Many people are in love with charming cats that have one interesting feature - a flat face. These cute creatures look very interesting and always attract views. A similar type of cat snouts was bred artificially. Initially, there were no cats in nature with such a muzzle structure. Today we will take a closer look at different breeds whose representatives have such a distinctive feature.
Features, Pros and Cons
There are a great many different breeds of cats, and each of them has its own individual characteristics that distinguish them from other subspecies. Such a non-standard structure of the skull of animals is differently called brachycephalic. This is not the intention of nature, and the work of man - cats and cats with similar features were derived artificially. In fact, such a design of the animal's muzzle is not normal.
Simply put, it is a kind of pathology. But today, animals with such a structure are not treated as defective. On the contrary, charming owners of flat attractive faces are incredibly popular and loved by many people. Representatives of several well-known breeds have a flat face.
The rest of their characteristics, external data and behavioral features can vary considerably.
It is necessary to understand what are the main advantages and disadvantages of cats with flat faces. Let's start with the good - get acquainted with the positive aspects.
- The main plus which is seen for such pets, lies in their original and very interesting appearance. Even in our time, when it is difficult to surprise anyone of various breeds, animals with a brachycephalic skull attract a lot of attention.
- The jaws of such pets are strongerrather than representatives of rocks with a classical structure of the muzzle.
- The lion's share of cats with a similar structure has a very affectionate, friendly character. They are sociable, unobtrusive and behave absolutely calmly in everyday life. It is these qualities that many people look for in pets.
And now we will look at what are the disadvantages of these unusual pets.
- For such cats it is necessary to pick up not ordinary, but special dishes, from which they can comfortably drink and eat without undue interference.
- Custom skull shape These pets become the inevitable cause of noisy sleep, snoring and snorting. Some people do not like such peculiarities of animal behavior, they cause irritation.
- Cats with flattened snouts are distinguished by that have shortened tear ducts and non-specific form of the nose. These factors lead to the fact that such pets, under severe stress, can suffer from strong discharge. Similar problems may occur if the cat has been in the cold.
- Some animal species with a similar skull structure. they cannot eat on their own, regardless of the food chosen and its consistency. These animals should be treated like small children - fed with a spoon. Far from every person agrees to this, so it’s necessary several times to think whether you are ready to acquire such a furry fidget.
- Features of thermoregulation in these animals are that they do not tolerate the effects of low temperatures.
- Due to the nasal discharge described above such cats very often suffer from all sorts of infectious diseases.In addition, they are prone to allergic reactions.
From all of the above, we can conclude that deficiencies in these cats more than advantages. Although, many minuses of similar animals are better called their features.
If you properly care for these cats, treat them, taking into account all their individual requirements, then there will be no problems with the content. As a rule, people are satisfied that they have brought such cute creatures.
Breeds
Brachycephaly is a characteristic feature of some pedigreed cats. Let's get acquainted with the most popular ones.
Persian
The history of the luxury Persian cat has more than one hundred years. At all times, the representatives of this breed were insanely popular and in demand.
The nose of the Persians is slightly upturned, and the eyes are large and round. Usually these cats have a long and silky coat, which is very pleasant to the touch. To iron these lovely creatures is a pleasure. The body of the Persians squat, short paws. The coat color of these pets can be very diverse.
There are several subspecies of Persian cats. They differ in the following features:
- the classic type - in such pets, the nose is just below the eye line;
- modern type - in these animals, the edge of the nose is in line with the lower eyelid;
- extreme type - if the cat is of this type, then it will have a characteristic concave nose, which is flush with the inner corners of the eyes.
All these cats are real couch potatoes. They have a calm and balanced character. Kittens are playful, but as they grow up they become more and more peaceful and sedate.
These individuals are easy to educate and love to sit on the hands of a person. They very rarely meow or make other sounds, and usually do not show aggression.
Exot
Otherwise, this breed is called an exotic shorthair. Her representatives are the result of the crossing of the American Shorthair and Persian cats. Outwardly, these individuals are very similar to the Persian breed. They differ only in short hair.
Exotics are more like extremal Persians. They also have a snub nose, expressive eyes and a squat body shape. The paws of these cats are also not very long. The character of these pets is considered absolutely calm, peaceful and playful.
Exotics have always been gentle pets, for which they are loved by many fans of cats with a flattened attractive face. They rarely give voice and love their master very much. Besides, exotics seamlessly coexist on the same territory with other pets.
Himalayan
Himalayan cat looks gorgeous and unusual. True, still not all organizations recognized it as a separate breed. Some experts consider it one of the subspecies of the Persian breed of cats.
These charming little animals are distinguished by the same flat face, expressive blue eyes and long hair. The color of the Himalayan cat is the same as that of the Siamese. These cats are very calm, do not get involved in fights and conflicts.
Without resistance and anxiety, they can endure almost any manipulation by a person, so young children are very fond of them.
British Shorthair
These cats are very popular and widely distributed. The main distinguishing feature of the breed is that their flat muzzle is broad and rounded with slightly lowered cheeks. The body of the British is also squat, and the limbs are short. There are many options for coloring furry pets. Classic is considered to be those individuals whose wool has blue, cream, red, black, purple shades or color tabby.
British shorthair cats differ appeasable character.They behave intelligently and carefully, showing excellent education. These animals seamlessly endure long loneliness. Kittens love to play and behave funny. The British are patient animals and release claws only in exceptional cases.
Scottish lop-eared
Such animals have a non-standard structure of the auricles - the ears seem to move forward and bend down. The tighter the ears touch the head, the more valuable the cat is recognized. In animals, the muzzle can also be flattened, but not at all in the same way as in exotic or Persian beauties. The body of the lop-eared aristocrats has a more powerful build. They have a short coat of wool, characterized by softness.
Most often, the color of these animals is monochrome - blue, beige or chocolate. But you can meet and multicolored individuals or cats with striped color.
Scots are unpretentious in matters of care. Their character is characterized by balance, therefore, usually such pets behave absolutely calmly. These individuals quickly become attached to humans. Scottish Fold kittens are big lovers of plenty of fun, but still amenable to training and education. Scots often stand on their hind legs or sleep on their backs - at such moments they look very cute and funny.
How to care?
Seals with a flat face need to ensure proper maintenance. Consider how to take care of these cute pets.
- Care for the cats' eyes. Do not constantly wash your eyes with water, especially if you have a Persian cat. It is better not to use cotton wool for processing - its pile can get into eyes. When carrying out the procedure used paper napkin or cloth. They are moistened with a weak solution of boric acid or special drops, and then they clean the eyes of a cat, you can use the tool "Optic-gel".
- Give cats dry food to prevent accumulation of plaque and tartar on the teeth. You can buy a chewing toy. Brush your teeth with special toothpaste at least 1 time per month. Use a special brush purchased at the pet store.
- Regularly inspect the ears of cats with a flat muzzle. At least once a month, clean the ears with cotton swabs. As soon as the pet's ears become dirty, they should be cleaned immediately.
- Take care of the normal state of the animal's claws.. Buy or make a scratching post. Once a month, trim the claws using a nail clipper. Cut the excess part straight and grip no more than 2 mm.
- Brush long-haired pets every day, bathe cats. If the wool is long, then it should be done every 8-12 weeks.
- Feed your pet high-quality natural food or feed premium and super premium. You can not feed salted, smoked, fried, fatty, sweet foods, as well as cheap economy-class feed.
Animals with a flat face are among the most interesting and popular. They are turned on by many people who want to keep in their home a sweet, beautiful and unusual friend.
About the features of exotics, see below.