Cat Breeds

When we first began our series on cat life spans, we did some research into cat breeds. We were surprised to find such a wide array of breeds.

Cat breeds poster The Cat Channel lists fifty-five different cat breeds also with photos and descriptions.
The online cat magazine, Catster lists sixty-nine different cat breeds and provides a photo and brief description of each.

The American Cat Fancier’s Association lists fifty-four different cat breeds. This Association, originating in 1955, is known as the Fairest, Friendliest and most Fun feline association! Our goal is to promote the welfare, education, knowledge and interest in all domesticated, purebred and non-purebred cats, to breeders, owners, exhibitors of cats and the general public.

However you count them, there are a wide array of cat breeds to choose from. If you are thinking about adding a cat to your family, you should research the breed and be just as discerning about getting a cat with the right personality as you are when adding a dog to your family. Cat personalities differ as much as dogs. Just a few examples:

  • The Abyssinian is a very active cat that is very social. They bond closely with their person and want to be involved in everything that person is doing. The Abyssinian even as an adult is playful and intersperses periods of frenetic activity and total relaxation. They are also extremely intelligent and train their people very quickly.
  • Maine Coon is known in the cat fancy as the “gentle giant”. This gentle breed gets along well with children, other cats and dogs. This sociable cat prefers to be with their humans and to help in every activity. The breed has been described as owning a dog in cat clothes.
  • Persians are renowned for their placid, gentle temperament and for their aptitude for adjusting to any new environment, making them ideal exhibition cats. They have quiet, melodious voices, at least compared to that of the Siamese and, although not usually shy, tend to be undemonstrative.

Source: American Cat Fanciers Breed Synopsis.
Do your research, avoid pet stores because yes, there are cat ‘kitten mills’ and ADOPT or RESCUE your new family member.

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  1. Mom would love a Maine Coon some day. They are gorgeous and big.
    Emma recently posted…Fashionable Dog Collars And LeashesMy Profile

    • Maybe it will do nose work with you!
      KitKat recently posted…Cat BreedsMy Profile

  2. We’ve never had anything but “mutts”…lol….I guess they call it “mixed breeds” in cats! I know a handful of breeds myself and agree with Emma’s Mom that having a Maine Coon would be fun…they are supposedly more “dog-like”.

    • We had no idea there were so many – kind of fascinating.
      KitKat recently posted…Cat BreedsMy Profile

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