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Thousands of years ago, domestic cats spread from Egypt across the world. New varieties evolved to suit the new conditions. Survival of the fittest in colder climates favored stocky individuals, with dense undercoats of weatherproof hair to protect them in winter. In northern climates, cats developed "cobby" bodies,a type later developed into the British shorthair and exported as the foundation stock for many of the world's cats. At the same time, the cat was also spreading east across Asia. In warm climates, natural selection favored thinner coats and a small body to increase the surface-area-to-weight ratio, to help lose excess heat. Such cats are now called foreign or, if extremely slender, Oriental types.
| Russian Blue | Korat | Burmese | American Shorthair | Siamese |
| Snowshoe | Manx | British Shorthair | Exotic Shorthair | Abyssinian |
| Havana | Japanese Bobtail | Tonkinese | Bombay | Singapura |
| Oriental Shorthairs | Burmilla | Rex | Egyptian Mau | Sphynx |
Even more so than for longhaired cats, new Shorthairs are remarkable for what breeders have been able to achieve. They include the American Curl, which has ears that curve away from the face, the American Bobtail, which has a tail rather like a powder-puff, the California Spangled, which is spotted, and the Bengal, Ocicat and Scottish Fold.
Cat fanciers have always tried to push back the genetic frontiers of feline breeds, but they have probably never been so ingenious as in recent years, a trend that will no doubt continue, with the creation of ever more new cats. The temperaments of the new Shorthairs are as diverse as their origins. With each new breed that comes into being, the challenge to develop new varieties is usually rapidly taken up.
| Bengal | Ocicat | Scottish Fold |
Chic Catsthat have the build of a Siamese and which are vred in a myriad colors and patterns, Oriental and Foreign Shorthairs are a among the most distingished-looking in the feline repertoire. In both the US and Britain Siamese were bred to other Shorthairs to produce an elegant Oriental type cat without point markings. Recognition was granted towards the late 1970s. These cats have the same energetic and inquisitive nature as the Siamese. They are highly intelligent and make loving companions.
| Burmilla | Rex | Egyptian Mau | Sphynx |