00:00The allure and responsibility of owning rare cat breeds.
00:04Rare cats can make a home feel like it has a secret.
00:08Not because they are better than ordinary cats.
00:11Because most people may never meet one in person.
00:15The Animal Planet HQ slash MSN topic appears to match nine rarest cat breeds you'll see in American homes,
00:23a featured pets item on Animal Planet HQ.
00:26Some rare breeds stand out immediately.
00:30The American wire hair began as a spontaneous mutation in upstate New York,
00:34with a springy, wiry coat that made it one of America's strangest homegrown cats.
00:40The Turkish Van is a rare natural breed from eastern Turkey,
00:44known for its white body, colored head, and tail markings, and reputation as the swimming cat.
00:51The Karelian bobtail traces back to Russia's Sakhalin and Kuril Islands,
00:55carrying a natural pom-pom tail that makes every cat look slightly different.
01:00Then, there are breeds like the Leperm, Chartreux, Paderbald,
01:04Sokoke, Serengeti, and Egyptian Mao.
01:07Some have curls.
01:09Some have spots.
01:11Some have dense blue coats.
01:14Some look almost wild while remaining domestic companions.
01:18But rarity should never be the only reason to bring one home.
01:21Rare cats still need ordinary love,
01:24vet care, enrichment, safe indoor space,
01:27patience,
01:28and an owner who values the animal more than the status.
01:32A rare breed may turn heads.
01:35A well-loved cat changes a house.
