Highlander Cat

The Highlander is the complete package, beautiful, domestic yet it has a distinctly different and wild look, it is loving, entertaining, physically sound, and is so much fun.

Highlander Behavior/Personality

This is a very adaptable and loving breed that is equally happy in a very active or a very quite home. They get along well with children and other pets.

Highlander Breed Standard/Physical Description

What first draws your attention to the Highlander is its incredible ears. Standing tall, open, and with a slight backwards flare, they bring to mind the large tufted ears of the Canadian Lynx. The dominant curl gene in the Highlander breed makes the ears more noticeable and exotic in appearance. The Highlander's ears have more of a vertical crimp than a horizontal one. Having this vertical crimp makes the ears stand tall and open. The ears should not fold back into a tight curl. This breed's chin and muzzle are also very noticeable. The muzzle, long and squared-off with large whisker pads and resting on top of a well-defined deep chin, evokes the image of a wild cat.

This breed has substantial body structure and is a large cat. Watching a Highlander move is pure beauty as their long hind legs flex and the heavy, pronounced muscles ripple between their shoulder blades, reminiscent of the wild cat. The Highlander's feet are most impressive; they are large with prominent knuckles, built for the stamina for which the Highlander is known, and some have extra toes (polydactyl) that make the feet appear even larger.

Anchored on the muscular hips of the Highlander is a natural short tail. Ranging in length from 1 inch to hock length, it should be thick and preferably articulated. Though a straight tail is preferred, sometimes slight twists and kinks may be detected. Many times there will also be a noticeable fat pad at the end of the tail.

Highlander History

The Highlander breed, although new, has a deep-rooted foundation. In 2006, a group of dedicated, responsible breeders decided to protect and reinforce the value and worthiness they saw in the cats they were breeding.

The foundation of the Highlander breed rests specifically on the Highland Lynx, a breed that is currently unaccepted by any recognized professional organization. With their curled ears, short tails, and sometimes polydactyl feet, these cats have captivated the hearts of people nation wide. Highland Lynx have been selectively bred with domestic short hairs to maintain and, in some cases improve, the viability of the breed.

Havana Brown Cat

While many cat breeds are as precious as they can be, some cat breeds are more like the workhorses of the cat fancy. The Havana Brown breed not only has a simple brown coat; these cats are so eager to please they are almost dog-like-in a nice, thoroughly cat-like way, of course.

Havana Brown Behavior/Personality

Source: "The Havana Brown: The Cat in a Not So Plain Brown Wrapper," by Norma Placchi

The Havana Brown breed is thought of as being very intelligent. That is, they are generally more easily trained to fetch than other cats and respond well to praise. Most Havana Browns make excellent show cats.

Havana Brown Breed Standard/Physical Description

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

• Head: head is longer than it is wide when viewed from above, narrow muzzle
• Ears: large, round-tipped
• Eyes: oval in shape, medium sized, set wide apart
• Body: medium in length, firm and muscular
• Legs: straight, high
• Paws: oval, Toes: five in front and four behind
• Tail: medium in length and in proportion to the body
• Coat: short to medium in length, smooth

Havana Brown History

Source: "The Havana Brown: The Cat in a Not So Plain Brown Wrapper," by Norma Placchi

Self-brown cats were documented in cat shows in Europe as early as the 1890s. These self-brown cats went under names such as "Swiss Mountain Cat." They apparently may have fallen out of favor in the early twentieth century, as self-brown cats such as these did not appear again in cat shows until after World War II.

Exotic Shorthair Cat

The Exotic Shorthair cat breed, also simply known as the Exotic cat breed, is an offshoot of the Persian cat breed. The first Exotic Shorthairs were the result of interbreeding between Persians and American Shorthairs. With the denser, shorter coat, the Exotic Shorthair breed is less of a grooming challenge than the Persian, hence the nickname, "Persians for lazy people."

Exotic Shorthair Behavior/Personality

Source: Wikipedia

The Exotic Shorthair breed is generally known for a gentle and calm personality. Known as quiet cats who rarely meow, Exotic Shorthairs tend to show more affection than most breeds. They are also known to make excellent lap cats.

Exotic Shorthair Breed Standard/Physical Description

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

• Head: round, large
• Ears: small, round tipped, set far apart
• Eyes: large, round
• Body: Large or medium in size
• Legs: short, thick, and strong
• Paws: large, round
• Tail: short, proportion in length
• Coat: dense, soft, medium in length

Exotic Shorthair History

Source: Wikipedia

In around 1960, breeders crossed the American Shorthair with the Persian in the United States, creating shorthaired Persians. The new breed of shorthair Persians was called the Exotic Shorthair breed and recognized by the C.F.A in 1966. Since 1987, the only allowable outcross breed has been the Persian. The F.I.Fe. recognized the Exotic Shorthair in 1986. Because they have nearly identical bodies to the Persians, but a thick, dense short coat, they have come to be known as "Persian cats for lazy people"--i.e., people who don't want quite the grooming challenge of the traditional Persian cat's coat.