There are a huge number of cat breeds. Owners of such animals are especially fond of their pets. They take them to various exhibitions, trying to emphasize the exclusivity of their pet and its compliance with all breed standards. But there are those owners who are crazy about the simplest, yard cats. It is about this species of animal that will be discussed in our article.
Is it purebred?
In recent years, many animal lovers have chosen to breed purebred pets in their homes. There are reasons for this: domestic cats are not picky about food, they have strong immunity and caring for them is very unpretentious. Nevertheless, it would be wrong to call these animals purebred. Both street and thoroughbred cats have common ancestors who lived in the wild. Their modification occurred due to domestication, when the habitual habitat and lifestyle became completely different.
What does the concept of "breed" mean?
A breed is a whole group of domestic animals of the same species, which differ from other members of the family by certain characteristics. Such a formulation appeared relatively recently, or rather, approximately 2 centuries ago. Organizations involved in felinology (the study of the anatomy and physiology of domestic cats, as well as the characteristics of the breed and breeding), highlight the characteristic properties and features of pets. After that, all these data are formed into a specific standard that is suitable for a particular breed.
Street cats are considered to be purebred, however, they also have their own characteristics. Most domestic cats belong to indigenous breeds, which are characterized by certain external signs and a peculiar disposition. All of them were formed naturally, without the intervention of breeders. These include the Turkish Angora, Siamese, Persian, Siberian and Celtic cat.
The story of the domestication of cats
The history of human-cat relationships spans several millennia. This amazing neighborhood is evidenced by ancient chronicles and archaeological finds.
For a long period, scientists believed that the ancient Egyptians were the first to tame cats. This conclusion was made after studying one tomb, which was built in 1950 BC. On the wall paintings were corresponding images. However, a study of Cypriot burials in 2004 refuted these allegations. In the tomb, whose age is about 9500 years BC, the remains of a man and a cat were found.
In ancient Egypt, these animals were given special attention. They were valued because they helped people get rid of the invasion of mice. The Egyptians considered cats to be sacred animals. In the Middle Ages, the attitude towards them was ambiguous: in some countries, cats symbolized kindness and tranquility in the home, in others, they were attributed magical properties and a connection with evil spirits. Animals were especially prevalent in some countries of Europe and North Africa, as well as in Russia, Japan and China.
In those ancient times, people did not attach much importance to cat breeds. This concept came into use about 200 years ago, when the rapid development of such a science as selection began.
Domestic cats and cats appeared on the territory of modern Russia during the formation of Ancient Russia. Breeding of thoroughbred groups began only in the second half of the 18th century. In those years, the most popular breed was Russian blue, supposedly bred in the UK.
Description of domestic cat breeds
In recent years, keeping thoroughbred pets in the house has become fashionable. But if you are not too worried about your pet’s pedigree and you just want to have a faithful four-legged friend in your house, you should pay attention to street cats.
If you carefully consider the photos of domestic cats, you can see that they have certain similarities with thoroughbreds. Since street animals quite often have impurities of various breeds, it is very difficult to predict what kind of appearance their offspring will have. Hereditary characters can affect the size and color of the animal, and the length of the coat and eye color also depend on them.
It is known that most domestic cats living in the northern latitudes have more massive sizes and thick, fluffy hair. But their relatives from tropical regions have much less hair, and these animals are more graceful. In addition to heredity, such external characteristics are due to climatic influence and habitat.
Ordinary yard cats have one more peculiarity - they always have a wool coat, the absence of hair is characteristic only of individual breeds. Also among street relatives, individuals with a white color are rarely found.
The colors of wool in domestic cats are so diverse that thoroughbred individuals can envy them. There are animals with a spotted color, which is a whole pattern. Among street cats, tricolors can often be seen. This suit has long been considered happy. Despite the variety of colors, the most common is light wool with dark stripes.
Street cat character
The disposition of non-purebred pets cannot be called unambiguous. Some cats have a calm and gentle character, while others have an important appearance and consider themselves to be royals. In most cases, these animals are non-aggressive and non-aggressive.
Advantages and disadvantages
Despite the fact that domestic cats do not have such exclusive characteristics as their thoroughbred brothers, nevertheless they do not occupy advantages.
- Persistent immunity . Breeding by breeding methods has greatly weakened the immune system of animals. That is why the life expectancy of street cats is many times higher than that of purebred pets. Yard cats have persistent protective functions of the body and are able to withstand many infections.
- Temper . Such animals are usually flexible. They are very attached to the owner, who picked them up on the street.
- Reproduction. Since domestic cats do not need a thoroughbred partner, it is not difficult to find a pair for the continuation of offspring.
- Indispensable in the household . Street cats are great mouse hunters. These qualities of the animal were endowed by nature, and it is precisely in the yard representatives of the family that this instinct is much more developed.
- Cost . To get a pet, you do not need large investments. You can choose a cute, albeit not a thoroughbred kitten on the street. Some cats even choose their own owner, coming to visit, and "imposing" themselves.
- Exhibitions for domestic cats . You heard right. Indeed, there are special exhibitions designed for outbred cats. On them, judges evaluate the external characteristics of the animal and its grooming.
The disadvantages include the impossibility of decently making money on the offspring of a pet and the excessive sensitivity of non-pedigree cats. These animals very painfully tolerate any changes that occur in their habitat. Noisy feasts and even a rearrangement in the house can negatively affect the pet.