While most cats have 3 different types of hair in their coats the Cornish Rex is a breed of domestic cat that has no hair except for its undercoat. The coat of the Cornish Rex is the softest of any cat breed and are best suited for indoor living as they might get hypothermia if they stay outdoors during the winter.
Often refereed to as the Greyhound of cats its sleek appearance and galloping are just a few dog-like characteristic traits of the breed. Some Cornish Rexes play fetch, run races and do acrobatic jumps. It’s an adventurous, intelligent cat that can readily adapt to new situations, exploring wherever it can go.
The breed originated from a litter of kiting born on a farm in Cornwall, UK in the 1950s. After realizing that one of the kittens had an extremely unusual fine and curly coat he was backcrossed (bred with his mother) to created 2 more kittens with curly coats.(source)
The Savannah Cat is a hybrid cat that is a cross between a serval (a large-eared- African wild cat) and a domestic cat. It’s tall, slime and appears larger than it weighs. Early generation Savannah cats weigh between 14 and 25 pounds (6.3 and 11.3 kgs).
The breed was accepted as a new breed by the International Cat Association in 2001 after becoming popular at the end of the 90s. It was accepted as a championship breed in 2012. In 1986 a Bengal breeder crossbred a serval with a Siamese cat to produce the first Savannah cat named, Savannah.
Savannah Cats are commonly described as dog like and are known for they loyalty and tendency to follow their owners around the house. They are also one of the few cats that can be trained to play fetch and walk on a leash. Savannah Cats can either be sociable or the exact opposite so exposure to other people and pets is essential. They also love water.(source)
The Bengal is a hybrid domestic cat developed by selective and intraspecific breeding to create a friendlier version of jungle cats like leopards, ocelots and margay.
In the 70s Dr. William Centerwall bred Asian Leopard Exotic Cats with domestic cats in his genetic studies due to the cat’s immunity to feline leukemia. The hybrids were later given to Jean Sudgen Mill due to Dr. Centerwall’s illness.
Mill was instrumental in having the Bengal recognized as an official breed by TICA in 1983 after Bill Engler got the name recognized by the ACFA.
Other lines of Bengal cats exist. Early breeders Greg and Elizabeth Kent developed a version of the cat using the Asian Leopard Cat and the Egyptian Maus. This is currently the most common line.(source)
The Egyptian Mau is a short-haired cat breed that are one of the few naturally spotted breeds of domesticated cats. The spots only occur on the tips of the hairs of their coat. They appear kangaroo-like as they land on their back feet often when leaping and have longer hind legs. The flap of skin extending from the flank to the back knee provides greater agility for the cat that has been known to run more than 30 mph (48 km/h).
Maus are known to chirp, chortle and make many other vocalizations that are otherwise usual when stimulated. Male and female Maus are also know to wiggle and twitch their tail when they are happy or to mark their territory (no urine is used in the process). Their facial expressions also change according to their mood and their eye color may change from green to turquoise.
It is said to have originated in Italy when exiled Russian Princess Natalie Trubetskaya began to breed them after meeting the cat of the Egyptian Ambassador in 1952.(source)
The Korat is a blue-gray short haired domestic cat of Thai origin named after the Nakhon Ratchasima province. Its distinguishing characteristics are its heart-snapped head and large green eyes. It’s a natural breed and one of the most stable known colloquially as the “good luck cat”. They are given as gifts in pairs to newlyweds and people if high esteem. Traditionally they were never sold and only given as gifts.
Other than possibly being mentioned in the Thai Tamra Maew (The Cat-Book Poems) between 1350 and 1767 AD Korats appeared first in Britain under the name “Blue Siamese in 1889 and 1896. They were not recognized as Siamese and disappeared only 5 years later. They later appeared in America in the 1950s for breeding being accepted into championship status in 1966 .
The Korat is known to be an intelligent, playful and active cat that forms strong bonds with people.(source)
