A Siamese in every nature except for her long, silky ermine coat, the Balinese, also known as the Javanese, has a distinctive luxurious tail plume. This long, slender cat is lithe but muscular. An easygoing breed with a clownlike personality, the Balinese adores people. This regal, aristocratic, intelligent cat is talkative, though less vocal than the Siamese. A healthy breed, the Balinese can live up to 20 years.

DID YOU KNOW? The long, elegant body of the Balinese prompted the breed being named after the graceful dancers from the island of Bali.

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
• Non hypoallergenic breed
• Indoor cat
• Great family cat

The Havana Brown is called the puppy of the cat fancy because this breed loves to follow her owners everywhere. Outgoing, playful and charming, Brownies are intelligent and easily trained to fetch. Unlike cats that use their sense of smell to investigate curiosities, this feline extends her paws, often appearing to be holding out a paw of friendship. The Havana Brown is social and doesn’t like being left alone too long.

DID YOU KNOW? The Havana Brown was named for the similarity of her lovely burnished, mahogany-toned, glossy coat to the brown color of Havana cigars. The Havana Brown is exclusive to North America. The Chestnut Brown, the European version of the Havana Brown, is the equivalent of the chestnut Oriental Shorthair.

The need-to-know

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

One of the most beloved cat breeds, the Himalayan craves affection and loves to be petted. The Himmy is a devoted, loyal companion that is good with children and other pets. This poised, sweet feline is calm and self-assured. She is also active and playful well into her senior years. A healthy, long-lived breed, the Himalayan’s body is various shades of white to fawn with point colours on her facial mask and extremities.

DID YOU KNOW? In 1950, an American cat breeder, Marguerita Goforth, began developing the Himalayan by crossing a Siamese and Persian. The Himalayan features the colour and pattern of a Siamese and the short, heavy-boned body and coat of the Persian, thus is referred to as a pointed pattern Persian.

The need-to-know

• Highly active and inquisitive cat
• Sociable and dependent cat
• Somehow talkative cat
• Average build cat breed
• Requires grooming every day
• Non hypoallergenic breed
• Indoor cat
• Great family cat

With her beautiful bold stripes and powerful body, the Toyger looks like a jungle tiger. This breed has a friendly, outgoing temperament and delights in being with people, even strangers, and gets along well with other pets. Highly intelligent, the Toyger is easy to train to go on leash walks and to play fetch. The Toyger is generally robust and healthy.

DID YOU KNOW? Bred to resemble wild tigers in a domestic package, the Toyger has a unique coat pattern for a domestic cat. Instead of the vertical stripes of the mackerel tabby or the rounded rosettes of some spotted tabbies, the Toyger has broken, or branched, bold vertical stripes in a random pattern.

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
• Non hypoallergenic breed
• Needs some out-door space
• Great family cat

An elegant, beautiful breed, the Turkish Angora has a soft, silky coat on a slender, finely boned frame with a full, tapering tail. This active, playful feline is sometimes called the ballerina of the cat fancy due to her gracefulness. One of the most extroverted cat breeds, the Angora loves being the centre of attention and enjoys entertaining her human companions. This healthy breed usually lives a long life.

DID YOU KNOW? The Turkish Angora may have been the first longhair cat in Europe and is believed to have descended from longhair cats in Turkey, Russia and Persia. The breed is named for the former Turkish capital of Angora, today known as Ankara.

The need-to-know

• Playful and curious cat
• Sociable and dependent cat
• Somehow talkative cat
• Average build cat breed
• Requires grooming once a week
• Non hypoallergenic breed
• Needs some out-door space
• Great family cat