Thanks and Credits for ‘Moggyblog’

Here is a list of credits for the site. For sources of information I have visited many sites on the world wide web. Also many of the cats we have kept have come from the Cat Protection people.

As always if you would like to contribute any information to the resources on these pages this would be most welcome. You would be credited with this if you so wish. Thank You.

Clearly, with so many cat types and so little time, I’ve had to dip in to existing resources which detail the different cat breeds and their histories.

[1] Wikipedia.com https://en.wikipedia.org

Wikipedia are my prime source of information. So thanks to you guys at ‘Wikipedia’. By the way each of their articles has a full references section so you can look into the reference even deeper if you so wish.

[2] Cats Protection. https://www.cats.org.uk/

We’ve had a number of cats from this organisation, who do a great job. If you want to provide a loving home to a stray or unwanted cat (in the U.K) then please visit this website and look for a branch near you.

Finally, much love and thanks to all the cats we’ve owned and loved in the past.. Including Freddie, Jingles, Tiger, Pudding, Podgy (a dog – cover your ears lads!),Gingerbread and Norman. Thanks pals,… you’ll all be sadly missed and fondly remembered always.

Burmese

The Burmese is a breed of domesticated cats split into two subgroups: the American Burmese and the British Burmese. Most cat registries do not recognise a split between the two groups, but those that do formally refer to the type developed by British cat breeders as the European Burmese. The Burmese was first recognized as a distinct breed in America in 1936 by the Cat Fanciers’ Association. Owing to the extensive breeding with Siamese cats that had been used to increase the population, the original type was overwhelmed and registration was temporarily dissolved during the 1940s. The breed was recognized by the UK Governing Council of the Cat Fancy in 1952. In 1953, after years of selective breeding, Burmese cats in America once again conformed to type and were recognized.

Burmese Cat

The Birmese Cat. “..vocal like the Siamese
but have softer, sweeter voices”

Originally, Burmese cats were exclusively brown (sable), but years of selective breeding have produced a wide variety of colours. Different associations have different rules about which of these count as Burmese.

Burmese cats are known for being sociable and friendly with humans, as well as intelligent. They are very vocal, and often call to their owners.

Throughout the modern history of Burmese, there has been much breeding with Siamese leading to such give-aways as blue or green eyes in the normally yellow-eyed breed. In fact, the Tonkinese cat is a now-recognised cross between Burmese and Siamese.

Characteristics.

The Burmese is considered a foreign shorthair in the United States. Accepted eye colour for the breed is gold or yellow, although interbreeding with Siamese may lead to blue or green. The coat is known for being glossy, with a satin-like finish. As with most short-hairs, it requires no additional grooming. The shape of the British breed is more moderate but must not be Oriental, while the American breed is sturdier in build. Longer lived than most pedigree cats, they often reach 16 to 18 years of age.

Burmese are vocal like the Siamese but have softer, sweeter voices. They are people oriented, forming strong bonds with their owners, gravitating toward all human activity. The CFA breed information on the Burmese implies that all survival instinct of flight or fight seems to have been bred out of them. However, other sources note that, while rarely aggressive with humans, Burmese cats tend to be able to defend themselves quite well against other cats, even those larger than themselves.

Burmese maintain kitten interests and energy throughout their adulthood and are very athletic and playful. In some instances they even retrieve items as part of a game. Although all cats are obligate carnivores, some Burmese will sample fruit and vegetables.
Continue reading “Burmese”

Balinese

The Traditional Balinese (Applehead Balinese) cat combines the unique personality and intelligence, burly body type, pointed coloring, and the minimal shedding of the Traditional Siamese, with a softer voice and a silky coat.

They are extremely intelligent, curious and loving. Their behavior and loyalty often resembles what most people expect of a dog more than a cat, as they follow their owners about, sleeping outside of the door of any room you occupy, that they cannot enter, and amusing themselves with a toy until they can once again be on your lap.

Balinese, extremely intelligent, curious and loving cat… and there are many varieties to choose.

Agile, swift, muscular and extremely intelligent, they love to play fetch or to make up other games. They get along easily with other cats and with dogs and yet are independent enough to adjust to periods of being alone.
While they still ‘talk’ like their Siamese cousins, their voices are far softer and they speak only when they have something they feel is important to say. As such, they grow up to make delightful ‘watch-cats’ often alerting their family when strangers approach or when something seems ‘wrong’. They are very alert to their owners and surroundings, but not a hyperactive cat. Rather, they maintain an easy balance of playing and napping depending on the circumstances.

