Abyssinian

This breed is very active, colorful and muscular.  They are medium in size, with almond-shaped eyes of green and gold.  Their heads are slightly rounded on top and have long tails.  They come in three special breed colors: ruddy (orange-brown marked with dark brown or black), red (warm and glowing spotted with chocolate brown) and blue (ticked with various shades of slate blue).  Their coats are soft, silky, dense and medium in length. 

Burmese

These cats have stable temperaments and affectionate personalities which place them high on the list of favorite breeds.  They are medium-sized very muscular and are a surprising weight for their size.  They have ample chests and a tails that taper in proportion to their bodies.  Their ears are rounded and tilt slightly forward and their eye color ranges from yellow to gold.  Though best known to be rich sable brown, this breed also comes in platinum, champagne and a striking blue.

Egyptian Mau

One of the oldest breeds of domestic cats along with the Abyssinian, they were first imported in the United States from Egypt in 1953.  Even though their hind legs are longer than the front, the Mau has a well-balanced body.  They have a distinctive spot pattern which applies to all colors: silver, bronze, or smoke and have eyes of gooseberry-green. 

Himalayan

This breed is a combination of a Persian-type cat with a Siamese color pattern.  They have a body conformation of the Persian and the vivid blue eyes and color points of the Siamese.  The color points which consist of their mask, ears, legs, feet, and tail, should be clearly defined against their body color.  Color points include seal point, blue point, chocolate point, lilac point, flame point, cream point, tortoise point, and blue-cream point. 

Maine Coon

This cat can best be described as a longhair that comes in many colors in most of the traditional cat markings.  The color of their eyes varies with the color of their coat.  These cats were developed from the inter-breeding of the many cats brought back by Maine sailors from foreign lands.  Most noteworthy is their size: they can weigh 16 or more pounds when full-grown.  See Picture of Maine Coon to right.

Manx

This tailless cat is sturdy in body and medium in size, with remarkably high hindquarters.  They have an extremely broad and rounded rump with definite hollows in the end of their backbone, where the tail would be normally.  They have a soft voice, sweet disposition and come in many color and coat patterns. 

Persian

This cat’s sturdy body, massive head and flowing coat make it one of the most beautiful longhairs.  They have large, rounded eyes that add to their sweet expression.  They come in a wide variety of colors and coat patterns.  Their long coat carries a full ruff with a short plumy tail.  Their ears are tiny, rounded at the tips and tilted forward.  They have broad noses and short, strong legs. 

Rex

There are two different breeds: Cornish Rex and Devon Rex.  The Cornish Rex has a long, narrow head with big flared ears, a Roman nose and arched body.  There are many recognized colors and patterns. The Devon Rex has a short, wedge-shaped head and big low-set ears.  The body is not arched.  Neither the Devon nor the Cornish Rex can tolerate extreme temperatures.  

Russian Blue

This cat is long, fine-boned, and muscular.  They have long tails, and round, vivid green eyes.  Their body color is a bright, even blue.  Lighter shades of blue are preferred.  They have short, dense, plush coats with a silvery sheen, wide-set eyes, and ears with rounded tips. 

Siamese

These cats are long-bodied, long-legged, active cats whose dainty appearance belies their solid, muscular structure.  Their wedge-shaped head with large, pointed upright ears and vivid blue almond-shaped eyes gives them an exotic look.  They are the most vocal of all breeds and can climb and jump with great ease.  The color points which consist of their mask, ears, legs, feet, and tail, should be clearly defined against their body color.  The Siamese colors are seal, blue, chocolate, and lilac point.