How many cat breeds exist on Earth?

About 200 million cats live in the 10 most “cat-friendly” countries in the world. Where are they most and how do they feel there?

People have kept domestic cats since time immemorial - whether we are talking about religious traditions, practical struggle with mice or ordinary friendship. Nowadays, the life of cats has become so much easier that these curious predators have become one of the most numerous species of mammals on our planet.

10. Japan (7.25 million cats)

The history of the touching relationship between the Japanese and cats goes back centuries. Cats often became the main characters in Japanese art- painting and literature. There are entire “cat islands” in this country, such as Tashiro and Aoshima. On Tashiro Island there is a small cat shrine called Neko-jinja, and the Japanese who come here consider it their duty to feed the large colony of local cats - it is believed that this brings good luck. And on the island of Aoshima, the cat population is already 8 times higher than the human population, and local cats have long survived only at the expense of tourists. A huge number of cats live in Japanese houses, on the streets and markets. Japanese cities. And for those who for some reason cannot get a cat, there are numerous cat cafes and shops offering any products with a “cat” theme - from souvenirs to clothing, from accessories to computer games

9. Ukraine (7.5 million cats)

Although a cat is not uncommon in a Ukrainian family, the country has a thriving population of stray cats. The attitude towards stray cats in this country is often the subject of criticism from outsiders. international organizations for the protection of homeless animals. In Ukraine, there are no clear laws regulating the treatment of pets, which is why many cats and dogs end up thrown into the street without any responsibility on the part of the owners.

8. Germany (7.75 million cats)

Germans love their cats, but in this country, according to the authorities, the number of stray animals is steadily growing - counting in the millions. main reason– free range of uncastrated domestic cats. In 2014, the Germans meticulously calculated that stray cats caused damage to green spaces in cities amounting to 500,000 euros. The issue of stray cats was brought up for public discussion, but citizens of the country spoke out against the destruction of stray animals. The most that the authorities have been able to achieve is to limit the free roaming of domestic cats.

7. UK (7.75 million cats)

Domestic cats live in many families and homes in the United Kingdom, including the Prime Minister's residence at 10 Downing Street. British animal welfare laws are among the most advanced in the world. And yet, the number of stray cats here is also high. According to statistics, 85% of kittens in England are born “over plan”. As a result, government spending on maintaining cat shelters is growing year after year - from £2.15 million in 2010 to almost £3 million in 2013. Over the past few years, the population of cat shelters in England has grown to 30 thousand. According to the authorities, the optimal solution to the “cat crisis” that has hit the country is preventive sterilization of cats before the first pregnancy.

6. Italy (9.5 million cats)

Both domestic and stray cats in Italy enjoy many privileges. They are allowed to roam freely throughout the country, and there are many shelters and volunteer helpers at their service. One of the most famous shelters for cats is Torre Argentina in Rome. Cats can freely come here to eat and rest, and then go on about their business. The Le Gattares movement – ​​cat lovers – is widely developed in the country. These are groups of women who unite to feed homeless cats in their area and, if necessary, provide them with assistance.

5. France (9.5 million cats)

France is a country where cat owners use them not only as pets, but sometimes as a fashion accessory, such as lap dogs. There are strict rules keeping pets, and all domestic cats must be registered in a national database. Each cat must have an identification mark on itself in the form of a tattoo or microchip with information about the owner. This partly helps the French in identifying stray cats (if they have escaped from home), but does not solve the problem of increasing the population of stray animals. Cases of attacks by stray cats on dogs and even people are regularly recorded in the country.

4. Brazil - 12.5 million cats

The lack of accurate statistics does not allow us to establish the real ratio of domestic and stray cats in this country. There is definitely a noticeable increase in the number of pets in this country - this can be seen in the sales dynamics cat food. Over the 5 years from 2007 to 2012, sales grew by 37.6%, to $869 million per year. . (Editor's note: By comparison, sales of cat food in Russia in 2015 amounted to more than $1 billion.)

