The whole concept of cat 'breeds' is a relatively new one. Two hundred years ago a
cat was a cat was a cat - today there are almost a hundred varieties of specially bred
show cats, with a list of set physical characteristics for each breed. Only three percent of owned cats are entitled to be called 'purebreds', and an even smaller percentage of those are suitable for showing - the rest may look like a
persian cat or a
Himalayan cat, but if they don't have a breeding certificate that shows their
pedigree[?] back to at least four generations, then they are just a 'fluffy longhaired housecat'. Cat
breeders[?] are always trying to extend the list of recognised breeds, and 'refining' the standards for the already established breeds to create ever-tighter competition.
Household cats are grouped into a smaller number of types according to basic physical appearance:
Some of the basic feline coloration patterns also have names:
The cats on this list are the currently recognised breeds as used for breeding and showing:
See also: List of dog breeds
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