Iranian Street Cat

Iranian street cats come in all shapes and sizes. Signs of a life-long street cat include a well-kept coat (thanks to their meticulous grooming habits), protective body language, and lack of eye contact. Because they are intact, male street cats may have thick necks, muscular bodies, and scars from fighting.

Iranian street cats' coats can come in all colors, patterns, and lengths.

Iranian street cats do not follow a breed standard. So, any combination of features is possible.

Like all domesticated cats, Iranian street cats trace their roots back to the African Wildcat—whose native land stretched from Egypt to Iraq, Syria, Lebanon, and Turkey.

As civilizations developed, cats became helpful partners in pest control. And it wasn't long before they endeared themselves to humans for more than their mousing skills.

Compared to dogs—which most Islamic scholars consider unclean—cats are the preferred pet in Iran. Under Islamic tradition, cats gained favor because Prophet Mohammed was said to enjoy them.

Though the exact origin of Persian cats is unknown, experts think they originated in modern-day Iran. That said, non-pedigreed cats are (by far) the most common in this region. Like in many countries, big cities in Iran are home to a large number of street cats. Many people in Tehran and other cities take it upon themselves to feed the feral cats living in their neighborhoods.