Cats are also divided into many breeds. So how many breeds are there, and which cat breeds are suitable for keeping as pets? Compared with dog breeds, are there more or less cat breeds? Breeding In fact, you don’t need to know the types of pet cats. If you have a favorite breed, you just need to know some knowledge about raising pets. The editor will introduce to you what kinds of pet cats there are and the classification of these breeds.

 Cats are more noble-looking. In the past, pet cats could only be kept in the palace. Nowadays, more and more people are raising cats, and cat breeds have become the focus of our attention.

Pet cat breeds

 In animal taxonomy, cats belong to the phylum Chordata, subphylum Vertebrates, class Mammalia, order Carnivora, family Felidae, and genus Felis. Like other domestic animals, domestic cats are wild cats that have been domesticated and bred according to different needs due to natural geographical separation and humans over a long period of time. The Asian domestic cat originated from the desert cats of India, and the European domestic cat originated from the African lynx. Some people also believe that Chinese domestic cats are derived from wild lynxes.

Ancient Egypt is the earliest country in the world to domesticate domestic cats. Since more than 5000 BC, the Egyptians brought back black-clawed cats through plunder and war. Due to their superb mouse-catching performance, they were quickly accepted by humans. In 1500 BC, keeping cats was very popular and gradually became human companions. Cat-taming and rat-catching in my country began in the Spring and Autumn Period and the Warring States Period, and by the Tang and Song Dynasties it had been widely raised by the people.

Classification of Cat Breeds

(1) Classification according to living environment

 1. Wild cats Wild cats refer to cats that live in wild environments such as mountains, forests, ravines, and deserts, and have not been domesticated by humans.

  2. Domestic cats Domestic cats are cats raised and domesticated by people. But domestic cats are different from other domestic animals. They do not rely too much on humans and still maintain the instinct of independent survival. Once they are separated from human care, they will quickly become wild.

(2) Classification from the perspective of breed cultivation

 1. Purebred cats Purebred cats refer to breeds that have been carefully bred over many years and generations for a certain purpose. The genetic characteristics of this cat are stable and mutations rarely occur. Every cat has a pedigree record, and strictly control the breeding procedures and prohibit hybridization to avoid breed degradation.

  2. Hybrid cats Hybrid cats are breeds that are allowed to develop naturally without human control. The genetic characteristics of their offspring are very unstable. But hybrid cats are not random. Within a certain geographical area, after several years of natural selection, it is possible to form a breed with certain characteristics.

 (3) Classification according to the length of hair

  1. Long-haired cat Long-haired cat refers to a cat whose coat is a layer of very soft long hair and is very smooth. Although long-haired cats are very laborious to groom and need to be combed every day, they are loved by people because of their soft meows, their tendency to act coquettishly in front of their owners, their graceful figures, and their steady movements.

 2. Short-haired cats Short-haired cats have short and neat hair, fine texture, light body, strong bones, agile movements, and wild characteristics. It is relatively easy to raise and manage, understands human language, and is docile and approachable. There are many varieties of short-haired cats in the world.

 In addition, domestic cats can be divided into ornamental cats, mouse cats, fur cats, meat cats, experimental cats and performance cats according to their uses. In our country, cats are often classified according to their coats, such as white cats, black cats, and calico cats. But there is not much difference in their body size, only their hair is different.