The spotted color of the animal is a very bright feature and always attracts attention. Of course, the domestic leopard or tiger in a normal apartment does not have, so today, many pet lovers are eager to buy a pet with a spotty color. But not everyone knows how correctly one or another breed of spotted cats is called. It is worth saying that there are quite a lot of such breeds, so before choosing a suitable spotted friend, you should familiarize yourself with their list, take into account habits and requirements for the care of a certain breed.
Only by knowing the characteristics of breeds of domestic cats of spotted color, can we make an informed decision about choosing a kitten.
Color features
Most breeds of spotted cats are bred artificially. Nevertheless, in the genes of such cats there is an admixture of wild animals, as regards not only wool. It is worth considering what animals need such coloring for. The fact is that spotted wool helps wild cats to disguise themselves in the wild. This allows her to sneak up on mining without being seen or to hide from the enemy.
Wild felines are first-class hunters. Of course, domestic cats have no desire to search for and catch prey. However, spotted cats are very unpretentious and graceful creatures. This they adopted from their wild brethren. Such animals are extremely independent.
You can even say that they are independent, despite the fact that they are pets.
This is especially true for those owners who want to have a pet, but may often not be at home or do not have time for frequent games with the cat and for careful care of him. It is important to note that some pets may have problems with the stomach or the heart system. Unfortunately, such problems are not so rare for breeds that were artificially bred.
But with proper care, which does not require much effort, such cat health problems can be avoided.
Breeds
It is worth getting to know in more detail what breeds of cats with spotty color do exist.
Bengal
The most popular species can be called the Bengal cat. The color of the Bengal cat's fur is very similar to the leopard color. This breed was produced by crossing the genes of an ordinary cat and a leopard. Usually they have a brown shade of wool, on which spots are highlighted.
Bengal cat is a very beautiful pet. To make it really home, you need to teach her to a person from an early age. This breed is a bit wild.
They are hard to contact, especially with strangers. But if they spend most of their time with the owner, they are very attached to him.
Besides the fact that the Bengal cat's hair is very bright and beautiful - it is also short. This is very important for many people planning to have a pet. Cats with long hair everywhere leave “traces” of their presence in the form of clumps of fallen wool on the floor, furniture and clothing. But the Bengal cat does not have such a disadvantage, since its wool is short, easy to comb out and wash. Typically, representatives of this breed have an elongated body with a long neck. This physique gives the Bengal cat a special grace.
Savannah
This breed of spotted cats is very beautiful and, one might even say, intelligent cat.This breed has a high level of intelligence, fast learner, restraint. Such cats were bred in the 80s of the last century, so the breed is considered to be quite young. Many owners say that the savannah is almost not afraid of water, although this problem is characteristic of almost all felines. An adult cat of this breed has a large size (up to 15 kg) and a long body, which should be taken into account when drafting a pet food ration.
Ordinary bags with ready-made food are not enough here, since such a cat is quite large.
Pixybob
This is another bright spotted representative of cats. This breed was bred quite recently. But, in contrast to the same Bengal cat, the pikybob looks more like a lynx. These cats have a gray fur, on which dark spots appear. Ears with tassels make the pixoba even more similar to the trot. Nevertheless, experts say that this is an extremely friendly breed. It really is. Pixybob is almost unnatural manifestation of aggression. They are very affectionate, they love outdoor games, they perfectly treat all households and know how to converge well with other animals.
This breed is an excellent choice for those who want an unusual pet, which would be affectionate and calm.
Arabian Mau
This breed is also quite bright and young, but many still do not officially recognize it. These cats have received great fame in the Arab countries. It is noted that the kittens of this breed, being small, are big restless. They are extremely active and love outdoor games. Growing up, the Arabian cat becomes more serious and restrained. Many owners call Arabians "wise" cats.
California
California shining cat was bred to increase the population of dwarf leopards. Homeland of this breed is America. The history of the breed is quite interesting. It is worth considering why it was to increase the population of leopards. The fact is that throughout the world in the last century, a huge fashion for exotic wild cats arose. The choice of many fell on dwarf leopards.
They began to catch for illegal sale, so their number has declined sharply.
