Cats

Ais forAbyssinian

The Abyssinian is an ancient breed of cat of uncertain origin, from either Egypt or Ethiopia. It is slim, lithe, and has a distinctive flecked (ticked) brown coat, large ears, and a long tail. They are active, intelligent, curious cats. They make good pets, but need constant attention or they get bored and unhappy. They are excellent hunters, so this needs to be taken into consideration if you live near a wildlife reserve and want an Abyssinian as a pet.

Cats

Ernst Vikne / CC BY-SA

Bis forBirman

Birmans are sometimes referred to as the "Sacred cat of Burma". They have long hair, dark points, and blue eyes. They have white toes but dark legs.

Cats

Jans Canon / CC BY-SA

Bis forBritish Shorthair

British shorthairs are cats with thick fur and very rounded features. They are big, heavy and stocky. They come in a variety of colors but the blue colour in the picture is the most popular. They are easygoing and make good indoor cats.

Cats

Se Re / CC BY-SA

Bis forBurmese

Burmese cats are originally from Burma, and were once all brown. They are now available in a range of colours. Burmese are friendly and intelligent and make great pets. They like being social with their humans, and are talkative cats and will hold conversations with their humans too.

Cats

Susanne Nilsson / CC BY-SA

Cis forCat

Scientific name: felis catus

A cat is a small, meat-eating animal that is often kept as a pet. Cats are good at hunting mice. Most dogs don't like cats, and are often seen chasing them up trees. Cats spend over half of their time asleep. A baby cat is called a kitten.

Cats, Pets, Feline

Anna-Stina Takala / CC BY-SA

Cis forCornish Rex

Normal cats have three layers of hair. Cornish Rex cats only have the undercoat, which is very short, soft and silky. They also have curly hair. Cornish Rex's are a slim, friendly cat suitable for shy children. Because of their thin coat they are best kept as an indoor cat.

Cats

Dan Hershman / CC BY-SA

Mis forMaine Coon

Maine coons are one of the largest cat breeds. They are from the United States, where it is thought they might have come about from local cats breeding with bobcats. They are gentle cats, with long, flowing hair and sometimes tufts on the ends of their ears.

Cats

Sarah Jones / CC BY-SA

Mis forManx

Manx cats are originally from the Isle of Man. They have a mutation of the spine that leaves them with either a very short tail or no tail at all.

Cats

eva101 / CC BY-SA

Nis forNorwegian Forest Cat

The Norwegian forest cat is from northern Europe, and has developed a very thick, fluffy coat to adapt to the cold weather there. They are very large cats that enjoy people's company.

Cats

Georgi Kirichkov / CC BY-SA

Pis forPersian (cat)

Persian cats are one of the oldest longhaired cat breeds. They are originally from Persia (now Iran). Persians come in a wide variety of colours, and have a distinctive flat face. Persian is also a language spoken in a number of countries.

Cats