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Advertisers Bank of Bahrain and Kuwait B.S.C.
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Dilmun cats - a rare Bahraini breed
Bahrain is best known for its pearls and ancient heritage, but it has a secret few people know about. Ten thousand years ago, when Bahrain separated from Saudi Arabia and formed an archipelago, its isolation caused differences, especially with mammalian wildlife. This unique history, its geographical location and the element of isolation contributed to the creation of the Dilmun cat, a rare breed found only on these islands.
According to Adele O'Shea, secretary of the Cat Club of Bahrain, the local Dilmun cats have evolved over the centuries to adapt to Bahrain's extremely high summer temperatures, and are quite different from the domestic American cat.
"When I first came to Bahrain I worked at the local animal shelter and would always marvel at the elegant, fine-boned, beautifully marked local cats that came in. I wrongly called them 'Oriental cats" because I felt they deserved a title."
"The main focus of the cat club is the welfare of the local Bahrain cats. They are a breed in their own right and we aim to give them a higher profile and level of appreciation (among the people of Bahrain)," said Ms. Kanoo.
Mrs. O'Shea says the Dilmun cats' coats feel as soft as a silk Persian carpet, but that may be the only soft thing about them. Built to survive the hot desert climate, the cats have an Oriental build with slender, long bodies, high haunches and long, narrow legs and tails. Their faces are also unusual; most have a wedge-shaped heads and ears that are wide at the base and oval tipped. The nose has a slight dip in its profile, and their eyes slant toward the ears, and are usually green or gold colored.
The color of Dilmun cats is also unusual. Although some are solid-colored, many are what are called "spotted tabbies." The spotted tabby variety has the M-shaped marking on the forehead that all tabbies have, but they also have a dusky blush on the nose, and dark bars on the base and tip of the ears. The tail, according to the CCB, is always ringed, and they have 'bracelets' on the their necks and legs.
CCB says this spotted tabby gene occurs only in Middle East cats, and notes that paintings in the tombs of the ancient Egyptians, dating back to 1400 BC, depict similar spotted cats.
While cat books and magazines claim that the Egyptian Mau cat is the only naturally occurring recognized breed of cat, and that all other spotted tabby cats (Oriental, Bengal and Occicat) are genetically manipulated man-made breeds, the CCB insists this is incorrect, as the Dilmun cat of Bahrain is also a natural spotted tabby cat.
"Dilmun cats 'breed true,' which means that they have distinctive traits that they pass on to their offspring," said Ms. Kanoo.
"We believe the unique and dominant genes of the Dilmun cat are due to the fact that Bahrain remained an isolated archipelago of islands for thousands of years," Mrs. O'Shea said. "The Dilmun cat has evolved to suit the climatic conditions of Bahrain. As svelte cats with short, sleek coats they are able to dissipate the heat of the summer months and their spotted markings were developed to blend into the sandy gravel landscape."
"Throughout the world interesting breeds of cats have spontaneously occurred due to their geographical locations, we believe that the Dilmun cat is a natural treasure of Bahrain," added Ms. Kanoo.
The CCB is currently requesting official recognition to register and pedigree the Dilmun cats. It is also seeking help from zoologists in determining the genetic makeup of the cat.
Mrs. O'Shea maintains urgent action of classifying the Dilmun cat is necessary, as the Dilmun cats are rapidly becoming an endangered species. She attributes this to it being currently fashionable in Bahrain to own Persian cats as pets, and many of these Persians end up as unwanted strays and inevitably interbreed with the local Bahraini cats and produce mixed-breed kittens.
"It is really a tragedy for this beautiful unique breed of cat to come close to extinction in its country of origin," says Mrs. O'Shea. "Not only are the Dilmun cats very elegant, they are also very entertaining. All Oriental types of cats tend to be very people-oriented and the Dilmun cats are no exception. Once they have decided to adopt you there is no stopping them."
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Table of Contents The Al Khalifa Dynasty - Ruling Bahrain Since 1783 |
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It was not long before Mrs. O'Shea teamed up with another Bahraini cat lover Hana Kanoo, and with a small group of like-minded people, they set up the Cat Club of Bahrain(alhajeb@batelco.com.bh).