An ancient breed, the Siamese is considered the quintessential people cat because she loves being with her human companions. The sleek, striking Siamese has deep blue almond-shaped eyes that radiate intelligence and emotion. Affectionately known as Meezers, this breed is sociable, entertaining and playful. The Siamese is tolerant of children 6 and older and enjoys other cats but may not get along with dogs. The Siamese breed was used to create the Colourpoint Shorthair, which is identical to the Siamese except for her distinctive, unique colours.

DID YOU KNOW? Perhaps the most recognized and oldest purebred cat of all time, the Siamese has been used to create many other breeds, including the Ocicat, Himalayan, Burmese, Tonkinese, Snowshoe, Oriental, and Balinese.

The need-to-know

• Highly active and inquisitive cat
• Sociable and dependent cat
• Very talkative cat
• Lean and elegant cat breed
• Requires grooming once a week
• Outdoor cat
• May require familiarisation before living with children

The Siberian Forest cat is a largish breed, with a muscular build and a barrel shaped torso. The coat is long and dense and the head is a modified wedge shape with rounded contours and very expressive eyes. The overall physical appearance is one of strength and power. The longer hairs of the triple coat are pale near the skin, darkening toward the outer end. This makes the coat shimmer as the cat moves. Although brown tabby is the most common colour, a Siberian Forest Cat may be any pattern or colour or combination of colours, solid lilac or solid chocolate.

The need-to-know

• Highly active and inquisitive cat
• Friendly but independent cat
• Somehow talkative cat
• Larger stockier cat breed
• Requires grooming every day
• Outdoor cat
• Great family cat

The smallest domestic cat breed, the Singapura is an extroverted, playful feline sometimes called a “pesky people cat.” This breed thrives on attention and interactive play. Called Pura for short, these cats are intelligent and keenly observant. Friendly and social, they enjoy cats and cat friendly dogs, but dislike loud noises so are not ideal for busy households with boisterous children.

DID YOU KNOW? The Singapura originated from small brown cats with ticked coats known as “drain cats” because they lived in Singapore’s storm drains. These cats fought for their share of fish on the Malaysian island’s shipping docks. Singapura is the Malaysian word for the Singapore, which means “lion city” and explains why the breed is known as “little lions of love.”

The need-to-know

• Playful and curious cat
• Sociable and dependent cat
• Somehow talkative cat
• Lean and elegant cat breed
• Requires grooming once a week
• Needs some out-door space
• Great family cat

The Snowshoe cat is a medium sized breed and combines the solid heftiness of the American Shorthair with the lithe elegance of the Siamese. The head is a rounded triangle, the eyes are large and slanting and their large, pointed ears are set wide apart. Their body is long and athletic and their coat is short and glossy with the mask, ears, legs and tail much darker in colour than the body. Snowshoe cats come in blue, seal, lilac and chocolate varieties and the white areas cover less than one third of the cat. The eyes of all Snowshoe cats are a deep blue.

The need-to-know

• Playful and curious cat
• Sociable and dependent cat
• Somehow talkative cat
• Average build cat breed
• Requires grooming once a week
• Outdoor cat
• Great family cat

Strikingly beautiful, the Somali looks like a small wild fox with her full bushy tail and britches, large ears and dramatically ticked coat. This highly intelligent feline is known to open cupboards and fetch toys. The Somali loves attention and affection. The breed also is known for loving to play and having a zest for life. Highly adaptable, the Somali adjusts easily to new people and situations.

DID YOU KNOW? Contrary to popular belief, the Somali did not originate in Somalia. Rather, the breed is essentially a longhaired Abyssinian that resulted from a recessive gene. Originally, Abyssinian breeders were not happy when these longhaired kittens showed up in litters. It is believed the Somali resulted when longhaired cats were used by British Abyssinian breeders following World War II to repopulate the breed or possibly were due to a mutation.

The need-to-know

• Highly active and inquisitive cat
• Friendly but independent cat
• Very talkative cat
• Average build cat breed
• Requires grooming once a week
• Outdoor cat
• May require familiarisation before living with children

The hairless Sphynx is muscular with broad ears and a wide-eyed, friendly expression. This sweet-natured, lively cat is inquisitive and loves being the centre of attention. A devoted, affectionate feline, the Sphynx follows her human companions everywhere, purring with delight. This breed does not do well when left alone all day. The Sphynx is a healthy, hardy cat.

DID YOU KNOW? Though mostly a hairless breed, some Sphynx have a fine down on their body. Despite being hairless, the Sphynx requires weekly sponge baths to remove sebaceous oils from their skin, as they do not have hair to absorb the oils like most cats. If the oils are not wiped down, these cats could feel sticky to the touch and could develop skin problems.

