Origin
The eponymous Dragon Li is thought to be a natural self-domesticating breed by way of the wild cat subspecies, Chinese mountain cat (Felis silvestris bieti). The Chinese character interpretation is based on a legendary description rather than a fully accurate contemporary portrayal of the Dragon Li, and as a result, the breed has been confused with that of the wild fox by the Chinese. For this reason the literal translated characters for Li Hua Mao read as 狸 as in fox(狐狸), 花 for flower pattern, and 猫 for cat. This Chinese character description was and is based on what was believed to be the best interpretation before modern western feline terminology became the standard, i.e. a 'flower pattern' versus a tabby pattern.
Although Li Hua Mao is the more prevalent name for the breed in China, more recently, the name Dragon Li has been utilized internationally to reflect the symbolic nature of China relevant to the mythical Chinese dragon.
Popularity
In 2003 the Dragon Li debuted as an experimental breed class in Beijing, China December 30th 2003 - January 6th 2004 Allbreed Judges Dolores Kennedy & Barb Belanger of the American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA) were guests of China's Cat Aficionado Association (CAA) and judged the event.
