How many cats are there in Russia and in the world, where do most cats live on Earth?

How many wild cats

It is impossible to determine how many wild cats there are in the world. One has only to imagine that the cat genus is more than 35 million years old and there are no less than forty species. They inhabit all continents, except that they are not in Antarctica. There are almost a million lynxes in the world alone. But the population of some felines, thanks to humans, is steadily falling, despite regular offspring. In just the last twenty years, the number of African lions has decreased tenfold, tigers have become catastrophically few - no more than 5 thousand on the entire planet. There are about 15 thousand Asiatic cheetahs, and the Russian snow leopard boasts an even lower number - two thousand individuals.

Main criteria

The breeds presented below are generally recognized by all organizations.

Features of wool

Depending on the length of the coat there are:

long-haired (coat length about 15 cm) - this group includes Persians, Burmese and Siberians;
shorthaired - Egyptian, Chartreuse, blue;
with curly or kinky hair - German and Cornish Rex;
wire-haired - American;
hairless - sphinx, bambino.

Color

In addition to the length of the coat, color is also important:

tortoiseshell – Persians, bobtail;
spotted - chinchilla, American with short fur;
single color - Havana and Korat;
two-color – ragdoll, Norwegian forest;
motley - angora.

Drawing

In addition to the color of the fur coat, which can combine several colors, types are distinguished according to the type of pattern:

solid – gray, black, red;
zonal – spotted, striped;
white – representatives of this species have a white color with spots of various colors and shades on the coat;
silver – smoky, cameo;
color point - the body is darker in color, and the paws are slightly lighter.

Russia has become Europe's leader in the number of domestic cats

In Russia, the organizations “National Bolshevik Party”, “Jehovah’s Witnesses”, “Army of the People’s Will”, “Russian National Union”, “Movement against Illegal Immigration”, “Right Sector”, UNA-UNSO, UPA, “ are recognized as extremist and banned. Trident named after Stepan Bandera", "Misanthropic Division", "Mejlis of the Crimean Tatar People", the "Artpodgotovka" movement, the all-Russian political party "Volya", AUE. Recognized as terrorist and banned: "Taliban Movement", "Caucasus Emirate", "Islamic State" (IS, ISIS), Jabhad al-Nusra, "AUM Shinrikyo", "Muslim Brotherhood", "Al-Qaeda in the Islamic Maghreb" "

Organizations, media and individuals recognized as foreign agents in Russia: Voice of America Idel.Realii Faktograf Sever.Realii Limited Liability Company Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty Czech News Agency MEDIUM-ORIENT Ponomarev Lev Aleksandrovich Savitskaya Lyudmila Alekseevna Markelov Sergey Evgenievich Kamalyagin Denis Nikolaevich Apakhonchich Daria Aleksandrovna "Medusa Project" Limited Liability Company "First Anti-Corruption Media" "VTimes.io" Badanin Roman Sergeevich Glikin Maxim Aleksandrovich Manyakhin Petr Borisovich Yarosh Yulia Petrovna Churakova Olga Vladimirovna Zhelez Nova Maria Mikhailovna Lukyanova Yulia Sergeevna Maetnaya Elizaveta Vitalievna “The Insider” Rubin Mikhail Arkadyevich Groysman Sofya Romanovna Rozhdestvensky Ilya Dmitrievich Apukhtina Yulia Vladimirovna Posternak Alexey Evgenievich Limited liability company TV channel Dozhd Petrov Stepan Yurievich Legal entity Istories fonds Shmagun Olesya Valentinovna Marokhovskaya Alesya Alekseevna Dolinina Irina Nikolaevna Shleinov Roman Yurievich Anin Roman Alexandrovich Velikovsky Dmitry Alexandrovich Limited Liability Company "Altair 2021" Limited Liability Company "Daisies Monolith" Limited Liability Company "Chief Editor 2021" Limited Liability Company "Vega 2021" Limited Liability Company "Important Foreign Agents" Katkova Veronika Vyacheslavovna Karezina Inna Pavlovna Kuzmina Lyudmila Gavrilovna Kostyleva Polina Vladimirovna Lyutov Alexander Ivanovich Zhilkin Vladimir Vladimirovich Zhilinsky Vladimir Alexandrovich Tikhonov Mikhail Sergeevich Piskunov Sergey Evgenievich Kovin Vitaly Sergeevich Kiltau Ekaterina Viktorovna Lyubarev Arkady Efimovich Gurman Yuri Albertovich Grezev Alexander Viktorovich Vazhenkov Artem Valerievich Ivanova Sofia Yuryevna Pigalkin Ilya Valerievich Petrov Alexey Viktorovich Egorov Vladimir Vladimirovich Gusev Andrey Yuryevich Smirnov Sergey Sergeevich Verzilov Petr Yuryevich Limited Liability Company "ZP" Limited Liability Company "Zone of Law" Limited Liability Company "JOURNALIST- FOREIGN AGENT" Voltskaya Tatyana Anatolyevna Klepikovskaya Ekaterina Dmitrievna Sotnikov Daniil Vladimiro Vich Zakharov Andrey Vyacheslavovich Simonov Evgeniy Alekseevich Surnacheva Elizaveta Dmitrievna Solovyova Elena Anatolyevna Arapova Galina Yuryevna Pearl Roman Aleksandrovich Limited Liability Company "MEMO" American (USA) Autonomous non-profit organization for the protection of human rights and informing the population "Yakutia - Our Opinion" Limited Liability Company "Moscow Digital" media" Joint Stock Company "RS-Balt", Levada-Center

Cat Cafe Neko no Niwa, Singapore

The owners of many cat cafes try not only to brew delicious coffee, but also to attract the attention of visitors to the problem of stray and stray cats. Sam and Sue, owners of the Singapore cafe Neko no Niwa (literally translated as “Cat Garden”), say: “Our colleagues in Japan, Korea and Thailand usually only have purebred cats. But all animals deserve love and affection, especially homeless and abandoned ones.” Therefore, only selected animals live in their cafe. The regulars' favorite, blue-eyed beauty Emma with snow-white fur, was also sheltered from the street.

Description of the main breeds

The main types of cats were derived from the earliest, but not always the most widespread, breeds. And now breeders continue to experiment with these species, achieving new results.