American scientists have decided to do the following - to bring such a breed that could replace the dwarf leopards. The result was a Californian shining cat, which was a mini-leopard. She has a beautiful coat with pronounced spots. The great advantage of this breed is also its character - very peaceful and affectionate.
Lop-eared scottish
To spotted breeds can also be attributed lop-eared Scottish cat. This breed can have a great variety in color. The spots on their back usually fold into stripes that run through the body. But the main feature of Scottish cats is a very unusual shape of the ears.. They are bent down. By the way, in small kittens of this breed, the ears can be normal and only with age get this shape.
British
Usually British cats have a marble shade or tabby color. These cats are very attached to their owners and are very true. They worry and feel sad after a long separation, but they sincerely rejoice even in the simple treatment of attention from the owner. But the trust of such a cat still needs to be earned.
It is advisable to purchase a British cat as a kitten, so that he gets used to one owner.
Geoffroy
The homeland of this breed is South America. However, it is a wild cat, which can be purchased only for very big money. This cat has a small size, although it lives in the wild. She has a rather stern temper.
Ocicat
This is another interesting American breed. Unlike many of its other spotted brethren, this cat did not appear due to the crossing of a common and wild breed.The ancestors of this cat are quite domestic breeds, for example, Siamese. Such a cat has a short fur and looks very beautiful. Coat color may be different. And also the cat has very expressive eyes, which also come in different colors (except for blue). The ears of this breed are quite large and have a rounded shape.
It is also worth noting several rather rare breeds of spotted cats, which may not be very popular, but are very beautiful in appearance.
Toyger
These cats have received such an unusual name, because the toyger means "little tiger". Cats of this breed are very similar to the tiger, but, of course, have smaller dimensions. Nevertheless, they have excellent muscles, as well as short, but very dense wool. It is noted that they do not have an aggressive nature and tendency to catch prey. On the contrary, the toygers are extremely friendly and affectionate.
Manul
It is impossible not to distinguish this breed, since it has become very popular lately. Cats have very fluffy hair and a long tail. They have small ears, very developed paws and dark specks all over their body. However, manulov has a very stern look, which can create the impression that this is a rather aggressive animal. There is no big aggression in the manual.
Of course, this is a wild breed that does not really trust a person, so it may take a long time to tame a manul.
How to choose?
Before you start a spotted cat, you must consider a number factors.
- For a start it is worth deciding what kind of animal is suitable. That is, whether it will be wild or domestic. If the choice fell on a wild kitten, then it will have to spend a lot of time to properly raise and tame. No matter how a wild animal is raised, it still will not become as close to a man as a domestic breed. In addition, wild cats quickly wean from a person with a long parting.
- Keeping a wild cat in an apartment is also quite problematic. These animals need the will and more free space. With its deficiency, they begin to spoil the furniture, walls, and so on. Whatever one may say - these are predators, which are very difficult to tame.
- Buying a wild cat is more expensive financially. Some owners point out that among the wild representatives, such breeds as ocelot, geoffroy and serval are best amenable. Of course, even the selection of such breeds will not be able to 100% guarantee the complete domestication of the animal to the home.
If you plan to buy a domestic cat, then everything is easier, although there are some special features too. Today there are a large number of domestic breeds (listed above), which are outwardly similar to wild cats, but have a very friendly and affectionate character.
An important fact - kittens are very difficult to distinguish by breed, when they are very small. All breeds at an early age are alike. This is often used by fraudsters, so buying a kitten of a certain breed costs only from verified individuals or in a nursery.
Keeping purebred cats
If the spotted cat has already been acquired, the care of the selected animal is important. It is noted that thoroughbred cats need more thorough care than out-of-breeds. Ordinary cats are more hardy and picky in the diet. They are less susceptible to various diseases.
One of the main factors that should be considered when keeping a pedigree cat is nutrition. Properly formulated diet - the key to good animal health. It is not necessary to feed the cat exclusively with prepared feeds from supermarkets. Periodically, you need to give your pet natural meat, make cereals from various cereals, and give dairy products. These products contain a large amount of vitamins and proteins, thanks to which the animal will have beautiful wool and strong bones.
An important aspect is vaccination.
Already at a young age a kitten must be shown to a veterinarian. He will be given all the necessary vaccinations, as well as a specialist will give advice on proper maintenance and care. A visit to the vet is required for any deterioration in the health of the pet. In no case should not engage in self-treatment.
