The history of the origin of the breed, a description of the standard of appearance of the York chocolate cat, character traits, the health of the animal and possible difficulties, the rules of keeping, the price of a kitten. The York Chocolate Cat is a representative of the vast world of felines, around which a variety of disputes, discussions and disagreements have been hovering for a long time. Some people who happened to meet this animal stubbornly insist that they saw the most ordinary cat that can be found in any alleyway. Others hold a completely opposite opinion, extolling the Yorkie Murks to the point of some kind of feline perfection. So it happened historically that the representatives of this breed cannot be called world-famous celebrities, but they have their own limited circle of fans who respect and admire them.
History of the origin of the York Chocolate cat breed
As for this type of cats, no one has invented legends and epics about them with a small part of reality. Everything turned out to be much simpler and more ordinary, and the name of some famous breeder or even the owner of a large cat shelter is not connected with their pedigree. Around the mid-80s of the last century, in the most ordinary house of an American woman, Janet Chifari, a pretty cat with a long coat lived happily. This fluffy "beauty" soon gave birth to kittens, and one of them clearly stood out from the whole litter.
Its peculiarity was its extraordinary beauty color - rich brown color, like dark chocolate. The owners could not part with the chocolate kitten and decided to keep it for themselves. After a long period of time, the baby grew up and brought the first kittens, which inherited from their mother a chocolate color. Janet Chifari was delighted with the beauty of her pets and from an ordinary housewife decided to become the founder of a new breed of cats. She did not know what to do, how to do it and what would come of it, but the result exceeded all her expectations. The gene that dyed the kittens' fur coat dark brown became dominant.
Today, neither professional felinologists nor the founder of the York Chocolate Cat breed knows for certain who the progenitors of modern cats of this species really were, but the fact that they cannot be mongrels is a fact. An animal with such aristocratic habits, extraordinary intelligence and charming appearance cannot but have a "thoroughbred" family tree.
No one can even say without a grain of doubt whether this breed is recognized by some cat associations, the only thing that can be said for sure is that they have an official standard of appearance compiled by the World Cat Federation. But whether the variety is recognized or not is nothing more than just formalities, the main thing is that these animals are loved, respected, and many dream of such an adorable pet.
York chocolate cat: description of appearance and photo
- The torso. The York Chocolate Cat is a fairly large animal. Representatives of the fair sex are usually very different in external parameters from males. Females are much smaller, on average, their body weight is 6–8 kg, as for males, the weight indicators can sometimes exceed 10 kg. The body of the York Chocolate Cat, powerful, but slightly elongated in length. These cats have extremely well-developed muscle tissue, and in combination with the average width of the bone skeleton, the animal looks very mannered and powerful. The projection of the thighs in diameter is approximately equal to the width of the shoulder girdle. Both the shoulders and the pelvis are slightly raised above the general line of the cat's back, which gives the purr's gait a special charm.
- Limbs cats with chocolate hair are very tall and slender, but in relation to the general parameters of the body they look very harmonious. The legs of the animal are very strong and stable, ending in a rounded configuration with paws. There must be tufts of hair between the toes.
- Tail process long enough, but not too long to somehow spoil the overall picture of the cat's appearance. From a wider base part, it gradually decreases in diameter towards a narrow tip, which in turn is decorated with a thick tassel. The organ of balance is wrapped in a very thick fur coat.
- Head The York Chocolate Cat is medium in size, and its configuration resembles a slightly modified wedge with rounded outlines. The forehead area of the pet is very wide, but closer to the chin, the face narrows noticeably. The muzzle is very cute, especially in addition to the fluffy cheeks. The neck is long, thin, but very strong and muscular.
- Auricles rather big, located at an impressive distance from each other high on the top of the head. From a neatly rounded tip, they flare slightly towards the base. Small tufts of hair can be seen inside the ear.
