CAT
BREEDS A-Z
Bahraini Dilmun Cat
Bahrain is a small island just off the east
coast of Saudi Arabia in the Arabian Gulf. The local cats of Bahrain
have a very distinctive 'look' about them - they are slender,
elegant, street smart spotted tabbies. These spotted tabbies have
beautiful short hair coats that are extremely sleek, I compare
their coats to the feel of a beautiful silk Persian carpet. The
spotted Bahraini cats occur in all different clours from dark
brown, bronze, cinnamon, lillac, ginger, silver, etc. and the
cats occur in solid colours also. Recently the typical Bahraini
cat has been called the 'Dilmun Cat' after the name of ancient
Bahrain. These cats have managed to adapt to the harsh climatic
conditions of Bahrain. Due to the extreme summer temperatures
in Bahrain the cats have large ears and short fur. In the summer
they sleep all day and come out in the evening, and in the cooler
months they are more active at day time.
Generally these lovely cats
are not much appreciated in their home land. Most of the cats in
Bahrain live as street wise cats in areas where there is a sufficient
supply of food and enough shelter (fortunately for the cats people
throw out a lot of food in Bahrain!). Appart from their good looks,
the cats of Bahrain are particualary endearing creatures because
of their great personalities. Even people that normally don't like
cats end up with a soft spot for the cats of Bahrain.
The cats of Bahrain are very
adaptable creatures, and that has been the key to their survival.
Unfortunately, nowadays there is so much development going on in
Bahrain with shopping malls and high rise offices popping up, that
the traditional home areas of the cats are being demolished. The
next test of their survival is to see how they will survive in the
modern towns and cities of Bahrain.
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