British.
They became the founders of two main lines: British Longhair and Shorthair, the older of which is the Shorthair. Both species are characterized by ideal hair, which is very easy to care for: it does not mat and does not shed as actively as other representatives of the cat world.
.
Their color resembles wild rabbits, which is why they got their first name - “rabbit cats”. Very easy-going, with a good disposition and graceful body.
Scottish.
There are 2 main forms - straight-eared and lop-eared. The basic one was straight-eared, and lop-eared was the result of genetic experiments, during which it was possible to fix the gene responsible for the regression of cartilage tissue.
American Curl.
The main distinguishing feature is the ears, which bend inward or backward at different angles. The inner surface of the auricle is densely pubescent. American Curls are very active animals; their playfulness and activity remain in them until old age.
European Shorthair.
Experts believe that this breed was formed with minimal human intervention. It is quite difficult for a non-professional to distinguish these cats from ordinary yard cats, since they are as close as possible in genotype and appearance.
Angora.
There is an opinion that she became the predecessor for all long-haired pedigree groups. A distinctive feature is the absence of undercoat and a thick collar around the neck.
Egyptian Mau.
Of all the species currently known, the Mau is the most ancient. Her image was first drawn 3 thousand years ago. Her eyes look very unusual: they seem to be lined with eyeliner, and a “W” pattern is visible between her ears.

The history of cats is still shrouded in mystery. Today it is known that ancient people depicted these animals in manuscripts and drawings 10-15 thousand years ago.

Each breed, each type of cat has its own unique history, which dates back to ancient times. A lot is known about cats, but not everyone knows where cats came from, why they began to live side by side with humans, where their history began in Russia and how they spread throughout the world.

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Russia is a cat superpower

Almost a thousand comments in English, and every second one mentions Russia. Unexpected attention - from users of the Western image board, who are engaged in heated debates under, at first glance, an ordinary publication. They are discussing a map of Europe, where the Russian Federation stands out not only in size, but also in another important parameter.

It is calculated in cats. Or, to be precise, in the number of apartments and houses that have at least one cat. As it turned out, in Russia and Belarus this figure is higher than all others and is more than 50 percent. That is, it concerns every second person.

Next come Romania and Latvia. But Spain and Greece, for example, are among the laggards. There are only 10 percent domestic cats.

A variety of conclusions can be drawn from these interesting statistics. But Western users, understandably, first of all wonder about the reasons for such unobvious superiority. And while some people are announcing the move out of love for animals, others are openly perplexed - they say, how did it happen that Russians love cats more than anyone else in Europe.

During quarantine, this trend has only intensified. Indeed, the virus has brought cats and Russians together. But this is not the main reason for friendship.

“It’s all because they captured us!” – Russian-language commentary on the sensational publication. It is unknown where the statistical data came from. But experts urge not to doubt them.

That's really true. On the European map of love for cats, Russia and Belarus are the brightest spots. It’s as if they really are occupied territories. Experts have been recording a progressive explosive cat addiction in our country for several years now.

“Cats have become very popular in recent years. This is probably due to the fact that people lack communication with living nature. I would like there to be some flowers and animals at home. Statistics tell us that the number of people purchasing cats especially increased during the first epidemic of the COVID-19 coronavirus. This is March, April. Because people were sitting at home, they were bored. And they wanted some kind of communication,” says Elena Shevchenko, president of the International Felinological Association.

In general, Russia is one of the world leaders in the number of pets. Every month, residents of our country spend more than 36 billion rubles on their smaller brothers. That is, in six months an amount equal to the cost of the Crimean Bridge is spent on food and veterinarian services. In our country, about 70 percent of families keep at least one pet. This is an absolute record in Europe. In some places in Latin America you can find a higher percentage. Only there, as everywhere else on the planet, dogs prevail.

And only in Russia are cats listed. Here we have a world record. There are more than 30 million of them in the country (again, according to some estimates). That is, every third European cat is ours.

Most often they are started by young people aged 18 to 24 years. Psychologists believe that in the frantic pace of modern life, they simply really want to have someone nearby who loves and will always support. But it does not require constant attention.

“For a person, this can be a way of caring for some other creature, a way of showing parental feelings. When getting a cat, they pursue the same goals: to find a friend and to be useful. Plus the story with grooming: when we touch someone, comb them, give them a massage, this is a very strong calming anti-stress therapy,” explains psychologist and animal behavior consultant Yulia Mysheva.

With love for cats, everything is clear. But why are they not liked in some parts of Europe? In reality, each country needs to be considered separately. For example, in Germany there is a pet tax, and having a cat is simply expensive.

As for the Spaniards and Greeks, you shouldn’t think that they have hearts of stone either. The statistics included only domestic cats. And in warm southern Europe they don’t have to be domestic. Many live on the streets and are, as it were, common.

“There is such a practice. Even many pharmacies have bowls of food and water for homeless animals - cats, dogs. Plus we have a park where cats live. People can come there and chat with them, pet them,” says Victoria Drozhzhina, a representative of the “Spain in Russian” portal.

Russia not only imports, but also exports cats. Several popular breeds originate from our country - for example, the curly-haired Ural Rex and the fluffy Siberian cat. The same fluffy, but without a tail, the Kurilian Bobtail, the Don Sphynx and the St. Petersburg Sphynx with giant ears.

In general, now it’s official: Russia is a cat superpower. Looks like we have a new national symbol. Bear, move over.

Fold cats

The first mentions of this breed date back to the 19th century, but other than the fact that a cat similar to a fold-eared one was described in the literature, no more information is provided.

Folds are a Scottish breed by origin. But much of the credit for breeding and improving the breed belongs to the British. They kept records of all individuals and even wrote down the names of the owners and names of the animals.

There, through genetic research, interesting facts about the lop-eared gene were revealed. He is not as harmless as he seems. It involves deformation of cartilage, which leads to disruption of the bone skeleton and health problems.

In Scotland, the first mention of fold-eared cats dates back to 1959. According to historical reports, farmer William Ross really liked his neighbor's cat, whose ears were unusually folded. This was Susie, who was born from the simplest parents and was unlike the rest of her relatives.

In 1961, Susie gave birth to two kittens, who also looked like their mother. This is considered the beginning of breeding Scottish Fold cats.

All fold-eared cats on the planet are brothers and sisters from the same mother - Susie. For this reason, the breed was at risk of mutations. Then the Ross family turned to geneticists who developed a crossbreeding program. They began to actively breed fold-eared animals, opened a nursery, and soon the association of cat lovers recognized fold-eared cats as a breed.

There are 12 million more pets in Russia: results of the census of cats and dogs Mars Petcare

According to Mars Petcare, the pet population in Russia has grown by 23% since 2021, or by 12.1 million animals. Today it reaches 63.5 million domestic dogs and cats living in Russian families. The growth rate has accelerated compared to the previous three-year period, when the increase was 14%. The number of cats in 2020 was 40.8 million (+25%), dogs – 22.6 million (+21%).

59% of Russian households have pets (+5 percentage points from 2021). Today, 70.4 million Russians over 14 years old are pet owners. Moreover, 20% of families own both cats and dogs. Over the past three years, Russia has retained third place in the world in the number of cats after the USA and China, and in the number of dogs it has overtaken India and risen to fourth place.

Three quarters of the population growth was provided by residents of rural areas and cities with a population of less than 500 thousand inhabitants. Over three years, they acquired +4.4 million and +4.6 million pets, respectively. In cities with a population of 500 thousand to 1 million inhabitants, the population increased by 1.4 million dogs and cats, and in cities with a million-plus population, pets increased by 1.6 million. In the capital, domestic dogs and cats increased by 100 thousand individuals .

