Abyssinian Cat History Although many believe the Abyssinian to be direct descendent of the sacred cat of Egypt, the exact origin of the breed is obscure. Certainly, there is a strong resemblance between the modern Abysinnian and the cat depicted in ancient Egyptian bronzes, paintings and the agouti coated cats found buried in the tombs,…
Dr. Truda Straede using half Burmese and a quarter each of Abyssinian and Domestic cat developed the Australian Mist. From the Burmese we get the dilution for the colours, four of the colours and some of the pattern plus they’re laid back nature. From the Abyssinian came the ticking, which developed the pattern, two more…
A Balinese is a Siamese wrapped in a long flowing silky negligee. Intelligent and elegant, to see one glide across the room in it’s coat made of silken threads flowing gently down its body, culminating into a magnificent plume tail is truly a marvel to behold. Elegant, luxurious, regal and refined are some of the…
The Bengal Cat is a medium to large domestic cat that has descended from the crossing of the wild Asian Leopard Cat to the domestic cat. Bengal Personality Bengals are extremely intelligent cats who form strong bonds with their owners. They love to interact with their humans and are always found at the center of…
Birman Appearance The Birman has point which means its face, ears, legs, tail and feet are a different color from the rest of its body. Kittens are born completely white and begin to show their points anywhere between 2 days and 2 weeks. The Birman is a beautiful long hair cat with a medium to…
The Bombay History Nikky Horner in Kentucky bred the first Bombays in 1953 with selective breeding between a sable Burmese and a black American Shorthair. The breeding program continued with the result of a totally black cat with a short shiny coat and huge copper eyes. The Bombays bred true and in 1976 the Bombay…
British Shorthair History British Shorthair cats were originally found in the alleys of 19th century British Cities. A man called Harrison Weir loved the British street cat so much that he selected some of the hardiest and strongest, bred them and almost single-handedly created the British Shorthair. The British Shorthair became an officially acknowledged breed…
Burmese History Burmese cats lived for centuries in Burma, Thailand and Malaya. In late 1800s they were known in England as Chocolate Siamese, but because they were not favoured they gradually died out in England and Europe. The ancestry of Burmese cats can be traced back to one cat named Wong Mau, who was a…
Burmilla History Date of Origin 1981 Place of Origin: Britain Ancestry: Burmese, Chinchilla Longhair/Persian The Burmilla was first bred in Britain in 1981 after an accidental mating between a Lilac Burmese and a Chinchilla Silver Persian. The breed was developed from this point, with outcrosses back to Burmese and Chinchilla being used at various stages…
Chinchillas are a variety of the Persian cat. The Chinchilla is classed as a “silver” cat. Chinchillas of today have a quiet, gentle nature and would suitable for anyone with the exception of small children, the same applies to all Persians . They will need grooming daily in the cooler months or less frequently when…
Cornish Rex History The discovery of the Rex mutant gene in farm cats from Cornwell, England in the early 1950’s was undoubtedly the most exciting event in the cat world this century. In a relatively short span of time, the breed has gone from strength to strength with the Cornish Rex cats making their presence…
Devon Rex History The Devon Rex didn’t settle into the unsuspecting laps of humans until 1960. The father of the Devon Rex breed, a feral, curly-coated tom, lived around an abandoned tin mine in Devon, England. He mated with a straight-coated calico female that produced a litter of kittens in the garden of cat fancier…
Not every cat with spots has an Egyptian Mau lineage. Not every cat on the streets of Cairo is an Egyptian Mau. The true Egyptian Mau can be recognized through a combination of their lovely spots, head structure, body type, size, coat and eye coloring. Aside from their physical differences to other spotted cats, the…
Himalayan History The history of the Himalayan is well known and documented. Experimental breeding of Himalayans took place in the United States and England as far back as the early 1920’s when the Persian and Siamese breeds were bred together, but actual recognition as a purebred cat did not come until 1957 in USA. The…
Longhaired Burmilla History The Longhaired Burmilla is an elegant and beautiful breed developed from the shorthair Burmilla programme, which began with an accidental mating between a Burmese and a Chinchilla in the UK. It combines a longer but still relatively easy care silver coat with the delightful personality combination of clever affectionate Burmese and easy…
Maine Coon History One of the oldest natural breeds in North America, regarded as a native of the state of Maine (in fact, the Maine Coon is the official Maine State Cat) A number of attractive legends surround its origin. A wide spread (though biologically impossible) belief is that it originated from matings between semi…
