture, and color are only three of many factors that determine whether an individual cat belongs to one breed or another. Using selective breeding techniques, cat breeders strive to preserve and enhance coat length, texture, and color, while maintaining the breed standard. Under all that hair the body of the cat must also conform to the breed standard. The size and shape of the cat's head and the expression on the cat's face must meet the expectations of the standard. Other very important considerations are the temperment of the cat and the health and vitality of the cat. When all these things come 'together' in one cat... you have a winner! Let's take a closer look at some 'winners' with long hair. The selected breeds will be presented in alphabetical order. Be aware that the CFA (Cat Fanciers' Association) has a comprehensive listing of all the long-haired cat breeds including those mentioned here. Another great place to research cats is the TICA (The International Cat Association) web site. |
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'Yoni' and Friend Birmans 'Sacred Cats of Burma' |
The
origin of the Birman, Sacred Cat of Burma, is
legendary, and the modern history of the breed is almost
as remarkable. As the story goes, a pair of Birmans were
smuggled out of Burma and shipped to France around 1919.
Althought the male did not survive the long voyage, the
female, Sita, arrived in France fit and pregnant. Thus,
the western world was introduced to Birmans... progeny of
Sita and her off-spring. In 1925 the French cat registry
recognized the Birman as a separate breed. However, WWII
took its' toll, and by the end of the war there were only
two Birmans left alive in all of Europe. In order to re-establish
the breed out-crossings became necessary... that is the
breeding of the two existing Birmans to other breeds.
Finally, in 1966 England recognized the Birman breed, and
in 1967 Birmans were accepted by the Cat Fanciers
Association. Birmans are large, stocky cats with long silky non-matting light colored coats (preferably with a golden cast). The head, legs and tail are colorpointed, the feet are white, and Birmans' have distinctive round blue eyes. |
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| Mainecoon
cats,
sometimes known as the gentle giants of the cat world,
have been the subject of a few myths concerning their
origin. Because some of the brown tabby Mainecoons have a
ringed tail, myth has it that they are the progeny
resulting from the mating of a cat and a racoon (which is
biologically impossible). The reality is that they are
the native American long-haired cat. The Mainecoon is loving, gentle, playful, and intelligent. Nature has endowed them with a very hardy constitution and a sturdy body easily adaptable to the often harsh winters and variable seasons found in Maine... their namesake. The brown tabby Mainecoon is sometimes called the Maine Shag. Mainecoon males can grow to 18 pounds, making them one of the largest breeds of cat. They are basically a low maintenance breed, even with the long, thick coat which is shed at winter's end. |
Brown Mackerel With White Male Mainecoon |
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Brown Patch Tabby with White Female Persian |
Persians, referred to in
hieroglyphics as early as 1684 B.C., are probably the
most popular breed of long-haired cats in this country
today. Although the exact origin of the Persian breed is
basically speculation, popular belief is that they
originated in Persia and made their way to the western
world probably by caravan... secreted among the bolts of
colorful silk cloth, jars of spices, bottles of exotic
oils, and treasure chests of jewels heaped on the backs
of camels. Persians have long, luxuriously flowing, high-maintenance coats which are divided, for purposes of "show" competition, into seven color divisions ... solid color, silver and gold, shaded and smoke, tabby, particolor, bicolor, and Himalayan. The Persian's wonderful pansy-like face with large "telling" eyes has captured many a human heart. Because Persians have short heavily-boned legs supporting short, stocky bodies, they usually are not jumpers and climbers. Persians have a sweet, gentle disposition, and generally, they are more at home in a secure, serene setting. |
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| Ragdolls, a breed developed in the 1960's,
are one of the sweetest, most gentle, most easy-going of
the long-haired breeds. Neutered males can grow to 20
pounds or more at maturity... hence, Ragdolls are often
proclaimed to be the world's largest domestic cats. Ragdolls have blue eyes and come in four patterns: bi-colored, van, mitted, and pointed. The individual patterns are comprised of eight colors such as seal, blue, chocolate, lilac, red, cream, fawn, and cinnamon. Ragdolls are a very sturdy breed. They shed very little, and they are not prone to hairballs even though they have long, silky coats. |
 'QGC Ragtymdolls Robin Hood' Blue Point Bi-Color Male Ragdoll |
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GC Azima's Rebecca Dew of Kaeleron Calico Female Turkish Angora
White Male Turkish Angora |
Considered by many
to be the
first long-haired cat, the Turkish Angora probably
originated from the Manul cat domesticated by the Tartars.
At some point in history, this highly intelligent,
resourceful cat made its' way to Turkey and for centuries
roamed freely, just as they do today (as a feral cat),
through out the countryside and villages of Turkey. In
fact, the beautiful Turkish Angora cat is designated as
one of the national treasures of Turkey. Early in the last century, the Turkish Angora all but vanished, due largely to inter-breeding with Persians, and was thought to be extinct. However, in 1962, American servicemen stationed abroad re-discovered the Turkish Angora in the Ankara Zoo, where they were part of a controlled breeding program dating back some 35 years. Turkish Angoras were subsequently re-introduced to the western world. Only those cats whose ancestry can be traced back to Turkey are eligible for CFA registration. The Turkish Angora cat has adapted well to living with people (and they make wonderful, very affectionate, highly active pets), but they still maintain their strong personalities, derived from instinct and their innate intelligence, which enabled them to survive as feral cats. Turkish Angoras have long, lean, graceful, finely boned , yet surprisingly sturdy bodies. Adult males weigh 7-8 pounds while the adult females are slightly smaller, weighing 5-6 pounds. Their faces are wedge-shaped with large almond-shaped eyes. Perhaps, the single most arresting feature of the Turkish Angora is their large, extremely high-set erect ears which give them a perpetually alert expression. The Turkish Angora's long silky coat is "single"... having no undercoat... thus lacking the fullness found in the coats of other long-haired breeds. The tails of the T.A. are magnificent silky plumes. Although, until just recently the most popular color for the Turkish Angora was white, the CFA now recognizes any shade and pattern except those which suggest hybridization such as lavendar, chocolate, or the pointed pattern. |
Yes, the long-haired cats are magnificent creatures, but the short-haired cats are just as wonderful. Let's go to the next page, where we can take a look at some of the short-haired breeds. |
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