There are many domesticated varieties of cat and can be separated by behavior patterns, size and fur appearance. The list is very long of the different breeds but it includes longhair and semi-long hair breeds such as the Balinese and the Oriental Longhair, shorthair breeds such as the Russian Blue, Breeds based on mutations such as the Manx, and Hybrid breeds between domestic and feral cats such as the Toyger.

Most people recognise cats by their coat patterns and colour and it is an easy way to classify them. The tuxedo is mostly black with a white chest, the Van which only has a coloured tail and the Bicolour as a mixture of two colours.  Other varieties include the tortoiseshell, the Calico and the Colourpoint. The Tabby cat is one of the most well known and comes either striped or marbled in colour. White cats are quite rare and have a high frequency of deafness associated with the genetics of their colour.