Gone are the days when black cats inspired fear if they approached a person closer than a few hundred meters. Or they “forced” a person to wait for misfortune when they “cunningly” crossed the road. A well-groomed black cat is a magnificent sight; there is something mystical about it. This color is often found not only in outbred cats, but also in purebred cats - as it is allowed by the standards of many breeds.
Below we describe the cat breeds in which black color looks most impressive, but first a little genetics. For a kitten to be born black, it is not at all necessary that its parents be black. Moreover, it is not required that at least one of them be black. For example, cats with a striped, marbled or spotted pattern may well give birth to kittens - “charcoals”. The main thing is that the parents have a gene for black color and a gene for uniform hair coloring. Why is that?
A patterned cat only needs one gene for pattern manifestation (agouti). And a solid color (any color, not necessarily black) will appear if the kitten instead receives a gene that hides the pattern - with the quite logical name “non-agouti”. But he must receive non-agouti from both parents. Because the non-agouti gene is recessive and will not manifest itself in a “single dose”. So, looking at a painted cat, it is impossible to say whether she has this gene and whether she will pass it on to any of her descendants.
In turn, the gene for black color and the gene for uniform hair coloring are dominant. For them to appear, the kitten only needs to receive them in a single copy, and it doesn’t matter which parent it is from.
Bombay cat
The Bombay is a robust, medium-sized, heavily built cat with a softly contoured body, a broad head, a short muzzle and large, round eyes of rich color, ranging from gold to bright orange. The Bombay's coat is very short, smooth and, one might say, "shiny".
Breed standards allow only one color - jet black. Despite their exceptionally spectacular, in a sense, “fatal” appearance, these cats are very friendly, sociable, and get along well with all family members and other pets. Breeders, not devoid of a sense of beauty, call the Bombay “a bundle of brilliance and love.”
The history of Bombay is not original. In the middle of the last century, the American N. Horner, the “godmother” of the breed, decided to create a unique, “powerful” cat - a mini-panther. For breeding work, she attracted American shorthairs of black color and Burmese sable color (the so-called dark brown color of the Burmese fur coat). Not everything went smoothly: Horner spent more than 20 years developing the breed.
Bombays were first recognized by the CFA feline system in 1976, and subsequently by other American systems. The most influential European systems - GCCF and FIFe do not recognize Bombay, but they are recognized by the WCF. However, these magnificent, “magical” cats are not very popular among us.
Causes of aggression in cats
The cat is never the first to go into open confrontation; it always tries with all its might to avoid conflict. To do this, she uses body signals. For example, it demonstrates how big and strong it is - it raises its fur on end, visually increasing in size, and hisses. Or it shrinks into a ball, presses its ears, and twitches its skin and tail. And, only if she cannot get away from danger, hide, she chooses a forceful method of solving the problem, and is forced to defend herself by attacking. It is important to understand your pet’s behavior without provoking it into an inappropriate reaction.
Main types of cat aggression:
According to the degree of manifestation of aggressiveness, they are distinguished:
British Shorthair
A cat with a “rich” appearance - this is how the British can be described in a nutshell. Heavy bones, excellent proportions, a cheeky round head with small ears, huge eyes of a necessarily bright color, a dense coat - so dense that the hairs are located perpendicular to the skin. The Briton is magnificent in any color! True, there are not so many black British: under the influence of fashion and notorious advertising, fans of the breed prefer the “classics” - blue or silver animals.
This breed is the glory and pride of British breeders; for many decades it has been in the TOP 10 most popular in the world.
TOP 10 breeds prone to aggressive behavior
Among domestic cats, the leaders in wayward behavior are oriental breeds. Although some Europeans are included in this list of TOP 10 most wayward. It would be wrong to call these animals dangerous; they need special treatment and education.
Remember, if a pet does not feel fear, it is comfortable around a person, it does not pose any threat. Only the owner is responsible for the aggressive behavior of a pet.
Siamese cat
Oriental beauties with a characteristic color-point color and bright blue eyes have a complex character, sometimes they are overly independent and obstinate.
Siamese are very attached to their owner, actively fight for his attention and, in a fit of jealousy, can start a fight with another pet. It is important to take this feature into account and react correctly to overexcitement of the animal.
If cats believe that someone is offending their household, they can defend themselves by attacking the offender - it doesn’t matter whether it’s a person, a cat or a dog. Although they are quite tolerant when communicating with other animals and are never the first to show aggression, at the slightest perceived “threat” they get involved in a fight.
These cats are easily offended, they can even be called vindictive. They are stubborn and often do not want to fulfill the owner’s demands. But at the same time they are very smart. With the right approach, you can correct the behavior of even an adult cat, although it is better to raise a kitten correctly, immediately after weaning from its mother.
