Cat Breeds

The York Chocolate Cat is a new American breed of show cat, with a long, fluffy coat and a plumed tail and most of them are black. The first part of its name is taken from New York state, where it was bred in 1983. This breed was created by color-selecting domestic longhaired cats, and as the name suggests, all members of this breed are solid chocolate or lavender, solid chocolate and white, or lavender and white (bicolor cat). The breed is not yet widely recognized by breeders and the Cat Fanciers' Association.

The York Chocolate cat is a medium to large cat with a rounded head and a moderately long muzzle. They have large, almond-shaped eyes that are either gold or green. Their bodies are big-boned and muscular, with long necks. The cats have big fluffy tails, tufted feet, and sometimes ruffs. The coat is semi-longhaired and very fine. It is either solid chocolate, solid lavender, white and chocolate, or white and lavender. The kittens are much lighter, and tabby markings and tipping is acceptable until the kitten reaches eighteen months of age.

The York Chocolate Cat is a very friendly, even-tempered breed that is very content as a lap cat. They love to be held and cuddled. The cats are intelligent, energetic, and curious, happily following their owner around looking to stir up trouble. They are good companions and good hunters. They seem to be enamored with water.

The Ukrainian Levkoy is a cat breed of an original appearance, hairless and with folded ears. These cats are of medium size, the body is rather long, muscular and slender of rectangular format. The bare skin of Levkoy is soft and hot, it is excessive, elastic and wrinkled. Levkoy cat's peculiar features are: special angular contour of its head and "stepped" profile (dogface appearance) folded ears and large, but not well wide opened, almond-shaped eyes. They are very friendly and active. The cats express sexual dimorphism.

Work on breed creation has been begun in 2000. Sketches of appearance of a cat, definition of breed and a choice of the genotypes reflecting a phenotype were executed by Elena Vsevolodovna Birjukova (nursery "Ladacats", Kyiv, Ukraine, ICFA RUI Rolandus Union International). The first, registered Breeding commission ICFA RUI a cat the Ukrainian Levkoy, on a nickname "Levkoy Primero" was born on January, 21st, 2004. In 2008 in various the organisations of Ukraine and Russia it is registered more than 200 individuals of cats of this breed, the Ukrainian Levkoy much of them in the fourth generation. Some tens cats already live outside of the former USSR.

A Twisty Cat or squitten is a cat breed with unusually short forelegs or unusually long hind legs that resembles a squirrel. It is an example of a cat body type genetic mutation. The word squitten is a portmanteau of the words squirrel and kitten.

The term kangaroo cat is also, rarely, used; this derives from a 1953 specimen known as the Stalingrad Kangaroo Cat.

The term squitten is generally used to refer to cats with the condition radial hypoplasia (underdeveloped radius bones) or foreleg micromelia (small forelegs) and related conditions known as radial aplasia (absent radius bones), radial agenesis (failure of radius bones to form) that produces stunted forelegs. The mutation sometimes occurs in the random-breeding population, particularly in inbred populations where recessive genes may be exhibited. Such cats have also been called twisty cats; in the late 1990s, several were deliberately bred at Karma Farms, a horse farm and cattery in Marshall, Texas, resulting in a public outcry against the operators of the farm.

Radial hypoplasia is related to one form of polydactyly, sometimes called patty feet or hamburger feet by cat lovers to distinguish them from thumb cat polydactyls. Ordinary mitten cat polydactyls are not affected.

Cats with radial hypoplasia or similar mutations often sit on their rump with their forelegs unable to touch the floor; this gives them a resemblance to a squirrel or kangaroo. This raises special care considerations for owners of affected cats. Kittens may be unable to knead effectively with their short forelegs; kneading is required to stimulate milk flow in the mother. The short or twisted forelegs cause mobility problems and such cats may adapt by using their hindlegs in a hopping gait.

A corresponding condition affecting the hind legs is called Femoral Hypoplasia and has only been reported three times in cats.

Typical characteristics of a squitten are short forelegs, with a short radius and ulna which may be twisted or absent, extra front toes, and normal-length hind legs.