Page 16 - The Complete Cat Breed Book (DK)

14 INTR ODUC TION T O C A T S

Body shapes
Eastern breeds, such as the Siamese, tend
to have a slender and supple body with thin
limbs and tail. This shape particularly suits
a warm climate because it gives the body a
large surface area, in relation to its volume,
from which excess heat can disperse.
Western breeds, such as the British Shorthair
and most longhairs, are suited to temperate
Slender athletic body Intermediate body
and cool regions. They tend to have a
thickset, or cobby, body with a stockier tail
and limbs. In this instance, the shape
minimizes the body’s surface area and helps
to reduce heat loss. Other breeds such as
the Ragdoll, have a body shape somewhere Cobby body
between these two extremes.

Head shapes
There are three basic head shapes found in
cat breeds. Most cats, including the British,
European, and American Shorthairs,
resemble their wildcat relatives, having a
round head with a wedge-shaped face. In Rounded Long wedge
wedge face face
certain breeds, including the Siamese and
the Devon Rex, the face has a much more
elongated, or extreme, wedge shape. Other
breeds, such as the Persian, are described as
doll-faced. In these breeds the cat’s face is
round with a flat nose, which sometimes
Rounded flat Rounded flat
causes breathing difficulties. face (front) face (side)

Tails
Most domestic cats have a long tail, although
it is slightly shorter than that of their
wild ancestors. The tail is used for
balance and communication. In
Eastern breeds the tail is often thin
with an elastic quality described as
whippy. The defining characteristic of
breeds such as the American and Japanese
Bobtails and the Manx, however, is a short,
stumpy tail—sometimes curved or kinked— Long tail Bob tail
or even a total absence of one. Another
breed, the American Ringtail, has an unusual-
looking curl in its tail; this is due to the cat’s
stronger-than-normal tail muscles, rather
than any skeletal deformity. Ring tail