Popular breeds of black cats and cats

Ancient Egyptians considered cats with black hair sacred animals. In the brutal Middle Ages, black cats were burned at the stake along with imaginary sorcerers and witches. For a long time it was believed that a black cat brings misfortune, and the black population was on the verge of extinction. Relatively recently, someone saw that against the background of black wool these blue, green or amber eyes seemed unusually bright, and their eyes looked mysterious.

Black-haired cats have become popular, many breeds of these amazing creatures have appeared. It is worth taking a closer look at them and it will become clear why they are so loved around the world.

To begin with, the myths that have been created for centuries around the black color of cat hair should be dispelled. The black color of the coat is the result of genetics, and not the machinations of evil spirits. Color is inherited, from mother to son - in most cases, a black cat has kittens with exactly the same coat color.

This pigment, in turn, breaks down into two components, such as:

• eumelanin completely absorbs light and gives black pigmentation with all derivative colors: chocolate, blue, lilac, faun;
• pheomelanin is responsible for all varieties of red.

Inheritance of a certain color depends on the mustache-striped gender, because the cat has one X chromosome and it can be either black or any shade of red. Cats have two X chromosomes, so kittens with a black, red or tortoise color can be born.

Nature has provided black cats with a complaisant and peaceful character. They are sincerely attached to a person, able to capture his mood and condition. It is the blacks who are considered the best healers: they take the negativity onto themselves, transform it into positive energy and return it to their master. These animals are not characterized by aggression. Thanks to their playfulness and cheerfulness, they will become good companions for children's games. If the owner often moves from place to place, they quickly adapt to new conditions.

An alarmed animal begins to restlessly rush around the house, forcing the owner to leave the building. However, black cats are loved not only for their accommodating nature and colorful appearance, but also for the expressive look of their huge eyes. It has long been believed that the most common combination is a black cat with green eyes. Although genetic scientists tried so hard to breed an animal with an unusual color of the iris, it is almost impossible to meet a cat with natural emerald green or grassy eyes.

Today's green is one of the possible shades.

For example, without exception, all kittens are born with blue eyes. Then it all depends on the pigmentation. If the front of the eye is more pigmented, the cat will have yellow eyes. If the accumulation of pigment is in the back, you get green eyes.

As a result of breeding, scientists have developed interesting cat breeds. The future owner is no wonder and confused. Before deciding which pedigree cat to bring to the house, it’s worth understanding the existing species of these graceful pets.

To begin with, it should be emphasized that the only bright representative of black-haired cats is a bomb. This breed appeared thanks to the American breeder and breeder Nicky Horner, who wanted to have a perfect copy of the Indian wild cat at home. For breeding, short-haired individuals of the American cat and the Burmese cat were selected. Her color is a shade of sable, perfectly black. Get the kittens with wool perfectly black color turned out only in the fourth generation. But this made it possible to establish certain standards for the new type of cats.

For representatives of the breed of bombs charcoal-black color of wool is characteristic. The nose and paw pads are the same black. White spots are not allowed. In rare cases, kittens are born with a white speck on their chest, which disappears as they grow older. The characteristic features of a bomb are a neat head with round, far-set eyes and medium-sized ears. He has a muscular body, small paws, a graceful gait.

Despite the resemblance to a wild older sister, the bombers are extremely sociable and friendly. They easily get along with young children, willingly play with other pets, often clutch their hands, and love to sit on the owner’s lap. These cats love outdoor games, they bring back an abandoned mouse or ball like dogs. The rest of the breeds do not adhere to such strict rules for preserving the black color of the coat, allowing for various colors. However, experts note that black cats have certain characteristics.

Manx cats have a memorable appearance: a shortened body, fluffy hair and a square muzzle on a round head.They are characterized by prominent cheekbones, a slightly elongated nose, triangular ears and slightly slanting eyes of an almond-shaped shape. Another interesting feature of their appearance is the tail.

Manks easily get along with all family members. They will never scratch a small child, even if it bothers them or hurts. In an extreme case, Manx will hide in a place inaccessible to a small tyrant. They welcome guests, so they will not have to be locked in the next room to avoid trouble. With all the love for the household, these cats themselves choose their owner. Therefore, it is possible that they will purr gently to everyone, and obey and truly seek the attention of only one person.

If the house already has pets, Manx will quickly find a common language with them. And they will get a fun friend for games - after all, this moving and curious animal simply does not know how to sit in one place for a long time. It is no coincidence that it was said about curiosity - if this cat is interested in something, it will climb to any altitude to examine an object that intrigues it. Therefore, all things standing on the upper shelves must be stable or well fixed so that the animal does not harm itself and does not drop anything.

This is one of the largest representatives of domestic cats. The weight of the male can reach more than 15 kilograms (females weigh less, but not by much). These giants have thick, soft hair, a muscular body and powerful legs. The length of the fluffy tail can reach up to 50 cm in length. The head is massive with triangular ears and small but expressive eyes.

Despite its impressive size, Maine Coon neatly moves around the house, bypassing all obstacles. Overturned chairs, pillows dropped from a sofa or broken dishes - this is not about him. It is enough to call a little kitten once to order, he will quickly remember the location of the tray.

