Cat Types

Searching for the perfect cat? You could go from pound to pound, hoping to get lucky. You might try a breeder. There are also adoption centers that you can go to. Whatever method you choose to try to find the right cat for you, it is important that you know more about what kind of cat you would like.

For the most part, domesticated cats are alike. However, this is like saying that most people are alike, or most dogs are alike. It may be true in certain ways, but there are small differences that may mean everything to you. This is why it is important that you do a little bit of research into different types of cats.

There are many different breeds of cats, with registries recognizing between 30 and 40 different breeds. Having so many different kinds of cats to choose from can be a daunting prospect. You may wonder how you'll ever know what kind of cat is right for you. However, having so many different breeds of cats to choose from allows you to really figure out what will work best for you and/or your family.

While there are so many different breeds, there is often a lot of cross-breeding as well. For this reason, many people simply refer to cats as either domesticated long-haired or domesticated short-haired. While this certainly makes it easier to recognize a breed, it tells you nothing about the cat's nature.

Often, to distinguish cats a little bit more, they will be classified by their coats. They may be bicoloured, tuxedo, or van patterned. Bicoloured cats have coats of two different colours. While tuxedo cats are technically bicoloured, they are black with white chests to look tuxedoesque. For this reason they are given their own sub-set. The van pattern is where the cat is of a solid colour except the tip of the tail and the top of the head.

There are also tabby cats, tortoiseshell cats, calicos and colourpoints. Tabbies can have coats that look like a number of things. They can have vertical stripes, blotches or even spots. A tortoiseshell cat has red and black fur splotched all over its body. If there are additional white spots, it is a tortoiseshell and white. Calicos are basically tortoiseshell and white cats with a lot of white, making it look tri-coloured. The colourpoint coat is generally reserved for Siamese cats since they all have that coat, but it can be on any cat.

If you would like more information about different kinds of cats, you should contact your local Phoenix veterinarian clinic at www.phoenixveterinarianclinics.com.

Joseph Devine