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Seals and so strange creatures, but there are some among them that are capable of just one look to cause an exclamation of surprise. We found a dozen and a half breeds that are not often found in our homes and look like real aliens.
Terrible on the face, but kind inside – this can sometimes be said about the sphinxes
An interesting fact: there are about 200 cat breeds in the world, but only 3-5% of domestic cats are recognized as purebred. Don’t get us wrong: we are not for the purity of the breed – our hearts melt at the sight of any cats, however, some representatives of our list really have such an unusual appearance that the efforts of people who work hard to breed breeds seem not at all meaningless.
A breed of hairless cats, during the breeding of which a natural recessive mutation was fixed, which just leads to the absence of hair. But not only: the distinctive features are also sharp ears, pink skin, wrinkles and a round tummy. Sphynxes are affectionate, smart – easy to train, attached to their owners. True, due to the lack of wool, the frozen and in our latitudes can suffer from the cold.
Peterbald
Here we have something to be proud of – this representative of the breed of hairless domestic cats was bred in Russia, it is also called the St. Petersburg Sphynx. They look very elegant, at the same time they are extremely friendly, smart, love all family members and willingly communicate with everyone; independence and arrogance are not about them.
Devon Rex
The breed appeared in England in the 1960s, it is distinguished by its very expressive appearance due to its increased lop-earedness – it is no coincidence that they are often called elves. The coat is soft, short and curly, and the character of the Devon Rex is extremely friendly, playful and sociable – breeders and owners joke that cats of this breed are “something between a cat, a dog and a monkey.”
Munchkin
Due to the fact that the munchkin has short legs, it looks a little like a dachshund. True, this also gives an advantage – in order to look around, the Munchkin can easily sit on his hind legs, lean his tail firmly and sit for a long time in this position. It is believed that a cat of this breed can be safely started if there is a small child in the house, since the representatives of this breed have almost no aggression. They love to spend time in the hands of the owners.
Kao-mani
The history of this breed of cats from Thailand goes back hundreds of years, during which they could only be kept and bred by royalty. It is believed that kao-mani are capable of bringing good luck to their master. However, not only good luck – there will be plenty of delight for guests who will see this white miracle with multi-colored eyes. The character is docile, cats of this breed are very fond of “talking” with their owners, playful and curious, get along well with other pets and children.
Savanna
The breed, which was obtained by crossing a domestic cat and a wild African serval, began to be developed in the United States in the early 1980s. Breeders have tried to create a large domestic cat with an exotic wild color, but not aggressive. In the end, it turned out – the character of this breed is indeed calm, however, such cats are considered one of the most expensive in the world. Savannahs are large, about 60 cm at the withers, and weigh about 15 kg, the body is elongated, and the color is spotted. But they need more space and preferably in the fresh air, since they love to run and are not afraid of water. They are very loyal to the owner, which is why they are compared to dogs.
Japanese bobtail
Short-tailed cats were brought to Japan from China more than a thousand years ago and after they saved the country from the invasion of mice, they occupy a special place in the country’s culture. They are very friendly, they usually choose one of the family members and show him special signs of sympathy. When sitting, the front leg is often raised. In Russia, the Kurilian Bobtail is also known – more fluffy, the breed of which was obtained from a mixture of Japanese Bobtails with Siberian cats.
Scottish lop-eared
In addition to the characteristic structure of the auricles (bent forward and downward), this breed is also distinguished by a short, thick and very soft to the touch wool, which can be of different colors – both monochromatic and multicolored. Cats of this breed can, like gophers, stand on their hind legs for a long time. The character is docile and sociable, they do not like loneliness, they are very attached to the owners.
Pixie Bob
An artificially bred breed – breeders tried to get a cat that looked like a lynx, for which they crossed domestic cats with wild short-tailed forest cats that live in the forests of the USA and Canada. In the end, it turned out – although, despite the formidable appearance, cats of this breed have a very kind and gentle character, do not tolerate loneliness, are very loyal to their owner.
Persian teahouse
Long fur and flattened muzzle: These cats look like ordinary Persian cats, but they are dwarf in height – no more than 20 cm at the withers. And they weigh a little – no more than 3 kg. The breed was bred as a result of the selection of small Persian cats, but has not yet been officially recognized and remains experimental. Such cats are very rare and, accordingly, kittens are very expensive.
American curl
There are two varieties of this breed – semi-long-haired and short-haired, but its main distinguishing feature is, of course, the ears. According to the breed standard, they should be wide at the base, with rounded tips and a gentle curve back. They are very friendly and playful, but at the same time very gentle, which is why they are not suitable for families with small children – babies can cuddle the cat strongly, which will lead to injury to the animal.
Cornish Rex
Corniches belong to the short-haired group of cats with wavy hair – the undercoat is curled in a dense wave, reminiscent of astrakhan fur. The breed began on a rabbit farm in the English county of Cornwall with a cat named Callibunker, who had a rare gene mutation that caused such an undercoat. Corniches are easy to maintain, not susceptible to hereditary diseases, but do not like cold and drafts.
Selkirk Rex
The word “Rex” in the name of the breed, like in Cornish, indicates the “curliness” of the coat. The breed is young – it appeared in the United States in 1987 as a result of the crossing of three breeds: Persians, Exotics and British. The character of cats of this breed is calm, but at the same time playful, they get along well with children and other animals, they do not freeze.
Ukrainian Levkoy
Cats of this breed are not only hairless, but also lop-eared, which distinguishes them from other hairless cats. Lop-eared is the result of crossing with a Scottish Fold cat. One of the youngest breeds – the first cat registered by the breeding commission was born in 2004, but the breed has not yet been recognized by international official organizations. Graceful and calm, they easily get used to new housing.
Siamese
Found something to surprise, you say, but in Russia the Thai subspecies of Siamese cats is widespread, but purely Siamese cats are less common. By the way, there are more than 40 varieties of Siamese cats in the world. They are distinguished by a characteristic color: a cream carcass, but the legs, tail and muzzle are dark brown, but there are also representatives of the same color. There is a prejudice that Siamese cats are aggressive, but this is not so: they are distinguished by love, devotion and sociability.