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BRITISH
SHORTHAIR
The historical lineage of the British
Shorthair Cat abounds with legends, however despite much speculation regarding French descent, England has been credited as
being the home & origin of the British Shorthair Cat. |
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The British Shorthair is
a sturdy, compact looking cat. It has a massive round head and a deep chested, cobby body with a coat unique to its breed-
short dense and plush. Despite it's wide range of beautiful coat colourings, the blue has remained the favourite throughout
the years.
The British Shorthair is
highly adaptable, loves children, is easy to care for, and loves to be close to humans without clinging, yet it is as devoted
as a dog. This cat makes a quiet, even tempered house companion.
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Siamese
The eye colour of the Siamese, unknown to the
everyday cat is a distinct feature of the Siamese breed. The classic blue eyes are said to have been the result of a
gift from God. The legend states that the Barbarians threatened to destroy the temple altar in ancient Siam, and the
cats defended strongly and repelled the savage invaders.
In gratitude to the prayers of the devout priests, Siamese cats were
rewarded by the everlasting
gift of their exquisite blue eyes.
Although there have been many theories about the origin to the
Siamese, it is now quite certain that it was a well loved variety
in the ancient Siamese city of Ayudha.
Ayudha was founded in 1350, and was Siam's capital until fire
destroyed the city during the
Burmese invasion in 1767.
In the National Library, in the present day
capital of Bangkok, there are manuscripts from Ayudha that provide a record of native cats, describing them as having black
tails, feet and ears with a white body and blue eyes which reflect a reddish glow at night because it is part albino.
The Siamese Cats eyes are a brilliant sapphire blue. The original cats in Siam lived in temples where they were closely
guarded to keep the breed pure. So highly were they regarded that there ownership is said to have been restricted to
members of the Royal family. Only if a man was promoted to a knight or nobleman, could he possess that cat with, as
they believed, "special powers." These beautiful cats first appeared in Australia in the 1890's, and today is one of
the most popular breeds.
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