Cyprus cat
This article needs additional citations for verification. (January 2011) |
Cyprus cat | |
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Other names | Cypriot cat, Saint Helen cat, Saint Nicholas cat |
Origin | Cyprus; foundation stock likely from Egypt or Palestine |
Variety status | Not recognized as a standardized breed by any major breed registry. |
Notes | |
Cyprus cats are a landrace, not a standardized breed. | |
Domestic cat (Felis catus) |
Cyprus cats, also known as Cypriot cats, Saint Helen cats, and Saint Nicholas cats, are a
The earliest known written record of cats on Cyprus refers to a story of
History
A paper by J.-D. Vigne, et al., concluded in 2004 that the discovery of
Cyprus cats of today are more likely linked with the
The World Cat Congress is of the opinion that Cyprus cats developed over time in mountainous inner Cyprus from various populations of cats around the island and became large and bushy-haired to cope with hunting comparatively large prey like rats, big lizards and snakes in cool, wet, mountain weather, though summers there are fairly hot and dry[7] (Both WCF and TICA note that the thickness of the coat in purebred Aphrodite cats descended from this populations still varies seasonally). The other two organizations' breed summaries are generally consistent with this view,[8][9] though it is uncertain who first produced this account of their origin, or on what basis. It is unclear whether Cyprus cats are closely related to the broader Aegean cat landrace of mainland and island Greece. Genetic testing to date has shown only that the Cyprus cats are distinct enough that a breed could be developed from them.
Characteristics
Cyprus cats are somewhat thick-haired (from short-haired up to "semi-longhaired" in cat fanciers' jargon), and are an athletic and energetic variety. Feral populations are found throughout the island of Cyprus, from mountainous and cooler regions to the lower, hotter areas near the coasts, including in the cities.[citation needed] As such, this cat has locally adapted to different climates / seasonal change; however, it may be more associated with the mountainous areas.[9]
Aphrodite breed development
Aphrodite | |
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Other names | Aphrodite Giant, Aphrodite's Giant Longhair, Aphrodite's Giant Shorthair |
Origin | Cyprus |
Breed standards | |
TICA | standard |
WCF | standard |
Notes | |
TICA recognition is only preliminary. | |
Domestic cat (Felis catus) |
Local breeders began in 2006 to attempt to establish a standardized breed from local feral cats.[9] In 2008, a World Cat Federation (WCF) all-breeds judge visited Cyprus to work at a cat show[citation needed] and was introduced to a breeder of purebred cats developed in this trial breeding program[9] from the Cyprus cats. Considering the cats distinct, he wrote a standard of points and named them Aphrodite Giant. The president and board members of WCF advised that these Aphrodite cats should be shown outside Cyprus to become better known within the cat fancy,[citation needed] but did not immediately accept the nascent breed. Subsequently, a group of interested people in Cyprus decided to form a club, which was named the Cyprus Cats National Breed Association (CyCNBA), which applied for government approval and started functioning in late 2009. CyCNBA applied to affiliate to the WCF in April 2012.[clarification needed][citation needed]
In addition, it was agreed that a letter be sent to a leading specialist in cat genetics,[
On 1 July 2012, the cat became a fully recognised breed of the WCF, originally as just the Aphrodite's Giant Longhair (though it is actually in the organization's semi-longhaired division[11]) after the CyCNBA attended the WCF General Assembly in Gelsenkirchen, Germany and applied for recognition of the cats in April 2012.[citation needed] Today, WCF also recognizes a short-haired variant.[8]
In September 2017, The International Cat Association (TICA) recognized the cats, under the name Aphrodite, as a "preliminary new breed", in its own breed group and with both shorthaired and semi-longhaired varieties.[9] Some TICA members have started breeding programs for the Aphrodite in Europe, Asia, and the United States.[9]
In breeder terminology, this constitutes a
Breed standards
The WCF standard calls for the Aphrodite's Giant to be large, strong, and muscular but not cobby, and big-boned even as kittens. The cats may be shorthaired or semi-longhaired and of any colors other than colorpoint or mink (which comes from the Burmese gene), nor with any white spots if otherwise solid-colored. "In bicolour, non-regular colour setting is desired." The coat should be soft and wooly, and is expected to be longer and with an undercoat in winter, and always lacking any top coat except possibly on the back. In detail, WCF calls for muscular hips and shoulders; back legs slightly longer than front (a trait shared with another insular breed, the Manx); medium-long, "well-plumed" tail, commensurate with body size (and visibly tapering in the shorthaired version); a long-triangular head with straight cheeks, long and straight muzzle, "strong" chin, rounded front of the face, slightly domed forehead and "a very slight dip under the height of the eyes"; wide-based, medium-large ears, forming an open V (rather than being straight upward); and olive-shaped, oblique-set eyes of any uniform color. Weight range is not specified.[8][3]
WCF has set no temperament or breeding rules for this breed, and defers on breeding points instead to the
Under the TICA definition, Aphrodites may be shorthaired or semi-longhaired and have any color and pattern, except they may not be colorpoint or mink and should not have a
WCF and TICA sharply conflict with each other on the cat's speed of maturity, perhaps owing to different foundation stock for their breed variants. The WCF standard says that they develop quickly,[8] while TICA says they are comparatively slow to mature (another trait shared with the Manx), taking three to five years to reach full size.[4]
TICA's overview of the breed describes them as affectionate and social and in some ways dog-like in behavior toward their keepers.[9]
References
- ^ "Oldest Known Pet Cat? 9,500-year-old Burial Found on Cyprus". National Geographic News. National Geographic Society. 2004. Archived from the original on 3 March 2007. Retrieved 6 March 2007.
- S2CID 28294367.
- ^ a b "Breed standards: Aphrodite's Giants" (PDF). WCF-Online.de. World Cat Federation. 29 June 2012. Archived (PDF) from the original on 15 November 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Aphrodite Breed Group (APS/APL)" (PDF). TICA.org. The International Cat Association. 1 May 2018. Retrieved 3 February 2022.
- ISBN 9781858289939.
- ^ Seferis, George (1995). Collected Poems. Translated by Keely, Edmund; Sherrard, Philip. Princeton University Press.
- ^ a b c "A Comparison Among the Member Organisations: Aphrodite's Giant Shorthair". WorldCatCongress.org. World Cat Congress. 2017. Archived from the original on 15 November 2018. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d "Aphrodite's Giants". WCF-Online.de. World Cat Federation. 2018. Archived from the original on 13 November 2017. Retrieved 15 November 2018.
- ^ a b c d e f g h i "Aphrodite Breed". TICA.org. The International Cat Association. 13 August 2018. Retrieved 27 January 2018.
- ^ a b Leslie A. Lyons (2013). Genetics of Cat Populations and Breeds: Implications for Breed Management for Health!. Tufts' Canine and Feline Breeding and Genetics Conference, 2013. Archived from the original on 8 August 2021.
- ^ a b "Semi-Longhair". WCF-Online.de. World Cat Federation. 2018. Archived from the original on 23 October 2021. Retrieved 15 November 2018.