The most ancient cat breeds in the world. Which cat breeds are the oldest? Wild steppe cats
Which cat breeds are the oldest?
Which dog breeds are the most ancient? What cats were there in Ancient Egypt? After all, there was a lot
The British Shorthair is a cat that can't help but inspire admiration. And that’s why they often ask: “Where did these amazing animals come from?” Oddly enough, this is one of the most ancient cat breeds. Many legends are associated with it. According to one of them, in ancient times, this breed was bred by monks in one of the monasteries in Britain. They also say that british cats for a long time used by sailors as rat catchers. Considering their powerful jaws, this is easy to believe. They also have a wide, muscular body on thick, short legs. This probably helped to stay on the deck while rocking. Of course, in recent decades, felinologists have worked on the appearance of the British Shorthair breed, and, in my opinion, very successfully. At the moment, this is a luxurious animal with plush (mouton) fur, a round, cheeky head, a powerful body and orange eyes. And one of the most valuable qualities is that this breed has good health and requires virtually no personal care. In addition, they are calm and balanced, have an easy-going character and are surprisingly intelligent. The fact that currently, this is one of the most popular breeds
cats speaks for itself.
Abyssinian cat
Abyssinian cats also belong to one of the most ancient breeds of domestic cats. The ancestor of the breed is considered to be the Zula cat, brought to England in 1868 from North Africa, presumably from Ethiopia (formerly called Abyssinia). There is a version according to which Abyssinians come from ancient Egypt, where cats were considered sacred, divine creatures that only pharaohs had the right to possess. However modern research
have facts confirming the similarity of the Abyssinian cat with native breeds from Southeast Asia. In 1896, the Abyssinian breed was officially registered with the National Cat Club of Great Britain and received further development
Nowadays, Abyssinians are very popular in Europe, the USA, Canada and Australia, but are still very rare in Russia. Fortunately, in recent years our interest in these wonderful cats has increased. Elite producers were imported from Europe and America, which creates good prospects for further breeding of this breed in Russia.
Angora cat
As historical evidence shows, Angora, or Ankara, cats are also the oldest breed of semi-longhaired cats that arose naturally and has long been known to our ancestors.
The first historical mention of Turkish Angoras dates back to the 16th century, when they were first taken to Europe, namely to France, and from there to other countries.
Once in France, Angora cats were at one time called French and crossed with early Persians, as a result of which a heavier type and some traits characteristic of Persians of that time began to predominate in the breed.
The true Angora type gradually began to be lost and remained in its pure form only in Turkey, but in the USA the breed was revived again, taking cats straight from the Ankara Zoo. But to this day you can find Angoras with a heavier build - descendants of those same “French” ones.
The Turkish Angora is very beautiful. This is a graceful, elegant animal with graceful features and a memorable appearance. By nature she is rather phlegmatic. The Angora is calm and calm, somewhat slow, and reluctant to switch from one activity to another. This cat loves to run around the house. She is infinitely devoted to her owner, “taciturn,” very smart and friendly, and feels great in the company of other pets. In addition, the Turkish Angora is excellent at showing off at an exhibition and showing off in front of people.
The homeland of this breed is Türkiye, where white semi-longhaired cats have been bred for many centuries. The name of the breed - Turkish Angora - comes from the name of the capital of Turkey, Ankara (early
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There are more than 250 breeds of cats in the world: hairless and fluffy, wayward and friendly, affectionate and freedom-loving. But there is one thing that unites them all: they are incredibly beautiful. Anyone who wants to make a meowing friend can adopt a kitten from a shelter, or buy one from an elite nursery.
We are in website We became interested in how much the rarest cat breeds cost, and, to be honest, we were surprised. We invite you to find out prices for the most exotic representatives of the cat world.
Norwegian forest cat
The ancestors of this cat were bred by the Vikings 2,000 years ago. Cute and fluffy, this cat can withstand severe cold and is an excellent hunter. The price of a kitten varies from $600 to $3,000.
Himalayan cat
This breed is very similar to the Persian, but different blue eyes and color point coloring (light body with dark muzzle, paws, ears and tail). This breed was developed in 1950 in the USA. Himalayans are affectionate, obedient and friendly cats with a calm nature. A kitten of this breed will cost $500–$1,300.
Scottish lop-eared
The calling card of this breed is its cute ears, which do not stick out upward, like those of ordinary cats, but hang down. This unusual detail of their appearance is a consequence of a gene mutation. This smart cats who get along with everyone in the family and are never averse to playing. Another one distinctive feature of this breed - they know how to stand on their hind legs and look at what interests them. A kitten costs from $200 to $1,500.
