There are at least about fifty (50) cat species that are really common as pets. And when you decide to adopt a cat as a pet, it is essential to understand which breeds may be best suited for you.
Similarly, it’s always great to learn about the characteristics of your cat’s breed. Additionally choosing the cat breed can depend on their lifestyle, lifespans and only cuteness.
And now let us take a look at the cat breeds you might like.
Table of Contents
Types of cat breeds
As mentioned above, there are a lot of cat breeds. And now let’s take a look at some cute cat breeds
Balinese cat breed
Originally from south-east Asia, these are a desirable cat species. Balinese cats have rather long hair and beautiful sapphire eyes. And they are a subsidiary of mutations from Siamese cats and has a lot of characteristics similar to Siamese cats.
These cats also have long legs and a body, oval shape paws and soft, smooth and silky fur.
Qualities
Balinese cats are amiable and active and have a keen interest in playing with their owners. Not only that they are sociable but also is a brilliant cat species.
Also, another significant fact about them is that they are generally healthy but may also have inherited disease due to the small gene pool.
Why you should adopt a Balinese cat
- They are knowledgeable.
- And also extremely playful and a bundle of energy.
- They are fantastically furry.
- Has great health conditioning.
- Extremely enchanting eyes.
- Very loyal to their owner.
Things to be careful about
Due to the aforementioned small gene pool, they can have inherited genetic diseases. They need the owners to love a lot as they tend to get easily bored and lonely.
And most importantly their diets may vary from other cat species. And therefore it’s essential to meet a nutritionist or a veterinarian for advice about its diet.
Bombay cats
Bombay cats are a medium-sized cat and are famous for its black colour appearance. And they too like the Balinese cats are highly intelligent. They also have bright golden colour eyes and long legs
These cats grow up to bout eleven(11) pounds and have a relatively long lifespan of up to sixteen(16) years.
Qualities
The Bombay cats are quick learning playful cats and can identify owners by voice. A uniquely interesting fact about these cats is that they tend to crave attention. Not only attention-seeking but also tend to get lonely and depressed without notice.
As mentioned above, these cats seek attention but also loves to share it with children. Bombay cats are very friendly with children and prefer playful household.
Why adopt a Bombay cat
- They are playful and is an excellent choice for a household with children.
- They have a majestic and intriguing look about them that makes them interesting
- And highly intelligent species with a long lifespan.
Things to beware of.
As they have a large black satin coat, their weight gains are hard to notice.
And another unfortunate thing about these cats is that they have a genetical disorder called a craniofacial defect, which is most persistent in young cats that can be fatal.
Persian Cats breed
Perhaps the most loved and famous cat species in the world, they are renowned for their long-haired coat. They are initially from the Middle East and are also known as “Iranian cat.” Additionally, they are called “Persian longhair.”
Qualities
As mentioned above, they are very furry cat species. And additionally, they have a round face and a short muzzle. Moreover, they have short legs and large eyes.
Persian is generally a quiet cat and prefers an apartment life. They are also very close to their owners and loves to lead a cleanly lifestyle.
Furthermore, they have a median life span and can live up to sixteen(16) years with median life expectancy at twelve(12) years.
Why you should adopt a Persian cat
- They are beautiful and considered a fancy species by cat breeders around the world.
- If you are living in an apartment, they will be the cat best suits you.
- Additionally, they have different colouration.
- They are also friendly towards the owners and very affectionate.
- An additional bonus is that they love leading a healthy and cleanly life.
What to be careful about
One of the most significant complications with these cat species is their heretical diseases. And one of such a prevalent disease is “polycystic kidney diseases”. And this affects a lot of the cats of this breed.
As the case in their relative’s siamese cat breed, they have a flat-faced head structure. This head structure causes various health complications that can be problematic.
On the one hand, they are fancy and charismatic, but on the other hand, they are high maintenance.
Bengal cat breed
Created with a hybrid of Asian leopard cat and the Egyptian Mau are a very eye-catching cat. They are crossbreed to get a healthy and genetically active cat species. And they have a highly contrasted coat that resembles a Bengal tiger.
Additional to being a highly contrasted species, they are a large-sized cat species with a spotted coat. They are long and additionally muscular, which makes them look larger than they are.
Qualities
Unlike the Persian cats, the Bengals are very active and playful. Additionally, they are also confident cat species. The Bengal cats, according to their owners, love to play in the water which is rare in many cat species. In addition to that, they also love to climb trees and stay in higher up places.
They are also a very healthy cat species due to the cross-breeding and well expanded genetic pool.
Why adopt a Bengal cat
- They are very energetic, playful and curious.
- Has a high level of confidence and character.
- They have an absolutely unique and fresh spotted coat
- Bengal cats are long and muscular and have a sturdy appearance.
- Besides, they are a generally healthy cat species.
- Very loyal to its owner.
- In addition to all this, they look like a mini tiger.