You should not raise your voice at a Siamese, much less use physical punishment. Remarks must be made in a calm but stern tone. Never provoke outbursts of jealousy in a cat towards other pets; it is better to accept his leadership.
Daily friendly communication and a calm environment in the house will help to avoid maintenance problems.
Mekong Bobtail
The Mekong, externally differing from the Siamese only in its short, broken tail, is its absolute copy in character and behavioral reactions.
Persian
Persians are the embodiment of luxury. They have a heavy skeleton, a “trademark” head with a convex forehead and a stop on the bridge of the nose, large round eyes and a simply angelic, “sweet” expression on the muzzle (by the way, a completely official term). The Persian fur coat evokes surprise and admiration, because representatives of other breeds do not have such long and thick fur. Despite the difficulties in caring for a Persian pet that needs to be thoroughly combed every day, this breed has long been at the top of the list of the most popular. Perhaps the meek disposition gained the Persians a lot of fans.
The breed has been actively developing for many decades. So active that now the appearance of Persians is very different from the usual appearance of a mongrel cat. Selection has had a bad effect on their health: they are the leaders in the number of breed-specific diseases.
Scottish lop-eared
How unusual a cat's head without ears looks! More precisely, with ears, but small and tightly pressed to the head. The charming muzzle with round eyes gives the Scots a resemblance to owlets. Representatives of this breed are of medium size, have a fairly dense build, and thick fur - like their ancestors, the British and American Shorthairs. Well, since the feature of the breed and the main concern of the breeders are ears that meet the standards, the color is not important (any color is allowed).
The unique Scottish ears are a manifestation of a random mutation discovered in an ordinary cat on a farm in Scotland in the 60s of the last century. British breeders immediately became interested in the mutation. It soon became clear that the descendants of fold-eared cats have serious health problems. In Great Britain, breeding work was prohibited. But the “owls” attracted not only the British. US breeders have found that kittens will be born completely healthy if one of the parents has normal ears. Therefore, among Scots, about half have normal ears.
Mr. Cat recommends: ways to solve the problem
In most cases, the behavior of an overly aggressive animal can be successfully corrected by the owner himself. You should contact an experienced felinologist or veterinarian if the reasons are clear and all methods have been tried.
Recommendations for owners of wayward cats:
You should be attentive to the health and behavior of the cat so as not to hurt him by touching him. At the slightest sign of unmotivated aggression, you should immediately contact a veterinarian.
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Maine Coon
It is impossible to pass by the Maine Coon indifferent: he has a very large, long, muscular body, powerful paws, a huge tail, signature tassels on his ears, and of course, a unique box-like face. In general, the “correct” Maine Coon is the correct body and massiveness, and only then the color. Therefore, breed standards allow many colors (although not all), including black.
Norwegian forest
A stern-looking, large, muscular cat with thick and long hair is a success and the pride of Norwegian breeders. The ancestors of the breed are inhabitants of the Scandinavian Peninsula, healthy and hardy animals. Therefore, Norwegians can be called one of the healthiest cats. Breed standards allow many of the existing colors, including black.
Cornish Rex
An elegant and energetic cat of medium size, on high legs, with a wedge-shaped muzzle and huge ears. The calling card of the Cornish is its short, curly fur, which runs across the body in spectacular waves. All representatives of the breed are descendants of one outbred cat, born on a farm in Cornwall (Great Britain) in the middle of the last century. The owner of the farm was breeding Rex rabbits, and for some reason this word became part of the name of the new cat breed. And now it is part of the names of all curly-haired breeds. The “quality” of wool waves is much more important than the color of the coat, so the standards allow all existing colors.
Selkirk rex
Nicknames: cat-toy, little bear and cloud are very suitable for Selkirks. These are muscular cats with strong bones, thick short (or semi-long) fur, arranged in picturesque curls. Like their ancestors - the British, Persians and exotics, the Selkirks are calm and good-natured. Selkirk curls are a manifestation of another rex mutation discovered in a mongrel kitten in one of the cat shelters in the USA in the 80s of the last century. The kitten attracted the attention of an experienced breeder, and she decided to breed a new breed. As with the Cornish, the quality of the curls is more important, which is why the Selkirk standards allow all colors.
Canadian Sphynx
It is difficult to imagine that the Sphinx would not attract attention, although not always enthusiastic. But the unpleasant impression immediately disappears as soon as a person strokes it or picks it up. These cats have a very pleasant to the touch, like suede skin, covered with barely noticeable fluff. Sphynxes are cats of medium size and build, quite heavy.