Peterbald
The Peterbald, or St. Petersburg Sphynx, was bred in Russia in 1994. These elegant cats have a slender body, a long head shape and large, set-back ears. The body may be bald or covered with down. Cats have an affectionate and sociable character and are easy to train. Such a kitten will cost $400–1,200.
Egyptian Mau
The appearance of these cats has changed little in 3,000 years - since the times of Ancient Egypt. The spotted color of this breed appears not only on the coat, but also on the skin. To become the master of the ancient Egyptian cat, you need to spend $500–1,500.
Maine Coon
This is one of the largest cat breeds. Representatives of this breed can weigh from 5 to 15 kg, and the body length of an adult Maine Coon can reach 1.23 m. But despite their formidable appearance, they are affectionate, gentle and playful animals. The price of a giant kitten varies between $600–$1,500.
Laperm
This is one of the most unusual breeds, which appeared in 1980 in the USA. In addition to curly hair, cats of this breed have another feature: they are hypoallergenic, so they are perfect for families with allergies. A kitten of this breed costs $200–2,000.
Russian Blue
Serengeti
This breed was developed in 1994 in California. She belongs to large cats: the weight of an adult Serengeti is 8–12 kg. They have a strong build, large ears, spotted coloration and very long legs. You can buy such a cat for $600–$2,000.
Elf
This young cat breed was bred in the USA in 2006. Elves are very friendly, intelligent, mischievous, sociable, inquisitive and loyal creatures. Those wishing to purchase such a unique pet will have to pay a considerable amount - $2,000.
Toyger
This large breed The cat's color resembles a tiger, which is why it got its name. The creator of the breed claims that the Toyger was bred to inspire people to care about the conservation of tigers in wildlife. You can get inspired to save tigers for $500–$3,000.
American Curl
This breed was developed in California in 1981. Newborn kittens are difficult to distinguish from ordinary cats, but by the 10th day of life their ears curl back like small horns. This feature touches hundreds of thousands of people around the world. You can join the curl enthusiasts for $1,000–$3,000.
Bengal
This breed was developed by crossing an Asian leopard cat with a domestic cat. These cats love to swim, and despite their impressive size (4–8 kg), they often climb onto their owner’s shoulders. You can buy a mini leopard for $1,000–$4,000.
Safari
This rare breed appeared due to the crossing of common domestic cat and South American wild cat Geoffrey. The first representatives of the breed were bred in the United States in the 1970s to study leukemia. The weight of an adult cat is on average 11 kg. You can become the owner of a pet predator for $4,000–$8,000.
Khao-mani
The earliest mention of this breed is in the Tamra Maew, or Cat Book of Poems (1350–1767). In ancient Siam, kao-mani lived only in royal families and were considered a symbol of good luck, longevity and wealth. You can buy an oriental talisman for $7,000–$11,000.
Before humans climbed to the top of the food chain, wild cats were the most powerful and successful hunters. Even today, these huge predators evoke fear and at the same time admiration in a person who is not their competitor in the hunt. And yet, prehistoric cats were much better in all respects, especially when it comes to hunting. Today's article presents the 10 largest prehistoric felines.
The prehistoric cheetah belongs to the same genus as today's cheetahs. His appearance was very similar to the appearance of a modern cheetah, but its ancestor was many times larger. The giant cheetah was more reminiscent of a modern lion in size, because its weight sometimes reached 150 kilograms, so the cheetah easily hunted larger animals. According to some data, ancient cheetahs were capable of accelerating at speeds of up to 115 kilometers per hour. The wild cat lived in the territory of modern Europe and Asia, but could not survive the Ice Age.
This dangerous animal does not exist today, but there was a time when xenosmilus, along with other predatory cats, headed the planet's food chain. Outwardly, it was very similar to a saber-toothed tiger, but unlike it, xenosmilus had much shorter teeth, which were similar to the teeth of a shark or a predatory dinosaur. The formidable predator hunted from ambush, after which it instantly killed the prey, tearing off pieces of meat from it. Xenosmilus was very large, sometimes its weight reached 230 kilograms. Little is known about the habitat of the beast. The only place where his remains were found was Florida.
Currently, jaguars are not particularly large in size; as a rule, their weight is only 55-100 kilograms. As it turned out, they were not always like this. In the distant past, the modern territory of South and North America was filled with giant jaguars. Unlike the modern jaguar, they had longer tails and limbs, and their size was several times larger. According to scientists, the animals lived on open plains together with lions and some other wild cats, and as a result of constant competition they were forced to change their place of residence to more wooded areas. The size of a giant jaguar was equal to a modern tiger.