The main barrier to getting a pet was the lack of time to care for it - 19% of Russians believe that they do not have enough time to care for a cat, and 25% choose this reason when talking about why they do not get a dog. Lack of space in the apartment is also an important barrier to getting a cat (9%) and a dog (21%). The third most popular reason is allergies to cats (15%) and dogs (8%) among family members.

Russians have become more responsible and humane towards pets

Increasingly, Russians perceive a pet as a family member (44% of cat owners and 34% of dog owners), a friend (24% and 36%, respectively) or a child (19% and 15%). Only 12% of cat owners and 14% of dog owners consider their pet to be just an animal.

The choice of pet diet becomes more conscious. Russians continue to give preference to industrially produced complete feeds. Over three years, their use increased from 76% to 80% among cat owners and from 45% to 52% among dog owners. At the same time, in Russian cities, industrial diets are chosen by 89% of cat owners and 62% of dog owners, and in the capital – 97% and 86%, respectively. In rural areas, there is also a positive trend: more and more owners prefer this type of food for their cats and dogs – 63% (+4 p.p.) and 39% (+6 p.p.), respectively.

The humanization of attitudes towards pets leads to the popularization of treats. Today, 75% of cat owners and 80% of dog owners “delight” their pets. At the same time, the share of delicacies from the table is decreasing compared to 2017, while industrially produced delicacies are growing. Specialty industrial products are chosen by 24% of cat owners and 26% of dog owners.

Today in Russia, among the entire population of domestic animals, 16% of cats and 19% of dogs have identified health problems. The most common are problems with the sensory organs and digestion. Over the past three years, the proportion of such pets has increased, especially in cities. The company attributes this to the trend towards a more responsible attitude towards animals and an increase in the frequency of visits to veterinary specialists and, as a result, better diagnostics.

More statistics on the population of cats and dogs in Russia

Russia is a cat country. There are almost twice as many cats as dogs. A characteristic feature of our country is the tendency to increase the number of families with more than one cat.

Of the 40.8 million domestic cats, two thirds live in cities, the rest in rural areas. Moreover, more than half of them live in families of two or more people. Russians living in a private home most often have more than one pet.

Pedigree pets account for 26% of the total number of cats. The most popular cat breeds in our country are the British Shorthair, Siamese, Scottish Fold, Siberian and Maine Coon.

More than half of domestic dogs live in cities (56% of the total population). However, in rural areas a dog lives in every second family, and in the city - only in every fourth.

The number of families of two or more people who have a dog has grown to 35% in three years. The most popular breeds in Russia remain the German Shepherd, Yorkshire Terrier, Chihuahua, Toy Terrier and Central Asian Shepherd. Less than half of the pets are outbred – 46%.

Portrait of the most popular cat and dog in Russia

The most popular cat in Russia is called Musya, she is from one to seven years old. She is outbred, healthy and unsterilized. She eats commercially produced food and receives both treats from the table and special foods. Her owners are a married couple who consider her a member of the family.

The most popular dog in Russia is called Sharik, he is from one to seven years old. He is mongrel, lives in the city, and has no health problems. The ball is unsterilized, eats commercial food and table food, and also receives table treats and special foods. Its owners are a married couple who consider it a friend and companion.

“Our company works to make the world a better place for pets, and we see that Russian society is actively moving towards a more responsible attitude towards its pets. This is expressed at different levels: from changes in legislation to the growing trend of taking pets home from shelters. We are seeing other positive developments, such as an increase in pet parents seeking professional veterinary care and a shift to a complete, balanced diet that better meets the needs of our four-legged friends than table food. During the year of the pandemic, people were able to fully feel the beneficial role that pets play in our lives, and were able to take more sensitive and attentive care of their health,” notes Olga Kostrova, vice president of marketing at Mars Petcare in Russia.

Felinological organizations

On the website of each association you can see what standards exist and what should be a prerequisite for a particular breed. This information is published so that animal owners do not fall for the tricks of unscrupulous people who pass off a mixture of a Persian cat and an Abyssinian cat as “unique.” Nowadays this phenomenon is in fashion, and some breeds bred in this way are called “designer”. But they can ask for a large amount of money.

In any case, when purchasing, you must always ask for a pedigree; without it, the cat cannot be considered purebred.

This document is compiled and issued by felinological clubs, and the organization is an association of such clubs.

Organizations existing today:

WCF is the most famous, allowing 70 varieties of cats, 9 new ones (which includes Savannah, Tiffany, Bristol, York Chocolate and others), “no species” (domestic), and not yet recognized unregistered ones;
FIFe has 51 cat breeds;
TICA speaks of 73, “mongrel”, 3 practically recognized (Serengeti, Highlander DS (longhair) and Highlander KSH (shorthair), one provisionally recognized (Minskin);
The CFA has "legalized" just over 40 varieties of pets;
Others: GCCF, International Feline Association (IFA), ICU, Assolux, WACC, ASC, AFC and FARUS.

What does "thoroughbred" mean?

When they say that a cat is purebred, they mean that it has a pedigree, which is an official document provided by the club. The club must be a member of one of the international organizations. A purebred cat meets a certain standard - it has generally accepted parameters (height, weight, appearance features, etc.) that are typical for the corresponding species. But it is subject to change periodically.

In addition to the main characteristics of the species that must be met, the standard describes disqualifying qualities. This is a list of flaws, both in appearance and in health, to which representatives of this breed are prone. The presence of disqualifying qualities listed in the standard does not give the right to individuals to take part in selection due to the high risks of genetic inheritance of defects by subsequent generations.

The most “catty” countries in the world. Which countries have the largest number of cats?

Today

200 million cats live in the nine "cat" countries.

Japan - 7.25 million cats

There are entire “cat islands” in Japan - Tashiro and Aoshima. On Tashiro Island there is a small cat sanctuary called Neko-jinja; the Japanese who come here consider it their duty to feed the local cats. According to legend, this brings good luck. On the island of Aoshima, the cat population is already 8 times higher than the human population, and local cats have long survived only at the expense of tourists. This is from open sources.

Photos from open sources

Germany - 7.75 million cats

In Germany, the number of stray animals is growing steadily – counting in the millions. The main reason is the free range of unneutered domestic cats. In 2014, the Germans estimated that stray cats caused damage to green spaces in cities worth 500,000 euros. The issue of stray cats was brought up for public discussion, but citizens of the country spoke out against the destruction of stray animals.

Photo from personal archive

UK - 7.75 million cats

Domestic cats live in many families and homes in the UK, including the Prime Minister's residence. British animal welfare laws are among the most advanced in the world. But nevertheless, there are also a lot of stray cats. 85% of kittens in England are born “over plan”. As a result, government expenses for maintaining cat shelters are increasing from year to year. Over the past few years, the population of cat shelters in England has grown to 40 thousand.

