Spotted - An unbroken line runs back from the corner of the eye to meet a broken line

running from the corner of the mouth. Markings on the forehead form an intricate letter

“M” with complex scarab behind it and extending into lines over the back of the head and

down the neck. Several broken or unbroken necklaces on the upper chest and neck.

Spine lines may be broken or unbroken. Markings on the body are formed of symmetrical

spots of any size or shape covering the sides, flanks and under-parts. Elongated spots or

bars on the legs. Tail is evenly ringed with a solid tip of the pattern colour. Paws may be

spotted on top, undersides of paws and hocks are of the pattern colour.



Marbled - The marbling consists of symmetrically placed patches of the darker pattern colour,

broken internally with blotches of lighter colours, on a pale ground. Margins between

ground colour and patches may be uneven, but should be clearly delineated. Ground

colour has uneven margins along the spine. Head shows dark lines from the corner of the

eye, below the eye and below the jaw to meet mid-cheek below the ear. Markings on the

forehead form an “M” shape with a coronet, the central apex of which reaches to between

the ears. From the coronet, four parallel lines run over the top of the head and down the

neck. The body shows marbled pattern on shoulders, sides and flanks, the flow of the

pattern is horizontal, not vertical. Dark spine-line from the mid-point of the rib-cage to the

base of the tail bordered by two bands of lighter colour. Belly spotted with a least two

rows of rather heavy elliptical spots. Chest shows a series of broken or unbroken

necklaces which extend from the shoulder pattern. Irregular shaped banding on the upper

legs, incomplete smaller bands and spots on lower legs and feet. Underside of paws and

hocks in darker pattern colour. Banding on the upper surface of tail irregular, scalloped in appearance in side view. Underside pale.



Coat Colour - In all cases the overall colour should be rich and warm, paler on the underparts

of the body and with darker rufus tones on nose, cheeks and ears present even in

the pale colours. Chocolate, Lilac, Gold and Peach coloured kittens are very much paler than adults, with the rufus tones dominating the body markings. Full colour develops in an adult cat of approximately 2 years old.



Brown - (Genotype AA BB/Bb/Bb1 cbcb DD/Dd)

Seal brown markings against a silvery fawn to old ivory ground.

Nose Leather: Brick red outlined in brown

Paw-pads: Brown



Blue - (Genotype AA BB/Bb/Bb1 cbcb dd)

Bluish-grey markings against a warm oatmeal to pinkish cream agouti ground

Nose Leather: Pink outlined in blue

Paw-pads: Blue



Chocolate - (Genotype AA bb/bb1 cbcb DD/Dd)

Warm milk chocolate markings against a creamy fawn to old ivory agouti ground

Nose Leather: Pinkish-brick outlined in chocolate

Paw-pads: Chocolate



Lilac - (Genotype AA bb/bb1 cbcb dd)

Dove grey markings against a delicate pale pinkish mushroom agouti ground.

Nose Leather: Pale pink outlined in dove grey

Paw-pads: Dusty pink



Gold - (Genotype AA b1b1 cbcb DD/Dd)

Old gold markings against a rich cream ground. Rufus tonings on ear tips, nose, underside of paws and tail tip intensify the colour to bronze .

Nose Leather: Pinkish orange outlined in bronze.

Paw-pads: Pink



Peach - (Genotype AA b1b1 cbcb dd)

Pinkish markings against a pale pinkish cream ground. Ear tips, top of head and back brushed with a feint lilac lilac bloom salmon. Rufus tonings salmon pink. A warm extremely vibrant colour.

Nose Leather: Pale pink outlined in salmon pink

Paw-pads: Pink





Condition - Cats should feel firm and muscular and of good weight for size.



Temperament - The Australian Mist is an even tempered cat, any tendency to aggression

should be penalised .



Withholding Certificates and First Prizes in Kitten Open Classes for:

1. Small or fine boned adults

2. Body that is too cobby or oriental in shape

3. Small or close set eyes

4. Round or oriental shaped eyes

5. Shallow or long skull

6. Small or upright ears

7. Whippy tail

8. Lack of weight, poor muscle tone and/or condition

9. White toes or white marks/spots anywhere not in colour description

10. Blue, Amber or Orange eye-colour

11. Incorrect tabby pattern, colour or ground colour

12. Coat which is woolly or single/thin with no resilience or too long

13. Any defect as listed in the preface to this SOP booklet

14. Extremely aggressive behaviour

15 Pattern on flanks obscured by overmasking, resulting in lack of definition.



Faults:

1. Pinched muzzle in adults

2. Slight bony excrescence at end of tail

3. Distinct bump on nose or definite Roman nose





This breed standard has been produced . in accordance with the wishes of the breed founder Dr Truda Straede.





