Cats were known in Egypt more than 3,000 years ago where they were worshipped, embalmed at death, and frequently buried in elaborate coffins.

They were known in India over 2,000 years ago, and later in China and Japan.

They arrived in Britain with the Romans, where they were considered of great value. In the 10th century laws were made for their protection, but in the Middle Ages they came to be feared, being thought to be connected with black magic.

By Victorian times they were again in favour as many houses kept a cat to catch mice.

Domestic cats have a common ancestor, the African wild cat Felis libyca , found across Africa and Arabia.

This is similar to the European wild cat F. silvestris . Domestic cats can interbreed with either of these wild relatives.

Various other species of small wild cat live in all continents except Antarctica and Australia. Large cats such as the lion, tiger, leopard, puma, and jaguar also belong to the cat family Felidae.

Varieties:

There are over 50 pedigree varieties, divided roughly into 3 groups: long-hairs or Persians , shorthairs (British and foreign), and Siamese .

The long-hairs have round, broad heads, with small ears, thickset bodies, short, thick legs, and short, full tails.

Among the long-hairs, the Chinchillas, with white coats tipped with black, and the Smoke, with white undercoat and black top coat, are striking.

British shorthairs have round heads, smallish ears, sturdy bodies on well-proportioned legs, and medium-length tails.

The foreign shorthair varieties have longish heads, big ears, long, graceful bodies, and fairly long tails.

The Siamese have wedge-shaped heads, long, svelte bodies, tall legs, and long, tapering tails.

The Manx differs from other cats in having no tail at all.

To see the a list of the many types of cats, domestic or pedigree, click the link.

Extinct breeds are also listed.

http://www.messybeast.com/breeds.htm