- Eyes these representatives of the feline - this is what fascinates at first sight. The visual organs of York cats are huge, similar in shape to an almond, placed at a slight inclination towards the nose. The look of this furry is open, deep and very piercing, which also reinforces the excellent color of the iris. Most often it is possible to meet chocolate Yorkie cats with amber, golden and green eyes. If the eyes are with darker and more saturated colors, then such animals are valued an order of magnitude higher.
- Wool is the trademark of the York Chocolate Cat. It is very long and very thick. In addition, the body of the cat is wrapped in an additional layer of thick undercoat. It is noteworthy that the hairs themselves are thin and very, very soft and silky. In the area of the abdomen, on the shoulders and on the muzzle, the coat is more coarse, glossy and less long. As for the colors that are provided for by the breed standard, cats with lilac and chocolate coats can be called pedigree, but the presence of a specific shiny overflow is mandatory.
The final color of the cat's coat is formed until about six months of age, so if your chocolate York cat has babies with tabby or small ticking, then you should not sound the alarm, because after a while there will be no trace of these "decorations".
Chocolate York cat: personality traits
It can be said about these pets unequivocally and without a single remorse that their set of character traits is simply unique. It is difficult to find an animal that would be better able to adapt to new living conditions, and most importantly to a new environment. If the York Chocolate Cat is brought into the house to people with a calm, measured lifestyle, the cat will happily lay its sides on the couch next to its owner. When the owner turned out to be a person with whom the Yorkie lives, leading a more active life, the pet will also not lag behind. With this "chocolate handsome" you can safely go for a walk on a leash, if you have a private home, a pet with its inherent greatness will conquer the tops of garden trees and may even bring you gifts from time to time in the form of mice caught by it. By the way, they are great hunters!
If you have a small child, you should not worry, most likely, it is the baby who will be the cat's best friend. Purr can tirelessly play with him, run and jump. York Chocolate Cat is patient with children's pranks, he will not scratch, hiss and bite. As for other pets, there are no problems here either, York chocolate cats are able to find a common language with anyone, be it another cat or a huge dog. But with birds, rodents or inhabitants of the aquarium, things are completely different. This cute fluffy somewhere on an instinctive level perceives such roommates as a delicious dinner, and the hour when the cat tries to attack is not even. In this case, these pets must either be carefully protected from the dexterous paws of the purr, or not at all, so it will be better for them.
It is very important for the York chocolate cat to receive the right amount of attention, entertainment is vital for them. If you stay at work for a long time, then it is best to foresee what your pet will do at this time. It is good to give him a couple of three toys, or, if possible, equip a feline "entertainment center". These can be various tunnels or even small trees, along which the cat will climb, such a device will quite pass for a scratching post. Otherwise, York Chocolate Cat will come up with things for himself, and their fantasy is quite stormy, he can easily climb to the top of a cabinet or refrigerator, open any bedside table or ride on the curtains. But if provided with fun, he will be obedient and well-mannered and there will be no reason to worry about damage to property.
York Chocolate Cat: Health
In general, representatives of this breed can boast of fairly good health and quite stable immunity, they do not have a genetic predisposition to any serious, life-threatening pathologies. However, in no case should you assume that your such a healthy kitten cannot get hold of something primordially feline. There are a number of problems that can occur in every cat, regardless of age, species and pedigree. One of these difficulties is helminths.
Many people hold the mistaken opinion that if a cat lives indoors, then he is insured against these intruders - alas, no. One cat can have helminths in the intestines from the very first in life, another can "get rich" with them through food, and a third parasite can be brought by its owner even on the sole of his shoes. Therefore, before buying a pet, the seller needs to clarify whether helminthiasis prophylaxis has been carried out. If not, York Chocolate Cat needs to be shown to a veterinarian, after conducting research, the doctor will be able to determine the type and stage of development of helminths, as well as the degree of their prevalence, based on this, drugs in optimal doses will be prescribed.
