There are more than a hundred different domestic cat breeds that are
commonly recognized around the world today. The most widespread
features that differ among breeds are a cat’s coat, eye shape, body type, coat
color, and how long their coat is (short, medium or long).
Some pedigreed cats have naturally occurring traits, but most domestic cats
are bred specifically to bring out a certain feature, or are of a mixed breed
that is unknown – which is what we call a housecat. Housecats have varying
lengths of coat and normally come in a variety of colors such as black,
tortoiseshell, ginger, and tabby.
Basic Cat Body Types
Cobby Cat
Stout, rotund bodies with short legs, round faces, long hair, and round
eyes characterize cobby cats. Pedigreed longhaired breeds fall into this
category.
Muscular Cat
Most shorthaired cats have burly, well-developed bodies with solid short
legs, and are the most common of all of the cat body types.
Foreign Longhair Cat
A select number of breeds differ from the Cobby body type in that they
have elongated bodies with slender legs, almond-shaped eyes and a
medium coat. Some Asian breeds fall into this category, such as the
Balinese.
Exotic Shorthair Cat
Elegant slim bodies, long slim legs, large pointed ears, slanting eyes, and
short hair are all markers of an exotic shorthaired cat. The Egyptian Mau
and Abyssinian both have this body type.
Types of Cat Eyes
Cats have one of three different kinds of eyes: round, almond, or slanted.
Colors range greatly, although green and yellow/gold are the most common,
with blue being the rarest.
