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As you may have guessed from his name (pronounced lee-wah), this cat is native to China. He sports a short brown mackerel tabby coat and usually weighs a solid 8.5 to 11 pounds or more. This is a smart cat who typically forms a strong attachment to people.
The History of the Li Hua We usually think of cats as having been domesticated in Egypt, but a recent archaeological discovery may place their domesticated beginnings in a surprisingly different place: China. According to a report in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, a study of cats living 5,300 years ago in the Chinese village of Quanhucun provides the earliest known evidence of a commensal relationship between cats and people, meaning they lived together compatibly. These early cats may have been the ancestors of the Li Hua. The cats are found throughout China and have been mentioned in old books and other written documents. Their job was to catch rats and protect crops and grain. The Li Hua is a natural breed, not the result of hybridization between two or more breeds. Although its origins may be ancient, the Li Hua as a pedigreed cat is relatively young. It was first exhibited as an experimental breed at a Cat Aficionado Association show in Beijing in 2003. The Cat Fanciers’ Association officially recognized it in February 2010, and it was shown in the miscellaneous class. Unfortunately, the breed did not cat-ch on, and the CFA no longer accepts the breed for championship status.
