The Dragon Li is a recently established Chinese

breed A breed is a specific group of breedable domestic animals having homogeneous appearance (phenotype), homogeneous behavior, and/or other characteristics that distinguish it from other organisms of the same species. In literature, there exist seve ...

domestic cat The cat (''Felis catus''), also referred to as the domestic cat or house cat, is a small Domestication, domesticated carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species of the family Felidae. Advances in archaeology and genetics have sh ...

(also called Chinese Li Hua or China Li Hua as a standardized breed, depending on

breed registry A breed registry, also known as a herdbook, studbook or register, in animal husbandry, the hobby of animal fancy, is an official list of animals within a specific breed whose parents are known. Animals are usually registered by their breeders w ...

). It was developed from a common

landrace A landrace is a Domestication, domesticated, locally adapted, often traditional variety of a species of animal or plant that has developed over time, through adaptation to its natural and cultural Environment (biophysical), environment of agric ...

of cats in China, known as ,

Pinyin Hanyu Pinyin, or simply pinyin, officially the Chinese Phonetic Alphabet, is the most common romanization system for Standard Chinese. ''Hanyu'' () literally means 'Han Chinese, Han language'—that is, the Chinese language—while ''pinyin' ...

: , literally '

leopard cat The leopard cat (''Prionailurus bengalensis'') is a Felinae, small wild cat native to continental South Asia, South, Southeast Asia, Southeast, and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern on the IUCN Red List as it is widely di ...

patterned cat' (sometimes shortened to or ); 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 The Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA) was established in the United States in 1906. The CFA is currently the world's largest registry of pedigreed cats. Originally headquartered in Manasquan, New Jersey, the CFA moved to Alliance, Ohio in 2010. ...

(CFA), later revoked.

Physical characteristics

The Dragon Li displays a golden-brown, broken-mackerel (also known as broken-striped)

tabby A tabby cat, or simply tabby, is any domestic cat (''Felis catus'') with a coat pattern distinguished by an M-shaped marking on its forehead, stripes by its eyes and across its cheeks, along its back, around its legs and tail, and characteris ...

pattern; distinctive ear tipping; large round almond shaped luminescent yellow/green eyes; and a strong full bodied stature reminiscent of its wild nature.

Origin

The Chinese character interpretation is based on a legendary description rather than a fully accurate contemporary portrayal of the , and as a result, this cat had been confused with the wild

fox Foxes are small-to-medium-sized omnivorous mammals belonging to several genera of the family Canidae. They have a flattened skull; upright, triangular ears; a pointed, slightly upturned snout; and a long, bushy tail ("brush"). Twelve species ...

by the Chinese. For this reason, the literal translated characters for read as referred as '

Common raccoon dog The common raccoon dog (''Nyctereutes procyonoides''), also called the Chinese or Asian raccoon dog to distinguish it from the Japanese raccoon dog, is a heavy-set, Fox, fox-like canid native to East Asia. Named for its raccoon-like face markin ...

'; from for 'pattern', referring to raccoon patterns; and 'cat'. ''Li hua mao'' 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 A dragon is a Magic (supernatural), magical legendary creature that appears in the folklore of multiple cultures worldwide. Beliefs about dragons vary considerably through regions, but European dragon, dragons in Western cultures since the Hi ...

is a potent symbol in Chinese folklore, standing for power and good luck.

Popularity

The Dragon Li debuted as an experimental-class standardized breed in Beijing, China, in January 2004 Zero of the numerous Internet Archive captures of this site saved all of the photos on it, but they can all be recovered by looking at different saves on different dates. 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 . 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. In February 2010, the Li Hua was accepted for showing in the miscellaneous class by the international (US-based)

(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. The Chinese literary legend " The Cat for Crown Prince Conspiracy" ( ) utilizes a as its central theme. File:Dragon Li Named Taiga 20150828.jpg, A Dragon Li indoors File:Dragon-Li curling up in the corner of the sofa - Feb.3, 2022.jpg, A Dragon Li with more muted markings File:Dragon Li Named Taiga2 20150829.jpg, A Dragon Li kitten

References

External links

Breed Profile Web Page- The Chinese Li Hua - In CFA (Cat Fanciers' Association)

Chinese Li Hua Standard Modification 2014 - In CFA (Cat Fanciers' Association)

{{Domestic cat Cat breeds Natural cat breeds Cat breeds originating in China