Cats
there were few distinct races of domestic cat: Spanish, Syrian and Khorasan (Persian). He
believed the long-haired lop-eared Chinese cat could be a fourth distinct type. "They (cats)
are in nature much more constant, and their domesticity is not as complete nor as universal
as that of the dog, so it is not surprising they are less varied in type. Our domestic cats,
though different from each other in colour, do not form distinct and separate races. Only the
climates of Spain, Syria or Chorazan (Persia) have produced constant varieties; to find
another, one must join the climate of the province of Pe-chi-ly (Northern Zhili) where there
are cats with long hair and hanging ears, much liked by the Chinese ladies." Buffon was
translated into English in 1781 by William Smellie. According to Buffon, "Our domestic cats,
though they differ in colour, form no distinct races. The climates of Spain and Syria have
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