Monday, January 12, 2009

First off, let's define what we mean by "kinds." There are animals that are purebred and ones that are mixed breeds. A breed is a group of related dogs or cats with similar characteristics. Humans maintain animal breeds over generations by making sure that only animals of a given breed mate with one another.

"Purebred" means that an animal comes from two parents of the same breed and has the traits of its parents. Some dog breeders consider a dog a member of a breed only if both parents are entirely of the same breed. But others allow a dog to be only 75 percent "purebred" to be considered part of the breed.

As a result, how many breeds there are depends on whom you ask. For example, the World Canine Organization, based in Belgium, recognizes nearly 400 dog breeds around the world. But the American Kennel Club, which started in 1884 with nine dog breeds on its registry, now recognizes 161 breeds.

In the United States, the most popular breeds have long included Labrador retrievers, golden retrievers, German shepherds, dachshunds and beagles.

"Designer dogs," the result of putting two completely different breeds together, have become popular in recent years. This is often done to create animals that do not shed. The result is a different kind of dog, but not a new breed.

Now let's talk about cats, where there is the same kind of disagreement over breed. The International Cat Association recognizes 54 breeds of cats. But the Cat Fanciers' Association recognizes 40.

So why are there more breeds of dogs than cats? One big reason is that dogs have been bred to do different things, such as hunting, guarding and herding. Cats have not.

Persian and Siamese cats remain among the most popular breeds. But a new addition to the feline world are "designer cats" -- animals bred for a particular market.

One of the best-known designer cats is called an Ashera, a mix of an African serval, an Asian leopard cat and a specific kind of domestic cat. The result is a cat that looks like a small leopard -- and costs between $22,000 and $125,000!

-- Valerie Strauss

SOURCES: Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County; American Kennel Club; Dog Breed Info Center; International Cat Association; Lifestyle Pets