| Searching for the perfect cat? You could go from | | | | domesticated long-haired or domesticated |
| pound to pound, hoping to get lucky. You might try a | | | | short-haired. While this certainly makes it easier to |
| breeder. There are also adoption centers that you | | | | recognize a breed, it tells you nothing about the cat's |
| can go to. Whatever method you choose to try to | | | | nature. |
| find the right cat for you, it is important that you | | | | Often, to distinguish cats a little bit more, they will be |
| know more about what kind of cat you would like. | | | | classified by their coats. They may be bicoloured, |
| For the most part, domesticated cats are alike. | | | | tuxedo, or van patterned. Bicoloured cats have coats |
| However, this is like saying that most people are | | | | of two different colours. While tuxedo cats are |
| alike, or most dogs are alike. It may be true in certain | | | | technically bicoloured, they are black with white |
| ways, but there are small differences that may mean | | | | chests to look tuxedoesque. For this reason they are |
| everything to you. This is why it is important that | | | | given their own sub-set. The van pattern is where |
| you do a little bit of research into different types of | | | | the cat is of a solid colour except the tip of the tail |
| cats. | | | | and the top of the head. |
| There are many different breeds of cats, with | | | | There are also tabby cats, tortoiseshell cats, calicos |
| registries recognizing between 30 and 40 different | | | | and colourpoints. Tabbies can have coats that look |
| breeds. Having so many different kinds of cats to | | | | like a number of things. They can have vertical |
| choose from can be a daunting prospect. You may | | | | stripes, blotches or even spots. A tortoiseshell cat |
| wonder how you'll ever know what kind of cat is | | | | has red and black fur splotched all over its body. If |
| right for you. However, having so many different | | | | there are additional white spots, it is a tortoiseshell |
| breeds of cats to choose from allows you to really | | | | and white. Calicos are basically tortoiseshell and white |
| figure out what will work best for you and/or your | | | | cats with a lot of white, making it look tri-coloured. |
| family. | | | | The colourpoint coat is generally reserved for |
| While there are so many different breeds, there is | | | | Siamese cats since they all have that coat, but it can |
| often a lot of cross-breeding as well. For this reason, | | | | be on any cat. |
| many people simply refer to cats as either | | | | |