Three rare cat breeds
As you probably already know, certain cat breeds are very well known and popular in Western culture—but there are also lesser-known Asian breeds that are just as interesting. Here are three examples of cat breeds that are extremely hard to find in Western countries.
Egyptian Mau
This cat breed has been recognised by the Fédération Internationale Féline since 1992, and belongs to category 3. Egyptian Maus are characterised by their well-developed musculature and high activity levels; medium size; and a layer of silver, bronze, or ash grey fur with distinctive black spotting (it’s the only domestic cat breed with this pattern of spots).
They’re very active and affectionate cats, and they tend to develop strong bonds with their families. They prefer to be around people and enjoy interacting with them, sitting and resting on them before going off in search of solitude.
The word ‘mau’ means ‘cat’ in Egyptian, and the most widely accepted theory is that this breed came from Egypt in the 19th century, when a female cat was given to the Russian princess Natalie Trubetskaya.
Kurilian Bobtail
This breed has two variants, long-haired and short-haired, both of which are classified in category 3 by the Fédération Internationale Féline. The Kurilian Bobtail comes from the Kuril archipelago, a group of volcanic islands located between Japan and the Kamchatka Peninsula. Because of this isolated natural habitat, it’s believed to be one of the few cat breeds that did not originate from crossing other preexisting breeds.
These cats’ most notable features are their short, kinked, fluffy tails that look like pompoms, which give the breed its name. They’re very docile and good-humoured cats, and they like to play games with family members. In Europe and the United States they’re still fairly unknown, and it’s rare to find specialised breeders.
Kurilian Bobtail
Questa razza ha due varietà, quella di pelo semilungo e quella di pelo corto. Entrambe sono classificate nella categoria 3 della Federazione Internazionale Felina. Proviene dall'arcipelago delle Kurili, formato da isole vulcaniche situate tra il Giappone e la penisola della Kamchatka, motivo per cui si ritiene che sia una delle poche razze di gatti che non proviene da incroci di altre razze precedenti.
La sua caratteristica più notevole è la coda corta e arrotolata con pelo lungo e a forma di pompon , che dà il nome alla razza. È un gatto molto docile e di buon carattere a cui piace partecipare ai giochi con i membri della famiglia. In Europa e negli Stati Uniti è ancora abbastanza sconosciuto ed è raro trovare allevatori specializzati.
