shorthair cat

Breed of domestic cat. Show standards call for a sturdily built cat with strong-boned legs, a round head, round eyes, and ears that are rounded at the tips. The coat must be short and may be of almost any colour or pattern. Some colours, such as blue cream, are infrequently found in shorthairs; others, such as tabby (stripes and mottled patterns in silver, brown, blue, and red), are common.

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or house cat

Domesticated carnivore (Felis catus) that retains many characteristics of the larger wild cats but differs in coat and size. Breeds are either shorthaired (e.g., Siamese) or longhaired (e.g., Persian). Domestic cats are usually white, black, yellow, or gray and sometimes have markings of a different colour. A pattern of dark stripes or swirls on a lighter background is called tabby. Males may reach lengths of 28 in. (71 cm), and females are usually about 20 in. (51 cm) long. Weights generally vary from 6 to 10 lb (2.5 to 4.5 kg), though nonpedigreed cats may weigh up to 28 lb (13 kg). The most closely related wild species are the North African wildcats (including Felix lybica). Valued for their mouse and rat hunting, which protected farmers' grain supplies, cats were being domesticated in ancient Egypt by 1500 BC. The Cat Fanciers' Association now recognizes about 37 breeds.

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Any of several gemstones that display a luminous band reminiscent of the eye of a cat. Grayish green or greenish quartz cat's-eye is the most common type; although it comes from the Orient, it is often called occidental cat's-eye to differentiate it from the rarer, and more valuable, precious or oriental cat's-eye, which is a greenish variety of chrysoberyl. Crocidolite cat's-eye (African cat's-eye) is more commonly known as tigereye. Corundum cat's-eye is an imperfect star sapphire or ruby in which the star is reduced to a luminous zone.

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Breed of stocky, round-headed domestic cat that has a long, silky coat (many colours possible), large round eyes, snub nose, and thick ruff. The breed is often referred to as the longhair.

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Breed of domestic cat believed to have come from the Isle of Man. Affectionate, loyal, and courageous, the compact Manx is distinguished by its taillessness and hopping gait. The rump is distinctly higher than the shoulders because the hind legs are longer than the forelegs. The Manx may be born with a tail, but ideally it should be tailless. The double coat may be any of several colours.

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Breed of domestic cat, presumably of Asian origin. Compactly built, it has a small, rounded head and wide-set, round, yellow eyes. The short, finely textured, glossy coat darkens as it matures from milk-chocolate to a rich sable brown and is paler on the underside; the ears, face, legs, and tail may be darker. The tapered tail may be kinked near the tip.

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In 2005, Winnie was the name given to a supposed big cat sighted in the Veluwe region of the Netherlands.

First sightings

At the beginning of June 2005, several sightings of a "puma" were reported to the police near Ede, Harskamp and Wekerom. Gamekeepers found traces of eroded wildlife. The police closed down a large part of the Ginkelse Heide while in search of the animal in order to shoot it, as they felt that a puma could be a threat to people living in the Veluwe area. However, no trace of the animal was found. An additional search for the animal performed by the organization Pantera with the purpose of tracking the animal down turned out to be unsuccessful as well.

Revelation

On September 21 2005 photographer Otto Faulhaber revealed the supposed puma as being a cross-breed between a European wild cat and a house cat. The cat was 1.5 times as big as a normal house cat, which may have convinced those who saw it that they were looking at a species of big cat. European wild Cats do not appear in the Netherlands in great numbers, but occasionally they can be seen.

External links

• Newspaper article about the search
• News about the finding of Otto Faulhaber