Abyssinian

The Abyssinian revels as one of the original cat breeds with evidence of its existence dating back 4,000 years ago in ancient Egypt. The first Aby, a kitten named Zula, was introduced to Europe in 1868 by a British soldier after Great Britain defeated Abyssinia (now Ethiopia) in the Abyssinian War...   [ ]

American Bobtail

The first American Bobtails were bred in the 1960s, and were the result of a mating between a short-tailed brown Domestic Shorthair with a bobbed tail, and a female seal point Siamese. Burman and Himalayan cats were also added...   [ ]

American Curl

The American Curl was developed in California in the early 1980s, and was the result of a naturally occurring mutation in Domestic Shorthairs and Longhairs. Two fanciers obtained kittens with curled ears from a stray litter and began to research Scottish Folds...   [ ]

American Ringtail

The American Ringtail breed originated with a male kitten named Solomon. Bottle-fed by rescuer Sue Manley, Solomon had a tail that curled over his back...   [ ]

American Shorthair

The American Shorthair goes all the way back to the Mayflower. English colonists brought cats with them from England to help keep rats and mice on the ship under control...   [ ]

American Wirehair

The American Wirehair was the result of a naturally occurring mutation. This genetic mishap was first discovered in a litter of kittens born to ordinary feline parents in Verona, New York, in 1966...   [ ]

Anatolian

This breed has been in existence for at least 1,000 years and proudly serves as the national cat of Russia. Siberians were among the first breeds competing in early cat shows held in England in 1871...   [ ]

Australian Mist

Balinese

Although this breed’s beginnings are unknown, it is generally accepted that the breed originated as a spontaneous mutation when semi-longhaired kittens were born to a Siamese in the 1940s in California. A decade later, two Siamese breeders from California and New York began line breeding to produce longhair Siamese now known as the Balinese...   [ ]

Bengal

A new and controversial breed, the Bengal is fast growing in popularity, due in part to its wildcat appearance. The Bengal began as a hybrid breed, created by crossing the Asian Leopard Cat with the domestic cat...   [ ]

Birman

The Birman’s origins are mysterious but enchanting. One popular legend from ancient Burma proclaims that this breed was a favorite cat with Kittah priests...   [ ]

Bombay

The Bombay was first developed in the 1950s by a Louisiana breeder named Nikki Horner. She aimed to create a breed that resembled a small panther, and used certain American Shorthairs and Burmese to obtain an all-black, copper-eyed cat...   [ ]

British Shorthair

This British-born breed’s origins remain a bit ambiguous. It is believed that they were commonly viewed in the British countryside since the mid-1800s...   [ ]