Photo from personal archive

Italy - 9.5 million cats

Cats in Italy enjoy a lot of privileges and are allowed to roam freely throughout the country, with many shelters and volunteers at their service. One of the most famous shelters for cats is Torre Argentina in Rome. Cats can freely come here to eat and rest, and then go on about their business. The Le Gattares movement – cat lovers – is widely developed in the country. These are groups of women who come together to feed homeless cats in their area and, if necessary, provide them with assistance.

Photo from personal archive

France - 9.5 million cats

France is a country where cat owners use them not only as pets, but sometimes as a fashion accessory, such as lap dogs. The country has strict rules for keeping pets, and all domestic cats must be registered in a national database. Each cat must have an identification mark on itself in the form of a tattoo or microchip with information about the owner. This partly helps the French in identifying stray cats (if they have escaped from home), but does not solve the problem of increasing the population of stray animals. Cases of attacks by stray cats on dogs and even people are regularly recorded in the country.

Photos from open sources

Brazil – 12.5 million cats

The lack of accurate statistics does not allow us to establish the real ratio of domestic and stray cats in this country. There is definitely a noticeable increase in the number of pets in this country - this can be seen in the dynamics of cat food sales. Over the 5 years from 2007 to 2012, sales grew by 37.6%, to $869 million per year. (Editor's note: By comparison, sales of cat food in Russia in 2015 amounted to more than $1 billion.)

Photo from personal archive

Russia – 12.5 million cats

Russians, for the most part, love pets very much. Cats live in many families, often in more than one. Among them there are relatively many outbred animals taken from the street. At the same time, Russia has its own world-famous breeds of domestic cats - for example, the Russian Blue (from the editor: also the Siberian, Neva Masquerade, Don Sphynx, Kuril and Mekong Bobtails, etc.). In addition to them, Russia is known for a significant population of stray cats roaming the streets of cities. At the beginning of 2015, the whole world was excited by the news about a stray cat Masha, who saved a newborn baby from death in Obninsk. A child abandoned in the entrance would certainly have frozen, but the cat warmed him with her body and called people for help.

Photo from personal archive

China – 53 million cats

China has the third largest market for pet products (after the US and UK. Russia ranks 5th, India 4th). But, parallel to the increase in the number of domestic cats, the population of stray cats is also growing. Thousands of stray cats roam the streets of Beijing. Stray cats create problems for the environment, cause the spread of diseases and cause road accidents. On the eve of the 2008 Olympics, many stray animals were destroyed in China. Most stray cats in this country are animals abandoned by their owners. The Chinese get rid of cats for various reasons: abandoning them when moving to a new place or kicking them out for fear of contracting a contagious disease like SARS. Luckily for cats, there are many organizations in China that help homeless animals. They help cats avoid painful death at the hands of local “Balloons” and urge the country’s authorities to use more humane measures to control the domestic animal population.

Photo from personal archive

USA – 76.5 million cats

In the United States of America, every third family owns cats, and each such family has an average of 2.2 cats. American cat owners often take additional cats into their home - from the street or from a shelter. Most Americans receive cats as gifts from family or friends, 34% pick them up on the street or at a shelter, and only 3% buy cats from breeders.

Photo from personal archive

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What breeds of cats are there?

All cat breeds are divided by felinologists into several categories. The division is based on the characteristics of the animal’s fur, namely the length of the coat. The names of the cat categories are appropriate:

long-haired: have fluffy long hair that needs to be regularly groomed (washed and combed);
semi-longhaired: characterized by shorter fur, but also in need of special attention;
shorthaired: the more common type of pet. Cats with modest, smooth coats are the progenitors of all other cat breeds;
hairless or hairless: have virtually no hair. The length of their fur is no more than 2-3 mm, while the hairs are very soft and thin.

Also, all cat breeds are divided into types depending on size:

Small ones. Adult representatives weigh no more than 2 kg. Among them are short-legged breeds that resemble a dachshund in cat form.
Average. Their weight reaches 4-6 kg.
Big ones. They can grow over 80 cm in length and gain an impressive weight of more than 12 kg.

Geography of the cat population

The largest number of pets lives in Australia, where there are 90 cats per 100 people. This number of pets probably compensates for the absence of their wild relatives there. Second place goes to Asia, where more than 30 million cats live on the Indonesian islands. In Peru, for example, cats are treated not as pets, but as meat with all that it implies.

There are almost three hundred species of domestic cat breeds. And this is not the limit of human imagination. There were years during which up to fifty new cat breeds appeared to the world. It’s probably worth stopping so as not to overdo it with the number of cats on the ground. It is better to take care that their wild relatives do not become completely extinct.

More statistics on the population of cats and dogs in Russia

Russia is a cat country. There are almost twice as many cats as dogs. A characteristic feature of our country is the tendency to increase the number of families with more than one cat.

Of the 40.8 million domestic cats, two thirds live in cities , the rest in rural areas. Moreover, more than half of them live in families of two or more people. Russians living in a private home most often have more than one pet.

Pedigree pets account for 26% of the total number of cats. The most popular cat breeds in our country are the British Shorthair, Siamese, Scottish Fold, Siberian and Maine Coon.

More than half of domestic dogs live in cities (56% of the total population). However, in rural areas a dog lives in every second family, and in the city - only in every fourth.

Animals in Russia

It is still unknown exactly where cats came from in Russia, but it is known that in the 12th century animals already lived in Rus'. They were in small quantities and were worth their weight in silver, like oxen and other arable animals. Therefore, not many could afford them.

For murder, as in ancient Egypt, punishment was imposed - but more lenient - a huge fine, because it was these animals that saved the crop from rodents.

By the 15th to 18th centuries, cats became more common and could be afforded by ordinary people. But closer to the 19th century, there were so many of them in the villages that the peasants handed them over to special people for their skins. Then the clergy, concerned about the cruel behavior of people, again issued a decree to protect these animals. Special openings were even made in the temple gates to make it easier for pets to enter.

Over time, cats spread widely throughout Rus'. They were considered an attribute of wealth and prosperity. A decree was issued stating that every store must have a cat that ate mice, thereby protecting people from dangerous infections and epidemics.

Pets were ordered by rich people from Holland and other countries. The animals lived at the court of Catherine the Great, daughter of Peter the Great and Nicholas the First.

From those times came proverbs and sayings related to pets. In mythology, it was believed that cats help the brownie in his work. Black cats are known to be especially shrouded in myths and legends. It was believed that through black animals the brownie learned about the affairs of the family who lived in the house. They were believed to be the best mouse hunters.

A ritual that has survived to this day is that the cat should be the first to enter a new house. Then in such a house there will always be order, prosperity, comfort and a lot of positive energy.

There are holidays dedicated to pets. In Russia it is March 1st, and in the world it is August 8th - World Cat Day.