If giant jaguars belonged to the same genus as modern ones, then European jaguars belonged to a completely different one. Unfortunately, today it is still not known what the European jaguar looked like, but some information about it is still known. For example, scientists claim that the weight of this cat was more than 200 kilograms, and its habitat was countries such as Germany, England, the Netherlands, France and Spain.
This lion is considered a subspecies of lion. Cave lions were incredibly large in size, and their weight reached 300 kilograms. Terrible predators lived in Europe after the Ice Age, where they were considered one of the most dangerous creatures on the planet. Some sources say that these animals were sacred animals, so they were worshiped by many peoples, and perhaps they were simply feared. Scientists have repeatedly found various figurines and drawings depicting a cave lion. It is known that cave lions did not have a mane.
One of the most terrible and dangerous representatives of wild cats of prehistoric times is Homotherium. The predator lived in the countries of Europe, Asia, Africa, South and North America. The animal adapted so well to the tundra climate that it could live for more than 5 million years. The appearance of Homotherium was noticeably different from the appearance of all wild cats. The forelimbs of this giant were much longer than the hind limbs, which made him look like a hyena. This structure suggests that Homotherium was not a very good jumper, especially unlike modern cats. Although Homotherium cannot be called the most, its weight reached a record 400 kilograms. This suggests that the animal was larger than even a modern tiger.
The appearance of a mahairod is similar to that of a tiger, but it is much larger, with a longer tail and huge knife fangs. Whether he had the stripes characteristic of a tiger is still not known. The remains of the mahairod were found in Africa, which indicates its place of residence; in addition, archaeologists are convinced that this wild cat was one of the largest of those times. The weight of the mahairod reached half a ton, and in size it resembled a modern horse. The predator's diet consisted of rhinoceroses, elephants and other large herbivores. According to most scholars, the appearance of the mahairod is most accurately depicted in the film 10,000 BC.
Of all the prehistoric wild cats known to mankind, the American lion ranks second in popularity after Smilodon. Lions lived on the territory of modern North and South America, and died out about 11 thousand years ago at the very end of the Ice Age. Many scientists are convinced that this giant predator was related to today's lion. The weight of an American lion could reach 500 kilograms. There is a lot of controversy about its hunting, but most likely the animal hunted alone.
The most mysterious animal on the entire list was in second place among the largest cats. This tiger is not a separate species; most likely, it is a distant relative of the modern tiger. These giants lived in Asia, where they hunted very large herbivores. Everyone knows that today tigers are the largest representatives of the cat family, but today there are no tigers as large as in prehistoric times. The Pleistocene tiger was unusually large sizes, and according to the found remains, he even lived in Russia.
The most famous representative of the cat family of prehistoric times. Smilodon had huge teeth like sharp knives and a muscular body with short legs. His body slightly resembled that of a modern bear, although he did not have the clumsiness that a bear has. The predator's stunningly built body allowed it to run at high speed even over long distances. Smilodon died out about 10 thousand years ago, which means they lived at the same time as humans, and perhaps even hunted them. Scientists believe that Smilodon attacked prey from an ambush.
Have you ever wondered which breed of domestic cat is the oldest? Several breeds claim the title, some of which have a history of thousands of years, but it is not known exactly which of them is truly the oldest.
Turkish Angora
This breed is also known as simply Angora. These cats were documented in the 1600s, but similar longhaired cats were present in Europe as early as the 1400s. Some believe that the gene for white hair, like the gene for long hair, comes specifically from Angora cats.
The Turkish Angora was bred by the Persians for several centuries, mainly to improve the coat of the Persian cat. However, there is still no consensus on the origin of angora.
Persian cat
Like the Angora, the Persian cat has long hair. And since the Angora is considered the first cat to have long hair, this means that the Persian is not as ancient as the Angora. However, again, this causes a lot of controversy, and there is no clear opinion on this matter.
The Persian cat originated in Persia, which is today known as Iran. Long-haired cats were first described in Europe in the 1400s, but exactly what breed they were is not known. It is very likely that these European longhaired cats are the ancestors of modern Persian cats.
Siberian cat
This breed is also known as Siberian forest cat. The breed has a long history and originates in Russia. It is believed that the Siberian is also the ancestor of all modern long-haired cats. The Siberian forest cat is probably closely related to the Norwegian forest cat. This cat was one of 3 longhaired breeds that were described during the first cat show in England in the 1700s.
