History of the domestic cat (Part II)

Cats began being illegally smuggled to Asia soon after they
were domesticated in Egypt. The Asians immediately loved cats
and began breeding them right away. There are several
distinct breeds of cats that were first produced in Asia, such
as the Siamese, the Balinese, and the Himalayan.


Birman

During the 16th century Native South Americans were
introduced to the domestic cat by Spanish explorers. The
Aztecs called the cat 'Mizton' or Little Lion' because it
looked like the mountain lion!


Abyssinian

Other areas of the world have local distinctive breeds of cats,
some of which have been produced by man. The Persian cat
was developed in the Persian Gulf; the British Shorthair and
Longhair were first bred in the UK; the Maine Coon in the
new American colonies.


Havana Brown

Other breeds came about as spontaneous genetic mutations,
such as the American Curl cat, a breed characterized by how the
ears fold back into a curl. The American Curl first appeared
spontaneously in a litter of kittens on a New York State Farm.


Siamese

Still other breeds came about when domesticated cats were
moved to a new location, later abandoned, and became feral,
such as the Norwegian Forest Cat, a woolly breed native to the
cold forests of northern Europe.


Singapura

Domestic cats today still take many characteristics from their wild ancestors. The arresting eyes, body shape, feeding and grooming habits are the same along with the ability to pounce into action at any given moment. It is this link that makes the domestic cat so fascinating around the world.


Ragdoll

Today cats are the second most popular pet, with dogs being first. Today, 1/5 of households own a cat. They are popular because they are one of the easiest pets to look after and because of their loyalty, affection and playfulness. There are many different breeds today but there are 36 main pure breeds.


Cornish Rex

36 breeds of domestic cats.

Abyssinian
American Curl
American Shorthair
American Wirehair
Balinese
Birman
Bombay
British Shorthair
Burmese
Chartreux
Colorpoint Shorthair
Cornish Rex
Devon Rex
Egyptian Mau
European Burmese
Exotic
Havana Brown
Javanese
Japanese Bobtail
Korat
Maine Coon
Manx
Norwegian Forest Cat
Ocicat
Oriental
Persian
Russian Blue
Ragdoll
Scottish Fold
Selkirk Rex
Siamese
Singapura
Somali
Tonkinese
Turkish Angora
Turkish Van

Sources:

http://www.petcaretips.net/cat_history.html

http://www.articlealley.com/article_79087_54.html