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Over the last thousands
years, cats have handled their breeding themselves. In the
beginning, people kept cats for largely one purpose - hunting
and killing rodents.
As the years progressed,
we began to breed cats to our liking. Today, there are several
different breeds of cats - many of which are fairly easy to
distinguish.
These days there are over 70 distinct cat breeds, which are
recognized through cat registries. There are several
registries that recognize around 40 breeds or so, as they
exclude the more non-domestic breeds such as tigers.
There are also many
variations of breeds as well, including wild cats that have
longer hair.
There are some cat breeds who have roots in history. Some
Japanese breeds, such as the Japanese Bobtail, can be traced
back more than 1,000 years. These cats were common and
well known throughout Medieval Japan. Today they are just
a myth throughout Japan and the rest of the world.
The more common breeds found in North America include Persians,
Siamese, and Russian Blues. Siamese cats are well known to
be destructive and to have a foul temper. Persian cats are
very popular, proving to be loving companions. Persian cats can
be expensive. All pure breeds are subject to health
issues.
Alley cats are the most common in North America. There are
actually several different breeds. They make as good a pet as
any pure breed and can usually be obtained for free. The
local humane society charges a small fee but provides all
vaccinations and spaying/neutering of your pet.
Cats are known to breed
prolifically. Alley cats are among the largest population,
as there are hundreds of thousands of homeless cats that are
able to breed.
The look of the cat is the easiest way to tell what breed he or
she may be. Siamese cats are often shades of browns with blue
eyes that appear crossed-looking. Persian cats, on the
other hand, are easily identified by their squashed looking
faces.
Cats were one of the first pets, and also one of the most
popular. Millions of people around the world own cats.
No matter breed of cat you get, all seem to have distinct
personality, and you’re sure to get a pet who make for a great
companion for years.
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