The history of breeding, the standard of appearance of the Ceylon cat, features of the temperament of the Ceylon cat, the health of cats from Ceylon, tips for caring for animals at home, the price of a kitten. The Ceylon cat is a rare breed of cats that differ not only in their unusual color and diminutive body, but are also considered smart, loyal and funny companions. Since the breed is rare, it will not be easy to find such a pet, but be sure that if you succeed, you will acquire not only a unique pet, but also a star of cat shows.
The history of the breeding of the Ceylon cat breed
The history of the origin of this rather rare and young breed of cats is very interesting. Already by the name of the variety, people conclude where this animal comes from, but the conclusion that Ceylon, and now Sri Lanka, is the homeland of these cats is not entirely correct.
The answer to this interesting secret is as follows. So far in 1984, the Italian veterinarian and part-time felinologist Paolo Pellegatta went on a trip to the island of Ceylon. During this trip, while inspecting the most beautiful and ancient temples of Buddha, he discovered such an unusual and seemingly completely unobtrusive attraction of the island - local cats. Then no one could have imagined what in these most ordinary aboriginal representatives of the feline world so fascinated the Italian traveler. However, he not only admired the animals, but even took several indigenous Ceylon cats with him to Italy.
While still in Ceylon, Paolo Pellegatta planned for himself a certain goal - to ensure that these ordinary cats received the status of purebred. Back in Italy, the enthusiastic breeder wasted no time getting to work.
The first thing he decided to do was to remove some not quite desirable characteristics of these cats, since in the scientist's head there was already a precisely formed, future, ideal standard of the new breed. No matter how strange and unattainable the goal of a felinologist may seem, he was supported in this good cause by the best cat breeders and scientists-felinologists in Italy.
After five years of hard work by Italians, in 1989 the world was introduced to the very breed that their compatriot once invented. In the same year, Italian cats with Ceylon roots were recognized by the honorary experts of Italy, who specialized in cats and their breeds. A few years later, in 1993, representatives of the species were recognized by members of the WCF (World Cat Federation) commission as a separate breed. They decided not to change the name of the variety so that people would not forget where these unique cats come from.
Thus, the Ceylon cat became the only breed bred in Italy, although its original homeland is Sri Lanka.
Appearance standard for Ceylon cats
A notable feature of cats of this breed is their physique - they are rather miniature and graceful animals, but at the same time, their body, with its size, is distinguished by its strength and muscularity. The World Cat Federation in 1993 adopted the only standard for this species.
- Head the Ceylon cat is small, which is not strange given the parameters of its body, it always has a rounded configuration, while it is very wide. On the cute face of the Ceylon cat, you can immediately notice well-defined cheekbones, lower jaw and chin. The nose is small, you can see a small notch on it at the transition to the forehead. The forehead is a little flat.
- Auricles located high enough, at a short distance to one another. Much wider at the base than at the tip, which tends to round slightly.
- Eyes - this is another feature of Ceylon cats, firstly, against the background of the compact size of the body and head, they seem huge, and secondly, they have a certain special shape - the upper part of the eye is almond-shaped, while the lower, in turn, is of the correct rounded configuration. The color range of the iris in these seals varies from yellowish shades to rich green tint.
- Torso small-sized, the average body weight of an adult cat ranges from 2.5 to 4 kg. Cats are always smaller and lighter than cats. Despite all this fragility and smallness, Ceylon cats have well-developed muscle mass and strength. They are very flexible and mobile. The chest and shoulder girdle are wide and well developed. The abdomen always resembles an oval in shape.
- Limbs slender, rather of medium size, ending in rounded small racemes with strong, hidden claws.
- Tail slightly short in relation to the parameters of the body, it narrows significantly from base to tip. The tip is rounded, because of this, at first glance, it may appear that the cat has lost a significant part of its caudal process somewhere.
- Wool rather short, thin hair, but together with the undercoat forms a very thick "fur coat" on the body of a Ceylon cat. The coat is very soft and pleasant to the touch.
