Foreign White cats

Origin story

Blue-eyed beauties with a snow-white coat were given to the world by the English breeder Patricia Turner, who was breeding Siamese cats. While reviewing photographs of her beloved pets after another photo shoot, Patricia discovered one damaged photograph. The lilac cat depicted on it turned out to be white, and this fact was of great interest to the breeder.

Patricia decided on a risky experiment - to breed Siamese cats with snow-white fur and blue eyes. The difficulty was that most white cats suffered from hereditary deafness, and the woman set herself the goal of creating an absolutely healthy breed.

For breeding work, the breeder chose a British shorthair cat with a snow-white color and representatives of the Siamese breed with a seal point color. The first kittens born as a result of this marriage were not completely white, but the breeder did not give up and after several generations her efforts were rewarded. The kids had a snow-white fur coat and blue eyes, and most importantly, they had excellent hearing.

Inspired by the success, Patricia made a detailed description of the breed of her new pets and presented them at the London exhibition in 1966. The sophisticated snow-white beauties captivated not only ordinary visitors, but also specialists, and within a few years, Foreign Whites were officially recognized by all authoritative felinological organizations.

History of the breed

The homeland of this unusual breed is Great Britain. It was there that about 55 years ago, biologist and geneticist Patricia Turner crossed a male Seal Point Siamese cat and a female British Shorthair. Their kittens laid the foundation for a new breed of white animals with blue eyes. In 1962, a breeding program was developed, according to which suitable individuals were selected.

As Patricia Turner herself admitted, she was inspired to work by a photograph of a Siamese lilac-point cat. The photograph was overexposed and the handsome thoroughbred seemed pure white, but the biologist liked what he saw so much that she was inspired by the idea of ​​breeding a healthy breed with snow-white fur.

It is worth noting that this was not the first attempt to breed a white Siamese cat. Similar projects have been carried out in Ireland and the Netherlands. Scientists from different countries tried to crossbreed the Siamese and the white British Shorthair cat, but their offspring were characterized by poor health and an abundance of genetic diseases. The kittens were born deaf, infertile, unable to see at dusk, and often suffered from Waardenburg syndrome, so it was not possible to develop a new breed based on them.

During her work, Patricia corrected some errors - in particular, she avoided mixing the “red” and “white” genes, which caused most of the problems. In June 1997, the new breed was recognized by the GCSF (Governing Council of the Cat Fancy) organization, and in November such a cat won the champion title for the first time. Soon these white animals were registered by the All-Union Cat Federation and other international organizations.

Description of the breed

Foreign White cats are of average size and weigh 3-5 kg. The breed standard according to the TICA organization is the same for the entire Siamese group of breeds: Siamese, Balinese, Oriental Shorthair and Oriental Longhair. This includes Foreign White.

Detailed description of the breed:

• The head is long but proportional, on a slender long neck, tapering to a neat muzzle, with an even profile, strong chin and flat forehead;
• The ears are large, wide at the base, set so that they continue the wedge-shaped shape of the head, similar to a triangle;
• Eyes – oriental, almond-shaped, set at an angle;
• Body – long and slender, pelvis slightly above the shoulder line, muscular build;
• Paws – long, slender, hind paws longer than front paws, oval paw pads;
• The tail is long, tapered, whip-like, without a break;
• The coat is short, close-lying.

Breed characteristics

Character

Foreign White is a social cat that is literally created for communication. Intelligence is typical of the Siamese type. Pets are temperamental and love to interact with humans. They love to take part in the owner’s daily life and constantly try to lure household members into their noisy and funny games.

They don’t like loneliness - in this case, another companion cat will help to avoid stress. It is advisable to acquire a new neighbor and running partner with a similar temperament, so that there are no conflicts due to misunderstandings.

Almost all “foreigners” are loud and have a wide range of throat singing. If an animal begins to demand something, it will do it with all the power of its strong vocal cords.

Excessive activity of pets requires owners to create a safe habitat for them. The house or apartment should have enough space for active movement. Ideally, it wouldn’t hurt to give your pet a whole corner equipped with special cat exercise equipment, which will make the cat not only happy, but also physically healthy.

It is extremely important to monitor the animal’s nutrition: the cat should receive healthy and balanced food, which will maintain the glossy appearance of its snow-white fur. The choice of the right diet remains up to the owner, since this concept is quite conditional and flexible: some animals need exclusively natural food, while others feel great even when eating high-quality ready-made “dry food”.

