Dragon Li
China's own natural breed, a ticked brown tabby that has been in the country's art for centuries. Independent, and closer to a working cat than a lap cat.
Photo by Painjet, CC BY-SA 4.0
Overview
The Dragon Li, or Li Hua, is China's own natural breed, developed from the Chinese mountain cat's domestic relatives rather than assembled from Western pedigrees. It was recognised by the Cat Aficionado Association in China in 2003.
It is a brown mackerel ticked tabby, muscular and substantial, and it looks like exactly what it is: a working cat given a standard rather than an invented one.
Temperament
Independent, intelligent and a serious hunter. Dragon Li are reserved compared with the more sociable Western breeds, and they are attached to their people without being demanding.
They are active, alert and confident, and they tolerate other animals reasonably well. This is not a lap cat and it is not pretending to be.
Care and grooming
A weekly brush for the short dense coat. Nothing else.
As a natural landrace breed it has no documented breed specific condition and a broad gene pool. It is one of the more robust cats on this shelf, and ordinary preventive care is the whole of the programme.
Living and exercise
They want space, height and something to hunt. Outdoor access or a large catio suits them better than a small flat.
The practical difficulty is availability. The breed is rare outside China and export is limited, so anyone in the West looking for one is looking for a long time.
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