13 Unusual House Cat Breeds You Might Not Be Familiar With

Chances are that you can name a number of popular dog breeds without a second thought, but what about cat breeds?

While there are a few well-known varieties of cats, such as Persian, Sphynx, American shorthair and Siamese cats, most of the time, we characterize cats by color. Often, they're simply calico, tabby or tortoiseshell, ginger or black and white. After all, while dogs have been historically bred for certain traits and skills, domestic cats were mostly bred for looks. Still, there are some fascinating cat breeds out there that we think more people should know about, and you can discover 13 of our favorites below.

American Bobtail

The American bobtail has been around since the late '60s, bred specifically for its short and stubby tail. They can have either short or long hair, with a shaggy texture, and though they come in many different colors, breeders and pet owners favor the cats with a more wild and outdoorsy appearance, somewhat resembling a bobcat.

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Burmilla

The Burmilla gets its name from being a cross between Burmese cats and Chinchilla Persians, first bred in the U.K. in the '80s. They're notable for their muscular builds and the unique shading of their silvery quite coats, as well as the thick, dark lining around their eyes, nose and mouth that make it look like they're wearing an elegant face of makeup.

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Cornish Rex

A Cornish rex may look a little bit like a Spynx with some fur, though the two are not related. It originated in Cornwall, England in the '50s from a single cat with a genetic mutation that gave it a unique coat. While most cats have three types of hair—out guard hairs, middle awn hairs and a down undercoat, Cornish rexes have only the super soft and fine undercoat.

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Donskoy

At first glance, the Donskoy is another breed that might look like a Spyhnx, but again, this Russian breed is unrelated. Its origins can be traced back to a single cat born in 1987 in Rostov-on-Don in Russia. While in Sphynxes, hairlessness is caused by a recessive gene mutation, the lack of hair with Donskoys is tied to a dominant gene, with all cats with the gene either being born without hair or losing their hair after a few months.

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Highlander

The Highlander is one of the newer breeds on this list, itself derived from crossing two other modern breeds—desert lynx and jungle curl cats. These relatively large house cats were first bred in the United States in the '90s with the goal of resembling big cats with their wild-looking markings, shorter tails and slightly curled back ears. Thanks to the jungle curl lineage, they're also part African jungle cat.

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Khao Manee

The khao manee is a white cat that comes from Thailand, getting its name from the Thai for "white jewel." Unlike many of the other cats on this list, they're a natural breed tracing back hundreds of years. They're notable for their short and solid-white coats, as well as their gem-like eyes, combining in gold, green and blue, and very frequently featuring "odd"—differently colored—eyes.

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Also read about: All the Reasons Cats Are Better Than Dogs

 

Kurilian Bobtail

The American bobtail and Kurilian bobtail may both have "bobtail" in the name, but it's clear from looking at them side by side that they don't have much in common. This cat originates from the Kuril Islands in Russia and is a  natural breed going back more than 200 years. They're notable for their compact, thick bodies, arched backs and short kinked tails, and while the short hair occurs most naturally for them, they've also been selectively bred for the long hair trait. Kurilian bobtails also happen to be excellent at catching mice and other pests.

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LaPerm

One glance at the LaPerm, and you can probably guess where this cat gets its name. They have an unusual tightly curled coat, somewhat resembling a perm, which first appeared in the early '80s in the U.S. as a genetic mutation. In addition to having unique fur, they're recognized for their long legs and neck in various colors and patterns.

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Lykoi

The Lykoi is also known as the werewolf cat, getting its name from the Greek "lykos," meaning wolf. They have a unique genetic mutation that has appeared over the last 20 years in domestic cats, resulting in in a kind of hypotrichosis, or progressive genetic hair loss. Rather than becoming hairless, this typically means they rapidly shed and regrow the hair, giving them a werewolfy appearance reminiscent of monster movies, though these cats are also known for their fond and cuddly demeanors.

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Norwegian Forest Cat

Norwegian forest cats go way back, adapting to survive the frigid and frosty Norway winters and tracing all the way back to viking times in the 16th century. That extra fluffy and majestic coat is as warm as it looks, with long and shiny hair in the outer layer and an extra thick and woolly undercoat to trap heat. They're also notable for their long bushy tails and powerful climbing ability.

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Also read about: In Defense of Cats: 5 Reasons Why Cats Make Great Pets

 

Peterbald

The Peterbald is another unusual Russian cat that's a crossbreed between the Donskoy, which we mentioned earlier, and Oriental shorthair cats. It was first bred in 1994 and resembles the Oriental shorthair in build while inheriting the Donskoy's hairlessness, making them either completely bald or leaving them with just a light and fuzzy coat of velour.

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Snowshoe

Snowshoe cats is a rare breed, if only because it's challenging to reproduce their very specific markings. They first came about in the U.S. in the '60s when a Siamese cat gave birth to kittens with white muzzles and feet. To preserve these colors, these cats were bred with other cats, including bicolor American shorthairs, to preserve this unique coloration and pattern, though it's been a challenge because the associated genes are recessive.

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Toyger

The Toyger's name is a portmanteau of "toy" and "tiger," as these cats were selectively bred from shorthaired tabby cats in an effort to look like tiny tigers. The breed started development in the U.S. in the '80s, focusing on cats with certain dark markings along the face and tiger-like stripes up and down their orange-brown bodies.

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Have a pet cat yourself? Show them off with one of THESE playful photo captions.