Foreign Whites are gluttons, but they are not prone to obesity due to their metabolic characteristics. But you shouldn’t overfeed them either - frequent and abundant feeding will lead to vomiting.

Health and care

Unlike other white cats with blue eyes, this breed is not susceptible to hearing loss. In general, these animals are distinguished by good health if their selection is carried out correctly.

A necessary condition is that the Foreign White should be crossed only with representatives of its variety or with Siamese, whose colors are lilac, blue, brown or seal point.

The result of mating with Siamese individuals with red pigmentation (fiery, ivory, cake, peach) was a high probability of the manifestation of Waardenburg syndrome in the cubs. As a result of mating with tabby point Siamese, babies usually inherit points on their nose and mouth.

Representatives of the breed usually live 15-20 years. Caring for a foreign cat is not difficult: brush it once a week, wash it occasionally and periodically clean its ears.

Selection and propagation

Correct selection plays an important role in preserving the external characteristics and health of the breed. When breeding these unusual pets, you must adhere to the following rules:

• do not cross cats with representatives of any oriental breeds;
• avoid mating with carriers of red pigment - that is, any individuals whose color contains red, apricot, tortoiseshell, red or cream shades;
• exclude crossing with animals of tabby color - this leads to the loss of the white color of the coat;
• If you cross two Foreign Whites, they may produce kittens with blue fur or with Waardenburg syndrome, so this should also be avoided (unless both parents are carriers of the albinism gene).

As a result of strict selection, only Siamese cats of dark seal point color with blue eyes are allowed to crossbreed with Foreign Whites. But setting such strict standards is not a whim, but a necessity. This is the only way to preserve and strengthen the health of the breed and prevent the development of genetic diseases in kittens.

Upbringing

The mental abilities of foreigners are at a high level. Even as children they are smart and curious. They study the world around them without any special instructions from their owners. This way they can get accustomed to the tray and scratching post on their own. It’s enough just to show once how great everything is.

The educational process should proceed calmly. Do not raise your voice under any circumstances . Patience is the key to success in everything related to this breed of cats. You can't hit. Even the slightest slap on the butt can turn a cutie into a wild beast. The cat will definitely not forget the insult and will soon do something.

Say that he/she is good and obedient. Praise and encourage. Cats understand everything perfectly. This is the only effective method of education. Love is also important for Foreign White, and for the sake of it he will understand what is required of him.

What to feed Phoren White?

Feeding a pet of this breed does not have any special features; you need to adhere to the standard rules of a balanced diet for a cat. Proteins should predominate in the diet, fats should be kept to a minimum, and the amount of carbohydrates should be moderate. Be sure to keep an eye on the freshness and constant availability of water in your animal’s bowl. Drinking should be kept away from the tray - cats are very clean and will not shit where they eat. If you decide to feed your cat ready-made food - dry or liquid, make sure that the product is of high quality and contains all the necessary vitamins and microelements. Dry food is not recommended for kittens. If you feed your pet yourself, introduce fermented milk products, meat, vegetables, and cereals into the diet. But you can’t afford fish often. You should definitely give your animal the vitamins your doctor prescribes - this is the key to good health and absence of disease.

Foren white is a unique pet with a complex character. If you find an approach to it, the cat will become a faithful and true friend for you. Love your snow-white foreigner, and he will certainly reciprocate your love.

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Care and nutrition

Unsurpassed Foreign White cats have a brilliant mind: they instantly absorb new information. Therefore, problems in raising an animal of this breed should not arise. Foreign Whites are not demanding, but only until you stop paying attention to them. As soon as cats begin to experience a lack of communication, they begin to scream loudly, reminding them of themselves.

Luxurious cats require special care, because if you don’t pay attention to the pet’s care, the snow-white coat will lose its appearance.

• Cats should be regularly brushed and their hair free of debris;
• As the fur gets dirty, the animals need to be bathed (not often);
• Regularly, pets need to trim their nails;
• From an early age, cats should be taught to brush their teeth;
• Periodically, cats need to clean their ears and eyes;
• Several times a year, the animal should be dewormed.

Foreign White cats love to eat, so they are prone to obesity. To prevent your pet from suffering from excess weight, portions should be moderate. The cat's diet should include poultry, boneless fish, beef, vegetables and cereals. You can also add low-fat dairy products to your diet. The main thing is that your pet has enough vitamins and microelements.

Foreign Whites are loyal creatures that love their owner throughout their lives.