Breed of cat
Breed of cat
Dragon Li
|
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![](//upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/6/6e/Dragon_Li_Cat_named_Pipi.jpg/220px-Dragon_Li_Cat_named_Pipi.jpg) Dragon Li
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Other names
| Chinese Li Hua
Lihu? m?o
(
?花?
)
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Common nicknames
| Chinese Fox Flower Cat
|
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Origin
|
China
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Domestic cat
(
Felis catus
)
|
The
Dragon Li
is a recently established Chinese
breed
of
domestic cat
(also called
Chinese Li Hua
or
China Li Hua
as a
standardized breed
, depending on
breed registry
). It was developed from a common
landrace
of cats in China, known as
?花?
,
Pinyin
:
lihu? m?o
, literally '
leopard cat
patterned cat' (sometimes shortened to
花?
hu? m?o
or
??
li m?o
); the native cats are featured in some Chinese folklore stories. The derived standardized breed is recognized by China's
Cat Aficionado Association
(CAA), and was for a time by the US-based, international
Cat Fanciers' Association
(CFA), later revoked.
Physical characteristics
[
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]
The Dragon Li displays a 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.
[
citation needed
]
Origin
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]
The Chinese character interpretation is based on a legendary description rather than a fully accurate contemporary portrayal of the
li hua m?o
, and as a result, this cat had been confused with the wild
fox
by the Chinese. For this reason, the literal translated characters for
li hua m?o
read as
?
referred as '
Common raccoon dog
';
花
from
花?
for 'pattern', referring to raccoon patterns; and
?
'cat'.
Li hua mau
is the prevalent name for the original variety in China. More recently, the names
Chinese Li Hua
and
Dragon Li
have been used internationally for the standardized breed. The
dragon
is a potent symbol in Chinese folklore, standing for power and good luck.
[1]
Popularity
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]
The Dragon Li debuted as an experimental-class
standardized breed
in Beijing, China, in January 2004
[2]
All-breed Judges Dolores Kennedy and Barb Belanger of the
American Cat Fanciers Association
(ACFA) were guests of the
Cat Aficionado Association
(CAA) and judged the event. There were four of these
pedigreed
Dragon Li in the United States as of 2017
[update]
.
[3]
[2]
In 2005, a male specimen named Needy, presented by its owner Da Han, was shown and won its class as first place CAA champion. The event was judged by John Douglas Blackmore of the ACFA. Needy was then "married" to a breeding partner in an elaborate mockup of a traditional Chinese wedding ceremony, attracting some press coverage.
[4]
In February 2010, the
Li Hua
was accepted for showing in the miscellaneous class by the international (US-based)
Cat Fanciers' Association
(CFA). Since gaining international recognition, and due in part to its limited availability, the Dragon Li / Chinese Li Hua has now become of interest to
cat fanciers
internationally.
[5]
The Chinese literary legend "
The Cat for Crown Prince Conspiracy
" (
狸?換太子
Li M?o Huan Tai Z?
) utilizes a
li hua m?o
as its central theme. The story has more recently served as the basis for the third episode (rendered "Wild Cat Exchanged for Crown Prince" in English) of the
Hong Kong
television series
Justice Pao
(
包?天
B?o Q?ng Ti?n
).
[6]
References
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]
External links
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]