Kattenstoet is an uncomfortable amalgamation of ancient cat persecution and modern cat celebration. In English it is the ‘Festival of the Cats’. It is a parade that takes place in Ypres, Belgium every three years and the next occasion is … continue reading…
Ephemera: things that exist or are used or enjoyed for only a short time. Attitudes towards cats have changed throughout history. Knowledge about domestic cats has improved tremendously which has helped to foster a change in attitudes and towards greater … continue reading…
Here are 14 facts about cartoon cats across the world and across history. The 20th century saw a plethora of cartoon cats being created for animated films which have been highly popular and which still are and can be seen … continue reading…
Here are 20 facts about the spread of the domestic cat around the world during the first era of the domestication of the cat. Introduction: it is generally agreed nowadays that the first ‘domestic cats’ appeared in the Middle East … continue reading…
Here are 16 succinctly summarised facts about the ancestors of today’s cat. It is all about evolution over eons. Today’s domestic cat is a marvel of this evolutionary process which has taken tens of millions of years. All predator animals … continue reading…
I have been scratching my head trying to figure out how to write about this so-called cat breed discovered in China and first described by a Polish Jesuit missionary Michael Boym in his book Flora Sinensis (1656). The best source … continue reading…
Not many people have heard about the Ceylon Cat. It’s sort of drifted out of current thinking about cat breeds but in the 1980s and 1990s it found favour among Italian breeders. It’s a natural breed that was discovered in … continue reading…
No, mountain lions are not lions. Mountain lions are pumas, if you want to use the proper name. The scientific name is Puma concolor. In North America the name “puma” is commonly used among the scientific community but cougar and … continue reading…
It’s a point worth making. You hear a lot about the first domestic cats coming into being about 10,000 years ago. These are the first N. African wildcats who befriended humans and vice versa; both benefiting in an act of … continue reading…
No, I’m not referring to domestic cats would like to open refrigerator doors and creep inside to either ‘steal’ the food for have a snooze, I’m referring to a special race of domestic cat living in sub-zero temperatures in industrial-sized … continue reading…
I believe that this is a unique map showing the places of origin of nearly all the mainstream cat breeds with further details and some videos available when you click on the blue marker flags. Drag the map by left … continue reading…
The following are new mainstream cat breeds: Lykoi, Khao Manee, Toybob, Maine Coon Polydactyl, Minuet and Minuet Longhair (Napoleon). I’d like to include one, new non-mainstream breed, the Cheetoh. Lykoi – recognised, accepted and registered by America’s Cat Fanciers’ Association … continue reading…
The question is asking for information about the world’s very first domestic cat. We don’t have that information. We have a rough idea when the North African wildcat was first domesticated but that is about it. The domestic cat’s skeleton … continue reading…
Was William Shakespeare one of the world’s great cat haters? Shame if he was because I am sure that there are many cat lovers who also love Shakespeare (1564-1616). Sadly, the majority of the bard’s references to cats are derogatory, … continue reading…
Dr. Desmond Morris makes an interesting statement in his book Cat World. He writes about the Japanese Bobtail and says that the popularity of this short-tailed cat in Japan is partly due to the fact that there is a Japanese … continue reading…
