Dragon Li Cat

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The Dragon Li displays a unique golden brown, broken mackerel (also known as broken striped) tabby pattern, distinctive ear tipping, large round almond shaped luminescent yellow/green eyes, and a strong full bodied stature reminiscent of its wild nature. The Dragon Li is valued for its unmistakable intelligence, an uncanny cognizance in relation to its surroundings, and its ability to perspicuously interact with humans.

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 as in fox(狐狸), for flower pattern, and 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.

In 2005 an ideal male example ('Needy') presented by its owner Da Han, was shown and won its class as 1st place CAA champion per an official breed standard. The event was judged by John Douglas Blackmore of the ACFA. Since gaining international recognition, and due in part to its limited availability, the Dragon Li/LiHua Mau has now become a focus of attention the world over.
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