According to statistics, at the moment there is one pet per 4 families.

Among them there are all kinds - simple, outbred or rare and purebred. A little history about the most common breeds.

Growing pet population in Russia

Text: Andrey Sitnikov

At the Pet Business Summit held in Sochi, Mars Petcare presented the results of a study of the pet population. The project is being implemented jointly with the Ipsos agency and covers more than 50 countries, including Russia. In our country, the study was conducted for the third time (in 2014, 2021 and 2020), but it was presented to the wider professional community for the first time.

According to Marianna Onufrienko, director of government relations and public organizations at Mars Petcare, who made a report at the Summit, the results of this unique study will have an impact on the Russian pet business for at least five years.

The study was conducted through telephone surveys and affected more than 7 thousand Russians over 16 years of age. A representative sample was obtained for urban and rural Russia at the level of federal districts and urban clusters. The size of the animal population in Russia, the number of families with pets, the attitude of owners towards dogs and cats, the characteristics of pets and diets were studied.

Pet population

Today, more than half of Russians—70 million people—are pet owners. According to the study, 59% of Russian families have a cat or a dog, and 20% have both a cat and a dog. Families with cats predominate - 48%, 31% of households have dogs. Over three years, the number of domestic cats and dogs increased by 23% and reached almost 64 million individuals (the growth dynamics are also given in relation to 2021). Of course, it is not only the number of animals that determines the market volume, but it is this indicator that is the foundation for its further growth.

Two-thirds of the increase in the entire population came from cats; in three years there were 8.1 million more of them, and the increase was 25%. The number of dogs increased by “only” 4 million, but even here the dynamics turned out to be record-breaking - 23%. The maximum contribution to the increase in the population was made by families who got a cat or dog for the first time. According to experts, they are the most valuable to the pet industry today because they are open to everything new.

The geography of the increase in the number of pets deserves special attention. Cities showed an increase of 25%, rural areas - 22%. In Moscow the population increased by only 2%. The number of pets in million-plus cities increased by 20%. The greatest increase in the population of domestic animals was observed in cities with a population of 500 thousand to 1 million - 42%. In cities with a population of less than 500 thousand people, the increase was 24%.

Pet market experts suggest that in Moscow and other major cities, an increase in sales of cat and dog food will occur due to premiumization. Companies operating in cities with a population of up to 1 million will have two sources of growth - premiumization and category penetration.

Populations of domestic dogs and cats in the context of populated areas and federal districts show interesting dynamics. Thus, almost 26 million cats live in cities, the population has increased by 23%, and 12.7 million dogs, the number of which has increased by 29%. There are 14.9 million cats living in rural areas, a population increase of 28%, and 9.9 million dogs, the number of which has increased by 13%.

The greatest population growth was observed in the Far Eastern, Ural, Volga and Southern federal districts.

Pet relationships

One of the most important conclusions of the study is that the humanization of attitudes towards pets has finally won throughout Russia. More than 85% of respondents regard their pet as a member of the family, as a child, friend or companion. Particularly revealing are the figures regarding attitudes towards dogs. Humanization is the main driver for improving the culture of keeping pets and treating them responsibly.

The study also touched on barriers to purchasing a pet (52% of families do not have a cat, 69% do not have a dog). Why don't people get them? There are many reasons, but there are three main ones. The first two relate to dogs: there is no time to take care of the animal and there is not enough space in the apartment. The main reason why cats are not adopted is allergies.

The pandemic has prompted many to purchase a pet. But owning a cat is much less troublesome, which is why the study showed an uptick in the number of kittens. There are practically no “Covid” puppies.

Pet profile

The average cat in Russia is healthy, unsterilized, middle-aged, mongrel - Russians love “mongrels”, only 26% of purebred animals. The top five most popular breeds are British, Siamese, Scottish, Siberian and Maine Coon. The cat population is increasing both due to new owners - growth drivers: rural areas and cities with a population of less than 1 million people, and due to penetration - the average number of cats per household is increasing.

Most owners consider their cats to be healthy. However, this perception is often associated with a lack of culture of seeking veterinary help. An increase in the percentage of animals with problematic health indicates the development of the habit of examining animals. Since regular animal examinations outside of large cities have not yet become part of the behavior of owners, veterinary clinics, as well as the segment of dietary feed and veterinary preparations, have high potential for development as a result of educational work.

Less than half of cats in cities are sterilized, and even fewer in rural areas. In this regard, Russia is very far from developed countries: in France, almost 80% of cats are sterilized, in England - 83%.

Cat owners are people of different ages and social status, but 61% of them are women. According to experts, they are slightly more valuable customers because they spend more time in the store, expand their range of purchases more easily, and are happy to talk with consultants.

80% of cat owners use industrial food, and only 24% use industrially prepared treats. This product category provides huge business opportunities.

The average domestic dog in Russia today is a purebred male of medium size and middle age (closer to old age), healthy and unsterilized. The main growth is due to new families getting a dog. It is rare for a family to keep multiple animals. Recently, the popularity of dwarf breeds has noticeably decreased in favor of small ones. The most common breed in Russia is still the German Shepherd. The top also includes Yorkshire Terrier, Chihuahua, Toy Terrier and Central Asian Shepherd Dog.

Most dog owners, like many cat owners, consider their pets healthy, but research says the proportion of dogs with identified health problems is almost 20% and increasing. This is also due to the availability of veterinary services. In rural areas there are more healthy animals - this is a clear sign of “underexamination”. Among the main ailments are problems with the sensory organs, food allergies, diseases of the gastrointestinal tract and joints.

Dog owners include people of all ages. The generation of 55–64 years old attracts attention - people who just yesterday did not think about purchasing dogs are now actively getting them. It is noteworthy that there are slightly more men among “dog people” than among “cat people,” but their purchasing behavior is the same. At the store, they know exactly what they need and stick to the “shopping list.” At the same time, men often buy large packages and technically complex products.

52% of domestic dogs in Russia eat industrial food. This is a big plus for e-com players and the specialized channel, which bear the main “sales burden” of dry dog food. As for industrially produced treats, this area, as in the case of cats, has huge growth potential for manufacturers and sellers.

General conclusions

The Pet Products category will do quite well in the next 3-5 years and remain attractive for business. The past year has proven that this sector of the economy is stable and actively developing for all major representatives of the pet industry: manufacturers, distributors, retailers. It is desirable that the fundamental foundations of the category - the number of pets and their owners - be further strengthened by “activators” - professional and more intensive work of market participants.

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Wild cats

It is also impossible to determine how many cats are in the wild on planet Earth. Their representatives live on all continents except Antarctica. Some species have fully adapted to being close to humans. Thus, the lynx totals about a million individuals in the world. But some cat populations are dying out before our eyes, despite constant offspring, and therefore it is difficult to say exactly how many cats there are on earth. This is due to human activity and environmental degradation.

