Cats

The Bengal cat is a hybrid breed, invented by crossing a domestic house cat with an Asian Leopard Cat. During the 1960s, after researchers discovered that wild cats (eg. lions and tigers) were immune to some cat-related diseases such as leukaemia and other cancers, they started to breed the wild Asian Leopard Cat to a domestic house cat in order to study how their immune system would cope with these diseases. The resulting litter was filled with a mix of solid and spotted kittens.

In looks, the 'Aby' (as it is affectionately known in the cat world) is similar to drawings of Ancient Egyptian cats and there are some who believe it originated in the Nile Valley, however there continues to be speculation and controversy concerning its history. There is no doubt, however, that it is one of the oldest short-haired breeds. The name is not because the breed originated in Ethiopia, formerly Abyssinia, but because the first Abyssinian exhibited at a cat show in England was imported from that country.

The Birman, also known as the Sacred Cat of Burma, is a strikingly beautiful and unusual breed. A famous legend is the only explanation we have for their colouring. One hundred pure white cats lived in the Burmese temple of Lao-Tsun. One night the temple was raided and the oldest priest was killed. His pure white cat, Sinh, jumped on the body of his master and the priest's soul entered the cat, and as it did so the white hair of his body became golden (like the Temple goddess), his legs, face, ears and tail became earth coloured and his paws remained white as a symbol of purity.

The Burmese is a personality plus cat with a sunny disposition and unflappable nature ideally suited to Australian lifestyles. A happy go-lucky tomboy of a cat, the Burmese retains their kittenish curiosity and playfulness throughout their life - thereby making them an ideal children's playmate.

As one of the world's largest domestic cats the Ragdoll is believed to have originated in California. There are several opinions on the breeding pair that were responsible for creating the Ragdoll breed, with the most common pointing towards a male Seal Point Birman and a female white Angora type cat. 

The Russian Blue was also known as the Archangle Cat as it is believed to have originated in the Russian port of Archangel. They were transported to Western Europe in the 1860s by sailors, and early records described their thick, seal-like coats were their natural protection against the very cold Russian climate. They were exhibited at the Crystal Palace cat shows in England from the mid-nineteenth century.

The Siamese is for all those who want a full-on relationship with a character cat. No shrinking violet, the Siamese both demands and provides extremely stimulating companionship.

Legend says that the Siamese were originally temple cats and received the souls of mortals upon their deaths. From an exotic past, the Siamese has become one of the most recognised breeds of cat, in the world.