Meet The Special Cats: The Rare, The Hybrid and The Mutants

A list of some special breeds of cat.

If we talk about cat’s breed, what comes first to our mind are Persian cat, Siamese cat, Maine Coon cat, or even Burmese cats. I will not disagree with the list since the mentioned breeds are today’s most popular breeds of cat. But there are other breeds of cat that are worthy of making it to the list. Listed below are some of them.

American Curl

The American Curl is a breed of cat that originated in Lakewood, California. It was a result of natural mutation as first reported by Joe and Grace Raga, who found two kittens at their doorsteps. They named them, Panda and Shulamith respectively. Shulamith, with an ear mutation became the foundation female of the American Curl breed.

This cat’s breed recognizable feature is its unusual ears, which curl back from the face toward the back of the skull. At birth, American Curl ears are straight, but after two to ten days, their ears begin to curl back. This strong and healthy medium sized cat has soft, silky coats which lie flat against its body. Both long-haired and short-haired curls possess these features that require little grooming.

American Curls are very sociable and affectionate. They are smart and curious and love to help their owners. They are extremely people-oriented and affectionate. They are well known for their “head bumping” antics just to get your attention.

Manx

The Manx breed originated in the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea, having a genetic mutation of the spine. This mutation shortens the tail, thus producing kittens with varying tail lengths from normal to a tiny stub or no tail at all. Despite the absence of tail, Manx has no difficulty maintaining its balance, since its long legs and round features helps in dealing with the problem. The Manx is a medium-sized cat with sturdy bone structure. It has a round head with cute eyes and a small nose. Its hind legs are longer than the front legs. Ears are smaller than most cat breeds. Manx can come in any color, such as: Calico, Tabby, Tortoise-shell, Tabby, Calico, and all solid coat colors.

The Manx can come in five varieties:

* the ‘Rumpy’ – no tail whatsoever

* the ‘Riser’ – which has no tail stub except for several vertebrae under the fur

* the ‘Stubby’ – half tail, or short tail

* The ‘Stumpy’ – partial tail, from one to five inches long

* ‘Tailed’, which has a complete tail.

Scottish Fold

The Scottish Fold is a breed of cat that is a result of a spontaneous mutation that makes its ear cartilage contain a fold, giving the cat an “owl-like” appearance. The breed was discovered by William and Mollie Ross in 1961 in Scotland. All Scottish Fold cats share a common ancestry with a white barn cat named Susie and her producing offspring Snooks. All Scottish Folds are born with straight, unfolded ears, however, folded ears will begin to show after about three weeks for those having Fold gene.

The Scottish Fold is a medium-size cat, with males weighing between 9 to 13 lbs. (6-9 lbs for females). The Fold’s head and face, is generally well rounded with a firm chin and jaw, the nose will be short with a gentle curve, the eyes wide open and the ears fold forward and downward.

The Scottish Fold Cats are found in a variety of coats and patterns. They are gentle, calm, affectionate and easygoing cats that love staying indoors. They are excellent hunters and ideal family cats.

Cornish Rex

This breed is a genetic mutation that was discovered in 1950 in Cornwall, England. Cornish Rex mutation was its coat, which has deep over the entire body. The breed originated from a litter of kittens born on a farm. One of the kittens, named Kallibunker (the first Cornish Rex), a cream-colored male had an very unusual, fine and curly coat.

Cornish Rex cats are small to medium sized cats having long, slim, agile bodies. The eyes and ears are large. Oval-shaped head with hollow cheeks, high cheekbones, and high cheekbones. The coat is soft, very short, and lies close to the body. Coat’s colors and patterns vary, including black, chocolate, white, blue, orange cream and lilac for solid and classic, ticked and mackerel for all forms of tabby.

The Rex is charming, delightful, captivating and extremely curious. They are perfect pets for timid children and owners who wants active and people-oriented cats.

Devon Rex

This breed of cat is a result of natural mutation that first reported in Buckfastleigh, Devon, England in 1960. Kirlee, a black male kitten with a soft, curly, and short coat was the foundation cat for this breed.

Devons are medium sized cats with a medium body frame, noses are slightly upturned and large ears. Adult males average six to nine pounds. They have wide heads and large eyes. Unlike most cats their whiskers are very short. Devon Rex cats come in all color patterns.

The typical Devon is intelligent, playful, affectionate, active and very people-oriented. They are relatively easy to take care of. Their large ears require occasional cleaning and a nail-trim is all the grooming most Devons require.

Ocicat

This breed is a hybrid that is the result of a breeding experiment done in 1964 by Virginia Daly, involving Siamese and Abyssinians. Though the breed resembles an ocelot, there is no ‘wild’ DNA in the Ocicat’s gene pool.

The Ocicat is a large, muscular cat with a short tight coat. It is a very outgoing breed that can easily be trained to do certain dog tricks such as; fetch, sit, come when called, lie down on command or readily adapt to household rules. Ocicats are also very friendly and make great family pets for people who want to bond with their cat.

They are easy to keep and require minimal care. Their short coats need only the occasional bathing and grooming. The breed was accepted into the CFA in 1966, but have to wait for 20 years to advance to championship status until 1987.

Singapura

This medium-sized cat is a natural breed that traces its origin to the streets of Singapore. “Singapura” is the Malaysian word for Singapore which means “Lion City”. In 1975, after a working stint in Singapore, Tommy and Hal Meadow came back to the US bringing along with them three local brown kittens.

The Singapura is one of the smallest breeds of cats; Shorthaired, quite stocky with large eyes and ears, and blunt tail. The Singapura’s is intelligent, sociable, playful, active, curious, a demonstrative cat that insists on helping you with everything. A rare breed, Singapura was finally accepted into the CFA in 1982 and reached championship status in 1988.

Tonkinese

The Tonkinese is a cross between Siamese and Burmese cat breeds. It inherited the good traits of a Burmese and the intelligence of a Siamese. A typical Tonkinese cat has a muscular body, wedge-shaped head, large ears and oval-shaped paws.

Tomkinese are friendly, warm and loving, highly intelligent, playful, lively and at times a talkative cat. However, they can be mischievous if they become lonesome or bored.

Tonkinese come in rainbow colors including natural, champagne, blue and platinum. The three main patterns are solid, pointed and mink.

Sphynx

The Sphynx is a breed of cat that is a result of a natural mutation first reported in Toronto, Canada in 1966. It appears to be a hairless cat, although it is not truly without hair. It is a medium-sized cat, sturdy body built, large eyes, and pot bellies. Their skin is the color their fur would be, and all the usual cat marking patterns (solid, point, van, tabby, tortie, etc) may be found in Sphynx too.

Sphynx are very friendly and sociable. They exhibit a high level of intelligence, energy, affection and curiosity for their owners. They can easily be trained to fetch things and often perform silly antics for your entertainment.

Though lacking coats, Sphinx are not maintenance-free. They need regular cleaning. In general, Sphynx cats should never be allowed outdoors unattended, as they have limited means to conserve body heat in colder temperatures.

Russian Blue

This breed of cat comes only in silver-blue coat. It is a naturally occurring breed that traced its roots in the port of Arkhangelsk, Russia. Its main outstanding features is its short, dense coat of an even, bright blue color with each hair dipped in silver. the Russian Blue has large, rounded, wide-opened green eyes. Also, it has a wedge-shaped head and large pointed ears.

The Russian Blue is known to be highly intelligent, gentle, and very affectionate cats. They tend to be quiet and reserved around strangers. They also develop close bonds with their owners. A Russian Blue is a perfect choice for the modern home because of their personalities and unique coat. The Russian requires a minimum of grooming with periodic nail clipping.