Breeds of Beef Cattle Persian Cat

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It's long been a running joke in the Britannica offices that we should compile a list of "best cats"—this is the internet, after all. Ii intrepid and cat-crazy editors have finally taken on this task for your enjoyment. After much considered contend, we present you lot a definitive list of best cats, according to us.

Polydactyl

polydactyl cat© ckellyphoto/Fotolia

Let's be real, polydactyl cats requite the best high-fives. Errr, high-sixes. Also known every bit "mitten cats" or "thumb cats," polydactyls accept a genetic mutation that gives them more the usual number of toes on one or more feet. Polydactyl cats can take anywhere from six to eight toes per paw. The extra toes sometimes make them look like their paws have thumbs. While polydactyly can happen in many different animals (including humans), it's arguably cutest in cats. Writer Ernest Hemingway certainly idea so—he himself was a polydactyl owner, and the Ernest Hemingway Home and Museum is now dwelling to some l polydactyl cats.
Snowshoe

Snowshoe cat© Jan South. /Shutterstock.com

With its white muzzle and feet, nighttime "points," and blue optics, the Snowshoe looks like what it was bred from: a Siamese with white "boots" that turned up in the litter of a Siamese breeder in Philadelphia in the 1960s. The particular Snowshoe look is hard to breed, so registered purebred Snowshoe cats are rare. Just there are many cats in shelters who have some or all of its traits, such every bit the white paws, dark mask, and cute blue eyes—so if you're interested in this kind of cat, you can always get "the look for less."
Calico

Ali's cat, MJAlison Eldridge

It is incommunicable to clone a calico cat with the aforementioned markings, because of the random activation of genes. The necessary traits for calico patterning are on the 10-chromosome, therefore nearly all calico cats are female. Male calico cats are few and far betwixt, and tin only be equally a result of genetic defect.
British Shorthair

British shorthair© ZStoimenov/Fotolia

The British Shorthair is known for both its looks and its typically low-key and fun-loving personality. The appealing chunkiness of its face and body and its plush, thick fur lucifer its sturdy temperament. The wide-cheeked faces of British Shorthairs announced to exist smiling and more expressive than many cat breeds', and it's said that they were the inspiration for the wide-grinning Cheshire Cat of Lewis Carroll'south Alice'south Adventures in Wonderland. British Shorthairs are reputed to be doglike in their readiness for fun and games, such as fetching.
Siamese

Siamese catJohn Gajda/Encyclopædia Britannica, Inc.

Who can resist the Siamese true cat's pretty blue eyes? These cats have been valued for their unique patterning and outspoken personalities for centuries. Long a condition symbol, Siamese cats have been given to dignitaries every bit gifts. They fabricated their U.S. debut in 1878 when one was given to President Rutherford B. Hayes and his wife by an American consul. These cats are especially known as being very vocal—their loud meows are sometimes mistaken for babies crying!
Norwegian Wood Cat

Norwegian Woods cat, silver patched tabby.
© Marc Henrie

If you lot like hugging a cat who'south a big armload of fur and tin take what y'all dish out, then the Norwegian Forest True cat is for you. A large cat with big paws and lots of fur, the Norwegian is like a Maine Coon cat'due south Viking cousin. The large, muscular, affectionate, and calm Norwegian has a dumbo and water-resistant double glaze and tufted toes and ears, making it the perfect companion for snowshoeing, raiding neighboring countries, and standing atop the dragon head on the prow of a Viking ship.
Japanese Bobtail

Japanese Bobtail, mi-ke (tricolour).
© Chanan Photography

Japanese Bobtails are like cats on the front end and rabbits on the dorsum terminate. Only let that sink in for a minute. It's almost too cute to handle. Kitties with bunny tails? Sign me upwardly. These adorable critters are native to Japan, and have been around long enough to score appearances in traditional art. Unlike nigh dogs with "docked" tails, Japanese Bobtails come by their chubby tails naturally. The genetic mutation that causes the tail reduces the number of vertebrae present. And did I mention they like to play fetch?
Persian

Persian catAdstockRF

Fur, fur, fur. The Persians (chosen Longhairs outside the U.S.) are perhaps the quintessential "luxury" cat—that is, the cat who expects to be kept in the lap of luxury. They are, however, the most popular cat breed in the globe. Although they are known for the pushed-in "Pekingese" olfactory organ that many are bred for, arguably the best part of these cats is their pettability. All that fur needs a lot of daily grooming, nonetheless, and Persians are prone to kidney disease, so they demand frequent ultrasounds.
Scottish Fold

Scottish Fold catPsihopat

While his ears are relatively straight, internet sensation Maru is a Scottish Fold, a brood of cat usually characterized by ears that fold forward and downward. The first Scottish Fold was a befouled true cat discovered in 1961. For bear witness, Scottish Folds are required to take the turned-down ears—but these are a result of a genetic mutation, so not all purebred Scottish Folds have them.
Grayness Tabby

Lorraine's erstwhile cat, Lucy© Lorraine Murray

The proper name "gray tabby" describes not a breed but a coat color and pattern. The sporty looks of the gray tabby are peerless. Classic tabbies tin can, of course, be bred, but part of the fun of cats is in the genetic rock-tumbler that produces random combinations of coloration and patterns. The classic tabby markings are stripes and whorls all over the caput, limbs, body, and tail, but mixed-breed tabbies tin can take "dilute" or broken patterns and, quite often, white chests, undersides and/or paws. The latter is an especially fetching combination and never more adorable than when the cat's fur is predominantly gray; information technology's an understated, neutral look that goes with practically everything—especially a pink nose and a loving personality.