Do not forget about the hygiene of your pet. Periodically they need water treatments. It's no secret that almost all representatives of the cat, to put it mildly, dislike water. This causes big problems for the owners when they are trying to redeem their cat. Such a procedure may require a lot of time and effort, but over time, the animal can be accustomed to bathing..
It is necessary to highlight the main aspects that need to be considered when bathing your pet.
- Before embarking on a water procedure, it is necessary to prepare for it. Before the process of bathing, you must carefully comb the cat's hair. Since the animal is likely to dodge and scratch, then it is necessary to cut his claws in advance, which is done with a special claw cutter. In no case should a claw be cut off completely. Simply cut the tip to about 2 mm. The cats have blood vessels in the claws, if they are damaged, the animal will be very painful, and this can cause some problems - an incorrect growth of the claw in the future, infection, and so on.
- It is also worth pre-lay the rubber mat on the bottom of the bathroom or tankin which the cat will swim, which will avoid slipping.
- You must use a special shampoo for cats. For thoroughbred cats are often used specialized series of shampoos. You can buy it in pet stores. And also many owners use baby shampoo when bathing cats, but it is undesirable to use it for the care of a purebred cat.
- No need to wet the cat head. Pet head should be gently moistened with a sponge or cloth. You must ensure that the water does not hit the cat in the ears. As well as experts advise to pre-make a cat ear tampons made of cotton to completely eliminate the ingress of water.
- One of the main points is to constantly talk with the animal in the process of swimming. The human voice and the sound of your own name is very soothing to the animal.
- Breeds with fluffy hair must be bathed more carefully. And it is advisable to dry their wool with a hair dryer, as towel drying will be longer and more problematic. And although many breeds have short hair, it grows rather densely in them, therefore, it is also necessary to apply shampoo very carefully so that it penetrates deeply.
- As a reward for patience and stress, you can give your pet a treat. Do not frequently carry out the procedure of bathing. Pets are not subject to great pollution, so do not injure them with frequent water procedures.
The subject of hygiene is the toilet of the animal. Tray - this is the first thing that should be at the time of the cat in the house. To date, there are different variations of trays for cats, including bioholot, and trays with automatic cleaning. It is necessary to follow the cat's toilet - to clean and change the filler in time. It is necessary to teach a kitten to the tray from an early age. Usually this process does not take much time and effort. Cats themselves find a suitable place to go to the toilet, and in the apartment such a place is only a tray.
The main thing is to keep it clean. In an uncleaned tray, a cat may disdain to walk.
The next aspect is illness. Cats are often prone to diseases of the nose, eyes and ears. This may be due to the structural features of these organs, since they may differ in different breeds. Therefore, it is worthwhile to periodically wipe and clean the ears with cotton swabs and sticks. Wipe your nose and eyes with a cotton swab dipped in warm water. Such ordinary hygiene can prevent the development of serious diseases.
Sometimes cats have problems with their teeth. Their teeth can also hurt, so care is also important for them. The most common disease is tartar. To prevent its occurrence, it is sometimes worth cleaning the cat's teeth. This procedure, like bathing, is not easy, but quite feasible. The main thing is to secure the animal.
This can be done by holding it under the armpit, but not too much, otherwise the animal will already feel pain and will start to panic.
Problems with the stomach and heart are completely dependent on the diet of the animal and its physical activity. About the diet already mentioned above. The main thing - do not allow overeating and do not give your pet too fat. Excess weight and low physical activity greatly reduce the level of work of the heart and lead to a decrease in life expectancy. Many owners do not keep cats constantly in the apartment. Sometimes they take them on walks on special leashes. New impressions, fresh air and space will only benefit the animal.
In general, the care depends on the size of the cat, the length and density of its fur. For more accurate recommendations, it is advisable to periodically show the cat to the veterinarian. Above were the main breeds of spotted cats. Knowing their names and understanding how this or that breed should look, one can make no mistake when choosing. But the main thing - to choose an animal, not because it is rare and beautiful.
A cat is not a decorative ornament, but an animal that requires attention, respect and proper care.
About the spotted Bengal cat can be viewed in the video below.