Breeds of cats within one species or subspecies are formed by humans, developing their certain traits. There are about two hundred different breeds in the world. Among the signs by which the breed standard is formed, there are size, shape, body weight, color, eye color and the length of the cat's coat. Only that animal is considered purebred, which, according to its external characteristics, corresponds to the standard and has thoroughbred ancestors in the pedigree up to the fourth generation.
Popular shorthaired breeds
Among the popular breeds with short hair, one of the first places is occupied by the Russian blue cat. Its selection originates in Russia at the end of the nineteenth century. Russian blue cats are characterized by a slender, muscular body of medium size, a long neck and short silky gray hair with a blue tint. The eyes of such a pet are light green, the ears are straight, medium-sized, not very wide-set.
The breed of the British shorthair cat is no less famous and loved. These pets are distinguished by plush thick hair, massive round head, strong body, round eyes of a golden hue. Their tail is not long, the ears are medium in size. The traditional color of the coat is blue (ash).
The Scottish Fold cat has an external resemblance to the previous breed. The general massive, round body features are accentuated by small, wide-set, drooping ears. The squat body ends in a long, thick tail, often with a blunt end.
The American shorthair cat is also widespread. Her body is medium in size, slightly elongated, with a broad chest and muscular back. The nose is slightly elongated, the eyes are slightly slanted. The tail is long with a rounded tip. The color and color of the eyes can be different: from one-color to two-color and forming a pattern.
The most common breed is considered to be the European cat, which developed without human influence. It resembles the British cat, but is more graceful, the head is elongated, the tail gradually tapers towards a rounded tip. Coat color and eye shade can be very diverse.
Well-known long-haired cat breeds
The most famous longhaired cat is the Persian. In addition to thick fluffy hair, its distinctive features are short, strong limbs, a rounded body, a wide chest, a large round head with a convex forehead, full cheeks, and a flattened nose. Large, round eyes are set wide apart. The color for this breed exists in a variety of shades.
A typical long-haired breed for our latitudes is the Siberian cat. This stately, large animal has a strong body, a neat rounded muzzle and a long fluffy tail. Its fluffy coat is characterized by an agouti color, in which each hair is dyed in different colors (often white-reddish-gray).