The need-to-know

• Highly active and inquisitive cat
• Sociable and dependent cat
• Very talkative cat
• Lean and elegant cat breed
• Requires grooming once a week
• Hypoallergenic breed
• Indoor cat
• May require familiarisation before living with children

The Tiffanie cat is built like the Burmese, but with a longer coat. The head forms a short wedge shape, with large to medium ears. The long tail is plumed. The eyes are set well apart and are neither almond-shaped nor roundand can be any colour from yellow through to green. The body is firm and muscular with a strong straight back.

The need-to-know

• Playful and curious cat
• Sociable and dependent cat
• Somehow talkative cat
• Average build cat breed
• Requires grooming every day
• Needs some out-door space
• Great family cat

The colourful personality of the Tonkinese is one of the breed’s greatest attributes. Muscular and active, with a sense of humor, this feline enjoys playing, climbing and whizzing by at warp speed. With her warm, loving personality, the Tonk craves human attention and shouldn’t be left alone for long periods. This is a lap cat that prefers playmates, including children, other cats and cat friendly dogs.

DID YOU KNOW? The Tonkinese, like her ancestral breeds, the Burmese and Siamese, becomes darker as she ages. A pointed Tonkinese is born white, with the point colours beginning to develop when kittens are a few days old. They do not develop their full, rich colours for several years

The need-to-know

• Highly active and inquisitive cat
• Sociable and dependent cat
• Somehow talkative cat
• Average build cat breed
• Requires grooming once a week
• Outdoor cat
• Great family cat

The beautiful Turkish Van is distinguished by her chalk-white body and coloured markings on the head and long, plumed tail. This curious feline has powerful hind legs that allow her to jump on otherwise hard-to-reach spaces. The sweet, loving breed likes to be involved in whatever is going on and enjoys curling up on a lap. A slow-maturing breed, the Turkish Van takes three to five years to reach maturity.

DID YOU KNOW? The Turkish Van is a rare, ancient breed that developed in central and Southeast Asia, in areas known today as Iran, Iraq, southwest Soviet Union and eastern Turkey.

The need-to-know

• Playful and curious cat
• Friendly but independent cat
• Somehow talkative cat
• Average build cat breed
• Requires grooming every day
• Outdoor cat
• May require familiarisation before living with children

Confident and friendly, the American Bobtail is a highly intelligent breed with a clownlike personality. Looking much like a bobtailed wildcat, this rare and athletic breed can be taught to walk on a leash. The American Bobtail has two coat varieties, shorthair and longhair, and does not reach adulthood until 2 or 3 years old. A devoted family companion, this cat interacts well with people of all ages and is ideal with children.

DID YOU KNOW?
The American Bobtail has a naturally short bob tail that can be seen clearly above the back when the cat is alert. No tail is exactly the same, but the average length is 2.5 to 10.5 centimetres.

The need-to-know

• Playful and curious cat
• Sociable and dependent cat
• Somehow talkative cat
• Average build cat breed
• Requires grooming every day
• Non hypoallergenic breed
• Indoor cat
• Great family cat

The American Curl has distinctive curled ears that form a graceful arc, giving an alert, perky expression. This breed is known as the “Peter Pan” of cats due to retaining its kittenlike personality throughout life. The Curl has two coat varieties, shorthair and longhair. With her outstanding temperament, the Curl is a people-oriented breed that makes an affectionate soul mate and easily adjusts to other pets and children.

DID YOU KNOW? The American Curl has an autosomal dominant ear curling gene that is responsible for the breed’s famous curled ears. Kittens are born with straight ears that begin to curl backward after three to five days.

The need-to-know

• Playful and curious cat
• Friendly but independent cat
• Quiet cat
• Average build cat breed
• Requires grooming once a week
• Non hypoallergenic breed
• Indoor cat
• Great family cat

Ancestors of the American Shorthair hunted rats on the ships of early European settlers. These cats flourished alongside the pioneers, eventually becoming the native North American shorthair cat. A true working breed, the American Shorthair is strongly built. This healthy, long-lived cat stands out for her beauty and quiet disposition and makes an ideal companion for families with children and those having cat friendly dogs.

DID YOU KNOW? The American Shorthair, originally known as the Domestic Shorthair, became one of the first five breeds recognized in the U.S. when it was registered in 1906. The breed was renamed the American Shorthair in 1966 to better capture its “All-American” character.

The need-to-know

• Calm cat
• Friendly but independent cat
• Quiet cat
• Average build cat breed
• Requires grooming once a week
• Non hypoallergenic breed
• Indoor cat
• Great family cat