There are a huge number of cat breeds. The owners of such animals treat their pets with special care. They take them to various exhibitions, trying to emphasize the exclusivity of their pet and its compliance with all breed standards. But there are also such owners who are crazy about the simplest, yard cats. It is this type of animal that will be discussed in our article.
Are they outbred?
In recent years, many animal lovers prefer to have non-pedigree pets in their homes. There are reasons for this: yard cats are not picky about food, they have strong immunity and their care is very unpretentious. And yet it would be wrong to call these animals outbred. Both street and thoroughbred cats have common ancestors who lived in the wild. Their modification occurred due to domestication, when the habitual habitat and way of life became completely different.
What does the concept mean"breed"
A breed is a group of domestic animals of the same species that differ from other members of the family in certain ways. This formulation appeared relatively recently, or rather, about 2 centuries ago. Organizations involved in felinology (the study of the anatomy and physiology of domestic cats, as well as the characteristics of the breed and selection), highlight the characteristic properties and features of pets. After that, all these data are formed into a specific standard that suits a particular breed.
Street cats are considered to be outbred, but they also have their own characteristics. Most yard cats belong to aboriginal breeds, which are characterized by certain external signs and a peculiar disposition. All of them were formed naturally, without the intervention of breeders. These include Turkish Angora, Siamese, Persian, Siberian and Celtic cats.
History of domestication of cats
The history of relations between humans and cats goes back several millennia. This amazing neighborhood is evidenced by ancient chronicles and archaeological finds.
For a long period, scientists believed that the first who managed to tame cats were the ancient Egyptians. This conclusion was made after studying one tomb, which was built in 1950 BC. There were corresponding images on the wall paintings. However, studies of Cypriot burials in 2004 disproved these claims. In the tomb, which is about 9500 years old, there werehuman and cat remains found.
In ancient Egypt, these animals were given special attention. They were treasured, as they helped people get rid of the invasion of mice. The Egyptians considered cats to be sacred animals. In the Middle Ages, the attitude towards them was ambiguous: in some countries, cats symbolized kindness and tranquility in the home, while in others, they were credited with magical properties and a connection with evil spirits. Animals were especially widespread in some countries of Europe and North Africa, as well as in Russia, Japan and China.
In those ancient times, people did not attach much importance to the breeds of cats. This concept came into use about 200 years ago, when the rapid development of such a science as selection began.
On the territory of modern Russia, yard cats and cats appeared during the formation of Ancient Russia. The breeding of thoroughbred groups began only in the second half of the 18th century. In those years, the Russian Blue was considered the most popular breed, presumably bred in the UK.
Description of backyard cat breeds
In recent years, it has become fashionable to keep purebred pets in the house. But if you are not too worried about the pedigree of your pet and you just want to have a devoted four-legged friend in your house, you should pay attention to street cats.
If you carefully look at the photos of street cats, you can see that they have certain similarities with thoroughbreds. Since street animals quite often have impuritiesdifferent breeds, it is very difficult to predict what appearance their offspring will have. Hereditary traits can affect the size and color of the animal, the length of the coat and eye color also depend on them.
It is known that most outdoor cats living in the northern latitudes have more massive sizes and thick, fluffy hair. But their relatives from tropical regions have a much smaller coat, and besides, these animals have more grace. In addition to heredity, such external signs are due to climatic influences and habitat.
Ordinary yard cats have one more feature - they always have a coat, the absence of wool is characteristic only of certain breeds. Also, among street relatives, individuals with a white color are rarely found.
The colors of wool in yard cats are so diverse that thoroughbred individuals can envy them. There are animals that have a spotted color, which is a whole pattern. Among street cats, you can often see tricolors. This suit has long been considered lucky. Despite the variety of colors, the most common is light wool with stripes of a dark shade.
Street Cat Character
The nature of non-purebred pets cannot be called unambiguous. Some cats are distinguished by a calm and meek character, while others have an important appearance and imagine themselves to be roy alty. In most cases, these animals are harmless andnon-aggressive.
Advantages and disadvantages
Despite the fact that yard cats do not have such exclusive characteristics as their thoroughbred counterparts, nevertheless, they do not hold merits.
- Strong immunity. Breeding breeds by selection methods greatly weakened the immune system of animals. That is why the life expectancy of street cats is many times higher than that of purebred pets. Yard cats have strong protective functions of the body and are able to resist many infections.
- Love. Such animals are usually docile in nature. They become very attached to the owner who picked them up on the street.
- Reproduction. Since yard cats do not need a thoroughbred partner, finding a mate for her to continue offspring will not be difficult.
- Irreplaceable in the household. Outdoor cats are excellent mouse hunters. Nature endowed the animal with these qualities, and it is among the yard members of the family that this instinct is much more developed.
- Cost. To get a pet, you do not need a large investment. You can pick up a cute, albeit not purebred, kitten on the street. Some cats even choose their own owner, coming to visit, and "imposing" themselves.
- Shows for yard cats. You heard right. Indeed, there are special exhibitions designed for outbred cats. On them, judges evaluate the external characteristics of the animal and its grooming.
The disadvantages include the inability to make decent money onoffspring of a pet and excessive sensitivity of non-pedigreed cats. These animals are very painful to endure any changes that occur in their usual habitat. Noisy feasts and even a rearrangement of the house can negatively affect the pet.
