THE ABYSSINIAN Abyssinian, red, or sorrelbreed of domestic cat, probably of Egyptian origin, that has been considered to approximate

the sacred cat of ancient Egypt more closely than any other living cat. The Abyssinian is a lithe cat with relatively slender legs and a long, tapering tail. The short, finely textured coat is ruddy reddish brown, with individual hairs of the back, sides, chest, and tail distinctively ticked, or tipped, with bands of black or brown. The nose is red, the eyes are hazel, green, or gold, and the tail tip and backs of the hindlegs are black. The Abyssinian is noted for being affectionate and quiet, though generally shy with strangers.

THE BURMESE The Burmese is a compactly built cat with a small, rounded head and wide-set, round, yellow or golden eyes. The short, finely textured, and glossy coat darkens from a milkchocolate colour in the kitten to a rich sable brown in the adult. The underside is paler than the coat; the ears, face, legs, and tail may be darker. The tail is tapered and may be either straight or kinked near the tip.

THE CORNISH REX A curly-coated breed of domestic cat that has a dense, soft coat lacking any projecting guard hairs, or outer coat. Except on the head, legs, and paws, the coat forms fairly deep waves, or crimps. The eyebrows and whiskers of the Rex cat are crinkled, the eyes are almond-shaped, and the ears are large and high set. The adult Rex cat is slender and usually has long legs, a long neck and head, and a long, tapering tail. Show cats may be any of the colours or patterns that are accepted for domestic cats.

THE HIMALAYAN (COLOURPOINT LONGHAIR) breed of domestic cat with the colouring of the Siamese and the build and coat of the longhair, or Persian. The Himalayan is produced by matings between Siamese and longhairs followed by selected breeding of the offspring to bring out the proper colouring, coat, and build.

A good Himalayan is cobby (of stocky build) and short-legged with long, soft fur, a broad, rounded head, and round blue eyes. Born cream-coloured, it later develops the darker points (ears, face, legs, and tail) of the Siamese. The points, as in the Siamese, may be deep brown (seal point), lighter brown (chocolate point), blue gray (blue point), pinkish gray (lilac point), or reddish orange (red point).

THE MANX A breed of tailless domestic cat of unknown origin but presumed by tradition to have come from the Isle of Man. Noted for being affectionate, loyal, and courageous, the Manx is distinguished both by its taillessness and by its characteristic hopping gait. It is compactly built, with a rounded head; large, round eyes; and small, wide-set ears. The rump is also rounded and, because the hindlegs are considerably longer than the forelegs, is distinctly higher than the shoulders. The Manx may be born with a tail but ideally should be totally tailless with a hollow at the end of the backbone where the root of the tail should be. The double coat may be any solid, variegated, or tabby colour.

THE PERSIAN (LONGHAIR) A breed of domestic cat noted for its long, soft, flowing coat. Long-haired cats were originally known as Persians, or Angoras. These names were later discarded in favour of the name longhair, although the cats are still commonly called Persians in the United States. The longhair, a medium-sized or large cat with a cobby (stocky), shortlegged body, has a broad, round head, a snub nose, and a short, heavily haired tail. The large, round eyes may be blue, orange, golden, green, or copper-coloured, depending on the colour of the cat. The soft, finely textured coat forms a heavy ruff about the neck. The longhair is bred in a number of colour varieties. The solid, or self, colours are white, black, blue, red, and cream. Patterned coats include shaded silver and black (smoke); silver, brown, blue, or red with darker markings (tabby); white finely ticked with black (chinchilla); cream, red, and black (tortoiseshell); calico, or tortoiseshell and white; blue-gray and cream intermingled (blue cream); and bicoloured. The colours of tortoiseshells, calicos, and blue creams are genetically linked with the sex of the cat. Almost all are females, and most of the few males are sterile. Blue-eyed white cats may be deaf.

Longhairs with Siamese markings (ie, pale body and dark face, ears, legs, and tail) are Himalayans, or colourpoints. Similarly marked longhairs with white paws are called Birmans. Peke-faced longhairs have short, pushed-in faces similar to the Pekingese dog - this variety is banned in the UK. Longhair cats, although generally considered more languorous than short-haired cats, are, like shorthairs, noted for playfulness, affection, and the ability to defend themselves if necessary.

THE RUSSIAN BLUE A breed of domestic cat noted for the quality of its short, plushlike coat. Characteristically a quiet and gentle cat, the Russian Blue is a solidly coloured, bluegray cat with round, green eyes and soft, silky fur that resembles sealskin in texture. A fine-boned cat with long, slim legs and a slender body, it has a relatively long, tapering tail and a wedge-shaped head. The ears are large, broad at the base, and pointed at the tips.

THE SIAMESE This is a popular short-haired breed of domestic cat originally from Siam (Thailand). Its origin as a breed is unknown. The Siamese is a lithe, long-bodied cat with slim legs and a long, slim tail. It has a long, wedge-shaped head and slightly slanted blue eyes that give it an "Oriental" expression. Some Siamese have crossed eyes or kinked tails, but these features are discouraged by breeders of show animals. The breed is a partial albino; kittens are born white or cream coloured and later develop the dark points (ears, face, legs, and tail) characteristic of the breed. The points may be dark brown (seal point), blue gray (blue point), milk-chocolate brown (chocolate point), pinkish gray (lilac point), or reddish orange (red point). The colour and coat pattern are genetically recessive characteristics; that is, neither feature is apparent in the immediate offspring of a Siamese that is mated with some other breed. Despite its graceful build and relatively small size, the Siamese is a muscular, agile cat. Characterized as affectionate and loyal, though sometimes destructive, it is regarded by some of its admirers as the most intelligent of domestic cats. It is highly vocal and possesses a range of cries, including a penetrating mating call.