Their history was very complicated, although it began in the same way as all breeds based on random mutations. At the very beginning of breeding (the 60s of the last century in Canada), breeders could not fix the desired trait due to a lack of knowledge and experience. The breed received a second chance in the 70s, when two more outbred hairless cats were discovered in the United States. Sphynx breeders work a lot on the type of animal and the quality of the skin, but its color does not matter.
Amazing cat with vampire fangs finds a new home
A woman saved a kitten with “vampire fangs” from death on the street, and the unusual black fluffy won her heart forever.
Source: www.instagram.com/monkandbean
Nicole Rienzi and her mother were returning home when they saw a tiny black kitten on the street. It was already late enough for the owners to let the pet cat go for a walk. There was only one conclusion - the kitten was homeless. Nicole got out of the car and walked towards the baby.
Source: www.instagram.com/monkandbean
“The cat jumped out from behind the bushes unexpectedly, apparently something scared him greatly. And he found himself almost under the wheels of a car. We stopped and I decided to go out and make sure he was okay. The appearance of the cat was striking in its neglect. The cat was weak and exhausted. My mother and I decided to take the kitten home,” says Nicole.
Source: www.instagram.com/monkandbean
At home, the cat was washed from street dirt, wiped and put drops in his eyes. They gave him food and water, which made him incredibly happy.
“The first few days I tried to find Mank’s owners through advertisements,” Nicole said. “But no one responded, so I decided to keep this cutie for myself.”
Source: www.instagram.com/monkandbean
Very soon the black kitten completely settled into his new home; for his cheerful, perky disposition and love of games with running, jumping and climbing, the cat received the nickname Monkey (“monkey” in English). But since the baby turned out to be a boy, the nickname had to be shortened to Mank.
“He’s like a monkey, constantly finding new things to do and literally hanging upside down wherever he can,” says Nicole.
Source: www.instagram.com/monkandbean
But he also had one more unusual feature - his fangs did not stop growing.
“At first I didn’t pay much attention to it, but when Munk grew up and his teeth didn’t stop growing, then I began to worry about whether everything was okay with him. We went to the vet and he calmed me down. It turns out that this phenomenon rarely occurs among animals.”
Mank's fangs became longer and longer day by day, which gave him an incredible resemblance to a vampire.
Source: www.instagram.com/monkandbean
Nicole decided to create an Instagram page to show off Mank's amazing fangs. The cat, so similar to a vampire, caused delight among Internet users. Today, 135 thousand people have already subscribed to his page.
Source: www.instagram.com/monkandbean
A little more time passed, Mank grew up, and Nicole found another stray cat on the street, albeit with normal fangs. She named him Bob and let him live with her.
Munk was initially very wary of the arrival of a new family member, but now he and Bob are inseparable friends. Especially when it comes to swimming!
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Siberian
The Siberian cat is the first and most famous Russian breed, existing for more than 20 years. During this time, Siberians became popular not only in Russia, but also in many other countries. Which is not surprising - the cat looks like an inhabitant of the taiga: strong, muscular, wearing a chic fur coat with a fluffy collar and a tail resembling a voluminous feather. Siberians are also smart, sociable and friendly. Breed standards allow many colors, including black.
So, it is quite possible to purchase a black kitten of a specific breed. But in order for this color to please the eye, you need to follow some rules. The fact is that some colors of cat coats (including black) are easily damaged by sunlight. The fur takes on a rusty tint, which gives the cat an unkempt appearance. Some breeders claim that brightly colored foods in a pet's diet (carrots, pumpkin, beets) also give the black color a dirty-brown tint.
Cats have always been surrounded by secrets and mysticism.
And the breeds of black cats are amazing, diverse and doubly beautiful. Thanks to their colors, it is easier for such animals to hunt at night, and many scientists believe that they became the ancestors of all domestic cats.
This is interesting: In Ancient Egypt, people worshiped the goddess Basset, who was personified on earth by black cats.
Myths about black cats
- -Sailors are happy to take cats on board the ship, and if it is black, then the journey will be safe.
- -During the Inquisition in Europe, almost all black cats were destroyed by burning at the stake. It was believed that witches were reincarnated into these animals.
- -In Australia, it is believed that a black cat in the house brings good luck and wealth to the family.
- -In Ireland, it is believed that if a black cat crosses your path or accidentally wanders into your house, it is a sign of great happiness.
Black cats are not a separate class, but only have colors that are found in different breeds. Let's look at them.
