Domestic Cat Breed Information

Domesticated cats are the most popular pet in the world, according to Scientific American. Globally, 600 million cats live with people and one-third of all American homes claim a feline member. Unfortunately, however, the domestic cat's prolific nature has made them overpopulate. Between 6 million and 8 million dogs and cats enter shelters each year, and about half of them are euthanized because of lack of space or resources to care for them, according to the Humane Society of the United States.

  1. Early History

    • Evidence from a 2001 discovery suggests cats were first domesticated as pets on the island of Cyprus, not in Egypt. The archaeological site called Shillourokambos (ironically translated as "Field of Dogs" in the Cypriot dialect) dates back to 9,500 years ago and contains a burial site of a cat buried with a human. Before that, Egypt was thought to be the first culture to domestic cats around 3,600 years ago.

    Early Genetics

    • Scientists Carlos A. Driscoll and Stephen J. O'Brien studied the genetics of wildcats and discovered five subgroups, or lineages: "F. silvestris silvestris" in Europe, "F. s. bieti" in China, "F. s. ornata" in Central Asia and "F. s. cafra" in southern Africa, and "F. s. lybica" in the Middle East. Only the last lineage, however, could be traced to domestic cat species--and it was traced to domestic cats all over the world. Samples taken from the "F.s. lybica" in remote deserts of Israel, the United Arab Emirates and Saudi Arabia were nearly genetically identical to domestic cats.This gave scientists further evidence that cat domestication began in the Middle East, not in Egypt.

    Domestic Cat Breeds Today

    • The number of individual domestic cat breeds recognized today varies from country to country, and from breeder association to breeder association. For instance, the Cat Fanciers' Association recognizes 40 championship breeds, while The International Cat Association recognizes 55 championship breeds.

    The Smallest Domestic Cat

    • The Singapura, as the name would indicate, originated in Singapore. It is widely recognized as the smallest domestic cat breed, with males weighing between 6 and 8 pounds and females weighing between 5 and 6 pounds on average. They are sepia colored with a ticked coat pattern and thought to be the original gene pool for ticked-patterned tabbies. Singapuras are curious, intelligent, extroverted, gentle and affectionate. They are known to ride shoulders, sleep in their owners' beds, and in 1991 were recognized as a national treasure by Singapore's government.

    The Largest Domestic Cat Breed

    • Though there is a close rivalry between the Maine Coon and the Ragdoll as the largest domestic cat breed, the Ragdoll wins with males weighing an average of 15 to 20 pounds, versus 13 to 18 pounds for Maine Coon males. Female Ragdolls weigh in between 10 and 18 pounds on average. Maine Coon females weigh in between 8 and 12 pounds on average.

      Ragdolls are semi-longhaired cats named for the peculiar trait of going limp when picked up. They come in a variety of colors and patterns, though they all share the trait of being a pointed patterned cat, meaning the "points" (or areas around the ears, face and tails) are darker than other areas. Ragdolls have bright blue eyes and are known for being affectionate, gentle and personable--even coming when called and playing fetch. The Ragdoll breed is credited to Ann Baker, who lived in Riverside, California, in the 1960s and bred house cats with stray cats.