A Portrait of the Cat [Hardcover] Andrew Morris

PCats have been around since time immemorial, and they have been valued throughout, not only for their usefulness but also for their beauty and companionship. As with some other domesticated animals, cats seem to have come to an arrangement with mankind that is of mutual benefit to both, in which they protect our food stores, and we protect them in return. But considering our long and successful relationship with the domestic feline, the phenomenon of the pedigree cat is a surprisingly recent one.PHow many types can you identify? The chances are you might recognize at least a few of the following breeds#58; Persian, Maine Coon, Siamese, Abyssinian, Russian Blue, Tonkinese, Burmese. But these are only a few of the 40 or so recognized by the world#8217;s major cat registries today, and there are a handful more that are quite new or rare and not yet officially accepted.PCats have graced us with their presence since earliest times; the Ancient Egyptians valued them above all other animals to the point of deification. But it took the rise in popularity of cat shows in late 19th-century England to establish selective breeding in order to form separate feline types. All but a few of these are less than 100 years old, and most of them have appeared on the scene far more recently. Compare this with the dog world, where rudimentary selective breeding began several thousand years ago. IA Portrait of the Cat /Idoes not include every breed in existence today, but of those featured here, all represent the strength and beauty of the cat in all its many guises.BRBR