Cyprus cat breeds

Birth of a New Cat Breed

The birth of a new cat breed is being acted out on the island where the most ancient evidence of the domestic cat was found – Cyprus. In 2001 a French archaeologists discovered a human grave that was assessed to be 9,500 years old with a pet cat next to the deceased person. The site was in Shillourokambos. Experts have decided that the domestic cat evolved from the Near Eastern wild cat some 9,500 years ago. The grave was evidence of the earliest example of cat domestication.

There is then a very long (the longest) history of domestication of the cat in Cyprus and yet they have not (until now) laid claim to their own naturally occurring purebred cat. There are many cat breeds that are exclusively linked to a country where they are said to have evolved naturally and then been“discovered” by a breeder. Having been discovered the cat was then developed into a well known and established breed. Examples are the Siamese (Siam – Thailand), Chartreux (France), British Shorthair (Britain), Japanese Bobtail, Manx and the Turkish Angora and Van to name a selection only.

It seems that the Cypriots have decided it is their turn to have their own cat but there is competition. The cat fancy worldwide has well and truly moved on from the days when the breeds above were discovered. There are many more breeders and it is more commercial.

It would seem that the chance to start a new breed that originates from the home of the domestic cat (Cyprus) is very enticing and there is competition from cat associations and/or breeders in other countries to turn two types of cat in Cyprus (presumably domestic, semi-feral and feral) into a purebred cat.

DNA testing by Davis University, California would seem to have established that there are two types of unregistered purebred cat in Cyprus and the Cypriot Feline Society would like them to be recognised as cats that are exclusively linked to Cyprus. These cat types have been called:

The Aphrodite. A breed that is is larger, stronger and taller than the other cat which has been called the
St Helena. The St Helena is smaller in size, with larger eyes but a smaller face.