Spotted cat breeds

The spotted color of the animal is a very striking feature and always attracts attention. Of course, you can't have a domestic leopard or tiger in an ordinary apartment, so today many pet lovers are eager to buy a pet with a spotted color. But not everyone knows what is the correct name for this or that breed of spotted cats. It is worth saying that there are quite a few such breeds, so before choosing a suitable spotted friend, you should familiarize yourself with their list, take into account the habits and requirements for caring for a particular breed.

Most breeds of spotted cats are artificially bred. Nevertheless, there is an admixture of wild animals in the genes of such cats, which applies not only to wool. It is worth considering why animals need such a coloring at all. The thing is that the spotted coat helps wild cats camouflage themselves in the wild. This allows her to sneak up on her prey or hide from the enemy.

Wild felines are excellent hunters. Of course, domestic cats lack the urge to find and capture prey. However, spotted cats are very unpretentious and graceful creatures. This they took over from their wild brethren. Such animals are extremely independent.

This is especially true for those owners who want to have a pet, but may often be absent at home or do not have time for frequent games with the cat and for careful care of him. It is important to note that some pets may have stomach or heart problems. Unfortunately, such problems are not so uncommon for breeds that have been artificially bred.

It is worth reading in more detail what kind of cat breeds with a spotted color do exist.

The most popular variety is the Bengal cat. The coat color of the Bengal cat is very similar to the leopard pattern. This breed was obtained by crossing the genes of an ordinary cat and a leopard. They usually have a brownish tint to the coat, on which spots stand out.

The Bengal cat is a very beautiful pet. To make her really home, it is necessary to accustom her to a person from an early age. This breed is a bit wild.

Besides the fact that the coat of the Bengal cat is very bright and beautiful, it is also short. This is very important for many people planning to have a pet. Cats with long hair everywhere leave "traces" of their presence in the form of lumps of fallen hair on the floor, furniture and clothes. But the Bengal cat does not have such a drawback, since its coat is short, easy to comb and wash. Usually representatives of this breed have an elongated body with a long neck. This physique gives the Bengal cat a special grace.

This breed of spotted cats is very beautiful and, one might even say, an intelligent cat. This breed is distinguished by a high level of intelligence, quick learning, restraint. Such cats were bred in the 80s of the last century, so the breed is considered quite young. Many owners note that the savanna is practically not afraid of water, although this problem is common to almost all felines. An adult cat of this breed has a large size (up to 15 kg) and a long body, which should be taken into account when drawing up a diet for a pet.

This is another bright spotted representative of cats. This breed was bred quite recently. But, unlike the same Bengal cat, the pixiebob looks more like a lynx. These cats have gray fur with dark specks. The "tasselled" ears make the pixiebob even more lynx-like. Nevertheless, experts say that this is an extremely friendly breed. This is indeed the case. The display of aggression is almost uncommon for Pixiebobs. They are very affectionate, love outdoor games, treat all household members well and know how to get along well with other animals.

This breed is also quite bright and young, but many still do not officially recognize it. These cats are widely known in the Arab countries. It is noted that kittens of this breed, being small, are big fidgets. They are extremely active and love outdoor games. Having matured, the Arabian cat becomes more serious and restrained. Many owners call the Arabians "wise" cats.

The California Shining Cat was bred with the aim of increasing the population of pygmy leopards. The homeland of this breed is America. The history of the breed is quite interesting. It is worth considering why the leopard population was increased. The fact is that all over the world in the last century there was a huge fashion for exotic wild cats. The choice of many fell on pygmy leopards.

American scientists decided to do the following - to develop a breed that could replace pygmy leopards. The result was the California Spangled Cat, which was a mini leopard. She has a beautiful coat with pronounced spots. A big plus of this breed is also its character - very peaceful and affectionate.

Spotted breeds also include the Scottish Fold cat. Such a breed can have a wide variety in color. The spots on their back usually form in stripes that run along the body. But the main distinguishing feature of Scottish cats is the very unusual shape of the ears.... They are bent downward. By the way, in small kittens of this breed, ears can be normal and only with age acquire this shape.

Usually British cats are marbled or tabby. These cats are very attached to their owners and are very loyal. They are worried and sad during a long separation, but they sincerely rejoice even at a simple attention from the owner. But the trust of such a cat still needs to be earned.

The homeland of this breed is South America. However, this is a wild cat that can only be purchased for very large sums of money. Such a cat is small in size, although it lives in the wild. She has a rather stern disposition.

This is another fun American breed. Unlike many of its other spotted breeds, this cat did not appear from a cross between a common and a wild breed. The ancestors of this cat are quite domestic breeds, for example, Siamese. Such a cat has short hair and looks very beautiful. Coat color can be different... And also the cat has very expressive eyes, which also come in different colors (with the exception of blue). The ears of this breed are rather large and have a rounded shape.

These cats received such an unusual name, since toyger means "little tiger". Cats of this breed are very similar to the tiger, but, of course, are smaller in size. However, they have excellent musculature and a short but very dense coat. It is noted that they do not have an aggressive character and a tendency to catch prey. On the contrary, toygers are extremely friendly and affectionate.

It is impossible not to single out this breed as it has become very popular lately. Cats have a very fluffy coat and a long tail. They have small ears, highly developed paws, and dark spots all over their body. However, the Pallas' cat has a very stern look, which can give the impression that this is a rather aggressive animal. There is no big aggression in Pallas' cat.

Before you start a spotted cat, you need to consider a number factors.