3. Russia – 12.5 million cats

From the editor: dataWorldAtlas differs markedly from the data used in Russia. According to analysts' estimates Russian market pet products, there are about 30 million domestic cats in the country. However, this is still 3rd place in the world.
Russians, for the most part, love pets very much. Cats live in many families, often in more than one. Among them there are relatively many outbred animals taken from the street. At the same time, Russia has its own worldwide famous breeds domestic cats – for example, Russian Blue (from the editor: also Siberian, Neva Masquerade, Don Sphynx, Kuril and Mekong bobtails, etc.). In addition to them, Russia is known for a significant population of stray cats roaming the streets of cities. At the beginning of 2015, the whole world was excited by the news about a stray cat Masha, who saved a newborn baby from death in Obninsk. A child abandoned in the entrance would certainly have frozen, but the cat warmed him with her body and called people for help.

2. China – 53 million cats

China has the third largest pet products market (after the USA and Great Britain. Russia ranks 5th, India – 4th). But, parallel to the increase in the number of domestic cats, the population of stray cats is also growing. Thousands of stray cats roam the streets of Beijing. Stray cats create problems for environment, become the cause of the spread of diseases and the culprits of road accidents. On the eve of the 2008 Olympics, many stray animals were destroyed in China. Most stray cats in this country are animals abandoned by their owners. The Chinese are getting rid of cats various reasons: they are abandoned when moving to a new place or kicked out for fear of contracting a contagious disease like SARS. Fortunately for cats, there are many organizations in China that help homeless animals. They help cats avoid painful death at the hands of local “Balloons” and urge the country’s authorities to use more humane measures to control the domestic animal population.

1. USA – 76.5 million cats

“How many cats? It's disgusting!"

In the United States of America, every third family owns cats, and each such family has an average of 2.2 cats. American cat owners often take additional cats- from the street or from a shelter. Most Americans receive cats as gifts from family or friends, 34% pick them up on the street or at a shelter, and only 3% buy cats from breeders.

The English portal Indy100 (a project of The Independent newspaper) depicted the World Atlas report in one picture:

If a cat's whiskers are removed, it may have poor spatial orientation, for example, difficulty hunting and generally feel insecure. Whiskers help your cat determine if it will fit through the hole!

The scientific name of the mustache is vibrissae - therefore, in Russian-language literature they are often called simply vibrissae. The mustache really vibrates. If a cat's whiskers point forward, it is very interested in something. Or in skirmishes he wants to scare his opponent. If the whiskers point back, the cat is scared and avoids touching.

How many cats are there in the world?

Cats wag their tails when faced with a choice, with one desire blocking another. For example, if a cat is standing in a doorway and wants to go out, and it is raining outside, the tail will swing due to internal conflict. The cat wants to go out, but doesn't want to get wet. As soon as she makes a decision (stay at home or go out into the rain), the tail will immediately stop swinging.

Flying cats

If the cat is not sterilized, then it is necessary to monitor the windows in the apartment, especially after the onset of heat. It is best if there are bars or nets on the windows. There should be no free access to balcony railings and window sills, because animals, jumping out into the air and unable to maintain their height, fall down.

If you were unable to protect your pet and it fell, you should immediately seek help from a veterinarian. Contrary to popular belief, falls are dangerous for cats, especially between the second and fifth floors.

Most often injured internal organs, the owners mistake the animal’s painful behavior for shock and do not rush for help. This is a mistake; after a fall, it is necessary to urgently hospitalize the animal, either take it personally, or urgently call good veterinarians who will take good care of the animal.

There have been cases when, having stopped the bleeding, doctors released the animal without checking the condition of the internal organs

How many cat breeds are there on Earth?

How beautiful nature is! Who could tell how many colors and tones cat fur can have? Not to mention the shapes and designs!

How many types of cats are there?

Combinations of the most unimaginable colors and tones create patterns, fantastic shapes, and bizarre contours on cat fur coats. The color of a cat's fur is stunningly varied: it can be snowy white, reddish and orange, almost red, it can be smoky gray, ebony black or brown, moreover, we can even meet blue cats! And these are just the colors and tones: a cat’s coat can also be plain, spotted, polka dot, striped, the coat can be smooth or wavy, very short or long and silky. A cat's eyes! Green, yellow, orange, blue, dark... The color of wild cats sooner or later becomes similar to their habitat. Cats living in the steppes and desert areas have a sandy color, and in European forests, most of them can be found brown cats, and the skins of cats living in tropical forests are spotted and orange in color. Disguise plays important role in getting food, that is, in survival.

