Most cats breeds are not defined by coat color, many breeds share these attributes with each other. Breeds are more often differentiated by the characteristic shapes of their bodies and faces, and sometimes by distinctive physical characteristics such as a lack of a tail or folded ears.

Cat breeds show personality differences that are consistent to a considerable extent with these different body shapes: Lean, long breeds are generally more lively and demonstrative than more compact, densely muscled breeds. These differences in breed type, from compact and cobby to sleek and sinuous, follow a geographical West-to-Easy path. The breed differences that we see today have been developed from natural variations found in free-breeding cat populations. To a great environment in which they evolved, and a breed's type is often a good indication of its geographical origin.

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