Norwegian Forest Cat
The Norwegian Forest Cat has a rich European history. It is believed that the Vikings traveled with similar cats on their ships and brought them to Europe around 1000 AD. These cats adapted to new living conditions with the help of long, waterproof fur.
Siamese cats
Siamese cats originated in Thailand, formerly known as Siam. They were first described and documented in writing between 1350 and 1767. The source (an ancient book) describes that the breed has a “point” color, and also provides pictures that look very similar to modern Siamese cats.
Korat
Korat is ancient breed cats come from Thailand. These cats were described in the same book as the Siamese. Thus, their first written description dates back to the same date as the Siamese: between 1350 and 1767. However, this does not mean that they cannot be older.
cats speaks for itself.
Of all the ancient breeds, the Abyssinian probably has the most confusing and controversial origins. Some believe the breed's origins go back to ancient Egypt, as it resembles many artifacts from that time. Of course, the modern Abyssinian cat is very different from its ancestor. Now famous breed was bred using Burmese, Russian Blue and Siamese cats.
Egyptian Mau
The Egyptian Mau is probably truly the oldest or oldest breed of domestic cat. These cats have a natural spotted color. Apparently, the modern Egyptian Mau looks almost the same as it did 3,000 years ago. There is ancient artwork that dates back over 3,000 years that depicts cats that look like modern Mau.
Egyptian Mau were probably used as hunting cats in ancient times. Perhaps this is the first and so far only hunting breed cats. This breed also has a melodious voice, which could allow it to show the hunter that he is close to the prey. In addition, the Egyptian Mau has many other excellent hunting skills: high speed (they reach speeds of up to 58 km per hour), excellent hearing, sense of smell, vision, and lack of fear of water.
Their distinguishing feature- an unusual golden-red color, reminiscent of the color of a wild rabbit (in Great Britain, Abyssinians were once called “rabbit cats”). Abyssinians are usually small or medium in size, they have large ears and short hair. They are very playful and active and get along easily with dogs.
This is a real little leopard. Naturally wild bengal cat lives in Malaysia, Indonesia, Thailand, Vietnam, India, Burma, as well as in the Ussuri taiga. Body length (including tail) ranges from 50 cm to a meter. The abdomen of this cat is usually white, although spotted colors are also found.
This the oldest of all domestic cats. The age of this breed is at least 3000 years old (that is how old the drawings in which its image first appears). The Egyptian cat has a pattern between its ears in the form of the letter “W” (or, as it is called, “scarab”). The eyes seem to be lined from below - dark stripes emphasize the eyes and go down to the cheekbones.
This largest breed of domestic cat. There is evidence that several of its representatives weigh about 15 kilograms. These cats are quite robust, with a relatively small head, and very fluffy. Despite their impressive appearance, they are very playful and affectionate. They have an unusual voice.
These cats are completely or partially hairless. They have dense bones and a strongly developed croup (in this they differ from the Canadian Sphynxes, which have a fragile build and thin bones). The eyes are set obliquely and almond-shaped. By nature they are playful, affectionate and sociable; do not show aggression towards humans, i.e. will never scratch or bite.
These cats are completely hairless. Externally they differ from the Don Sphynxes in that they are more fragile in build and smaller in size. They also have a shorter head, and the transition from the nose to the forehead is more pronounced. The character is calm, affectionate, non-aggressive.
Munchkins are very unusual cats. In terms of their physique, they are more reminiscent of a dachshund than a typical feline. They have an elongated body and short legs. Munchkin kittens are born with their paws turned towards each other and, at first glance, completely unsuited for walking. However, it is not. Munchkins are very sociable and playful and get along easily with other animals and small children.
Perhaps it was this cat that became the progenitor of all modern long-haired breeds. They differ from others in having long, thin hair without undercoat. The Angora cat has fluffy pants on her legs, and a wool collar on her neck.
This breed appeared about 200 years ago in Siberia. Only the most hardy and cold-adapted cats were able to survive in the harsh Siberian conditions. The Siberian cat shows its character from childhood, which is not surprising. Siberians are excellent rat catchers; they are usually silent, but when they see an “enemy” they begin to growl menacingly. They are very smart and consider only one family member to be their master.
This ancient breed appeared in the 16th century in Siam; Siamese cats lived at the royal court, and were revered as sacred animals in temples. Locals called them “moon diamonds.” The color of Siamese cats is light sand with dark spots on the face, dark tail and paws. Siamese cats are playful, affectionate, very attached to their owner and require increased attention from him, and are jealous. They are wary of strangers and reluctant to get along with other animals.