The cat is a kind of pet in ancient China, a higher status than the dog.
In ancient China，The procedure to adopt a kitten is the same as the procedure for getting married. It is necessary to bring a gift to the kitten’s mother. Gifts are usually small fish. And choose an auspicious time.
Ancient Chinese believed that cats could scare away ghosts.
Also Read : 10 Most Popular Cat Breeds
On the other hand, the idea of “Zhao Cai Mao” (meaning cats that bring fortune, originally from Japan: the Maneki Neko (fortune cat)) became popular in China in the last few decades. Store owner keeps a cat sculpture at the front desk hoping to get more business
Many scholars like cats and wrote articles and poems about cats. There was a poet named LuYou who wrote twelve poems for his cat. The poem shows the cat catching butterflies, catching mice, and sunbathing.
Exclusively record shows there are two native cat breeds from china, one is Dragon Li its also called as Chinese Li Hua the other native breed is Sumxu.
i) Li Hua/Dragon Li
ii) Sumxu
1. Li Hua/Dragon Li
The Chinese Li Hua is a very old cat breed originated in China, can be traced as far back as the Xiang Dynasty. Chinese Li Hua cats, also known as Dragon Li and Li Hua Mao cats, these cats are recognized as one of the earliest domesticated breeds that began in China.
The Chinese Li Hua breed is a natural one and does not result from the breeding of two different cat breeds, this cat breed originates from the Chinese Mountain cat.
The name Li Hua Mao translates to fox flower cat, in reference to its wild appearance and flower-patterned coat. These cats were ratters, and they also were great companions to humans. Dragon Li is a very respected cat breed in China. This cat breed was first shown in Beijing in 2003. By 2010, the Dragon Li was accepted into the Cat Fanciers Association (CFA).
2. Sumxu
Also Read: China : Native Dog Breeds
The sumxu was a possibly mythical, long-haired/lop-eared type of cat, now considered extinct if it ever actually existed. The descriptions are based on reports from travellers, on a live specimen reportedly taken to Hamburg by a sailor, and on a taxidermy specimen exhibited in Germany. The cats were supposedly valued as pets but were also described as a food animal. The last reported Chinese lop-eared cat was in 1938. It is believed by some to have been a mutation similar to that found in the Scottish Fold. The name sumxu originally described the yellow-throated marten, but a series of mistranslations caused the name to be applied to the alleged cat or cat-like animal.
Other names: Chinese lop-eared cat, drop-eared cat, droop-eared cat, or hanging-ear cat