Petpedia: The Burmilla Cat

Posted under Petpedia by oahupet on December 14th, 2008 11:49 pm

By: Ailurophile

A new cat breed, Burmilla is thought to have originated in United Kingdom in the early nineteen eighties through accidental mating of a Burmese female with a Chinchilla male cat. The resulting kittens were so attractive and pleasant in temperament that a formal breeding program was initiated. Even as they are not universally recognized, their development continues, with occasional outcrossing to their parent breeds in order to maintain certain physical and behavioral traits. They are accepted in Britain though, with championship status and official recognition coming in nineteen nineties.

Medium sized felines, Burmillas are similar to the Burmese in their physical structure. Body type is foreign. Though traditionally shorthaired cats, Burmillas also have longhaired and plush coats. Recognized colors include brown, chocolate, blue, lilac and black. Both shaded and tipped patterns exist. Ideally there should be minimal tabby or tortoiseshell markings. Eyes are pretty and occur in varying shades of green. They have a lining around them, adding to the facial beauty of the cat.

Burmillas have a personality that is between those of their parent Persian and Burmese breeds. They are loving and placid like Persian Chinchillas and outgoing and active like the Burmese. The combination is a unique cat with a near ideal temperament and attitude.

Active cats, Burmillas are not overly demanding. They spend lots of time daily playing with their toys and enjoying themselves. They are independent and confident cats. At times they can be a little destructive towards house furniture and for this reason it is best to provide them with scratching posts and other feline friends for company. Burmillas are extroverts by nature and go along well with all members of the family including children and other pets. With their easy going and fun loving way of life, they make perfect companions for most ailurophiles.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
The author is a blogger about cats and an expert on Burmilla cat.

Petpedia: Somali Cat

Posted under Petpedia by oahupet on December 3rd, 2008 1:03 am

By: Ailurophile

Somali is a domestic feline that resembles an Abyssinian in nearly every way apart from its longer fur. This is owing to the fact that Somalis originated from Abyssinians nearly half a century back. Theirs is an artificially created breed that began in ninety sixties when some longhair kittens were noticed in an Abyssinian litter. Normally these were seen as an undesirable feature by breeders for show class cats, and thus these animals were sold off as pets. With time, some people began to take interest in these pretty felines and started their development in earnest. Over the next couple of decades acceptance came from registering bodies. Today Somali is recognized as a breed in most parts of the world though it is not common everywhere.

Somali is medium in its size, body and appearance. It is relatively lithe but muscular with an elegant design. Fur is long and made prominent in a bushy tail and often in a ruff around neck. It is quite soft and occurs in a number of colors, with ruddy being the commonest, including fawn, lilac, blue, silver, cream and chocolate though not all colors are recognized everywhere. Individual hair are ticked and often have multiple color bands along their length. Eyes are lined with darkish color and perioral area is white. Owing to their wild looks and fluffy tails Somalis are often called ‘fox cats’.

Owing to persistent inbreeding over time, Somalis have developed certain genetic defects in some of their lines. These include dental, blood and biochemical disorders. There are efforts underway to eradicate these through breeding and propagation of only healthy genes. Generally though these cats are quite healthy and in fact easier to handle than most longhairs since they shed
very little. They lose their hair altogether once or twice an year and don’t shed continuously.

Somalis are playful and interactive cats who love to participate in all chores and activities of their humans. Loving animals, they are quick to adjust to a multi-pet household with children. All they require is some space, love and attention from their humans.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
The author is a blogger about cats and an expert on Somali cat.

Petpedia: Singapura Cat

Posted under Petpedia by oahupet on November 30th, 2008 11:12 pm

By: Ailurophile

A shorthair feline, Singapura is said to have originated from Singapore. It is thought to have lived there for many years with locals reporting their sightings to go back as far as three centuries. However, it is not the commonest cat in the alleys of Singapore, and is often referred to as the drain or river cat owing to its habit of staying around water bodies in summer months. The cat was imported to United States in nineteen seventies and given championship status in early eighties. There is some controversy regarding the origin of Singapura with some arguing that it is not a natural cat and was artificially bred from Burmese and other cats, particularly with the recent emergence of reports that the genetic makeup of Singapura and Burmese is in fact quite similar. Nevertheless the felid is still recognized as a unique registered breed in most cat fancies across the world.

A relatively tiny animal, Singapura is a small but muscular cat. Both genders weigh in the range of five to seven pounds. General appearance is that of a dainty and somewhat unique feline. Coat is short and in a ticked tabby pattern. Only a sepia brown coloration is seen that is quite similar to the coat of mountain lions. Head is rounded with big expressive eyes that occur in green, yellow or hazed color. Paws are small and tail is normal in length.

Singapuras have all emerged from only a handful of ancestors and therefore they don’t have a lot of genetic diversity amongst them. There have been few hereditary illnesses in some of their lines. Since outcrossing is not commonly practiced for these cats, breeders are trying to locate specimens in other parts of the world for induction into the gene pool to add variety.

Singapuras are affectionate cats that spend most of their time playing or staying perched on high places, surveying everything. They follow their humans around everywhere and prefer to be involved in all of their activities. Singapuras are social cats that go along well with everybody, including children, pets and even strangers. They are very gentle and communicate in a soft meow. Sensible animals they don’t damage furniture or household items despite their curious and playful nature. Singapuras take time to mature and often it is around two years before they bloom fully into bundles of love and beauty.

Article Source: http://www.articlesnatch.com

About the Author:
The author is a blogger about cats and an expert on Singapura cat.