Cat Fact Files

This breed was developed by an American geneticist who cross-mated a male domestic cat with a female Asian leopared cat. The resulting breed, one of the most striking spotted-patterned of all cats with a destinctively thick coat, is said to have the look of a wild cat with the temperament of a domesticated one. Bengals [...]

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This is an extremely ancient French short-haired breed. It tends to be very laidback in temperament and, while not aggressive, is a good hunter. It was developed by 14th-century Carthusian monks and should not be confused with the more round-faced British Blue cat. Visually difficult to distinguish from its British look-alike, the Chartreux has a [...]

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Most cats loathe water and react to it with panic and distress. However, there is one cat, the Turkish Van, that is fast becoming fame for its swimming talents. Equipped with a fine, dense coat and neck ruffle that thickens even more in the winter months, this breed will happily plung into water. There are [...]

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It has been debated over whether this ancient breed, which can be traced back over more than a thousand years, is the forerunner of all long-haired cat breeds, including Persians and Angoras. This is a rough-and-readybreed, genetically traceable to modern-day tabby cats that live around St Petersburg, and has an extremely thick coat to help [...]

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This wolly-looking, short-haired cat first appeared in the 1950s when a British farm cat produced one curly-haired male kitten in her litter. It was consequently bred back with her. Since then, this breed has been crossed with Burmese and British Shorthair. Its short coat is incredibly soft to the touch, resembling velvet, and is said [...]

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