There is such data on endangered species.

lion - currently lives less than 20 thousand;
cheetah - less than 15 thousand;
tiger - no more than 6 thousand;
Asian leopard - approximately 100 individuals;
snow leopard - a snow leopard with the most beautiful fur in the world - less than 100 individuals;
white lion - several dozen.

This is interesting: The structure of a cat's paw

WWF has compiled a ranking of Russia's cats based on their numbers

1) Central Asian leopard – isolated cases of animal entry

In first place in the ranking is the Central Asian leopard. It was once widespread in the Caucasus, but since the mid-20th century its numbers fell sharply and it was practically exterminated. Today, leopards only occasionally enter Russian territory from Azerbaijan and Georgia. However, several young leopards will soon be released into the wild from the Leopard Recovery Center in the Caucasus, who have undergone special training and are expected to lay the foundation for a new leopard population.

2) Far Eastern leopard – no more than 70 individuals

The Far Eastern leopard is the northernmost subspecies of leopard and the most peaceful of the big cats: it never attacks humans. You can meet this species of animal only in the South-West of Primorye. Today, the Far Eastern leopard remains the rarest large cat on the planet - there are about 70 individuals in the wild in Russia, and up to 80 individuals in the world.

3) Snow leopard, or snow leopard – 80 – 90 individuals

The snow leopard lives in the inaccessible mountainous regions of Central Asia and avoids meeting people in every possible way, so very little is known about this cat. A distinctive feature of the snow leopard is its long fluffy tail - the body length of this animal is 100–130 cm, and the tail is about 90–105 cm. On May 26, the results of the first continuous census of the snow leopard, held in 2021 on the initiative of WWF, were summed up. Monitoring has shown that the number of snow leopards in Russia is 80–90 individuals.

4) Caucasian jungle cat, or house – about 500 individuals

The jungle cat got its name because it lives in dense thickets along the banks of rivers and lakes, only occasionally getting out into open spaces. These animals are much larger than domestic cats - their weight sometimes reaches 12 kg. Unlike domestic pets, jungle cats are not at all afraid of water. In case of danger, they often try to swim away from the offender. In Russia, the jungle cat can be found on the western coast of the Caspian Sea, in particular in Dagestan. According to the Red Book of Russia, the number of the subspecies in the country reaches approximately 500 individuals.

5) Amur or Ussuri tiger - about 540 individuals

The Amur tiger is the largest in the world and the only one that has mastered life in the snow. Therefore, people have long respectfully called this majestic representative of the cat family “the master of the Ussuri taiga.” According to the 2015 “tiger census,” there are about 540 Amur tigers living in the Russian Far East.

6) Manul – about 12 thousand individuals

Pallas's cat prefers steppe and semi-desert landscapes in the mountains. In Russia, this animal can be found in Altai, Tyva, Buryatia and the Trans-Baikal Territory. The Pallas's cat resembles domestic cats in size and weight, but differs from them in its massive body on short thick legs and very thick hair. This body structure makes this animal quite slow and clumsy. The total number of Pallas's cats is about 12 thousand individuals.

7) Lynx – about 20–22 thousand individuals

Finally, the most common cat species in Russia is the lynx. These graceful animals live throughout the country - from the western borders to Sakhalin and Kamchatka. The lynx is better adapted to snow and cold than all other cats. This species is distinguished by small ears with long tassels, a round head and a short tail. The color of the lynx can be very diverse (from ash-blue to red-red) and changes depending on the time of year. The number is about 20–22 thousand animals.

Other species of cats also live in the wild nature of Russia, but ecologists and scientists have no data on their numbers. Thus, one of the decorations of the fauna of the Far East is the Amur (Far Eastern) forest cat - a “relative” of Bengal cats. The Far Eastern forest cat is slightly larger in size than ordinary domestic cats, and before preparing for a hungry winter, it can gain weight up to 9 kg. Caucasian forest cat , or European cat, as the name suggests, lives in the Caucasus mountains - at altitudes up to 2500–3000 meters, as well as in the lower reaches of the Terek and Kuban rivers. Hollows, crevices in rocks and burrows of other animals serve as shelter for it. Many online games featuring wild animals are presented here for reference in order to popularize the love of nature and the animal world among the younger generation.

The publication of the feline rating is timed to coincide with the “Wild Week” July 30 – June 5, which WWF holds on the eve of World Environment Day. A number of events are planned as part of the campaign. On the website wwf.ru/wildweek, the Foundation encourages participation in the competition by dressing in “wild style” and posting photos online with the hashtags #wildweek and #wwfrussia. And on June 2 in Moscow, a charity Panda Fair will be held in the courtyard of the Novospassky business district (Paveletskaya metro station).

Holding “Wild Week” would be impossible without information support. The partners of the campaign were such large online platforms as the MALINA program, the online service for learning and practicing English LinguaLeo, as well as the Metro newspaper.

Siamese cats

Thailand is considered the birthplace of the well-known breed of pets, and its age is over 600 years.

There are suggestions that Siamese cats originated from a branch of wild Bengals.

This fact has not been reliably confirmed, but scientists are based on the unique gestation period for kittens - 65 days.

This variety was described back in the 14th century. Ancient messages say that Siamese cats were messengers to the other world and were highly valued by clergy. At the end of the burial sacraments, the cats were presented with gifts - these were delicacies and silk pillows.

Siamese representatives were brought to Europe only in the 19th century as a gift to the English ambassador from the hands of the ruler of Thailand. It was then that the spread of such graceful and beautiful pets began.

Pedigree cats

Today there are quite a few cat breeds. These animals were first bred in Asia. Breeds have always been registered by International Phenological Universities. They also monitor the purity of the breed. There are 40 breeds officially registered by the American Association. Of all domestic cats, only 3% are purebred. What is meant by thoroughbred? First of all, specific exterior characteristics :

unique color and pattern;
presence or absence of wool and its type;
length of body, tail and paws;
weight;
skull shape;
structure of the ears;
chest width;
eye color type.

There are also secondary signs, for example, features and habits. It is possible to confirm that a cat is a representative of a particular breed only with the appropriate document. It is issued to every phenologically typical purebred animal. For cats, the supporting document is a pedigree, and for newborns, a certificate.

Classifications

The main classifications of cat species are divided according to 4 main criteria:

by physique;
by coat;
by color;
according to the drawing.

By physique

According to this parameter, cats are divided into 6 main groups:

Animals with a powerful physique (heavy type). These include the largest representatives. They have the thickest and strongest tail, powerful stable paws and a large short neck. Typical representatives are Maine Coons or Siberian cats.
Kobby (stocky). They have a dense and stocky build. The skeleton is characterized by a wide chest, a large head with a short and wide nose is placed on a shortened neck, which sometimes seems almost absent. Usually the paws are not very high, and the tail is short with a blunt end. An example would be exotics or Manx.
Oriental. They have a graceful structure with high paws. There is a graceful neck and a narrow long tail. The head and muzzle are always tapered towards the nose. Typical Orientals are Javanese and Balinese cats, as well as Siamese cats.

