Aegean
The Aegean is the only cat breed native to Greece, developed not by breeders but by the Cycladic islands themselves — it is a natural landrace, the fishing-harbour cat of the Greek islands, only recently documented and standardised.
It weighs 3 to 4.5 kilograms, is semi-longhaired, and is always bi-coloured or tri-coloured with white covering a substantial part of the coat. The most-remarked trait is its relationship with water: Aegeans fish, wade and will get into water willingly, a habit that follows from generations of living around boats and harbours. As a landrace with no closed studbook, it has a broad gene pool and no known inherited disease.
- Origin
- Cyclades islands, Greece — a natural landrace
- Size
- 3–4.5 kg
- Lifespan
- 14–18 years
- Coat
- Semi-long, always with substantial white
- Known for
- Fishing and a genuine liking for water
- Health
- Broad natural gene pool; no known inherited conditions
2 aegean photos, newest first
Living with a aegean
The water interest is real and worth planning for. Aegeans will investigate sinks, baths and any open water, and a running tap is a source of entertainment rather than alarm. Keep lids down on anything a cat should not swim in.
The semi-long coat needs brushing twice a week and sheds seasonally.
They are active, vocal and sociable, and they were shaped by an outdoor life. A secure garden or catio suits them better than a small flat.
As a landrace, health is generally excellent and there is no breed-specific testing to ask for. That is the advantage of a cat that was never bred through a bottleneck.
Ordinary preventive care: neutering, vaccination, dental attention, and annual checks moving to twice yearly past ten.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual cats vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
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