GCCF BREED NUMBERS

SPOTTED MARBLED

Brown 85 30 85 20

Blue 85 30a 85 20a

Chocolate 85 30b 85 20b

Lilac 85 30c 85 20c

Gold 85 30k 85 20k

Peach 85 30r 85 20r





Fife BREED NUMBERS





SPOTTED MARBLED





Brown n24 n22

Blue a24 a22

Chocolate b24 b22

Lilac c24 c22

Gold o24 o22

Peach p24 p22



TICA Breeding Policy for the Australian Mists



The Australian Mist is a developed breed with a significant history. It was developed in

Australia by Dr. Truda Straede and achieved championship status in Australia over 30 years ago.

The original crosses were one half Burmese (Australian stylem more European type), one quarter Abyssinian, and one quarter Domestic Shorthair Spotted tabby. Over thirty individual cats were involved in the original breedings so the breed has a very diverse gene pool.

There have also been a few out crossings since further increasing the gene pool and adding diversity. The cats were selected for only shorthair, tabby,Burmese gene, and eumelanistic colors. Because of the involvement of the Abyssinian, the cinnamon gene was introduced.

The desired cat was a spotted or later marbled tabby in Sepia colors with a ticked overlay. Therefore the accepted colors are Seal Sepia, Chocolate Sepia, Cinnamon



Sepia, Blue Sepia, Lilac Sepia, and Fawn Sepia in spotted or marbled tabby pattern.



Outcrossing We do not feel that additional hybridization with the source breeds is needed to

maintain the health of the breed at this point in time

at higher generations than is allowed in TICA. Therefore we are requesting that it be considered a Category 1 breed (no outcrosses to other breeds within a 3 generation pedigree for showing in championship). This is also consistent with the registration requirements in Australia.

However there are further considerations that we recommend. It is strongly suggested that no

further out crosses be made to the Abyssinian and Burmese breeds. The gene pool in the

Burmese has issues of its own and out crosses to the Abyssinian breed have resulted in various allergies that presented as skin and asthma like disorders. There are genetic health disorders in each of the two breeds as well. DNA testing is available for most of these, but at this point there is no test available to detect the cause of higher predisposition of South East Asian cats to develop FIP. The domestic cats in Australia are primarily identified as European sourced – not Southeast Asian. So it is our recommendation that further out crosses be domestics. Because the Australian Mists were developed in Australia from Australian cats – we feel that this should continue at this point with any new bloodlines to be developed there or from cats sourced from Australia. Development of new lines in Australia is very closely controlled by the registries there. A breeder must first have a permit before they can develop new bloodlines. Currently there are a couple of new lines being worked on – based on the addition of new Australian domestic outcrosses. All progeny anticipated to be used in subsequent generations are being genetically tested before they are bred further – selecting against such undesirable recessive factors as the pointed gene cs and longhair.



Genetic Testing Blood Typing



Many Australian Mists have already been genetically tested for a number of genetically carried aliments as well as Type b blood. One of the last group of domestics that was used was a Type b (A/b) carrier and it has shown up in the genetic testing. It is not felt that the gene pool is large enough to be divided into two groups – the A and the b blood types, so most Mist breeders are working to reduce then eliminate the b group over a period of time.



Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency (PK Def) Dr. Lyons included some of the Australian Mists in a survey genetic testing



in the United Kingdom and one or two were heterozygous for PK Def. Subsequent testing has been done and no homozygotes have been found. All of the cats imported from Australia to the U.S. have been tested and are negative. Selective breeding will eliminate this issue from the breed. Burmese hypokalemia A number of Australian Mists have been tested for Burmese hypokalemia and none have tested positive. No cases of the ailment have arisen either, so it is believed that the breed is free of the ailment.



Far Future Plans:



Dr. Straede always bred her Mists with health and temperament as major concerns and it is our intent to continue that legacy. She is also a scientist however and if there are further revelations in genetic testing in the future – such as highly disease resistant lines of cats – then I am sure that we could consider judicious out crossing to such sources regardless of geographic location while still maintaining the type and temperament of the original breed



TICA AUSTRALIAN MIST BREED STANDARD

AUSTRALIAN MIST (AUM) HEAD. 40 points Muzzle. 9 Ears. 9 Eyes 8 Profile. 5 Shape. 4 Nose/chin 3 Neck. 2 BODY. 35 points



Torso 10 Boning 8 Musculature.8 Tail. 6 L egs/Feet. 3 COAT/COLOR/PATTERN 25 points Color. 9 Pattern 9 Texture/Length 7



CATEGORY: Sepia ONLY DIVISIONS: Tabby - Spotted and Marbled ONLY COLORS: Limited to eumelanistic colors ONLY PERMISSIBLE OUTCROSSES: None.



HEAD: Shape: Broad modified wedge with gently rounded contours from front to back and from side to side. Rounded cheek bones of good breadth in proportion to the breadth of skull. The junction of the nose, cheeks, and inner corner of the eyes forms a definite depression on either side of the bridge of the nose.



Eyes: Medium to large, slanting slightly toward the nose, upper lid nearly straight, lower lid deeply curved, well open, set wide apart. Lustrous color in clear shadings of green ranging from chartreuse to aquamarine. Points equally divided between size, shape, set and color.