Foreign. Flexible body with pronounced muscles. High paws and long tail, wedge-shaped head, oval or almond-shaped eyes. Ears may be elongated. The Abyssinians serve as an example.
Semi-foreign. Those with average parameters are more common than others. Representatives are American Shorthairs or Russian Blues.
Half-cobby. Slightly stockier breeds than the previous type. A typical representative is the British Shorthair.

By coat

According to this parameter, cat breeds are divided into 5 varieties:

long-haired with hair up to 15 cm long (Burmese, Siberian, Persian cats);
shorthair (Egyptian Mau, Chartreuse, Russian Blue);
curly coat (German Rex, Cornish Rex);
Wirehaired (American Wirehair);
without wool (, bambino, sphinx).

By color

There are a huge number of colors, but they are all divided into the following main types:

single-color (korat, havana);
two-color (Norwegian forest, ragdoll);
motley (color-point, angora);
with specks (Persian chinchilla or American shorthair cat);
multi-colored or tortoiseshell (bobtail, sphinx, Persian).

According to the drawing

The main variants of patterns that form the breed:

solid pattern (red, black, brown, gray, etc. breeds);
zonal color (striped, marbled or spotted tabby);
white spotting (mostly a whole color with spots of different colors);
solid white;
color-point (light body and dark limbs);
silver (smoky, silver, chinchilla and cameo).

Some of the drawings can be viewed in the gallery:

Fredjos

The unique island in the Indian Ocean is a real cat state. The only owners of this territory are cats. It's all because of a shipwreck that occurred in 1980 off the coast of Fredjos. Several people still survived and made it to land, taking with them a few cats. Only if people were unable to take root in this area, the cats gradually adapted to the new conditions, learned to get their own food and began to reproduce. Feeding primarily on sea creatures, the island's cat population numbers over a thousand individuals.

How cats populated Russia. "Trophy" cats

Read part 1. How cats populated Russia. Where did the cat come from?

"Trophy" cats

As Ekaterina Lisitsyna writes in the article “Angora from Angora”: “It is generally accepted that the first Angora cats appeared in Russia during the Russian-Turkish war. But the year is not specified.” E. Lisitsyna notes that in these wars, “Catherine II’s favorite Count G. A. Potemkin, who became His Serene Highness Prince of Tauride after the annexation of Crimea to Russia in 1783, especially distinguished himself. Potemkin commanded the army in the next war with Turkey (1787-1791). It is rumor that Potemkin is credited with bringing Turkish cats to the Empress’s court. Why not? Exotic gifts were, as they said then, in great favor. Catherine II was distinguished by a tender, loving attitude towards animals and would have been able to appreciate such a whimsical gift from her favorite. Snow-white, blue-eyed cats with silky fur may have settled in the royal apartments.” Kittens for sale Cat nurseries Cat food Atlas of cat breeds
The Winter Palace was built by the architect V.V. Rastrelli in 1754-1764. According to Dmitry Sokolov-Mitrich, “when Catherine the Second settled in the Winter Palace, reinforcements were found for the Elizabethan cats and they were moved to new address. The four-legged confidants began to be called “Zimnedvorsky” and were immediately subjected to class stratification. Those who passed the casting were transferred to the category of “room servants”, the rest were not allowed to see the imperial body and were called “yard servants”. The rooms served as living decor - they ate well, slept in baskets for carrying firewood, and sometimes could compete even with Sir Thomas Anderson, the Empress’s favorite Italian greyhound. The servants lived in the courtyards and basements of the palace, defended the empire from rodents and also felt good.” And Catherine II later found such “security” very useful in order to protect herself in her palace from the plague epidemic that broke out in Moscow in 1771.

During the 17th – 19th centuries. There were ten military conflicts between the Russian and Ottoman empires. As a result of all these wars, Crimea, Ukraine, Moldova, Bessarabia, the North Caucasus, and the territories of modern Georgia and Armenia became part of Russia. Beginning with the Russian-Turkish War of 1828-1829, fighting also took place on the territory of modern Eastern Anatolia, which includes the Van region. Van cats were a local attraction: they swam in the “quiet Van streams”, and came out of the lake almost dry due to the peculiarity of their coat. My relative, whose parents were from Van, spoke about an interesting feature of the coat of Van cats. Van cats glowed in the dark. The Van people loved and were proud of their unusual cats, so many Van residents, leaving their homes with the Russian troops, took their domestic cats with them. And my elderly housemate told me that in her distant childhood, her mother, who was originally from Van, had a cat brought from Van, whose name was Shushik (a diminutive form of the female name “Shushan” - “lily”). Based on the above, I can assume that there was a drift of genes of domestic cats to Russia from the Van region through Transcaucasia and the Caucasus at the end of the 19th and beginning of the 20th centuries, which coincided with the human migration flow.

