J. Anne Helgren - Encyclopedia of Cat Breeds

Copyright

Text and Illustrations 2013, 1997 by Barrons Educational Series, Inc.

All rights reserved.

No part of this work may be reproduced or distributed in any form or by any means without the written permission of the copyright owner.

All inquiries should be addressed to:

Barrons Educational Series, Inc.
250 Wireless Boulevard
Hauppauge, NY 11788
www.barronseduc.com

ISBN 978-0-7641-6580-1

eISBN 978-1-4380-9207-2

First eBook Publication: April 2013

Library of Congress Catalog Card No.: 2012037188

Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data

Helgren, J. Anne.

Barrons encyclopedia of cat breeds : a complete guide to the domestic cats of North America / J. Anne Helgren ; with photographs by Bob Schwartz ; illustrations by Michele Earle-Bridges. 2nd edition.

pages cm

ISBN 978-0-7641-6580-1

1. Cat breedsEncyclopedias.

2. CatsEncyclopedias.

3. Cat breedsNorth AmericaEncyclopedias.

4. CatsNorth AmericaEncyclopedias. I. Title. II. Title: Encyclopedia of cat breeds.

SF442.2.H448 2013

636.8003dc23

2012037188

Contents

About the Author

J. Anne Helgren has written six books for Barrons Educational Series, Inc.: Abyssinian Cats, A Complete Pet Owners Manual; Himalayan Cats: A Complete Pet Owners Manual; Barrons Encyclopedia of Cat Breeds; Its Showtime (co-authored); Communicating with Your Cat; and Rex Cats: A Complete Pet Owners Manual. Himalayan Cats and Barrons Encyclopedia of Cat Breeds received Certificates of Excellence from the Cat Writers Association, and Communicating with Your Cat and Rex Cats won CWAs top award, the Muse Medallion. A revised edition of Himalayan Cats: A Complete Pet Owners Manual was released in fall of 2006.

Ms. Helgren has been published in national and regional magazines including Cat Fancy, Purina ProCare, and I Love Cats. A contributing writer for Cats Magazine from June 1992 until August 2001, Ms. Helgren wrote a monthly cat breed profile for which she was awarded CWA Certificates of Excellence in 1994, 1996, 1997, and 1999, and Muse Medallions in 1997 and 1999. In 2005, she received a CWA Muse Medallion for the breed profile in the May 2005 issue of Cat Fancy. In addition, shes written more than forty articles for PetPlace.com and fifty breed profiles and supporting text for Telemark Productions, Inc. (www.iams.com/pet-health/cat-breeds), for which she was awarded the Purina ProPlan Pedigreed Cats Award in November 2007. While specializing in companion animal content in general and cats in particular, Ms. Helgren has also written articles and stories on many other topics for national and regional magazines, newspapers, and websites. Ms. Helgren has been a professional member of the Cat Writers Association since 1993. In addition to her writing career, Ms. Helgren was a writing instructor for the Long Ridge Writers Group for more than ten years.

Born in Southern California, Ms. Helgren earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from San Jose State University. She now lives in Northern California with her husband, Bill, and a family of random-bred domestic cats.

DEDICATION

To Bill, Libby, Rose, and all my cat companions, with love always. In memory of Bitty and Squeak.

J. Anne Helgren

ACKNOWLEDGMENTS

The author would like to thank Anna E. Damaskos, Senior Editor and project editor, for all her invaluable help, hard work, and guidance; Wayne Barr, Barrons Managing Editor, Amy Shojai, and the members of the Cat Writers Association; the American Association of Cat Enthusiasts, American Cat Association, Canadian Cat Association, American Cat Fanciers Association, Cat Fanciers Association, Cat Fanciers Federation, The International Cat Association, and the United Feline Organization. The author would also like to thank Bill Helgren for his support and advice, Libby Basore, and Rose Basore for their love and encouragement, Darlene Arden for her assistance and friendship, and last but certainly not least Clancy, Frodo, Bear, Tripod, Sherbert, Sheriff, Prancer, and Skittles for the love, companionship, and the cat hairs on my keyboard.

IMPORTANT NOTE

When you handle cats, you may sometimes get scratched or bitten. If this happens, have a doctor treat the injuries immediately. Make sure your cat receives all the necessary shots and dewormings; otherwise serious danger to the animal and to human health may arise. A few diseases and parasites can be communicated to humans. If your cat shows any signs of illness, you should consult a veterinarian. If you are worried about your own health, see your doctor, and tell him or her that you have cats.

Some people have allergic reactions to cats. If you think you might be allergic, see your doctor before you get a cat.

It is possible for a cat to cause damage to someone elses property and even to cause accidents. For your own protection you should make sure your insurance covers such eventualities, and you should definitely have liability insurance.

Preface

It is difficult to obtain the friendship of a cat. It is a philosophic animal... one that does not place its affections thoughtlessly. Theophile Gautier (18111872)

T o us cat lovers nothing is more natural than loving our feline friends for their grace, beauty, independent personalities, and myriad other attractive qualities. The fascination of cats is hard to defineif you are a cat lover, you understand; if you are not, no amount of mere words could persuade you. Since you are reading this, I assume that you are acquainted with the charm and joy of having a feline companion.

In the more than 20 years that Ive been researching and profiling pedigreed breeds, Ive developed a real love for these beautiful and intriguing cats. Exploring their histories, personalities, and myriad colors, patterns, and fur types have been a personal journey into the mystery and magic of the feline. In this book Ill try to share that journey with you.

The fascination with pedigreed cats is easy to understand since these beautifully colored and coated examples of the species seem to legitimize our feelings about felines. Its natural to want others to look at our beloved kitties with as much admiration as we do ourselves. These cats, with their colorful coats, histories, and temperaments, fascinate the novice and experienced cat fancier alike. Still, the cat fancythe common term used to describe the people involved with showing or breeding catshas become so much more than that. For many of those involved, its a way of life, a community of people dedicated to breeding, showing, and loving cats.