History

The early history of the Traditional Balinese is the same as the history of the Traditional Siamese. The Siamese is considered by many to be a ‘natural’ breed – that is to say, one that developed without the intervention of man.

The first Siamese cats appeared in the West in the mid-to-late 1800s. Photographs from the late 1880s of some of the first cats to be imported from Siam show the thick, round heads and solid, muscular bodies that distinguish the Traditional Siamese from today’s modern Siamese that dominate the modern show-ring.

Many say that Balinese kittens have always appeared now and again in purebred Siamese litters. Some attribute a pure Siamese appearing with a longer coat to be a simple mutation and say there are examples of early drawings that depict pointed cats with what seems longer fur. Another opinion is that it was an outgrowth of the domestication of the Palas cat (Felis Manul) who originated in western China and has a very dense coat which comes in a wide variety of colors. Others say that the longer coat is a result of the early British breeders crossing them with the then popular Angora or Turkish Angora, a cat with a tremendous history as a companion cat. The Turkish Angora was first introduced to Europe in the 14th century when the crusaders brought Turkish Angoras back home in their saddle bags .

The truth may be a bit of both. The long-haired trait persisted however, and a long-hair Siamese was registered with C.F.F. in 1928. They were not bred in earnest however until 1955 when a woman named Marion Dorsey of California began breeding and showing the longer-haired variety.

It turned out the Balinese bred ‘true’ meaning that when a Balinese was bred to another Balinese the resulting litter were all always Balinese, thus qualifying it to be a ‘pure breed’. At this time they were still referred to as Long-Haired Siamese but soon were christened ‘Balinese’ not, as many think, because it came from Bali, but because the fanciers of the time thought so graceful and athletic a cat resembled the graceful Balinese dancers.

In 1961 the Balinese was recognized and accepted for registration in the same colors as Siamese seal point, chocolate point, blue point and lilac point. Other colors such as red tabby, blue tortie, red cream, cinnamon, fawn, smoke, silver and all others were registered as Javanese, just as other colors of Siamese which emerged due to out-crossing, were registered as Oriental Shorthairs.

In the 1950s virtually all the Siamese and Balinese cats were what we think of today as the Traditional Siamese and Balinese, a heavier boned, rounder headed cat . But just as the ever changing whims of the show ring judges have dictated what body type is fashionable at any given time, the Traditional Balinese, like the Traditional Siamese, fell out of favor in the late fifties and early sixties and were gradually replaced with the modern version of the breed. The modern version is a smaller longer and thinner more angular cat with large ears and, in the case of the Balinese, a short coat on its body with the only long hair occurring on its plumy tail. This look became popular with the show-oriented Balinese breeders, while other breeders, who preferred the Traditional look, continued to breed the larger, rounder-headed Traditional Balinese. These Traditional breeders found that their cats were no longer competitive in the show ring and stopped showing though they continued breeding with their existing purebred Balinese stock.

Currently, the Traditional Balinese is quite rare, though they are beginning to make a comeback as many pet buyers and breeders alike rediscover the Traditional Balinese many endearing qualities as top-notch companion cats.

It should also be pointed out, that Traditional Balinese are purebred cats, descended from the original cats imported from Siam. A pointed cat that you find in a shelter, though it may look Balinese, is probably not a Traditional Balinese. Enough purebred Siamese, Himalayan or other pointed and long-haired cats have interbred with domestic cats over the years that the gene which creates the pointing pattern and longer hair, is found in a large number of cats. So while some may look Balinese, they may have very little Balinese blood in them.

A Balinese Cat Website

American Wirehair

The American Wirehair breed is uniquely American. It began as a spontaneous mutation in a litter of upstate New York farm cats in 1966. A spontaneous mutation is an uncommon, although not rare, happening. As it has occurred among cats in the past, two ordinary cats came together and as a result of their mating, a kitten unlike its parents or littermates was born. The progeny of the original mutation, Council Rock Farm Adams of Hi-Fi, are now in all areas of the United States. What is interesting and unusual about this particular mutation is that it has not been reported in any other country thus far.

