Cat History – Notes – these are linked notes to the dates and places in the chart above
1. Birman – Robinson’s Genetics says the date is disputed and may be 1930s in France. Cat history is sometimes vague.
2. Egyptian Mau – It is unclear if this cat breed was a domestic cat at this time. The breed was first recognized in Europe (according to Robinson’s Genetics) in 1953. My research indicates this breed was first shown in Europe during pre-second world war years (1930s).
3. Japanese Bobtail – Imprecise date. Could be anywhere inbetween the 5th and 10th Century.
4. Kurilian Bobtail – This cat is claimed to have developed in isolation as perhaps a semi-feral cat. There are no reliable dates.
5. LaPerm – Robinson’s Genetics says 1986.
6. Maine Coon – this date is when the cat was first shown in a show. The actual date when the breed was a domestic cat is unknown.
7. Manx – Vague beginnings. Robinson’s Geneticsa says “early”.
8. Nebelung – Robinson’s Genetics says 1990s
9. Oriental Shorthair – My research indicted 1970s. I have put the earlier date from Robinson’s Genetics.
10. Ultra Persian – this date comes from Robinson’s Genetics. My website indicates that the breeding of the peke-faced or flat faced Persian began in earnest later than this towards the end of the 1900s.
11. Persian – the original doll face Persian cat was imported from Iran at about this time. But cat history if notoriously hazy.
12. Pixie-bob – this could be 1995 according to Robinson’s.
13. Russian Blue – The date is the date of informal importation into the UK.
14. Safari cat – Robinson’s says 1980s. My research indicated first bred for experimentation in the 1970s.
15. Savannah cat – Robinson’s Genetics says “1997?”. I am confident that they are incorrect. Accordingly I believe that my research is better than theirs (sorry not being arrogant, just what I believe).
16. Modern Siamese – The date refers to the beginning of the development of the contemporary version of this long established cat. Siamese cat history.
17. Singapura – Although a bit controversial this breed was probably created in the US rather than discovered in Singapore.
18. Turkish Angora – This date is when it is thought the first Turkish Angora cats were imported into Europe.
19. Turkish Van – This date is an estimated date when evidence first existed of the presence of this cat breed. This cat was first imported into the UK in 1955.
20. Feral cat estimate at 1996 source: Sarah Hartwell article (Messybeast)
21. Feral cats killed in animal centers source: http://network.bestfriends.org
22. Cat pop. 1953 source: Times Archive (Times Newspaper)
23. Pop of domestic cats in UK 2004 source: Cats Protection
24. Egyptian Mau – this date (2000 BC) is the estimated date for the presence of feral cats that are the precursor of the purebred Egyptian Mau. Although we really don’t know. There are still many feral cats in Egypt that look like an unrefined Egytian Mau and they are persecuted. The Egyptian Mau in the modern era came to prominence in the 1950s.
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