How Many Cat Breeds Are There?
Cats are among the most popular pets of all. There are now around 15.7 million felines living in German households alone, which puts them in first place ahead of dogs by a clear margin.
But how many cat breeds are there actually? We will give you the answer to this question below.
How many cat breeds are recognised by FiFé?
The question of how many cat breeds there are is not easy to answer. The numbers vary depending on the source. Based on FiFé data, there are a total of 48 different cat breeds recognised by the association.
The abbreviation FiFé stands for Federation Internationale Féline. The association was founded in Belgium in 1950. Today it comprises a total of 42 national breeding associations.
How many cat breeds are recognised by other associations?
Of course, FiFé is not the only association setting standards for pedigree cats. Other major breed associations include TICA (The International Cat Association), WCF (World Cat Federation) and CFA (Cat Fanciers’ Association).
On the WCF website for example there are currently 91 different breed standards. It thus recognises almost twice as many breeds as FiFé. At TICA there are currently around 70 and at CFA 45 different cat breeds that are recognised with their own standards.
Which cat breeds are particularly popular?
Many of the recognised cat breeds remain relatively rare, while others are very popular with cat lovers.
Some of the cat breeds that are particularly popular well known not only to cat owners include:
- British shorthair
- Siamese
- European shorthair
- Maine Coon
- Norwegian forest cat
- Ragdoll
- Persian cat
- Russian blue
How various cat breeds differ
If you compare cats with dogs, it quickly becomes clear that the visible differences between the different cat breeds are far less pronounced. While dogs come in all shapes and sizes, from tiny Chihuahuas to giant Great Danes, cats tend to look relatively similar.
There are quite clear differences in size and weight and of course breeds with long or short fur in different colours. At the end of the day, a cat always looks like a cat, regardless of its breed. In the case of dogs, on the other hand, it is sometimes difficult at first glance to believe that two different breeds actually belong to the same animal species.
This is certainly also due to the fact that dogs were bred very early on for very different purposes, in which very specific physical characteristics were also important.
High-quality food for your pedigree cat
It goes without saying that a balanced diet is crucial for the health and vitality of your cat. With the products from I love my cat you will find everything you need for this purpose in our range.
We offer grain-free dry and wet food, hypoallergenic cat food as well as various nutritional supplements, care products and healthy cat treats.
In order to optimally support you in feeding your four-legged friend appropriately, we have also put together various food sets with suitable products for certain pedigree cats, which you can easily order in our shop.
More about food sets for pedigree cats.
Conclusion
As you can see there is a different number of cat breeds depending on the breeding association you refer to. The official numbers vary between 45 and almost 100 different breeds.
Irrespective of this, the external distinguishing features are often subtle. For example, many cats have both a long-haired and a short-haired variant as separate breeds. This means that apart from the length of their fur, the animals are practically identical.
At the end of the day, it doesn't really matter which breed of cat you share your home with. As long as you take good care of your four-legged friend and provide a balanced diet with high-quality cat food as well as suitable activities, nothing stands in the way of a relaxed coexistence with a happy four-legged friend.
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