Ears: Moderately large, wide at the base, rounded tips, set as much on the top as to the side of the head, opening to the front, not upright, but angled slightly to the side, tilted slightly forward.



Muzzle: The muzzle is pronounced but not extremely wide.



Foreface blunt, nose leather and chin flanked by well developed whisker pads; all four (chin, nose, and whisker pads) of comparable shape and area, giving the appearance of a four leaf clover. Viewed from the side, all components aligned in the same vertical plane. Chin: Firm, of sufficient depth and width to balance the depth and width of the nose leather.



Profile: A concave curve below the line of the eyes and a convex curve above that line flowing into the curve of the forehead, the two parts of the curve being of equal length.



Nose: Broad, moderately short and of even width with no distinct nose break.



Neck: Curve at back of the skull flows smoothly into a neck of medium length, in proportion to the body.



BODY: Torso: Medium in length.



Chest broad and round.



Legs/Feet: Proportionately strong, hind legs slightly higher than forelegs. Feet oval. Tail: Length in balance with the body, thick with minimal taper, well furred.



Boning: Medium Musculature: Hard and muscular, heavier than it appears.



COAT/COLOR/PATTERN: Length: Short. Texture: Glossy, dense and resilient.



Color: Overall color should be rich and warm, paler on the underbody, with rufous toning on nose, cheeks and ears present in even the palest colors. Markings are delicate though distinct from the paler ground color. Chocolate, lilac, cinnamon and fawn kittens are very much paler than adults, with the rufous toning dominating the body markings. Full color is not obtained until two years of age



Pattern: The spotted and marbled patterns should be seen despite the diffusing effect of the characteristic misting. Pattern is more apparent when viewed from a distance. Spotted: Body markings symmetrical spots of any size or shape over sides, flanks and belly. Elongated spots or banding on the legs permissible. Marbled: This is a modified marbled pattern. The marbling consists of symmetrically placed patches of the darkest color, broken internally with blotches of lighter colors, on a pale ground. Margins between ground color and dark patches may be uneven, but should be clearly delineated. Ground color has uneven margins along the spine. GENERAL DESCRIPTION: Dr. Truda Straede created and developed the Australian Mists from her initial idea in 1977 to full championship in the Australian registries in 1986. Developed over more than 25 years - the Australian Mists have a very large gene pool derived from 50% European style Burmese, 25% Abyssinian, and 25% Domestic Spotted tabby. Outcrossing to the original breeds is no longer recommended. The Australian Mist is known for its exceptional temperament! It is a wellbalanced gently contoured cat of moderate foreign type, with no tendency to extremes in any of its characteristics. Both males and females have well sculpted facial features creating an open generous expression. The males are usually larger than females, with facial characteristics and musculature more developed. Muscle development, coat texture and eye color achieve adult expression by 2 years of age. LOCKETS: Withhold all awards ALLOWANCES: Lighter coat color in kittens. Mature males that exhibit jowls. PENALIZE: Pinched muzzle; Roman nose; whippy tail. WITHHOLD ALL AWARDS (WW): White toes. Blue, amber or orange eyes. Pattern on flanks obscured by over masking resulting in lack of definition. DISQUALIFY (DQ): Any malocclusion, wry mouth, overshot or undershot jaw. Visible tail fault. Fixed deviation of the sternum in adults. Abnormal skull structure. DEFINITIONS: MISTING: A term referring to an effect whereby the tabby pattern definition is diffused by a combination of the sepia color restriction gene, the relative thickness of the agouti hairs and non-agouti hairs, and the length of banding on the agouti element lending an ethereal appearance. OVERMASKING: An occurrence in tabby patterned cats whereby the pattern color becomes almost uniform over the back and down the sides such that no ticking or pattern is visible. Temperament must be unchallenging; any sign of definite challenge shall disqualify. The cat may exhibit fear, seek to flee, or generally complain aloud but may not threaten to harm. In accordance with Show Rules, ARTICLE SIXTEEN, the following shall be considered mandatory disqualifications: a cat that bites (216.9), a cat showing evidence of intent to deceive (216.10), adult whole male cats not having two descended testicles (216.11), cats with all or part of the tail missing , except as authorized by a board approved standard (216.12.1), cats with more than five toes on each front foot and four toes on each back foot, unless proved the result of an injury or as authorized by a board approved standard (216.12.2), visible or invisible tail faults if Board approved standard requires disqualification (216.12.4), crossed eyes if Board approved standard requires disqualification (216.12.5), total blindness (216.12.6), markedly smaller size, not in keeping with the breed (216.12.9), and depression of the sternum or unusually small diameter of the rib cage itself (216.12.11.1). See Show Rules, ARTICLE SIXTEEN for more comprehensive rules governing penalties and disqualifications. Revised 1/23/2015 Australian Mist 05/01/2015