Maine Coon is a strong, at the same time friendly and loving cat, which does not snarl at the unpleasant touch of an adult or the squeezing of a small child. It can be trained and can be learned by voice commands. It is not strange, this big cat is extremely shy and afraid of harsh sounds.

Persian long-haired cats are distinguished by their spectacular appearance: a wide snub-nosed nose, a massive head, small rounded ears, huge expressive eyes of yellow or orange color. These animals have powerful paws, a large back and chest. Their coat deserves special attention: the Persians have a dense undercoat, and individual thin fibers can reach up to 20 cm in length.

If you stroke a Persian cat, you will feel as if you touched a soft silky sofa cushion. In principle, the lifestyle of these animals is not much different from the usual furniture accessory: they are lazy, do not like outdoor games and long running around.

Moreover, the Persians are very sociable, affectionate, sincerely attached to all members of the family. They are unobtrusive - even if something is needed, they will not meow angrily, but will sit opposite the owner and look expressively into his eyes. Animals are in good health, but they can get sick from a lack of attention. Therefore, during the day you need to find time to communicate with the pet and not leave it alone for a long time.

This is a small slender cat with a muscular body, a thin neck, high legs and a long tail. She has a large head with high cheekbones, large ears and expressive eyes of yellow or green. Devon Rex is a short-haired breed. Often their black wool is cast with copper or silver, which is no coincidence: on the sides and back soft fibers lie in waves. Light is reflected off the coat, forming a specific hue.

But unobtrusive - if the owners are not at home or they are not ready to pay attention to them, Rex can perfectly occupy themselves on their own. Often they are driven by indefatigable curiosity - this researcher needs to get into even the farthest corner of the apartment. Any new item in the house will also be thoroughly studied. The same applies to guests who have arrived - the cat will not calm down until he learns a new person.

Ears turned outward and backward are characteristic of this breed. This sign manifests itself in kittens as they grow older, and then not all - approximately ⅔ litters grow with ears turned out. By standard, they have a wedge-shaped head shape, muscular body, and average paw size. Curls have soft hair with a small undercoat. The standard allows short-haired and semi-long-haired varieties of these amazing animals.

These animals have no predisposition to hereditary diseases.

Curls are friendly positive animals by nature. They tend to show curiosity and interest in the environment. If the work of the owner involves frequent moving from place to place, the nimble American will quickly get used to the new conditions. These cats love to "talk" with their owner, they love signs of attention from the household. However, they are unobtrusive and can always find something to do. Expressing revenge for inattention by spoiling furniture or clothes is completely out of sorts of neat curls.

And the American cat does not tolerate loneliness. If there is no way to spend time with your pet, you should choose a cat with a more independent character.

The Siberian breed is unique in that it was formed without the participation of breeders. Harsh natural conditions created a cat with thick hair, a heavy muscular body, a dense short neck and a chic fluffy tail. Siberians are characterized by a rounded muzzle with low-set cheekbones, a forehead extended forward and a wide nose. They have wide-set round eyes of blue, green, golden and yellow. Between the paw pads and on the tips of the ears are tassels.

These beautiful mousetraps easily get along with all family members.: they like to communicate with adults, and treat small children like native kittens. They like to run, jump and play. They can climb to the highest places to study the objects standing there. If the owners are away from home for a long time or have little contact with their pet, Siberians sincerely miss and begin to have fun at night.

At the same time, the animal is independent in nature: it hates when it gets bored with stroking and squeezing. Tailing for the owner, demanding attention, they also will not. Hospitality to Siberians is unusual: they growl for a long time at a stranger, considering him a direct threat to the household.

It is believed that blacks need special care.This is partly true, since the black color easily burns out in the sun, forming a reddish tan. Therefore, your pet should not be allowed to stay in direct sunlight for too long.

A prudent owner will take care of the diet of the animal, including meat, eggs, cat grass and various dietary supplements.

Otherwise, you must follow the following rules for the care of wool, taking into account the characteristics of each breed:

• thick undercoat of the manks requires careful combing, at the end of the procedure, the cat's hair can be smoothed with a comb; these animals should be bathed no more than twice a year with the use of special shampoos and conditioners that enhance shine;
• furry maine coon short-haired curl and bombay should be combed out with a comb-brush at least once a week;
• long-haired Persians and Siberians require particularly careful care - cats should be combed daily with a comb with rare teeth, then work out the hair with a curler, and at the end of the procedure with a comb with frequent teeth; animals can be washed up to four times a year, after water procedures, wool should be treated with a special tool to facilitate combing;
• kinky devon rex after combing it is necessary to stroke with wet hands: then the curly-haired villi themselves will fit into neat waves.

There are no great care problems. If the owner sincerely loves his pet, he will easily find time to select a diet, comb out his hair, communicate and play. Well, a fluffy pet will respond with a 100 percent reciprocity and will delight not only with a playful mood, but also with a luxurious appearance.

See the features of Bombay black cats in the video below.