Cats on FDCs and stamps

There is a great variety of philatelic products featuring mammals of cat family, including domestic cats currently representing more than 250 breeds all over the world. Wild cats can be found on all continents and large islands except for Australia, Antarctica, New Guinea, Sulawesi, Greenland and Madagascar.

First Day Сover (FDC) is one of the most interesting philatelic products. On FDCs the postage stamps, the cover and the seal are fused in a single whole and have similar design. FDCs featuring domestic and wild cats reflect and emphasize the natural beauty of these amazing animals.

The most of the countries issue postage products with images of cats living on their territory. So, the Isle of Man issued postage stamps and FDCs featuring Manx cat, 23 June 2011. This cat breed originates from the Isle of Man and is famous for being entirely tailless. However, in fact, some of them have a small stub of a tail. The taillessness arose as a result of a natural mutation on the island.

Complete information about Manx cats

Postage products featuring the Russian Blue Cats were issued in Belarus, 19 November 2009. The Europeans like this cat breed for its extraordinary color and double “plush” coat.

Complete information about Russian Blue Cats

New postage stamps and FDCs featuring popular cat breeds – the shorthaired Burmese cat, the longhaired Persian cat, the Siamese cat that brought from Thailand, and the domestic cat - were issued in Moldova, 20 June 2007.

Complete information about Сat breeds

Everyone knows that cats are valued for their ability to hunt rodents and small animals. On the other hand, cats are very social; they take care of their young and can communicate with each other via a variety of sounds and body language. All of these peculiarities are demonstrated on postage stamps and FDCs issued in North Korea, 25 March 2010.

Complete information about this issue of stamps.

Postage products with images of cats and kittens were issued in Israel, 25 August 2010.

Complete information about Animals and their offspring - Cat and Kittens

Sometimes, postage stamps display famous cats. So, a postage stamp featuring well-known cat Boots was issued in Vanuatu, 14 July 2010 (there was an image of Boots ringing the bell on the stamp). The story of this cat is really amazing.

Boots was born in February 2003 in Port Vila. Looking for a better life Boots ventured out on his own and found a pet friendly home with 2 large dogs and two territorial cats. To avoid confrontations Boots was given a job as a rat cat at the Waterfront Bar & Grill. He soon discovered that he loved the Waterfront and the fresh fish but hated rats. He then applied for a position of entertainer. After trying different acts he proved his prowess in sucking a drink through a straw and ringing a ships bell as shown on the stamp. When asked he would hop on the bar, stroll to the bell and wait for instructions. He can differentiate any number up to five and ring the bell that many times and is then rewarded with fresh tuna.

Complete information about Cats of Vanuatu

Lots of countries issue postage products with images of wild cats which are genetically related to domestic cats. See, for example, a souvenir sheet with perforated cat contour issued in South Africa, 04 February 2011. The FDC and the seal display wild cats as well.

Complete information about Small African Wild Cats

An unusual three-dimensional (3-D) souvenir sheet and FDC were issued in North Korea, 05 January 2010.

Complete information about Tigers

According to Chinese horoscope, 2010 was the year of the tiger. For this reason many countries issued different postage products featuring this beautiful wild in cat 2010. See the postage stamps and FDC “the Year of the Tiger”, for example, issued in Serbia, 27 January 2010.

Complete information about The lunar horoscope - Year of the Tiger

The tigers are the biggest wild cats in the world. The Indian (Bengal) tigers and the Amur (Ussuri, Siberian) tigers are the largest species of this group, their males reaching the length of up to 2,5 m and weighing up to 300 kg.

Genetic mutations can cause white coat color in some specimens. White tigers are seldom reported in the wild, but they are quite widespread in captivity. Nowadays, some 130 white tigers are kept in captivity all over the world, about 100 of them in India.

Postage stamps and FDC highlighting the 75 anniversary of Belgrade Zoo were issued in Serbia, 12 July 2011. The postage stamps display a white Bengal tiger, a white griffon, a white lion and a white kangaroo. The FDC features a white peacock.

Complete information about 75 Anniversary of Belgrade Zoo

The image of a white tigress with cubs is featured on the souvenir sheet and FDC issued in North Korea 10 July 2005.

Complete information about White Tiger

A typical Bengal tiger is featured on the postage stamp and FDC issued in Guernsey, 22 February2012.

Complete information about Endangered Species: Bengal Tiger

The lynx is also a predatory mammal of cat family which lives far in the North, even above the Arctic Circle. The lynx is a typical specie of cat family – their footprints resemble closely those of domestic cats — they have no claw prints and their hind paws step precisely into footprints from their fore paws.

A souvenir sheet and FDC highlighting Sumava national park which came under UNESCO protection were issued in the Czech Republic 31.08.2011. One of the stamps displays a lynx.

Complete information about Eurasian lynx (Lynx lynx)

You can also find philatelic products displaying pre-historic cats as, for example, the saber-toothed cats. They represent an extinct subspecies of cats. Their name is related to their long, saber-shaped canine teeth that could reach the length of up to 20 cm. These predatory mammals were able to open mouth on 95° what was necessary to use such long teeth. Modern cats can’t open mouth wider than 65°. In comparison to modern cats, the saber-toothed cats had a stronger body and were less graceful. Fossils of saber-toothed cats were found on all continents except for Australia and Antarctica. The oldest fossils are over 10 million years old.

Postal products highlighting pre-historic animals, including the saber-toothed cat, were issued in Moldova, 30 November 2010.

Complete information about Moldova fauna extinct animals

As philatelists, cat lovers can enjoy a wide range of philatelic products to create their own unique collection. You will find a great variety of postage stamps and FDCs featuring cats on http://www.fauna-stamps.com.

Cats

Cats sleep, anywhere,

Any table, any chair

Top of piano, window-ledge,

In the middle, on the edge,

Open drawer, empty shoe,

Anybody's lap will do,

Fitted in a cardboard box,

In the cupboard, with your frocks-

Anywhere! They don't care!

Cats sleep anywhere.

Elanor Farjeon (1881-1965)

Cuba, 12.04.2009.

Complete information about Cats