What to beware of
One of the most significant complications when it comes to Bengals are “Hypertrophic cardiomyopathy”. This disease causes the heart of the Bengals to become thick, which causes problems in pumping mechanism in the heart. Testings for cardiomyopathy should be done before breeding these species.
In addition to heart complications, they also have complications they might also have progressive retinal atrophy which can cause difficulty as they age.
Russian blue cat breed
They are a natural breed that evolved in Russia and northern Scandinavia. And they are a relatively large cat species that has fine bone structure. One of the most noticeable things about these cats is their triangle-shaped ears, In addition to the triangle shape ears, they also have sliver coloured beautiful coat and deep green eyes.
They also have a long lifespan and can live up to about twenty(20) years, and some can live upwards of twenty(20) years.
Qualities
The Russian blues aren’t a shy cat and love to play a lot, especially at a young age. Unlike the Prussian cats, they are relatively low maintenance and pretty easy to groom. Although their coat needs regular grooming attention due to thick undercoat.
They are also very intelligent species and among the most intelligent cat breeds. They are generally shy around strangers but once they get along with you they a pretty friendly. Russian blues are very well behaved and not very vocal, which fits the mould of apartment cats.
However, they don’t adapt well to change of environments and loves a consistent environment.
Why you should adopt a Russian blue cat
- They are friendly and playful and very loyal to their owner.
- Furthermore, they are very well behaved and quiet.
- Russian blues have a very exquisite look to them because of their coat and green eyes.
- They are the right family pet for families with kids or adults.
- Blues are healthy and have a long life.
- Ver intelligent cat species that don’t require regular grooming.
What to be careful of
Like most cats above the Russian blue can also suffer from eye problems that mainly occur due to glaucoma and infections.
They are fierce hunters and might not get along with your pet hamster or your pet bird.
Sphynx cat breed
They are named from their resemblance to the Egyptian sphynx. This cat species were initially from Toronto and was breed by selective cross-bedding. They are well recognizable because of their coatless body. Sphinxes have narrow, long head and web shape paws.
They also have a muscular body and a relatively long body with strong neck muscles. Sphynx cats also have lemon-shaped eyes and very distinguishable ears.
Qualities
Sphynx cats are very extroverted and in addition, shows a high level of energy. They are also an intelligent cat species that have the ability to greet their owners. And these cats are typically very friendly with the strangers.
Similar to the Bengal cats, Sphynx cats are also inquisitive about their environment. Although they lack a coat they aren’t maintenance-free, as the body oils normally absorbed by hair tend to build up, they require weekly baths.
Why you should adopt a Sphynx
- They are a very intelligent cat species.
- They are hairless and therefore, perfect for people with allergies to cat hair.
- Sphynx has a unique look to them.
- In addition, are relatively low maintenance compared to many other species.
- They are very extroverted that can keep you engaged throughout the day.
what to be careful of
As mentioned above, sphynx lack of a coat. Due to this, they are prone to skin cancer more than the other cat species. The lack of hair can also cause issues in kittens in their first weeks of life because of respiratory infections like flu.
Similar to the Bengal cat Sphynx also get hypertrophic cardiomyopathy that causes circulatory problems.
Siamese cat breed
Siamese cats are an older domestic cat breed originally from Asia. And the modern siamese cat as their name suggests comes from siam. They have an elegant streamline long body and beautiful pale blue colour eyes like Russian blue cat.
Siamese cats have a silver-grey colour coat but can have many colour variations. They are a genetically very close resemblance to the Balinese casts.
And one of the most interesting thing about Siamese cats is that they were given royal treatment in Thailand due to their majestic looks. And old breeds of Siamese cats had crossed eye which was bred out by selective breeding.
Qualities
Siamese cat breeds are a very sociable cat species that love to spend their time involved in various physical activities. And therefore do not do well on isolated or alone environments and always require a companion. And can suffer from depression or separation anxiety if they are lonely.
Siamese cats also seek a lot of affection and attention and tend to seek it elsewhere if not given. And in addition, they are very talkative, and therefore might not be the best apartment cat.
In addition to being sociable, they are also very intelligent.
Why you should adopt a Siamese cat
- They have a very beautiful pair of eyes.
- They are very sociable.
- Most of their undesirable characters are bred out.
- They are very loyal and affectionate to their owner.
- They get along with many other cat species.
What to be careful of
These cat breeds has a low life expectancy and are prone to many diseases and has a high mortality rate. Furthermore, one of the main cause of their mortality is neoplasms. Neuroplasm is abnormal growth of tissues and out of these mammary tumours are the biggest killers.
Similar to the above cat breeds, they are too prone to retinal disorders that can cause blindness at old age.
Conclusion
When you try to select a cat breed that suits you, there are many things that you have to take into account. One of the biggest is cost as many high pedigree species tend to be costly and very high maintenance.
Furthermore, you got to have an idea about the cat that best suits your environment and your life, especially regarding your family. And also make sure your cats mentally healthy.
Making sure your cat’s nutrition needs are met is also another important fact.
Finally, with all this knowledge, hopefully, you can decide what cat breed you want to adopt.