American Wirehair, The result of a spontaneous mutation
Photograph: unknown

The coat is the characteristic that separates the American Wirehair from all other breeds. Just as there is a wide variety of texture in Persians or Exotics, there is also considerable variation among the Wirehairs. As this is a dominant mutation, approximately half of the kittens will be wirehaired at birth. The most readily apparent wiring is that of the whiskers and ideally, the entire coat will be wired at birth. If the coat appears to be ringlets, it may be too long and may wave or straighten with maturity. Some of the lightly wired coats may continue to crimp during the early life of the Wirehair. The degree of coarseness depends upon the coat texture of the sire and dam. To produce the best wiring, both parents must have a hard coat.

Breeders find them easy to care for, resistant to disease, and good producers. Pet owners delight with their quiet, reserved and loving ways.

Weight: 8-11 lbs.

Eyes: The American Wirehair eyes are large and round. Aperture has a slight upward tilt. The color depends on the color of the coat.

Coat: Springy, tight, medium in length; overall appearance of wiring and coarseness and resilience of the coat is more important than the crimping of each hair; very dense, resilient, crimped, and coarse coat is most desirable; whiskers should be curly.

Associations: The American Wirehair is accepted by CFA and TICA.

American Curl

The American Curl is a breed of cat characterized by its unusual ears, which curl back from the face toward the center of the back of the skull.

The breed originated in Lakewood, California as the result of a spontaneous mutation. In June, 1981, two stray kittens were found and taken in by the Ruga family.
The kittens were both longhaired, one black and the other black and white. The family named them Shulamith and Panda respectively, but Panda got lost several
weeks later, making Shulamith the foundation female of the American Curl breed.

The American Curl, with characteristic curled back ears.

In 1983, an American Curl was exhibited at a cat show for the first time, and in 1987, the longhaired American Curl was given championship status by The International Cat Association (TICA). In 1993, the American Curl became the first breed admitted to the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) Championship Class with both longhair and shorthair divisions.

The American Curl is a medium sized cat (5-10 lbs), and does not reach maturity until 2-3 years of age. They are strong and healthy, remarkably free of the genetic defects that affect many purebred cats.

American Curl kittens are born with straight ears, which begin to curl within ten days. After four months, their ears will not curl any longer, and should be hard and stiff to the touch. A pet quality American Curl may have almost straight ears, but showcats must have ears that curl in an arc between 90 and 180 degrees. A greater angle is preferable, but cats will be disqualified if their ears touch the back of their skulls.

Both longhaired and shorthaired American Curls have soft, silky coats which lie flat against their bodies. They require little grooming, but enjoy spending time with their owners.

The American Curl, while still an uncommon breed, is found across the world in the United States, Spain, France, Japan, Russia, and many other countries.

[Thanks to wikipedia.org]

World’s First Cloned Cat Has Kittens

News first Released in December 2006
The world’s first cloned cat just became a mother – and she even did it without test tubes.

This photo released by the Texas A&M University’s College of Veterinary Medicine and Biomedical Science shows the three kittens Wednesday, Dec. 13, 2006, that were born in September to the world’s first cloned cat. Two of the kittens take after their mother, while the third, left, has a gray coat like his father. (AP Photo/Texas A&M University, Larry Wadsworth)

Copy Cat, who was cloned by Texas A&M University researchers in 2001, had three kittens in September 2006. Mother and kittens are doing well, said Duane Kraemer, an A&M veterinary medicine professor who helped clone her and has been taking care of her since.

What’s this Moggyblog malarkey then, eh?

Moggy Blog is a website for cat keepers, admirers and enthusiasts. The site is meant to provide light hearted information about cats. We also have articles on more serious issue such as domestic cat health and Big Cat conservation.

If you wish you can post a photograph, a story and useful piece of information about your cat(s).

kittens
Meet the Family!

If you look upon the family pet as a ‘flea bag’ or a good for nothin varmint; or if you have an allergy to cats that brings you out in a rash all over; then what you’ll find here won’t be of much interest… :-/.

….but, if you’ve seen next doors moggy leap six feet into the air, after something on the wing or marvelled at a local feline that can scale a fence in two leaps and balace on an inch wide strip of wood, then read on and take a look around. Above all, as you can tell by the name perhaps, this wot’s in ere is just a bit of feline fun. ;D

We would very much welcome your comments and suggestions so please contact us if you feel so inclined, oh and if you want to start blogging today, just hit the ‘Register’ button at the top of this window. It’s that simple.

In each and every case .. Thanks for stopping by

Ed & Norman.