Aegean cats are a naturally occurring landrace of domestic cats originating from the Cycladic Islands of Greece. Considered a natural cat, developing without human interference, and is the only native Greek variety of cats. Development of a formal breed began in the early 1990s by breeders in the fledgling Greek cat fancy, but the variety has yet to be recognised by any major fancier and breeder organization.
Considered one of the oldest domesticated cat breeds, the cats were introduced to the islands during the Bronze Age. They are common as feral cats in Greece and Turkey, where they are found amongst fishing ports asking for food offerings. In Greece, they consider Aegean cats a national treasure. Feral Aegean cats are notable predators of Aegean wall lizards in the Cyclades.
Aegean cats as pets
The Aegean cat has been domesticated for centuries, so it’s adapted to humans pretty well. It is a social pet that tolerates living in an apartment rather well. It is intelligent, active, lively and also communicative, not hesitating to draw a person’s attention.
Aegean cat characteristics
Aegean cats are a medium-sized, muscular, semi-long-haired cat. The coat is bicolour or tricolour with one colour being almost always white. White usually takes up between 1/4 to 9/10 of the body. The colour of their coat might include many other colours and patterns. Their paws are medium and have a round shape. Their tail can be long and “hooked”. The ears are covered by fur and have a wide base and rounded tips. The eyes have an almond shape and their color can be any shade of green, blue, and yellow.
Aegean cats have an affinity for water and fishing. Because the breed could develop through natural selection, rather than selective breeding, Aegean cats are free from most feline genetic diseases.
References
- “Cat breeds: the Aegean cat, characteristics and personality”. Dogalize.com. 4 March 2017. Retrieved 15 December 2017.
- “Aegean”. Cats 101. Animal Planet. Retrieved April 7, 2013.
- Li, Binbin; Belasen, Anat; Pafilis, Panayiotis; Bednekoff, Peter; Foufopoulos, Johannes (2014-08-07). “Effects of feral cats on the evolution of anti-predator behaviours in island reptiles: insights from an ancient introduction”. Proceedings of the Royal Society B: Biological Sciences. 281 (1788): 20140339. doi:10.1098/rspb.2014.0339. ISSN 0962-8452. PMC 4083782. PMID 24943365.
