Cats have been cherished companions of humans for centuries. Beyond their undeniable cuteness, they are known for being playful, loving, and intelligent. If you own a cat or are considering adopting one, you might be curious about their unique appearance, character traits fun facts and backstories. To help you explore, here’s a guide to some of the most popular cat breeds, highlighting their distinctive looks, personalities, interesting fun facts and backstories.
Siamese Cat:
Appearance: The Siamese is a long-bodied cat with slim legs and a long slim tail. It has a long wedge-shaped head and blue eyes. The kittens are born white or cream coloured and later develop the dark points around their ears, face, legs, and tail.
Character traits: These cats are most know for their dog-like behavious. They like to walk on a leash, follow their owners and play fetch. They even like to swim and play in the water! They are incredibly intelligent, affectionate and opinionated and are considered to be the extroverts of the cat world. They like to bond strongly to one person, and often very vocal with a loud, low-pitched voice (known as a ‘meezer’).
Backstory: One of the first distinctly recognized breeds of the Siamese originates from Thailand, then called Siam, and in the 19th Century, was one of the most popular breeds across Europe and North America. In 1884 the British Consul-General in Bangkok brought a pair of cats, Pho and Mia, back to Britain as a gift for his sister Lilian Gould, who co-founded the Siamese Cat Club in 1901. This Club is still active and can be found on this website: https://www.siamesecatclub.co.uk/
British Shorthair:
Appearance: The most common color variant is the “British Blue”, with a gray-blue coat and pineapple eyes. But they also can have coat colors and eyes that a cat can possibly have.
Character traits: They are fiercely loyal, and loving cats that attaches itself to its owners.
Fun-Fact: They are renowed by their Chesire Cat like smiles described in the the book "Alice In Wonderland".
Maine Coon:
Appearance: They are known for their size and dense coat of fur which helps them survive in the harsh climate of Maine, US.
Character traits: They are generally friendly, social and playful. Due to their large size and energy, they require more time and energy to care for. They are often described as “gentle gaints” as they can reach a very large size and have an affactionate character.
Fun-Fact: Surprisingly, there are interesting myths about this breed.
One myth claims the Maine Coon cat is a hybrid with another animal species, such as the raccoon or bobcat (a wild cat spiecy).
The other myth claims that, Marie Antoinette, the Queen of France, before her death, attempted to escape with a ship and leaded her most prized possessions, including six of her favorite Turkish Angora or possibly Siberian cats. Although she did not make it to the United States, all of her pets managed to reach the shore of Wiscasset, Maine, safely, where they bred with other short-haired breeds and developed into the modern breed of the Maine Coon.
Persian Cat:
Appearance: The Persian Cat, also known as the Persian Longhair, is a longhaired cat characterized by a round face and short muzzle.
Character traits: These cats are typical lap cats that like to be still, comfy and in peace and quiet.
Backstory: Pietro Della Valle’s wrote a letter in 1620, stating that he wants to import a cat breed form Khoresan (Near East) to Europe, because they might have high value. Here is the text from the letter:
“At this point I have found in this country a very beautiful species of cats which are native to the province of Khorasan, but of another appearance and quality than those of Tyre [Lebanon]. We estimate them to be of high value; however, they mean nothing to the people of Khorasan. I am inclined to bring them to Rome and to populate Italy with this breed. Their size and their form are like those of ordinary cats. All their beauty is in their coat which is gray without any speckles and without any spots, of one color throughout all the body, being a little lighter on the chest and the stomach which goes somewhat whitish, with an agreeable shade of light brown, as in paintings when one color is mixed with the other to give a marvelous effect.”
Turkish Van:
Appearance: A Turkish Van may have blue or amber eyes, or be odd-eyed (having one eye of each colour). They are large, muscular cats with moderately long body and tail.
Character traits: They like to climb and perch high up, to study their environment, and get around their domain with impressive athleticism. While they are affectionate to their family members, they aren’t like typical lap cats.