Norwegian Forest Cat History Although the Norwegian Forest Cat (NFC) is a relatively new breed in Australia, it is a very old breed in Scandinavia, fashioned by nature, in the forests of Norway. NFC’s are found in Norwegian fairy tales and mythology. Enchanted cats of the forest that could disappear at will. These are the…
Origins of the Breed: The original Ocicat was the unexpected result of an experimental breeding in the USA over 40 years between an Abyssinian and a Siamese. The addition of the American shorthair to the original breed mix has provided genetic diversity giving us the beautiful and robust Ocicat. Ocicats are not prone to any…
Oriental Appearance From the tip of its nose to the end of its long, whippy tail, the Oriental is a study in sleek design. This elegant cat gracefully glides across the room on its tall, slender legs. The lines of the Oriental’s angular head flow into its large flaring ears, and are complimented by its…
Even people who know nothing about cats will usually be able to identify a Persian cat. They are the most recognizable of all cat breeds. History of the Persian It is said that the ancestors of today’s Persians were brought back from far away Persia along with silk, jewels and spices by explorers in the…
Ragdoll History The Ragdoll breed is believed to have originated around 1965. Anne Baker is reputed to be the original breeder. There are many different stories as to the breed origin of these cats but it is thought to have started with a white Persian and Angora mix cat called “Josephine”. Kittens born from Josephine…
Russian Blue Appearance The Russian Blue has a distinctive plush double coat which is silky soft like the fur of a seal. This graceful elegant cat is a bright even blue colour with silver tipped guard hairs giving it a silver sheen. The Russian Blue has vivid green eyes and a mauve or lavender pink…
Scottish Fold History In 1961 a Scottish shepherd named William Ross saw a white barn cat named Susie with the distinctive folded ears on his neighbour’s farm . William and his wife Mary obtained a white female kitten from Susie’s next litter which also had folded ears. They named the kitten Snooks and all Scottish…
Selkirk Rex History This new curly breed was first discovered in the USA in 1987. A worker in an animal shelter noticed a cat with a unique curly coat and gave her to a Persian breeder named Jeri Newman. That cat named Miss DePesto was bred to a Persian and her first litter contained 3…
Siamese Appearance The Siamese is easily recognisable by its distinctive colouring and almond shape brilliant blue eyes. They are a very sleek cat with coloured points on their ears, face, tail and feet. The Siamese is a small to medium sized slender and elegant cat with a long body, neck and tail with a long…
Personality of the Siberian Cat Personality Plus. The Siberian has a very dog like temperament and are very affectionate. They come out to great the visitors in the house and are not shy. They are very intelligent and very quick learners. They also have a triple purr and unlike other breeds have a chirping sound…
Singapura Personality The Singapura are affectionate, and outwardly friendly, no one is a stranger to them. They are however very quiet cats, with soft gentle voices. They love human company. They make perfect housecats with no need or interest in going outside. They are very small in size. Singapuras are gentle cats, but they are…
Fun, bubbly, affectionate, clever, confident and very attractive. Sounds like the perfect party guest? Of course it does, and I am talking about the Somali cat. They are not only delightful guests but also live-in companions, as they love to help with the housework! It appears that longhairs had been appearing in Abyssinian litters for…
Sphynx History There have been many occurrences of hairless cats throughout history. The modern day Sphynx started in Toronto, Canada in 1966 with the birth of a hairless cat. During the 1970’s several more hairless cats were born. After this time, the breed was developed principally in Europe. Sphynx Suitability Sphynx are suitable for active…
Tonkinese Personality The Tonkinese breed has been around in Australia for quite a while. So why is it only now becoming so popular? Firstly, the personality of the Tonkinese is, to me, unique. A cat that will retrieve things for you, run and meet you at the front door when you get home from work,…
Toyger History The name ‘Toyger’ comes from the the words Toy and Tiger. The Toyger was founded by Judy Sugden of EEYAAS Cattery in the USA. The Toyger is the result of a cross between a striped Domestic Short Hair and a Standard Bengal Tabby This resulted in a striped Cat which after many years…
Turkish Van History Turkish Van is a rare and ancient breed that developed in central and southwest Asia, which today encompasses the countries of Iran, Iraq, southwest Soviet Union and eastern Turkey. “Van” is a common term in the region that has been given to a number of towns, villages and even a lake –…
In the event of an out of hours emergency please contact the surgery on 0191 385 9696 and listen to the voice message to obtain the on call phone number.
In an emergency please try to phone the clinic ahead of your arrival if at all possible, this will enable staff to be ready to attend to your cat immediately!