- Coloring Ceylon cat - this is their most important notable feature of appearance. These cats can be called monochromatic, but ticking is characteristic of their hairs - this is a sequential alternation of shades on a cat's hair. The main color tone of the "Ceylonians" changes in different color variations: from sandy to golden. Ticking shades can also be quite varied, usually colors such as creamy bluish, black, red and tortoiseshell are distinguished.
In the projection of the neck, the ticking lines are usually broken. On the dorsal part of the body of the Ceylon cat, as well as on the legs and tail, the correct pattern formed by stripes is very clearly visualized. On the frontal part of the skull, a pattern is visible, which in shape resembles the letter "M". The abdomen of the animal is not devoid of ornaments - two even rows of small specks are drawn on it.
The tip of the caudal process must be in harmony in color with the tone of ticking, but the hairs around the nose and paw pads must be colored in tone with the base color of the Ceylon cat.
Character features of Ceylon cats
It seems that in the soul of the representatives of this breed there are two separate cats who are constantly fighting for the right to be in charge. On the one hand, the Ceylon cat is very calm and balanced, it has some kind of unusual charm and mannerism. But at the same time, she is very often generative and energetic, one gets the impression that sometimes some kind of clockwork mechanism works for her. Cats are very fond of outdoor games, and they find themselves in seventh heaven with happiness, you take time to keep the kitten in their fun, bringing such a pet into the house, you will have to engage in such entertainment, otherwise your Ceylon cat will be very bored and can be completely lazy.
It's good if some other animal representative lives in the house, for example, a dog, looking at all the peacefulness, sociability and benevolence of these kittens, they will undoubtedly become best friends and entertain each other in a dreary moment, but how will this friendship and joint leisure affect the condition of your home is another matter.
Ceylon cats love to spend time in the company of their owner, they will sleep with you in bed with great pleasure, they will wake you up in the morning with a sweet and quiet purr.
Ceylon cat are very social creatures, so when they see people they don't know, they will never hide, but happily go into their hands and allow themselves to be stroked. With children, these purrs also know how to behave, they will not bite and scratch, of course, it all depends on each individual individual, but usually Ceylonians are famous for their patience and endurance.
Ceylon cat health
In general, representatives of this rare breed are famous for their good health and resistant organism to various kinds of sores. But whatever the genetics of your pet, it is not immune from infections, parasites, inflammatory processes. Of course, a lot of things are decided by the correct vaccination and timely visits to the veterinarian. A properly selected diet is also an important factor for the health of any animal.
Every person keeping a Ceylon cat in the house should have information about the most common symptoms of certain feline diseases. If you have at least one of them, you need to seek qualified medical help. The main warning signs are:
- cough;
- frequent episodes of sneezing;
- bowel dysfunction, vomiting, or urge to vomit;
- pain, or hyperthermia of the body;
- tachypnea or tachycardia;
- the presence of blood in the stool;
- lameness;
- rapid loss or gain in body weight;
- lack of appetite for more than 48 hours;
- profuse discharge from the nasal cavity, mouth and ears;
- thirst;
- urinary incontinence;
- wheezing in the chest cavity, which is heard from a distance.
Rules for caring for a Ceylon cat at home
The maintenance of such a fluffy specimen in the house is no different from the maintenance of an ordinary mongrel cat. Ceylon cats are very modest and well-mannered, they will not be capricious, insistently demand something, and will always show gratitude for any show of attention on your part and any delicacy that you treat her to.
- Hair care. Since by nature Ceylon cat inherited a short coat, it is much easier to keep it in a beautiful and well-groomed condition. In order for your pet's "fur coat" to sparkle with beauty and elegance, and in your house there were no cat hairs, your pet must be regularly brushed. If you approach this procedure correctly, then your cat will look forward to when you start combing it and this will have a positive effect on its appearance. For wool like Ceylon cats, a natural bristle brush is perfect. In order to thoroughly remove all dead hairs, the cat must first be carefully combed against the fur, so you will collect all or the maximum possible number of fallen off hairs. And already when this stage is completed, then it is already necessary to do the "styling", combing in the usual direction. Cats are very curious creatures and can climb anywhere, and they can get dirty there. If you notice a speck on the kitten's fur coat, and you can't bathe it, then the pollution can be removed with a cotton pad dipped in a solution of medical alcohol. In the event that your pet's skin is prone to increased fat content and this is reflected in its coat, then cherry laurel water can cope with this problem.