Backstory: The breed was first recognised as such by a breeder/fancier organisation, the UK-based Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF), in 1969, under the name Turkish cat. It was later renamed Turkish Van to better distinguish it from the Turkish Angora breed. The Turkish Van has been claimed to be descended from (and is often confused with) the landrace of usually all-white Van cats, mostly found near Lake Van, though one of the two original breeders' own writings indicate clearly that none of the breed's foundation cats came from the Van area.
Turkish Angora:
Appearance: These cats are mostly known for their silky fur, almond shaped eyes, pointed ears and long muscular body. They usually have white fur but, black or gray fur can also be observed in the breed.
Character traits: They have a friendly and sociable personality, so they like to be at home with lots of love and attention. Compared to other cats, the Turkish Angora is somewhat needy and doesn't like to be left alone. These cats appreciate the constant company of their owner or other pets.
Backstory: They are one of the ancient, natural breeds of cat, having originated in central Anatolia (Ankara Province in modern-day Turkey). The breed has been documented as early as the 17th century.
In the early 20th century, Atatürk Forest Farm and Zoo began a breeding program to protect and preserve pure white Angoras.
Egyptian Mau
Appearance: The Egyptian Mau is a muscular cat with notable features being their spotted coat and a tabby marking on their forehead that is said to resemble a scarab design, artifacts from ancient Egypt.
Character traits: They are affectionate and friendly, but often like to form a strong bond with just one person.
Backstory: In 1953 in Italy, Princess Natalie Trubetskoy saw a cat belonging to the Egyptian ambassador to Italy and after asking about the cat she persuaded him to help her obtain a cat from Cairo/Egypt. She obtained a female named "Baba" who was later bred with the ambassador's cat. A male bronze tabby was born and he was bred with his mother to produce a female named Lisa. These progenitors were first shown in 1955 at the Rome Cat Show.
Norwegen Forest Cat:
Appearance: They have long thick coat with long legs and bushy tail. They are adapted to survive the cold weather of Northern Europe.
Character traits: They are gentle and friendly, but not constantly demanding of attention. They can entertain themselves even when there is no one home. They are smart and excellent hunters.
Backstory: The breed's ancestors may have been a landrace breed of short-haired cats brought to Norway about A.D. 1000 by the Vikings, who may also have brought with them long-haired cats, like those ancestral to the modern Siberian and Turkish Angora.
During World War 2, the Norwegian Forest Cat was nearly extinct; but action was taken by the Norwegian Forest Cat Club's breeding program, which increased the cat's number.
Sphinx Cat:
Appearance: These cats are known for their lack of fur. They can appear in different skin colors. Their skin colors are determined by the color of what their fur would be. In fact, hairlessness in cats is a naturally occurring genetic mutation, and the Sphynx was developed through selective breeding of these animals, starting in the 1960s. Other physical characteristics of them are large eyes and large ears.
Character traits: They are known for their extroverted behavior. They display a high level of energy, intelligence, curiosity and affection for their owners. They like to greet them at the door and are friendly when meeting strangers.
Backstory: The Sphinx requires special care! Owners should limit their exposure to outdoor sunlight, as they can develop sunburn and skin damage similar to that of humans. In general, they should never be allowed outdoors unattended, as they have limited means to conserve body heat when it is cold. In cold climates, owners provide coats or other clothing to help them conserve their body heat.
Scottish Fold:
Appearance: Scottish Folds can be either long- or short-haired, and they may have nearly any coat colour or combination of colours (including white). Some can have straight ears rather than folded.
Character traits: Scottish Folds are often described as being sweet-natured, gentle, and loving. Their intelligence and playfulness make them delightful companions, as they enjoy interactive play.
Backstory: The original Scottish Fold was a white barn cat named Susie, who was found at a farm near Coupar Angus in Tayside, Scotland, in 1961. Susie's ears had an unusual fold in their middle, making her resemble an owl.
So, we have covered the most famous cat breeds around the world, with their appearances, character traits, funfacts and backstories. Even though it's so hard to pick a favourite, hopefully you could find the best one for you!
"Keep calm and love cats."