How much do you know about cats, the adorable pets that share your daily life? Cats are present in many households in France, as in many European countries. Today, there are around 80 breeds of cat. So choosing your domestic cat is a matter of love at first sight. However, there are factors that can help you choose a cat: its pelage, color, sex, elegance, character, etc. Would you like to buy a cat or find out more about a particular breed? In this article, we invite you to discover all the cat breeds recognized by the LOOF.
What are the different breeds of cat?
Before choosing your cat, it’s important to remember that there are many different breeds. Once you’ve adopted your cat or received it as a gift, you’d like to find out what breed it is? To find out which breed your cat is, follow these few tips.
How do you determine your cat’s breed?
To understand this question, it’s important to point out that there are two breeds of cat: purebreds and mixed-breeds.
Purebred cats
These are kittens whose ancestors are all of the same breed. They are easily identified by the similar characteristics of their breeds. However, not all cats are purebreds.
Mixed-breed cats
Unlike purebreds, mixed-breed cats can inherit breed characteristics from either parent. They are difficult to identify, as even mixed breeds from the same litter can look totally different.
Which breed of cat is right for you?
Size is an important criterion for determining a cat’s breed. However, when we talk about the size of a cat, we mustn’t think we’re talking about the size of a kitten. As you can imagine, the kitten’s size will certainly change over the months. Here, therefore, we’re mainly concerned with the size of the cat, not the kitten.
Small breeds of cat
Small-breed cats can differ from one another. What they have in common, however, is their small size. This type of cat rarely weighs more than 6.80 kg. Here is a list of some small cats:
- American curl
- Singapura
- Cornish Rex
Dwarf cats
Dwarf cats are another breed of small cats. Among them, the Munchkin is a well-known cat. He is very small because of his particular type of dwarfism: pseudiachondroplasia. Munchkins are normal-sized with very short legs, which makes it harder for them to move around and live like normal cats. However, Munchkins are most often exposed to numerous health problems. From the Munchkin, several mixed-breed cats were created: the Kinkalow and the Bambino.
The major cat breeds
In this category, you’ll find cats weighing 7, 11 or even 14 kg. Not all big cat breeds are alike. Here is a list of some of the major breeds of domestic cats:
- The Maine Coon: because of its large size, this magnificent cat is sometimes mistaken for a fox. It weighs between 7 and 9 kg. To find out more about this cat, read our article: The Maine Coon: character, origin, breeding advice, health
- The Burmese: one of the smallest of the large companion cats. It weighs between 3.6 and 5.4 kg.
- The Bengal cat owes its fame to its appearance. It is striped and weighs between 3.6 and 6.75 kg as an adult.
- The Ragdoll: weighing an average of 4.5 kg, but still larger than the standard kitten.
- The Egyptian Mau: in the middle of the large band of kittens, weighing between 2.7 and 6.3 kg.
- The Savannah: the largest of all domestic breeds. It can weigh up to 13.5 kg.
- The Norwegian Forest Cat or Norwegian Forest Cat: with long hair, the Norwegian Forest Cat can weigh up to 5.4 kg.
How to recognize a cat’s breed by its pattern?
The pattern of a cat’s coat is a very important feature in determining a cat’s breed. There are several patterns, more specifically the solid pattern and the tabby breeds.
Solid
The solid motifs are plain and self-explanatory. However, these patterns are available in several colors: black, white, brown, red and cream.
Tiger cat breeds
They are very popular and available in a wide range of colors with long or short fur. These cats are available in one of four models:
- The mackerel pattern with narrow, parallel stripes.
- The classic model with a swirling motif and circular markings.
- The spotted model with darker spots on a lighter background. Then there’s the model with several bands of color on each strand of hair.
- The model patched with colored patches.
Cat breed by coat type
Looking at the type of fur is like looking at the length and thickness of the fur and the coat it sheds.
Based on the criteria selected above, there are many other criteria for determining your cat’s breed, such as coat type. Just as there are different breeds of cat, so there are different types of fur.
Knowing all the cat breeds can be a very difficult task, as cross-breeding occurs regularly between them, giving rise to new breeds. What’s more, if your cat doesn’t have a pedigree, it will be difficult to know its breed. However, if you’re really keen to find out which breeds are in your cat’s DNA, don’t waste any time and visit a vet!