After the first deworming, subsequent prophylactic courses with antihelminthic drugs should be carried out every 3–6 months. Also, cats before mating need to carry out prevention of worms, if the latter was more than 2 months ago.
Not all drugs can protect your friend from all existing helminths, so you need to know the signs of the disease. If the York chocolate cat has acquired parasites, then the first thing you will undoubtedly notice is weight loss, sometimes with increased appetite, but still more often than not, the animal's craving for food decreases. In addition, he will have changes in the nature of the stool, often there are diarrhea alternating with constipation. In more advanced cases, parasites and blood impurities may be present in the cat's stool.
If such symptoms are detected, you need to immediately show the pet to the veterinarian, otherwise the consequences of seemingly banal worms can be fatal.
If your pet often walks down the street, and moreover on its own, then after each return, it must be carefully examined for external parasites. Among these are fleas and ticks. If something is noticed, the fight against them should be started without slowing down.
York chocolate cat: rules for keeping a pedigree kitten and care
- Hair care. Since York Chocolate Cat is the proud owner of a thick, long fur coat, it needs more serious care. In order for your pet's fur to always look gorgeous and well-groomed, you need to comb it and one procedure once a week will not be enough. The optimal regularity of brushing a Yorkie cat is about three to four times a week, and during the molting period, this procedure should be carried out daily, and even better, twice a day. To do this, it is best to use a medium hardness massage brush with a medium frequency of teeth. Beauty is beauty, but do not forget that it is necessary, firstly, for the health of your four-legged friend, and, secondly, for the cleanliness of your home. If you do not rid the cat of dead hairs in time, then half of them will be on all surfaces of your home, and the other, predominant part in the animal's stomach, which can entail a lot of problems. But even if you scratch your cat three times a day, it will have hair in the gastrointestinal tract and you need to fight it. If your pet is on the lawns, he can find himself the right "healing potion", but if not, then you need to make him such a "lawn" at home. To do this, pet stores have on sale seeds of a special herb that removes hair well from the cat's stomach. In addition, you can periodically feed the purr with special vitamins for removing wool or feed, to which special substances are added. As for bathing, the York chocolate cat cannot be called an ardent fan of water, so you should not expose it to stress once again. The cat needs to be bathed, if this cannot be avoided, it is optimal to do it once a season with the help of a quality shampoo. The air conditioner will also not be superfluous.
- Hygiene. York Chocolate Cat is very clean, but it will not cope with some tasks without your help. They need to clean the ear canal once a week, as there can accumulate a large amount of earwax, dust particles and dead epidermis. If this is not done, then these products clog the ear canal and little by little the animal develops hearing loss, which can lead to total hearing loss. Cats need to brush their teeth, as they very quickly transform plaque into tartar, which leads to dental diseases and tooth loss, which significantly impairs the quality of life of your pet. To carry out this procedure, you need to arm yourself with a special toothbrush and a cleaning agent, it can be either cat toothpaste or powder. When brushing your teeth, it is recommended to gently clean your gums as well, but this is extremely difficult to do with a brush. In this case, wrap a piece of dense, clean cloth (lint-free) around the index finger and thoroughly clean the cat's mouth. Animals need to be taught to all hygienic procedures from early childhood, so they will not experience such severe stress.
- What to feed? York chocolate cats are not fussy about their food, so the choice is yours. If the food is purchased, then it should be of high quality, premium or super premium, it is better to combine dry food and canned food. Natural homemade food is low-fat meats, offal, chicken eggs, dairy products, cereals and vegetables. Fish is strictly prohibited. Additional vitamin and mineral complexes should be added to the home diet from time to time. Clean drinking water should also always be readily available for York Chocolate Cat, the main thing is not to give the cat raw water - either boiled or filtered.
York chocolate cat: price
The average cost of a purebred York chocolate cat ranges from $ 100 to $ 500, it all depends on the pedigree, gender and, strangely enough, on the prestige of the seller himself. Show class kittens can cost many times more.
