More about cat breeds

Janani AMARASEKARA

Remember we spoke about Persian cats and Siamese cats in our last ‘Pet den’ page? If you own a cat, to which breed does it belong? However, the breed of the cat is not important when you have a cat as a pet.

Burmese cat

There are many different cat breeds in the world. We have already featured some of them.Today we feature four more breeds, we are hoping to write about more cat breeds in the future, whenever space is available.

Burmese cat

Burmese cats are very similar to Siamese cats. There are two sub-groups of this breed, American Burmese and British Burmese.

It’s not very clear as to how these sub-groups have been created, some say European cat breeders bred the British Burmese cats, while American cat breeders bred the American Burmese cats, but there seems to be no distinct difference between the two sub-groups. Burmese cats had originally been brown, but due to inter-breeding, now there are a wide variety of colours. Their eyes are golden or hazel coloured rather than blue.

Their coat is known for being glossy with a satin-like finish.

Burmese cats don’t need additional grooming. These cats are known for being intelligent as well as being sociable and friendly with humans. They are very vocal, often calling their owners. These cats have softer and sweeter meows than the Siamese. Burmese cats live for around 16-18 years.

Abyssinian cat

Abyssinians are another rare cat breed. They are believed to be the descendants of the famous cats of ancient Egypt. However, it is also said that the place of origin of these cats is Abyssinia, now known as Ethiopia. They are one of the oldest natural domestic cat breeds in the world. Abys (the shortened name for Abyssinians) have long, slender bodies and are medium-sized cats.

An adult Aby generally weighs around 3.2 - 5.4 kg. They have short, thick coats and wedge-shaped heads. Their eyes and ears are large. The most common coat colours are red, blue, fawn and ruddy.

They have coats where each hair has light and dark bands of colour, which give them the appearance of a wild cat. Abyssinian cats are active, intelligent and friendly. They enjoy being around people. They tend to stay near their owners all the time.

Manx cat

Have you heard about cats born without tails? No, it’s not abnormal! For Manx cats, its quite normal. It’s very common to see tailless cats in the Manx breed. These cats are very energetic and resourceful. Another unusual characteristic of this cat is that Manx cats hunt not only mice and rats, but also snakes.

Manx cat

So, I don’t think that it’s necessary to even mention that these cats are courageous.The forelegs of Manx cats are shorter than the hind legs. This elevates the rump, which classically should be round as a ball, with a small dimple at the base of the spine, where the tail begins in other cats.

This positioning of the legs results in a bobbing walk, they also have the tendency to leap frequently while running. However, Manx cats do not leap like rabbits. These cats are small and compact. Their ears are pointed. The fur of the Manx is silky and comes in all usual colours.

Bombay cats

At last a cat with an Asian name! So, how do you think this cat got its name? However, despite its name, the origin of this cat is not Bombay.

It was first bred into existence in 1958, when a breeder from Kentucky cross-bred an American short hair with a Burmese. The offspring of this breed in fact resembled the black leopard of India.

The Bombay cat is a muscular, agile cat with a thick black coat. Its head is round and wide. It has a short, satin-like coat. They do not require grooming at all. These cats are quiet, watchful and prefer to stay indoors. It hates loud noises.

A rather strange fact is, if they are exposed to loud noises, it’ll cause them to loose fur from their stomach area and near the tail. Bombay cats make excellent pets.

I love Timee

My pet is a cat named Timee. Its colours are white, black and gray. Its favourite foods are rice and meat, its favourite drinks are water and milk.

Timee hunts mice, spiders and other small animals. Because Timee hunts mice, we don’t have mice in our house any more.Timee is very lovely and playful. I love my pet very much.

H.W. Amasha Dasuni Premathilaka,
Year 6F, Taxila Central College.

My Binga

My pet is a dog. Its name is Binga. It’s black and brown. It likes to drink milk. It plays with me. Binga is a very good dog. I love my pet.

Nethmi Dileesha Yahathugoda,
Grade 2, Western Int’l School,Wennappuwa.

My rabbit

My pet is a rabbit. It is white in colour. It has four legs, two long ears and a bushy tail. It can hop. It likes carrots. I love my pet.

Dipun Kavishka Abeyrathna,
Grade 3C,Kingswood College,Kandy.