Scientific classification and varieties of cat

The domestic cat was named Felis catus by Carolus Linnaeus in his Systema Naturae of 1758. Johann Christian Daniel von Schreber named the wild cat Felis silvestris in 1775. The domestic cat is now considered a subspecies of the wild cat: by the strict rule of priority of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature the name for the species thus ought to be F. catus since Linnaeus published first. However, in practice almost all biologists use F. silvestris for the wild species, using F. catus only for the domesticated form.

In opinion 2027 (published in Volume 60, Part 1 of the Bulletin of Zoological Nomenclature, 31 March 2003 ^[1]) the International Commission on Zoological Nomenclature "conserved the usage of 17 specific names based on wild species, which are predated by or contemporary with those based on domestic forms", thus confirming F. silvestris for the wild cat and F. silvestris catus for its domesticated subspecies. (F. catus is still valid if the domestic form is considered a separate species.)

Johann Christian Polycarp Erxleben named the domestic cat Felis domesticus in his Anfangsgründe der Naturlehre and Systema regni animalis of 1777. This name, and its variants Felis catus domesticus and Felis silvestris domesticus, are often seen, but they are not valid scientific names under the rules of the International Code of Zoological Nomenclature.

Varieties of domestic cat

The list of cat breeds is quite large. Each breed has distinct features and heritage. The owners and breeders of show cats compete to see whose animal bears the closest resemblance to the "ideal" definition of the breed (see selective breeding). Due to common crossbreeding in populated areas, many cats are simply identified as belonging to the homogeneous breeds of domestic longhair and domestic shorthair, depending on their type of fur. In the United Kingdom and Australia, non-purebred cats are referred in slang as moggies (also an archaic slang word for a prostitute, probably referring to a female cat's promiscuous habits). In the United States, a non-purebred cat is sometimes referred to in slang as an alley cat, even if it is not a stray.

Cats come in a variety of colors and patterns. These are physical properties and should not be confused with a breed of cat.

Household cats are divided into:

• Domestic longhaired
• Domestic shorthaired

Cat coat genetics can produce a variety of coat patterns; some of the most common are

Bicolor cat

Also known as 'Tuxedo cat' or 'Jellicle cat' (tuxedos are mostly black with white paws/legs, bellies, chests, and possible markings on face).

Maltese cat

The former name for a blue (grey) cat.

Oriental cat

(not a specific breed, but any cat with an elongated slender build, almond-shaped eyes, large ears and very short sleek fur).

Tabby cat

Striped, with a variety of patterns. The classic "blotched tabby" pattern is the most common and consists of butterflies and bull's-eyes. The mackerel tabby is a series of vertical stripes down the cat's side (resembling the fish). This pattern broken into spots is referred to as spotted tabby. The worldwide evolution of the cat means that certain types of tabby are associated with certain countries; for instance, blotched tabbies are quite rare outside NW Europe, where they are the most common type.

Tortoiseshell and Calico

Featuring three colors mottled throughout the coat, this cat is also known as a Calimanco cat or Clouded Tiger cat, and by the nickname "tortie". A true tortoiseshell must consist of three kinds of color: a reddish color, dark or light; white; and one other color, typically a brown, black or blue, as described by American breeder Barbara French, writing for the Cat Fanciers community ^[2]. Calico cats are white with distinct black and red (or blue and cream in the dilute variant) spots. The Japanese refer to this pattern as mi-ke (meaning "triple fur"). Both tortoiseshell and calico cats are typically female because the coat pattern is the result of differential X chromosome inactivation in females (which, as with all normal female mammals, have two X chromosomes). Those male tortoiseshells that are created are usually sterile; conversely, cats where the overall color is ginger (orange) are virtually always male, and a litter sired by a ginger tom usually contains tortoiseshell females. See "Tortoiseshell and Tricolour Cats" for an extensive genetic explanation for tricolor cats, and detailing the possible combinations of coloring.^[3]

References

1. ^  Tortoiseshell and Tricolour Cats. URL accessed on November 27, 2005.
2. ^  AAAS - AAAS News Release. URL accessed on August 8, 2005.
3. ^  CBC News:Ancient tomb may hold oldest pet cat. URL accessed on August 8, 2005.

This article is licensed under the GNU Free Documentation License. It uses material from the Wikipedia.