Short Hair Cat Classification

The following pages are dedicated to the European and American shorthaired cats. First we shall describe other shorthaired cats from the western hemisphere and after that the races considered as oriental: the Burmese, the oriental and the Siamese. As in the case of cats of long hair, the national feline associations don’t always coincide in the names of the races, the colors admitted or the precise details of the exhibition standards.

The differences are explained on the following chapters. It is good to point out, that to avoid repetitions, the exhibition standards.

The differences are explained on the following chapters. It is good to point out, that to avoid repetitions, the exhibition  standards.

The differences are explained on the following chapters. It is good to point out, that to avoid repetitions, the exhibition standards and the description  of the chromatic varieties are summarized.

In case you would need the exact formulations of the criterions for exhibitions you must go to the pertinent felines associations of each country.

Origin
In its natural habitat, the cat has a shorthaired cloak, inherited from its wild ancestors. In fact, the L gene, responsible for the feature of the short hair, is dominant. In consequence, in any more or less numerous feline communities you will find more shorthaired cats than with long hair. Also, most of the cats without any pedigree and the domestic wild cats have short hair.

When in the XVII Century in Europe, they first saw the long haired cats, the population of that epoch, that only knew about short haired races, was admired by the novelty and the beauty of these new races.

At the beginning of the XX Century a similar story was produced in the British and North American feline environment, where during several years the longhaired races totally eclipsed that  of the shorthaired.

Even now some cat lovers consider as vulgar the standard short haired specimens, as are the European and American, and they stigmatize them as just a bit better than alley cats.

However, the breeding exemplar only has a far away relation with its alley parents, which usually provokes indignation among the breeders that have years working in perfecting these races.

Apart from the personal taste, the great advantage of the short haired cat is that it isn’t necessary to brush them so much as with the races of long hair, save in case that you have to prepare them for a feline exhibition.

On the other hand, the shorthaired races are very different between them; an abyss separates the European cat, that is energetic, practical and with an unprejudiced general attitude, from the slim and elegant Siamese, but very demanding with its owners.

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