Animals

The European Shorthair Cat (EUR), for which a standard was not established until the beginning of 1980s by FIFe, the International Pedigree Cat Association, is one of the most popular shorthaired breeds in Finland.

European shorthair cat has been developed from house cat by crossing the most beautiful individual cats. The objective was to create a robust shorthair cat with rounded face. Occasionally the Persian longhair cats have been crossed to accelerate the appearance unification process.

It is most likely due to the fact that this originally European breed has preserved its purity fairly well in Northern Europe until these days. In Finland it has not been mixed with other breeds, neither with those that are bred artificially nor with those imported from abroad. Moreover, they have mostly been bred in Finland without any contacts with the British shorthair breed, in spite of the fact that until lately they lacked an established standard.

That is why Finland has succeeded in preserving the purity of the registered European shorthair cats – an absolute must for all these cats, presupposed by the present standard. Many international feline judges think that not only is the Finnish stock of Europeans large but also of very high quality: the cats fulfill the requirements remarkably well. Finnish cats of this breed have had pretty much success in cat shows both in Finland and abroad. Also the best shorthaired cats in the shows have often been of the European breed.

The colour range of these Finnish pedigree cats corresponds rather well with that of the original wild European breed. Although FIFe has accepted some new colour variations during the last few years – there are more than 70 of them – in Finland organized and active breeding concentrates on 15-20 classical variations. Among the types of patterned colourings, the most common variations are tabby mackerel, tabby blotched and tabby spotted. The colour combinations of these patterns are usually following: silver (-black), black (-brown) and red. The most popular solid variant is black. The so-called “tortoise-shell” variation repers to a cat with a red-and-black colour pattern. This pattern can also have a bit of white, and this type is called “tortoise-shell and white”. The bottom layer of a smoke-coloured cat’s fur is silver and the top is darker; European shorthair cats are usually of the black-smoke types.

European shorthair cat is today the natural European breed with ancestors only among European house cats. The breed is bred mainly in Scandinavian countries and especially in Finland it belongs to the most popular shorthair breeds.

The Devon Rex is a breed of unique appearance. Its large eyes, short muzzle, prominent cheekbones, curly whiskers and huge, low-set ears create a characteristic elfin look.

The Devon Rex is a fine to medium build, small cat. Females weigh an average of 2-3 kilos when full grown, and males range from 3-4 kilos. Although it may look fragile, the Devon Rex is a sturdy, agile and very muscular breed.

The Devon Rex distinctive soft, wavy coat comes in a variety of patterns and in colours, including pointed (si-rex), solid, shaded, tortoiseshell, calico, bi-colour, harlequin and smoke colours as well as the tabby pattern.

The Devon Rex is recognised and accepted for competition in all colours and patterns.

The character of the Devon Rex is remarkable! Devon Rex are alert and active, and shows a lively interest in their surroundings. They love to be with their humans, and enjoy playing fetch or other games. They are also extremely agile cats with an inquisitive nature and will explore every corner of their homes.

Burmese cats lived for centuries in Burma, Thailand and Malaya. In late 1800s they were known in England as Chocolate Siamese, but because they were not favoured they gradually died out in England and Europe. The ancestry of Burmese cats can be traced back to one cat named Wong Mau, who was a brown female from Burma and arrived to San Francisco in the early 1930′s to Dr. Joseph Thompson. Through selective breeding to Siamese, the Burmese was established as a distinct breed. Lighter coloured kittens were occasionally produced and eventually the American breeders requested cognition from CFA for these “dilute” colours; first, as another breed named Malayan, then later as a dilute division of Burmese.

The ideal Burmese is a small to medium sized cat with a muscular frame, heavier than it looks, and a straight back. The Burmese is not as long and slender as the Siamese, nor as heavily boned as the British Shorthair. Their paws are neat and oval shaped with slender legs and neck, which give the Burmese a distinctive elegant look. The tail is medium in length, with a slight taper to a rounded tip.
The most characteristic feature of the Burmese is their amazing coats. Their coats are short, fine, sleek and glossy, lying close to the body, and satin-like in feel and texture. Their coats are easy to care for, a simple pat is often enough to groom it.

The Burmese is very friendly inquisitive cat with an outgoing, loving nature – this is why Burmese are one of the most popular breeds. It has been said that the Burmese are more like dogs than cats in their behaviour. When encouraged from kitten hood, they will fetch. They will greet you at the door when you come home and comfort you when you are ill or unhappy – they give unconditional love.

The Ocicat is an all-domestic breed of cat which resembles a ‘wild’ cat but has no wild blood. The breed is unusual in that it is spotted like a wild cat but has the temperament of a domestic animal. It is named for its resemblance to the ocelot.

Despite its appearance, there is no ‘wild’ DNA in the Ocicat’s gene pool. The species is actually a mixture of Siamese and Abyssinian, and later American Shorthairs (silver tabbies) were added to the mix and gave the breed their silver color, bone structure and distinct markings.

The Ocicat has been bred specifically to look like a wild cat with its fabulous spotted sleek coat, rippling muscles, strong body and good solid build. The Ocicat is so named because of its resemblance to an Ocelot – but no wild blood has been used to produce this beautiful animal. Whilst the Ocicat looks wild, its temperament is anything but ferocious.

Ocicats are a very outgoing breed. They are often considered to have the spirit of a dog in a cat’s body. Most can easily be trained to fetch, walk on a leash and harness, come when called, speak, sit, lie down on command and a large array of other dog-related tricks.