Breed-related disease: Cymric cat
Is it really a cat if it doesn’t have a tail? It is if it’s a Cymric (pronounced kim-rick). There are lots of cats with short tails or no tails, but the Cymric (and his sister breed the shorthaired Manx) is the only one specifically bred to be tail-free. Sometimes jokingly said to be the […]
Breed-related disease: Maltese dog
John K. Rosembert The Maltese is an ancient breed, one of several small “bichon” dogs found around the Mediterranean for thousands of years. His exact place of origin is a mystery, with conjecture including Sicily, Egypt, and southern Europe, but most historians pinpoint Malta for the development of the breed. With its teeny-tiny stature, flowing […]
Breed-related disease: Birman Cat
The origin of the Birman cat is not well known, with much of his history tied in with cultural legends, While there is no clear record of the origin of Birman cats, one pair was taken to France around 1919, from which the breed became established in the western world. However, Birman cats were almost […]
Breed-related disease: French bulldog
The “bouldogge Francais,” as he is known in his adopted home country of France, actually originated in England, in the city of Nottingham. Small bulldogs were popular pets with the local lace workers, keeping them company and ridding their workrooms of rats. After the industrial revolution, lacemaking became mechanized and many of the lace workers […]
Breed-related disease: Thai Cat
The Thai Cat is an old, but recently recognized breed that is related to the Siamese cat originated in Thailand, where it is actually referred to as the Wichien-Maat, which translates to “moon diamond.” This breed is also commonly referred to as the Traditional, or Old-Style, Siamese. In the 1800s, the first Wichien-Maat cats arrived […]
Breed-related disease: Newfoundland
The Newfoundland is a large working dog. They can be either black, brown, grey, or white-and-black. However, in the Dominion of Newfoundland, before it became part of the confederation of Canada, only black and Landseer colored dogs were considered to be proper members of the breed. They were originally bred and used as working dogs […]
Breed-related disease: Oriental Shorthair
The Oriental Shorthair is actually a Siamese hybrid first developed in England in the 20th century. It is similar in body type to the Siamese, but comes in many more color and pattern varieties. And though it is not as communicative as the Siamese, the Oriental is still a fun companion to have around the […]
Breed-related disease: Afghan Hound
Afghan hound, breed of dog developed as a hunter in the hill country of Afghanistan. It was once thought to have originated several thousand years ago in Egypt, but there is no evidence for this theory. It was brought to Europe in the late 19th century by British soldiers returning from the Indian-Afghan border wars. […]
Breed-related disease: Russian Blue Cat
Although the Russian blue’s exact origins are not known for certain, but the Russian Blue cat was originally known as the Archangel Cat because it was said to have arrived in Europe aboard ships from the Russian port of that name (Arkhangel’sk). It has also been known as the Spanish Cat and the Maltese cat, […]
Breed-related disease: Bull Terrier
John K. Rosembert Descended from the extinct old English bulldog and Manchester terrier, the bull terrier was originally bred to help control vermin and to fight in the blood sports of bull and bear baiting. Today’s iteration looks as different as he behaves. With the most recognizable feature is its head, described as ‘egg-shaped head’, […]
