American Curl Cat

One of the newest breeds of cat, dating back only to 1981, the American Curl cat breed is known for its distinctive curled-back ears, for which the breed was named.

American Curl Behavior/Personality

Source: "The American Curl: A Balancing Act" by Karen O'Brien

American Curls have a very diverse ancestry, which means they can't easily be pigeon-holed for traits other than the basic physical traits of the breed. In general, they are known to be companionable.

American Curl Breed Standard/Physical Description

Here are some facts on the American Curl breed based on the Cat Fanciers Association's breed standard.

• Head: longer than wide
• Muzzle: rounded
• Ears: curled at at least a 90 degree angle but not more than 180 degrees
• Eyes: walnut-shaped, medium-large
• Body: half again as long as tall (at the shoulder)
• Legs: medium-length
• Paws: medium-sized, rounded
• Tail: tapered and as long as the body
• Coat: longhair and shorthair variety, both silky

American Curl History

Source: "The American Curl: A Balancing Act," by Karen O'Brien

The American Curl breed is one of the newest cat breeds. The first American Curl was a cat named Shulamith. In June 1981, Shulamith showed up in the front yard of the home of Grace and Joe Ruga. The Rugas adopted the cat, along with another cat, Panda, who appeared to be Shulamith's sister, and who ran away after two weeks. The Rugas and Shulamith became attached to each other. After Shulamith gave birth in December 1981, the Rugas decided that the cats' distinctive curled ears were the signs of a new breed of cat. Shulamith had several more litters which established the new breed.

On October 23, 1983, the Rugas presented the new American Curl breed at a Cat Fanciers Assocation show in Palm Springs, California. In drafting the breed standard for the new cat breed, the authors were careful to allow for out-breeding with non-pedigreed domestic cats that closely resembled Shulamith, the original American Curl. Allowing for out-breeding was meant to keep the breed free of inbreeding.

American Bobtail Cat

The American Bobtail cat breed is best known for the trait for which it is named: its short, stubby tail, which may be only a few inches long. In fact, American Bobtails' tails are rarely more than half as long as the average cat's tail. This unique trait is the result of a genetic mutation. One of the newest cat breeds, the American Bobtail was developed in the 1970s in, true to its name, the United States. Many people find these cats "dog-like," exhibiting loyalty and athleticism.

American Bobtail Behavior/Personality

Source: Cat Fancier Association's Breed Profile

Described as "dog-like," being very active and also loyal. They are also considered very friendly and generally get along well with children and strangers.

American Bobtail Breed Standard/Physical Description

Here are some facts on the American Bobtail breed based on the Cat Fanciers Association's breed standard.

• Head: broad
• Muzzle: broad, medium-long
• Ears: medium-sized
• Eyes: almond-shaped, big
• Body: medium-long, broad-chested
• Legs: slim and long
• Paws: large and round
• Tail: short, half as long as the average cat's tail
• Coat: both shorthair and longhair varieties with various colors

American Bobtail History

Source: Cat Fancier Association's Breed Profile and Wikipedia

While these cats may look like bobcats, there's no actual relation. American Bobtails were first bred in the US in the 1970s. The breed was recognized by the International Cat Association in 1989. American Bobtails became especially popular toward the end of the twentieth century.

The breed's distinctive bobbed tail is the result of a genetic mutation. Despite obvious similarities with the Japanese Bobtail, the two breeds are utterly unrelated and the mutated bobtail gene is different in each case.

Abyssian

Distinctively fine-boned but lithe and muscular, Abyssinian cats resemble the regal cats depicted in ancient Egyptian statues.

Abyssinian Behavior/Personality

Source: Cat Fancier's Almanac by Norman Auspitz

Abyssinian cats are known to be quite active, not only in a playful way but sometimes rather restless. Some people say that these cats are particularly inclined to break things. Natural climbers, they are known to enjoy tall scratching posts.

Abyssinian Breed Standard/Physical Description

Here are some facts on the Abyssinian breed based on the Cat Fanciers Association's breed standard.

• HEAD: rounded wedge-shape
• MUZZLE: rounded
• EARS: large and broad.
• EYES: almond-shaped, big and shiny.
• BODY: medium-long and muscular.
• LEGS: slim and long
• Paws: small and oval-shaped with five toes on the front paws and four toes on the rear paws
• TAIL: long and tapered
• COAT: soft, medium-long, fine and shiny

Abyssinian History

Source: Cat Fancier's Almanac by Norman Auspitz

While these cats resemble ancient Egyptian statues of revered felines, we don't actually know whether they are descended from Egyptian cats or just look that way.

The breed was first called "Abyssinian" towards the end of the nineteenth century. The cat might have been named "Abyssinian" for the war England was fighting in Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) at the time. A lithograph printed at the time shows a cat that looks like today's Abyssinian breed, with a note that the cat was brought from Abyssinia at the end of the war.

Genetic research indicates the cats likely came from coastal regions of the Indian Ocean as well as Southeast Asia. There is speculation that the breed might have been brought to England from India during the colonial period.

The breed was crossed with several others in the early twentieth century, giving the breed its unique variations of markings and colorations.

In the early 1900s, some Abyssinians were brought to the US, but the breed did not make a big splash until the 1930s. The cats brought to the US from England in the 1930s formed the basis for the breeding program from which modern Abyssinian cats are descended.