Why are there so many types of cats?
user
A little background context:  Historically, there has been just a small number of domestic cat breeds, typically kept for work or for hunting rodents.  Recently however, there has been a boom in the number of cat breeds, due to hobbyists breeding cats and placing them for sale on a number of internet sites.  You can see a brief overview of cat breeds here.
assistant
So it has been humans that have made there so many different kinds of house cats?
user
Yes.  Another important factor has been the desire of cat owners to get a cat that matches their own personal tastes.  For example, some people have a preference for small cats, or fluffy cats, or cats with a very particular color or appearance.
assistant
It is basically a marketing thing?
user
To some extent.  There is a lot of interest from the media and cat owners in the various different breeds and colors.  But I also think it is mostly about a people’s personal preferences.  In general, I think there is an underlying interest in the idea of “having a cat that matches my personality” or something like that.  Cat people have personal preferences about many things, but what I think most interests them about the idea of cat breeds is that the breeds provide a framework to judge, and evaluate, and arrange cats within, based on their appearance and a number of other traits.
assistant
Why are there so many types of cats?
user
A little background context:  Historically, there has been just a small number of domestic cat breeds, typically kept for work or for hunting rodents.  Recently however, there has been a boom in the number of cat breeds, due to hobbyists breeding cats and placing them for sale on a number of internet sites.  You can see a brief overview of cat breeds here.
assistant
So it has been humans that have made there so many different kinds of house cats?
user
Yes.  Another important factor has been the desire of cat owners to get a cat that matches their own personal tastes.  For example, some people have a preference for small cats, or fluffy cats, or cats with a very particular color or appearance.
assistant
It is basically a marketing thing?
user
Yeah, if you like cats, you’ll probably also like lots of cats.
assistant
Why are there so many types of cats?