The praise goes to the breeders

Unique color, pattern, coat type and features different types cats are emphasized only if a person consciously breeds them. Breeding purebred cats They first began to practice it in Asia, at that time in Europe they did not pay much attention to this; cats were used only for catching mice. Compared to dogs purebred cats very little. The difference between breeds in the case of cats may be smaller than, for example, between German Shepherd and a miniature poodle. Cats began to be bred solely for decorative purposes, so today they are distinguished not by what tasks they can perform, but depending on their appearance. In contrast, dogs perform different functions depending on their breed, so the difference between individual groups of breeds is clearly highlighted: guard dogs, hunting dogs, shepherd dogs, decorative dogs, etc...

It's not just the skin that matters

In all countries there are special clubs that are engaged in breeding officially recognized cat breeds. Each breed has its own characteristics and standards. Most important feature What distinguishes one breed from another is the color and length of the coat, as well as the shape of the head. For a specialist, no less important is the length of the tail and ears, their shape, location, color and position of the eyes. Cat breeds Along with their physique, they are also characterized by unique features, as well as temperament. For example, it is well known that Siamese cats They are playful, intelligent, excellent comrades, and their voice is uniquely sharp. On the other hand, Persian or long-haired cats are a bit phlegmatic, a little lazy, and catching mice is not their specialty, but at the same time they are modest, calm and very polite. Ragdolls have a unique feature: when you pick them up, they relax their muscles like a rag doll (hence the name).

How many cat breeds are there?

No one can give an exact answer to this question, since each club and community has its own rules regarding color, pattern, temperament and characteristics. But what is certain is that there are about a hundred officially recognized and registered people living on Earth. cat breeds, and each breed has almost seven hundred subspecies, which have different external characteristics and unique temperament.

The ancestor of all cats in the world was a steppe species (according to another version - a forest one), which began to be domesticated 12,000 years ago. It was from then on that selection arose, during which an animal acquired certain traits beneficial to humans and lost others. Now it is difficult to answer how many breeds of cats exist in the world, but it is possible to understand this issue.

The uncertainty in the number of breeds occurs due to the fact that there are simultaneously 3 largest felinological organizations in the world:

• WCF is the World Federation, the largest and most authoritative in the world. this moment. It was founded in 1988 in Rio de Janeiro and has more than 540 clubs.
• FIFe is one of the participants of the World Felinological Congress. Created in 1950 in Belgium.
• TICA is an International Association, founded in 1979 in the USA, but later acquired an international format.

The main difficulty is that these organizations do not register and recognize breeds at the same time. Most often this happens over time, but sometimes a species recognized by one organization is never confirmed by others. In addition, several breeds are constantly at the stage of preparation and documentation.

Each organization applies its own criteria and parameters to determine purebredness. Most often these criteria are:

• body shape and body proportions;
• eye color;
• temperament and character;
• characteristics of wool;
• health characteristics, etc.

Currently the most varieties are registered in the WCF: about 74, 9 of which are recently registered. FIFe and TICA declare 51 and 73 varieties respectively.

Classifications

The main classifications of cat species are divided according to 4 main criteria:

• by physique;
• by coat;
• by color;
• according to the drawing.

By physique

According to this parameter, cats are divided into 6 main groups:

• Animals with a powerful physique ( heavy type). These include the largest representatives. They have the thickest and strongest tail, powerful stable paws and large short neck. Typical representatives are Maine Coons or Siberian cats.
• Kobby (stocky). They have a dense and stocky build. The skeleton is characterized by a wide chest, large head with short and wide nose placed on a shortened neck, which sometimes seems almost absent. Usually the paws are not very high, and the tail is short with a blunt end. An example would be exotics or Manx.
• Oriental. They have a graceful structure with high paws. There is a graceful neck and a narrow long tail. The head and muzzle are always tapered towards the nose. Typical Orientals are Javanese and Balinese cats, as well as Siamese cats.