- Bathing. If we talk about water procedures for cats, then the opinions of scientists differed. Some argue that cats can be bathed if they themselves allow it, while others say that it is necessary to wash the cat as rarely as possible, allegedly water and detergents wash out the natural protective layer of fat, perhaps this is part of the truth. But how can you maintain the hygiene of an animal without washing? Try to introduce your Ceylon cat to the bathroom and water in particular, as early as possible, and preferably from the first days of life in your home. They say that it is most convenient to bathe the cat in the sink, thus, the pet is located at a convenient height for you and so you are insured against scratches and bites. It is better that two people are involved in carrying out this procedure, so one can hold the animal, and the other will thoroughly wash it. Make sure that all windows are closed when the Ceylon cat leaves the bathroom, because he can easily freeze and get sick. Drying the fur of a cat with a hair dryer is allowed, but it is rare to find an individual that does not experience mortal fear at the sight of this household item, and worse, at its sound.
- Oral hygiene. Caring for a kitten's teeth, as well as for the mucous membrane of the mouth, is very important for the health of the animal as a whole. In order for your Ceylon cat to do everything well, it is recommended to regularly brush not only its teeth, but also the oral cavity. To do this, you can use a piece of gauze or thick cloth dipped in plantain infusion. Wrap this "brush" around your finger and gently try to wipe the kitten's upper and lower lips and gums. Cats don't like that, so you should try to do it as quickly as possible. It is also possible to purchase several rubber toys for your Ceylon cat with special grooves and shields. They are sold in every pet store, they are not expensive, but they really are useful. Solid food is also good for cleansing cats' teeth, and you can also add specialized toothbrushing food to the diet.
- Ear Care. Cleaning the ears of a Ceylon cat is also necessary. To do this, use cotton swabs; as an additional tool, you can use different oils, liquid paraffin or regular petroleum jelly. When cleaning your ears, never go very deep, as you can damage your eardrum. It is advisable to examine the ears at least once every 3 days. Since these organs are very sensitive in cats. When examining, pay attention to the presence of purulent or bloody discharge, inflammation of the skin behind the ears and inside the auricle. It is important to know that a dark color plaque is an absolutely accurate symptom that an animal is affected by an ear mite. In this case, you need to immediately show the pet to the doctor and during treatment, isolate the patient from contact with other pets.
- Eye care consists in regularly wiping them with a swab soaked in black tea or a decoction of medicinal plants.
- Tray training. Ceylon cats are not only neat and like to live clean and tidy, but they are also very smart. It will not be difficult for you to explain to your pet the purpose of the tray, which is pre-sprayed with a special agent. Your task in the future will only be to clean the tray in a timely manner, since it is very likely that the cat will disdain to relieve himself in a dirty and unpleasantly smelling place.
- Feeding. The owner must approach the issue of nutrition with all responsibility. You need to make sure that the Ceylon cat receives all the substances necessary for its body along with food, because the lack of this or that element, or vitamin can pull along with it a variety of diseases and pathological conditions. If a Ceylon cat's diet consists of prepared food, it is important that this food is always fresh and of high quality. Usually in such products all the necessary components are inherent and they are selected in optimal proportions.
You can feed the cat with homemade products, only then you will have to calculate the right amount of proteins, fats and carbohydrates every day so that your pet gets everything and in the right amount.
You can feed the cat with the following products: lean meats, sea fish in moderation, boiled chicken eggs, dairy products, vegetables, cereals and herbs.
Buying and price of an unusual Ceylon kitten
Unfortunately, it is almost impossible to acquire this original cat in our country, since there is not a single cattery with individuals of this breed. Therefore, it is best to look for such a rare companion in his homeland. Due to its low prevalence in Russia, it is impossible to indicate the exact price of a Ceylon cat.
More about Ceylon cats in the video below:
