Chinese cats: varieties and nuances of content

It is already difficult to surprise modern people with anything. However, everyone wants to stand out in one way or another, to acquire something that others do not have. When choosing a pet, people are often guided by the desire to have an exotic animal. Of course, few people acquire iguanas or tarantula spiders, however, there are enough unusual creatures among the domestic cats so familiar to us. Today we will tell you about Chinese cats - beautiful and very interesting creatures.

Thanks to archaeological activity in 2001, a group of archaeologists discovered bones that belonged to cats that existed more than 3 thousand years ago. Scientists have long proven that, unlike other countries, cats developed naturally in China, so China can be called the homeland of cats.

Due to the fact that China has been a closed state for many years, all bedrock rocks have common characteristics: elongated ears and muzzle, the size of cats is slightly larger than European standard breeds. Cats began to enter the territory of Europe after the opening of China's economic borders with other countries. But not all Chinese cats have been domesticated by humans.

Chinese cats are currently little studied, their habitat is desert areas. At the moment, cats of Chinese breeds are endangered.Due to the overdevelopment of the Republic of China, natural areas are greatly affected. These cats are very sociable, affectionate, gentle and incredibly loyal to their owner. But due to the fact that cats were tamed later than their European relatives, their character remained independent.

They are very patient with children, but it is better not to have such a four-legged friend in a house where there are kids. Get along well with other animals. These cats are still poorly understood, so it is difficult to judge their morbidity, in general, the physiological component is normal.

The cat looks like this.

• The height of the animal is from 27 to 35 cm, weight is from 3.5 to 5.5 kg.
• The shape of the body is elongated, proportionally muscular, with a large chest, not very long legs and a long tail in the form of a tassel.
• Due to the peculiarities of the color (dots on the face), it seems that the fluffy is smiling. In combination with large expressive eyes, it looks very cute.
• Sexual maturity occurs at the age of three years. A kitten must not be weaned until it is twelve weeks old.
• This breed did not succumb to the intervention of scientists and was never crossed with anyone, so it simply does not have genetic problems on this basis.
• You need to comb out the coat no more than once a week: the "Chinese" have practically no undercoat, and combing out can damage the dense layer of wool.
• You need to bathe the animal as needed, and routine bathing should be carried out no more than once a month.

Now let's get acquainted with the famous Chinese cat breeds.

• Dragons - this is how the Li Hua breed is called in its homeland, due to the fact that it lives in mountainous areas. China is home to mountain cats. Please note that the mountain cat still exists and is considered one of the most beautiful cats. But at the moment the population is under threat and is about 10 thousand individuals. The mountain cat is the ancestor of Li Hua, and now the preservation of the population is the main task of the US zoologists studying these animals. But scientists believe that it is not worth going too deep into deepening knowledge about mountain cats, because this can harm the population even more, which threatens not only the extinction of this species, but also the extermination of Li Hua.

• Chinese Fold or Li Mao - This breed is the most mysterious of all four-legged species that originated in China. No country in the world has ever recognized this breed. It is believed that only Scottish cats can be fold. And none of the scientists explained how Li Mao originated and how they ended up in China, but the fact remains: the fold-eared cat originally from China exists, although the breed is not officially registered.

• Among the Chinese breeds, there is one non-existent individual, which is conventionally called the Chinese Sphynx. Very often in the market, resellers call Sphynx cats Chinese and they charge a lot of money for this, but bald cats simply cannot be cultivated in China. Felinology in this country is developed at the initial level, therefore, it is impossible to say that this breed was artificially bred there. In fact, there are opinions that a new rare breed - the Chinese Sphynx - is passed off as a Petersburg or, as it is also called, a Peterbald.

• Speaking of Chinese breeds, one cannot fail to mention the "cat of happiness". He actually has many names: "alluring cat", "inviting cat", "calling cat", "money cat", and his true name is Maneki-neko.This is not a living cat, but a sculpture waving its paw and thus, according to Chinese beliefs, inviting happiness and money to the family, bringing prosperity. Such sculptures are exhibited in shops, warehouses, restaurants: if the left paw is raised, then it calls for money, and if the right paw - customers, which is often the same thing. Most often the cat is white, yellow or brown.

The history of the origin of Maneki-neko begins in the distant 1615. One monk gave shelter to a stray kitten and put him in his temple, but the condition of the premises was terrible. And one day he turned to the cat with the phrase: “I don’t blame you for not helping, you’re just a kitten. Now, if you were a human being, you would be more useful. " Literally a few days later, the ruling prince passing by fell into a storm, and in search of shelter he stopped under a tree near the temple. But he saw the building only thanks to the cat beckoning him with its paw. The monk naturally received such an important guest as he should. The prince, as a token of gratitude, allocated funds for the restoration of the temple.

Celestial cats develop naturally, and some breeds simply evolve from one another, for example, the Dragon Li is considered a direct descendant of the Chinese mountain cat. Scientists believe that there is no need to interfere with natural selection, because the species is already on the verge of extinction.

Kittens of Chinese breeds up to 12 weeks cannot be weaned. In general, such cats cannot be called prolific: they have offspring no more often than once every 3 years.

The advantages of this kind of four-legged friends are that they are picky about the content. They evolved naturally, and therefore have fewer health problems, which is why the "Chinese" are very easy to care for.

• It is necessary to give the animal all vaccinations and from time to time take it outside. The "Chinese" are very freedom-loving, so you cannot lock them in 4 walls.
• You can bathe these cats no more than once a month. Naturally, if your pet gets dirty, wash it to avoid skin problems.
• Any food is suitable for the "Chinese": both ready-made feeds from manufacturers (dry or wet), and natural food. If you choose feed, please note that it will be better if you choose premium products and above. These animals need vitamins and carbohydrates, and it is in these lines that their maximum amount. The ideal choice for you would be Royal Canin or Acana Regionals Grasslands Cat.

If you are a supporter of natural nutrition, then it is worth remembering the carbohydrates necessary for energy production, as well as the proteins contained in eggs and meat (pork, chicken, hare, turkey, boiled fish without bones).

The diet must include various cereals. (pearl barley, arnautka, barley). And also kefir, yoghurts, cottage cheese, but with a low fat content.

It is worth thinking about preserving furniture in the house and installing a scratching post for your pet so that he can always sharpen his claws if he wants.

Now let's talk about hygiene. Claws should be trimmed once a month. Wipe your eyes every day with tea leaves or special veterinary formulations. Clean the ears every 10 days with a cotton swab. To comb the coat once a week, but it should be done carefully, since the "Chinese" have almost no undercoat. Veterinarians consider it necessary to brush your pet's teeth with a special brush and paste every 5 days.

Chinese cats rarely get sick. The reasons for the deterioration are often a rare walk, a small apartment (lack of room for games and movements), lack of personal space and unbalanced nutrition.

In case of an upset stomach, it is necessary to urgently take action, namely to find out what your pet has eaten in the last 2-3 days, to exclude this food from his diet. Buy adsorbent drugs in the pharmacy to remove toxins from the body. For a couple of days, feed the pet only with cereals and boiled chicken to restore the correct functioning of the gastrointestinal tract. And it's better to give in small portions.If this does not help, you need to contact a specialist for diagnostics.

If the pet is in a bad mood, then you should pay more attention to it, take it outside, play with it, and treat it with a treat.

If you notice that your pet has begun to walk past the litter box, make sure it is clean and fresh. If everything is in order with the toilet, you need to contact your veterinarian, perhaps the cat has problems with the urinary system.

Cats of Chinese breeds have very strong immunity, so we can safely say that diseases develop in most cases due to the poor emotional state of the pet, lack of attention or their own space.

Based on the foregoing, the following conclusions can be drawn.

Positive aspects of the "Chinese":

• devotion;
• exotic origin;
• light character;
• get along easily with other pets and are patient with children;
• very smart;
• not dangerous, not aggressive;
• have good health, which makes it easier to care for them.

Negative sides:

• it is difficult to find a purebred pet on the territory of our country: both for purchase and for mating, you will have to visit China or the USA;
• the cost of such exotics exceeds two minimum Russian wages;
• it is difficult to choose a mating partner, it is necessary to consult a specialist, because they often try to pass off cats of other breeds with similar external characteristics for the "Chinese";
• you need a lot of space or frequent walking.

For more information on Li Hua's Chinese cats, see the video below.