Cats - Breed profiles

In looks, the 'Aby' (as it is affectionately known in the cat world) is similar to drawings of Ancient Egyptian cats and there are some who believe it originated in the Nile Valley, however there continues to be speculation and controversy concerning its history.

The delightful Australian Mist, formerly known as the Spotted Mist, proudly wears the label 'Made In Australia". This home-grown Aussie cat breed has evolved from a predominantly Burmese background,

Balinese are longhaired cats in the Oriental family and were developed from the long coated cats which occurred naturally in Siamese litters in the USA. They were named because their elegant shape

The Bengal cat is a hybrid breed, invented by crossing a domestic house cat with an Asian Leopard Cat. During the 1960s, after researchers discovered that wild cats (eg. lions and tigers) were immune

The Birman, also known as the Sacred Cat of Burma, is a strikingly beautiful and unusual breed.

An American breeder in the 1950's created the Bombay by mating the Burmese cat to American Shorthairs. Her aim was to resemble the black leopard of India, but in miniature size. Later on, British

The British Shorthair has a rags to riches history. Descended from the cats introduced into England during the Roman times the breed had centuries of "living rough" alongside man which produced a line of strong, self-sufficient, hardy cats.

The Burmese is a personality plus cat with a sunny disposition and unflappable nature ideally suited to Australian lifestyles.

The delicately coloured Burmilla is one of the most attractive breeds of cats. The breed began in England in 1981 with the accidental mating of a lilac Burmese and a Chinchilla - hence the name

The Devon Rex is named after the English county where they first appeared. Appearance The Devon Rex is a feline version of "E.T". Their short wide-cheeked face, huge lowset batwing ears and

An extremely rare breed, the Havana Brown cat was created in England in the 1950's from the crossing of a male Siamese and a female Siamese x black moggie. A litter of 4 were born, and all but one

The beautiful silver-blue Korat is an ancient breed not seen outside its native Thailand until the late 19th century. The Korat is considered a good luck cat. It has long been cherished by the Thai

Originated from the state of Maine in the United States, the Maine Coon is one of the largest domestic cat breeds. Appearance The Maine Coon has a muscular body and strong legs, as well as a square

The Ocicat was created accidentally by American breeder Virginia Daly in the 1960s. Ms Virginia crossed an Abyssinian with a Siamese in an attempt to produce an Abyssinian pointed Siamese. The litter

One of the most popular breeds registered in Australia and one of the most recognisable of all cat breeds, the Persian has a long and distinguished history, and has appeared in cat shows for over 100

A relatively new breed, the RagaMuffin has been widely confused and compared with the Ragdoll. Although the history of the RagaMuffin has not been completely documented, an interview with Curt Gehm,

As one of the world's largest domestic cats the Ragdoll is believed to have originated in California. There are several opinions on the breeding pair that were responsible for creating the Ragdoll

The Russian Blue was also known as the Archangel Cat as it is believed to have originated in the Russian port of Archangel. They were transported to Western Europe in the 1860s by sailors, and early

The Siamese is for all those who want a full-on relationship with a character cat. No shrinking violet, the Siamese both demands and provides extremely stimulating companionship.

Originated from Singapore as their name suggests, the Singapura is also known as "drain cats" due to their habit of living in drains and gutters. The name Singapura is the Malaysian word for

A rare breed, the Snowshoe was created by an American breeder, Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty, during the 1960s. She produced a litter of three pointed kittens with pure white mittens and boot feet by

A medium sized cat with a well-muscled build, the Somali is best described as a long haired version of the Abyssinian with a beautiful bushy tail that give them a fox-like appearance.

The Sphynx is a unique breed, known for their hairless characteristic. Europe cat breeders have been creating the Sphynx breed since the early 1960s. Today's Sphynx was bred from hairless cats that

The Tonkinese breed is the result of a mating between a Burmese and a Siamese in the USA in the 1950s. Appearance A medium build cat, the Tonkinese has a wedge-shaped head with high cheekbones,

A rare and ancient breed, the Turkish Van is also known as the 'swimming cat' due to their love for water. The breed was discovered in the area surrounding Lake Van in Turkey where they developed the