• First, you need to decide which animal is right for you. That is, whether it will be a wild breed or a domestic one. If the choice fell on a wild kitten, then you will have to spend a lot of time on it in order to properly educate and tame. No matter how a wild animal is brought up, it still will not become as close to a person as a domestic breed. In addition, wild cats quickly wean themselves from humans during a long separation.
• Keeping a wild cat in an apartment is also quite problematic. These animals need will and more free space. With a lack of it, they begin to spoil furniture, walls, and so on.Whatever one may say, these are predators, which are very difficult to tame.
• Acquiring a wild cat is more financially costly. Some owners point out that among the wild, breeds such as the ocelot, geoffroy and serval are best trained. Of course, even the choice of such breeds cannot 100% guarantee the complete domestication of the animal.

If you plan to buy a domestic cat, then everything is easier here, although it also has its own characteristics. To date, there are a large number of domestic breeds (given above), which are outwardly similar to wild cats, but have a very friendly and affectionate character.

If a spotted cat has already been purchased, then caring for the selected animal is important. It is noted that thoroughbred cats require more thorough care than purebred cats. Regular cats are more resilient and picky in their diet. They are less susceptible to various diseases.

One of the main factors to consider when keeping a purebred cat is nutrition. A properly formulated diet is the key to good animal health... You should not feed your cat exclusively prepared food from supermarkets. From time to time you need to give your pet natural meat, make porridge from various cereals, and give dairy products. These products contain a large amount of vitamins and proteins, thanks to which the animal will have a beautiful coat and strong bones.

Already at a young age, the kitten must be shown to the veterinarian. He will be given all the necessary vaccinations, and a specialist will give advice on proper maintenance and care. A visit to the veterinarian is mandatory for any deterioration in the pet's health. In no case should you engage in self-treatment.

Don't forget about your pet's hygiene. From time to time they need water procedures. It's no secret that almost all felines, to put it mildly, dislike water. This causes big problems for owners when they try to bathe their cat. This procedure can take a lot of time and effort, but over time, the animal can be trained to swim..

It is worth highlighting the main aspects that need to be considered when bathing your pet.

• Before proceeding with the water procedure, you need to prepare for it. Before the bathing process itself, it is necessary to thoroughly comb out the cat's fur. Since the animal, most likely, will dodge and scratch, it is worth trimming its claws in advance, which is done with a special claw cutter. In no case should you completely cut off the claw. You just need to trim the tip by about 2 mm. In cats, there are blood vessels in the claws, if they are damaged, then the animal will be very painful, and this can also cause some problems - improper growth of the claw in the future, infection, and so on.

• It is also worthwhile to pre-lay a rubber mat on the bottom of the bath or container.in which the cat will swim to avoid slipping.

• You must use a special shampoo for cats. For pedigree cats, specialized series of shampoos are often used. You can buy it at pet stores. And also many owners use baby shampoo when bathing cats, but it is undesirable to use it for caring for a purebred cat.

• No need to wet the cat's head. The pet's head must be gently moistened with a sponge or cloth. It is necessary to ensure that water does not get into the ears of the cat.And also experts advise to pre-make the cat ear tampons from cotton wool in order to completely exclude the ingress of water.

• One of the main points is to constantly talk to the animal while bathing. The human voice and the sound of its own name is very calming for the animal.

• Breeds with fluffy coats need to be bathed more thoroughly. It is advisable to dry their wool with a hairdryer, since drying with a towel will be longer and more problematic. And many breeds, although they have short hair, but it grows quite densely in them, so it is also worth applying the shampoo very carefully so that it penetrates deeply.

• As a reward for your patience and stress, you can give your pet a treat. Bathing should not be performed frequently. Pets are not susceptible to great pollution, so do not injure them with frequent water treatments.

The toilet of an animal is also related to the topic of hygiene. The litter box is the first item that should be there by the time the cat appears in the house. Today there are various variations of cat trays, including biolotters and trays with automatic cleaning. The cat's litter box needs to be monitored - clean up and change the litter on time. It is necessary to train a kitten to a litter box from an early age. Usually this process does not take much time and effort. Cats themselves find a suitable place to go to the toilet, and in an apartment this place is only a litter box.

The next aspect is disease. Cats are often prone to nose, eye and ear ailments. This may be due to the structural features of these organs, since they may differ in different breeds. Therefore, it is worth periodically wiping and cleaning the ears with cotton swabs and sticks. Wipe your nose and eyes with a cotton swab dipped in warm water. Such routine hygiene can prevent the development of serious diseases.

Sometimes cats have dental problems. Their teeth can also hurt, so taking care of them is also important. The most common disease is tartar. To prevent its appearance, it is sometimes worth brushing the cat's teeth. This procedure, like bathing, is not easy, but quite feasible. The main thing is to securely fix the animal.

Stomach and heart problems depend entirely on the animal's diet and physical activity. The diet has already been mentioned above. The main thing is to prevent overeating and not let your pet get fat unnecessarily. Excess weight and low physical activity greatly reduce the level of heart function and lead to a shorter life span. Many owners do not keep cats in their apartment all the time. Sometimes they take them out for walks on special leashes. New impressions, fresh air and space will only benefit the animal.

In general, grooming depends on the size of the cat, the length and density of its coat. For more accurate recommendations, it is advisable to periodically show the cat to the veterinarian. The above were the main breeds of spotted cats. Knowing their names and understanding how this or that breed should look, you can make no mistake when choosing. But the main thing is to choose an animal not because it is rare and beautiful.

You can watch the video below about the spotted Bengal cat.