The varieties of domestic cat concern color and quality of fur, not
differences of form, as in the case of dogs. Thus we have (1) black cats
with clear yellow eyes, usually with a few white hairs, and with hints
of markings in the kittens; (2) white cats, sometimes with blue eyes,
and then generally deaf; (3) tabby cats, like the wild species, and
perhaps the result of crossing with the same; (4) gray cats, which are
rare, and differ from the tabby forms in having no black stripes, except
the common ones over the forelegs; (5) tortoise-shell, fawn-colored, and
mottled with black, usually females; and (6) sandy-colored, usually
males. The royal Siamese cat is fawn-colored, with blue eyes and small
head; the Carthusian or blue cat has long, dark, grayish-blue fur, with
black lips and soles; the Angora, or Persian cat is large, fine furred,
generally white, tending to yellow or gray, and possibly derived from an
Asiatic species. The Malay cat, in Pegu, Siam, and Burma, has a tail
only half the normal length; the Manx cat of the Isle of Man is tailless
and has longer hind-legs. A fine all-blue cat comes from Russia and
Iceland, and there are characteristic breeds from India, Abyssinia, and
other parts of the world.