What is Cat Breeding ?

What is Cat Breeding ?

Cats have been breeding themselves for thousands of years. From day one, cats were utilized for one reason and one reason only - hunting and killing rodents. As time has gone by, people began to breed cats for companionship and social acceptance. They were a unique breed of animal that became more than just a mouse-catcher. Soon, different classes of cats began to emerge and were soon bred exclusively to these types of breeds for the purpose of competition. These days, people register their unique breeds of cat in hundreds of cat shows a year for sport.

It has been determined that there are approximately over 40 distinct breeds of cat according to the largest cat breed registry, Cat Fancier's Association. There are about 30 other breeds of cats that are not specific breeds for show but are generally a type of house cat. They do not fit exclusively in any particular class of cat breed for showing purposes and generally fall under the "household pet" category.

Many cat breeds have family roots going back millions of years. One breed, the Japanese Bobtail cat can be traced back more than 4,000 years in history. They were common and well-known occurrences throughout medieval Japan. In the present day however, these cats are but a myth of someone's big imagination throughout Japan and the whole world.

The most common cat breeds are found in the North American region. The alley cat is considered a "breed" of cat but really refers to a cat that was born in desperate circumstances such in alleys and secluded areas only to defend themselves in life's unpredictable situations. They are generally not people friendly animals and never become domesticated or live any place outside of the surroundings to which they came from. One very popular type of cat is the Persian cat, which to this day, don't understand why. The Siamese cat is also a popular breed although has been rumored to be a destructive and foul tempered animal.

Throughout history, cats have been known to be the highest self-producing breed due to the short gestational period and the lack of controlling their freedom to roam. Female cats in heat have very little control over what happens when a male cat senses the biological calling that comes from their scent. This can happen over and over again to one female cat during her prime kitten-bearing years. The sad thing is that with each of her litters, the pattern continues with each generation which is why we have such an epidemic of homeless cats roaming our planet.

With the most cats, it's very difficult to tell what specific breed they may be. Most people don't choose a cat based on breed but more so by their color. Some breeds of cat you can positively identify as a specific breed just by looking at them. You may not know what the breed is called but you will notice that they look different than a run-of-the-mill house-cat.

Just like dogs, specific breeding of cats has become increasingly popular over the years. People read about a new breed of cat that have certain characteristic they are looking for and will gladly pay a fair amount of money for a breed of their choice. To a lot of people, this seems silly to do considering there are so many cats out there that need good homes but I actually feel the same way about specific dog breeds as well. There are just too many homeless animals out there and to "order" a specific breed of animal just to your liking is ridiculous in my book. I will go to the shelter any day of the week to save an animal before I would buy one from a breeder...but that's just me.