The World of Rare Cats and Dogs: Meet the Ashera and the Lundehund

by Rigel Celeste (RSS feed)
Jan 30th 2008 at 10:06AM

If you're an animal lover you probably have at least one cat or dog, if not several. And whether you're into mixed breeds from the local animal shelter or purebreds worthy of showing, pretty much all pet owners think their little baby is the most beautiful and unique of all. And although that may be true (I've got 3 unique sweeties of my own) there is something to be said for which kinds of cats and dogs really are the most unique, or in this case, the most rare. When it comes to rare breeds different experts have different opinions, but regardless who you ask certain names keep popping up.

The rarest cat breeds seem to be the Sokoke, the Egyptian Mau, and the Ashera. Of those the Ashera is the most expensive($20,000+), the Sokoke the most exotic (from the wilds of Africa), and the Egyptian Mau has the coolest history (lived with the Egyptians).

As for dog breeds, the one that keeps popping up on all the 'rare' lists is the Lundehund, or Norwegian Puffin Dog. Bred originally by the Vikings to hunt Puffins its most unique characteristic is its incredible flexibility in the joints. Other rare breeds include Otterhounds (about 350 in the US) and Stabyhounds (about 100 in the US).

Tags: ashera, breed, breeds, cat, cats, dog, dogs, egyptian mau, EgyptianMau, lundehund, otterhounds, pet, pets, rare, rarest, sokoke, stabyhounds

Filed under: Pets

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Reader Comments (Page 1 of 3)

SB Jan 30th 2008 10:53AM

what about klee kai's for dog breeds?? Anyone know how rare or unrare they are?

guybrush Feb 4th 2008 5:07PM

hahaa! Lundehund! Norway FTW!

- guybrush, Bergen Norway

felicia Jan 31st 2008 3:23PM

These people who are replying to your blogs are seriously,
immature. People out there; you, Really Have issues.
Or your just complete Idiots.

Felicia

felicia Jan 31st 2008 3:23PM

As for the person who said big whoop if you seen one P you have seen them all; Grow up dude!!!

Michelle Jan 31st 2008 4:55PM

The $20,000 cat looks very similiar to my
short haired tabby- Tiger-Lily " Tiger-Princess".
They both have the same markings, same big ears,
same facial expressions ( similar) .
Only difference my "feline" did NOT cost $20,000!
Michelle :-)

splashyann1 Feb 5th 2008 8:37AM

swcop

How about a picture of the cat

Shando Jan 31st 2008 5:09PM

LMAO

cassiebaby0831 Jan 31st 2008 5:33PM

~My family actually owns a Egyptain Mau, but I do believe that it has some other breed as well. I believe it to be a long haired tabby~

Lyssa Jan 31st 2008 5:42PM

anyone know how rare the Manx breed is??? or unrare?

Kida Feb 5th 2008 10:06AM

The Manx breed is rare if the two cats breeding has tail which means that one of them had it in their genes some where down the line. they are more related to the bob cat. Which is found in Asia

rmemazz Feb 5th 2008 12:30PM

Manx are one of the "original" BREEDS of felines.
Original = not man-made.
We find writings about them in the 1500's, they were concentrated on the Isle of Man in the Irish Sea. So, today, our Registered-Purebred Manx can trace it's ancestry back to the Isle of Man Manx.

Manx carry an "incomplete dominant" gene that shortens or removes the tail. We can get all lengths of tail in the litters of kittens.

The gene has escaped out into the domestic population, so you will find unregistered-unpedigreed domestic felines with shortened or missing tails.

The tail [or not] is the least important characteristic of the Manx, their personality is very enchanting. They are gentle, quiet, thoughtful, inquisitive & develop a close bond with their special someone.

We invite you to our web site:

Enjoy

mary Feb 5th 2008 12:50PM

the manx is not a rare breed. I have a manx cat , which can also be called bobtail cat.

aundrea Jan 31st 2008 6:36PM

i have an egytian mau that i got for free. i live in a small town in iowa, and a neigboring town lady had tried to sell them from 500-1000 dollars, but of course no one is willing to pay that much for cats. also i dont think she had them registered. but my cat is pretty sweet.

Gloria Owens Jan 31st 2008 6:39PM

I clicked on the cat pic and it took me to a website and said a pet kitten was 650.

I sell Napoleon (dwarf Persian) kittens for twice that.

AOL knows it all. Just a little contradictory, that's all.

Gloria
ShortNaps.com
WindjammerSetters.com

cat lover Feb 5th 2008 12:09PM

Gloria of ShortNaps.com,

you have to register on BreederYellowPages.com and post your breeder listing they only have 2 napoleon breeders there

This is a free service to breeders and pet seekers.

cat lover

tabby Jan 31st 2008 7:15PM

For the person who said you have seen all the pussys in the world,if you don,t like cat,s I have one named Pumpkin.!l

Timberacea Jan 31st 2008 10:12PM

The Klee Kai, I believe is a mix of different breeds,, I would take a guess that a "rare" breed would be a dog that has been around for centuries,, in its current form.
The Manx kitty is just a anomalie, Some of the litter is born with tails, and some are not.

lillmf2 Feb 5th 2008 8:23AM

Klee Kai are minature forms of Siberian Huskies. They come in three different sizes each one smaller than the last. Living in Colorado where there are a couple of breeders I have seen quite a few of them all of which had various issues and none of which could be approached or petted by strangers.

Margarette Feb 5th 2008 12:45PM

Manx are a Breed with a documented DNA containing an "incomplete dominant gene"
and do have kittens with different lengths of tails in a litter.

Manx is a Registered-Purebred Breed of Feline accepted by all the Feline Registries around the world.

Anomaly does not fit this Breed: deviation from the common rule : irregularity
3 : something anomalous : something different, abnormal, peculiar, or not easily classified

Timberacea Jan 31st 2008 10:16PM

They are an old breed, and tail-less cats were common on the island as long as three hundred years ago. The tail-lessness arises from a genetic mutation that became common on the island (an example of the Founder effect). The Manx tail-less gene is dominant and highly penetrant; kittens from Manx parents are generally born without any tail. Having two copies of the gene is lethal and kittens are usually spontaneously aborted before birth(about Manx, according to Wikipedia)

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