Mustachioed-stripes and genogeography

My guesses about the ways of distribution of long-haired cats throughout Russia, unexpectedly for me, were indirectly confirmed, as I already wrote, by the results of research by American geneticists. Russian researchers also did not ignore our mustachioed favorites from the southern regions of Russia. Studies of the frequency of mutant genes that determine the color and length of fur in domestic cat populations were carried out back in the Soviet era. In 1978, the results of a study of cat populations in several Russian cities were published, carried out by a team of scientists from the Novosibirsk Branch of the Academy of Sciences under the leadership of P. N. Borodin. In 1981, a group of researchers led by R. Robinson and G.P. Manchenko conducted a study of mutant alleles of seven polymorphic loci in 134 cats in the city of Armavir, Krasnodar Territory, as a result of which a low frequency of the red color gene O was established in cats of the population . The results obtained, according to the researchers, indicate the existence of genetic drift from the Iranian city of Tabriz through Transcaucasia and the North Caucasus to the southern part of Russia and further through Ukraine and Hungary to Europe. The city of Tabriz is located in the area between the Caspian Sea and Lake Urmia on one of the branches of the Great Silk Road. During the 18th – 19th centuries. Four wars took place between Russia and Persia, which ended in the victory of Russia and the annexation of Eastern Transcaucasia to the Russian Empire. During the Russian-Persian War of 1826-1828. Tabriz was occupied by Russian troops. In 1941-1947 the city was occupied by Soviet troops. So the existence of a human migration flow from Tabriz to Russia confirms the existence of a corridor for the drift of cat genes in this direction. In 2007, the journal “Genetics” published an article by N. A. Golubeva and A. I. Zhigachev “New data on the frequencies of genes for color and coat length in cats,” which presented the results of a frequency analysis of genes in the Armavir cat population. Having compared the data from their own studies with the results of previous studies, the Russian authors came to the conclusion that “the cat population in Armavir has undergone significant changes over the past two decades. The frequency of the sex-linked red color gene O and long coat l increased in the population as a whole, while the frequency of the light coat gene d decreased. Researchers believe that these changes were due to the exchange of genes between randomly bred cats and their purebred compatriots due to the increase in the number of cat lovers in the city. I would like to note that felinology in Russia is gradually rising to a new level of development. An indicator of this is N.A., protected in 2007. Golubev's dissertation for the degree of Candidate of Biological Sciences in the specialty "Genetics" on the topic "Frequencies of genes for color and coat length in modern synanthropic populations of cats and the range of congenital anomalies as a manifestation of genetic load and the influence of the ecological environment." The work examined the cat populations of St. Petersburg, Karelia and Armavir, including an analysis of the frequency of distribution of coat color genes in these populations, and the ecological features of cat populations using the example of the population of St. Petersburg. And also a study of the so-called “fens” - minor morphological changes, due to the presence of which individuals appeared in the population of St. Petersburg that differed from others in color or body structure. I hope that research into the genetic characteristics of the domestic cat by Russian scientists will not only continue, but will also be carried out using the methods and achievements of modern molecular genetics. Hope that this will soon become feasible is inspired by the fact that laboratories already operate in Moscow and St. Petersburg, where pet owners are provided with services for the diagnosis of hereditary diseases and genetic studies of small pets, including cats. Moreover, Russian geneticists already have experience in studying the haplotypes of another species of small domestic animals - dogs. Thus, O. M. Ryabinina conducted studies of the phylogenetic relationships of some domestic dog breeds based on the analysis of mitochondrial DNA, as a result of which for the first time several haplotypes were obtained, registered and entered into the open genetic database - GenBank, which is part of the project "International cooperation in the field database of nucleotide sequences" (International Nucleotide Sequence Database Collaboration). Thus, the impact on the gene pools of cat populations from Russia of three gene flows (coinciding with human migration flows), which I described in this article, is confirmed by research data conducted by both Russian and American researchers. I assume that this explains the existence in populations of Russian cats of animals phenotypically similar not only to cats of the European, but also of the Mediterranean genetic group, which includes cats from modern Turkey. And in the Crimea and the Stavropol region you can still find phenotypic Anatolians - short-haired Van cats. The same is evidenced by the noticeable phenotypic similarity between white Siberian cats and the completely white “van kedisi”. This was noticed at the presentation of “van kedisi” at the World Cat Congress, held in Dortmund in March 2007. The presence of genetic markers characteristic of the European cluster in the gene pool of the Siberian cat is confirmed by a histogram of the genetic diversity of breeds compiled by American geneticists, which shows the presence of individual genes of the Mediterranean group in the haplotype of the Siberian cat. I assume that the influence of genetic drifts from the Anatolian region also explains the peculiarities of the phenotype of the European shorthair cat from Russia. The same reason can explain the presence of phenotypic Van cats among purebred Angora cats of Russian breeding. I would like to note that in this article I did not consider genetic drifts in the population of cats living in other regions of Russia, which is necessary to obtain a complete picture of the distribution routes of the domestic cat across Russia and the populations of aboriginal cats in Russia.

Hopes and Reflections

The conclusions reached by American geneticists are of great importance for the further development of felinology.
The identified genetic relationships between cat breeds can be used to create more intelligent and effective breeding programs. Of particular interest to American researchers were cats from Southeast Asia, which were studied more thoroughly. In a written report of the research, Dr. L. A. Lyons made some general recommendations using this genetic group as an example. In particular, the report says: “Cat breeds such as Siamese, Burmese, Korat, Burmese and associated breeds are clustered with randomly bred cats from Southeast Asia. Thus, it is possible to import cats from this region to improve the genetic diversity of these breeds. Southeast Asian cats are more closely related to each other than to other breeds. Therefore, if you require an outcross but do not want to “dilute” your breed, use cats from associated breeds, breeds or randomly bred cats from their region of origin. ... A low degree of genetic diversity and a high inbreeding coefficient suggest poor genetic health of the breed. … Genetics do help with the skillful handling of cats, but this information must be combined with health information and balanced by producing both good type show class cats and good family pets, as well as cats with stud qualities.” I hope that the usefulness of the recommendations given will be appreciated by breeders of all cat breeds. Thanks to the arrival of Dr. Leslie A. Lyons in Russia in early April 2009, further research has already involved cats from Russia, and hopefully the results of genetic studies of native breeds and free-living cat populations from Russia will soon be published. Although our overseas colleagues still continue to be the legislators in the field of felinology, the ever-increasing number of Russian cat lovers' clubs and their membership in various international felinological organizations will change the picture familiar to everyone in a few years. I am sure that it is the Russian aboriginal cat breeds that will gain extreme popularity among Western cat lovers over the coming decades. Zarine Lorentsovna Arushanyan

Cats

History of the origin and distribution of cats

How cats populated Russia. "Trophy" cats

Main types of cats

The main breeds originated from ancient ancestors, who were not always eminent. Breeders took them as a basis and, by crossing species, breed exotic pets. The foundation of the cat world are the following breeds:

The main varieties of these animals include Siberians.

Scottish;
Angora;
American bobtail;
Siamese;
Bengali;
Siberian;
Egyptian Mau;
European Shorthair;
sphinx;
Abyssinian;
American Curl;
British.

Domestic (mongrel) cats

Studies have been conducted that have shown that over 400 million cats are kept at home. An adult cat gives birth to up to seven kittens at a time. Not all owners limit the breeding of ordinary cats. Village pets regularly bear offspring about three times a year. Only the reproduction of purebred individuals is constantly monitored, and therefore the number of cats in the world is difficult to accurately calculate.

The number of stray cats in populated areas around the world cannot be counted. Stray animals live near markets and warehouses, in the basements of residential buildings, and sometimes in garbage dumps.

Which countries have the most pets?

There are about 400 million pets in the world, according to experts from Mars Petcare. The majority of cats and dogs are kept in families in the USA, China and Russia, according to the pet insurance organization Petsecure. According to her data, the top 10 countries whose residents have the most dogs include the United States (70 million), China (27 million), Russia (12.5 million), Japan (12 million), and the Philippines (11.6 million). million), India (10.2 million), Argentina (9.2 million), UK (9 million), France (7.6 million) and South Africa (7.4 million).

The leaders in the number of domestic cats were the USA (74 million), China (53 million), Russia (17.8 million), Brazil (12.5 million), France (11.5 million), Germany (8.2 million), Great Britain (8 million), Italy (7.4 million), Ukraine (7.4 million) and Japan (7.3 million).

According to the insurance company's calculations, the largest number of ornamental birds is kept in Brazil (191 million), Italy (13 million), USA (8.3 million), Australia (7.8 million), France (6.2 million), the Netherlands (4 .5 million), Spain (3.7 million), Germany (3.5 million), Russia (2.8 million) and Belgium (2.7 million).

Satellites orbiting stars. Favorite pets of celebrities Read more

How many wild cats

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