Aggression in hybrids and wild cats
All types of hybrid animals, especially those in the first, second and third generations from wild ancestors, are not recommended to be kept in a house where there are small children. However, this does not mean that these animals are prone to aggression. It’s just that the natural instincts of such cats are manifested to a greater extent than in varieties domesticated for centuries. It is interesting that most often it is hybrid breeds that never release their claws. For example, Chausie, even in a state of fear, will wave away, hit with his paw, but not scratch or bite.
Chausie or houseie
These animals have an independent character and do not like to be cuddled excessively, forcibly picked up, or treated like a toy doll. If you treat these cats with respect, taking into account their temperament, they will never show causeless aggression.
If a wild animal is kept at home, then with the onset of puberty it will most likely have to be transferred to an enclosure. Any such animal is easily aroused by the smells of the opposite sex, even those belonging to a different species.
Wild and hybrid cats that are widely kept at home and dangerous to be left unsupervised with small children:
Black cat breeds
Bombay
The only breed with a strict standard for black coloring was the Bombay breed. All kittens that have a different color or inclusions on black are considered rejected.
In the 50s, a breed was developed in the USA, inspired by the beauty and grace of the real panther. Short-haired black cats have become very popular. A small, neat head, an elegant body and a jet-black color without a single spot - all this makes the Bombay cat unique. Kittens are usually born with blue eyes, but as they age, the eye color changes to yellow.
Important: The character of this animal is very unusual. The breed combines the habits of a cat, a dog and a monkey. Bombays easily get used to home life and get along with children and other animals with ease. Active, playful and good-natured cats will become a wonderful friend to any owner.
Turkish Angora
A spectacular beauty, the Angora cat is one of the most ancient breeds. She has long, fluffy, silky fur. According to legend, in ancient times they were even used instead of napkins during meals; fat was easily removed from the hands thanks to the soft wool.
The breed comes in a variety of colors, but the most impressive are, of course, black with yellow eyes and white.
This breed has no problems with photographs; they are very photogenic. They are often featured in advertisements and films.
Important: The Angora cat is very smart: she easily learns to open doors, turn on lights and even bring objects in her teeth.
Oriental
By crossing the Siamese breed with short-haired cats, they got another amazing variety of cats. A small, muscular cat with large ears and a slightly elongated muzzle was called Oriental.
Orientals come in a wide variety of colors. But if the cat is black, then the nose and even the toes are also jet black.
Important: These cats are very loyal, friendly, playful, and require a lot of time from the owner for care and communication.
Devon Rex
This breed is of extraordinary beauty! The wavy coat, large eyes and ears make this breed very interesting. The black color is highly valued, but is not common. One of the most important advantages is their hypoallergenicity. Even a person who is allergic to animal fur can own these cats.
Cat with teeth out breed
Each breed of animal is determined by specific features in appearance and character traits that are unique to it - this is called the breed standard, which must be recognized by various organizations of felinologists (TICA, FIFe, WCF, CFA, IFA, ICU, WACC, etc.) for each of them own rules of recognition.
All purebred cats are given pedigrees. One of the most amazing and mysterious breeds is the Maine Coon - a gentle giant with a serious look. These creatures are called “indoor lynxes,” which is not surprising, because... they are one of the largest domestic cats.
All over the world this breed is called “Scottish Fold”, but we are more accustomed to calling these cute cats “Scottish Fold”. Their “cute” appearance will not leave anyone indifferent - you immediately want to pick up such a creature and cuddle it.
Millions of people around the world cannot imagine their existence without such “plush” bundles of happiness. These aristocratic, friendly, charismatic and very clean pets have long been one of the most popular cat breeds on the planet.
Bengal cats are incredibly beautiful animals that combine the spectacular appearance of wild predators and the docile nature of pets. Well, the main “feature” of these creatures is their “leopard color,” which is why they are called “domestic leopards.”
Siamese - graceful oriental beauties and beauties (who managed to preserve their roots almost in their original form) stand out for their special grace, temperamental character and a certain diminutiveness.
Among the many breeds, there is one endowed with incredible elegance and grace - this is the Abyssinian cat - an intelligent, flexible and dexterous creature. There is a certain mystery and special sophistication in her, and her appearance is called “divine.”
This breed is distinguished by its special silver-blue color and piercing green eyes. Russian blue cats are “real noblewomen.” These are graceful and mysterious creatures, delighting their owners with a playful but obedient disposition.
Siberian cats are considered real Russian beauties for their expressive eyes, chic “fur coat” and friendly character. They have long won the hearts of many cat lovers... a very long time ago - the first mentions of them are found in the 16th century.
The Oriental cat, at first glance, is impressive with its ears (in comparison with the body and head, they seem simply huge). This is a wonderful friend and you cannot betray him (the cat will not understand if you give it to another person).