• Foreign. Flexible body with pronounced muscles. High paws and long tail, wedge-shaped head, oval or almond-shaped eyes. Ears may be elongated. The Abyssinians serve as an example.
• Semi-foreign. Those with average parameters are more common than others. Representatives are American Shorthairs or Russian Blues.
• Half-cobby. Slightly stockier breeds than the previous type. A typical representative is the British Shorthair.

By coat

According to this parameter, cat breeds are divided into 5 varieties:

• long-haired with hair up to 15 cm long (Burmese, Siberian, Persian cat);
• shorthair (Egyptian Mau, Chartreuse, Russian Blue);
• curly coat (German Rex, Cornish Rex);
• Wirehaired (American Wirehair);
• without wool (, bambino, sphinx).

By color

Exists great amount colors, but they are all divided into the following main types:

• single-color (korat, havana);
• two-color (Norwegian forest, ragdoll);
• motley (color-point, angora);
• with specks (Persian chinchilla or American shorthair cat);
• multi-colored or tortoiseshell (bobtail, sphinx, Persian).

According to the drawing

The main variants of patterns that form the breed:

• solid pattern (red, black, brown, gray, etc. breeds);
• zonal color (striped, marbled or spotted tabby);
• white spotting (mostly whole color with spots different colors);
• solid white;
• color-point (light body and dark limbs);
• silver (smoky, silver, chinchilla and cameo).

Some of the drawings can be viewed in the gallery:

Description of the main breeds

The main types of cats were derived from the earliest, but not always the most widespread, breeds. And now breeders continue to experiment with these species, achieving new results.

• British. They became the founders of two main lines: British Longhair and Shorthair, the older of which is the Shorthair. Both species are characterized by ideal hair, which is very easy to care for: it does not mat and does not shed as actively as other representatives of the cat world.
• . Their color resembles wild rabbits, which is why they got their first name - “rabbit cats”. Very easy-going, with a good disposition and graceful body.
• Scottish. There are 2 main forms - straight-eared and lop-eared. The basic one was straight-eared, and lop-eared was the result of genetic experiments, during which it was possible to fix the gene responsible for the regression of cartilage tissue.
• American Curl. The main distinguishing feature is the ears, which bend inward or backward at different angles. Inner surface auricle densely pubescent. American Curls are very active animals; their playfulness and activity remain in them until old age.
• European Shorthair. Experts believe that this breed was formed with minimal human intervention. It is quite difficult for a non-professional to distinguish these cats from ordinary yard cats, since by genotype and appearance they are as close as possible.
• Angora. There is an opinion that she became the predecessor for all long-haired pedigree groups. Distinctive feature– lack of undercoat and a thick collar around the neck.
• Egyptian Mau. Of all the species currently known, the Mau is the most ancient. Her image was first drawn 3 thousand years ago. Her eyes look very unusual: they seem to be lined with eyeliner, and a “W” pattern is visible between her ears.

And completely naked, massive and thin, snub-nosed, tailless and big-eyed purring beauties - every cat lover can choose a pet that meets his ideas about the ideal. Do you know how many cat breeds there are and why the same cat can be considered both purebred and not? To find out, we suggest taking a short trip into the world of felinology.

The first official cat show took place in London on July 13, 1871. It was a huge event, covered in all major print publications. Unfortunately, it is unknown how many cat breeds the audience saw on that memorable day, but this particular date is considered the birthday of modern felinology. The public admired Persians and Siamese, Russian Blues and British cats, Turkish Angoras and domestic Murks, which were given Special attention. Harrison Weir, the show's organizer, wrote: "All we want is for people to notice how beautiful these animals are. It deeply saddens me that cats are treated in a consumerist, sometimes cruel way.”

Due to the scale and openness of the event ordinary people were able to find out how many breeds of cats there are in the world, what their characteristics are, how and where foreign cats came to the lands of Foggy Albion. The very word “breed” passed from aristocratic society to the masses; enthusiasts began to work closely on developing standards and popularizing motley purrs. Like mushrooms after rain, more and more new clubs of cat lovers appeared, which later united under the auspices of international felinological organizations. And no matter how many new breeds of cats appear on earth, the goal remains the same - to show people how beautiful these creatures are and how different in appearance and character they can be.