CAT BREEDS

OF THE
WORLD
A complete reference to cat breeds,
characteristics and showing your cat

^
%

^.<.:'i

Paddy Cutts
CAT BREEDS
OF THE
WORLD

^;

?*.
CAT BREEDS
OF THE
WORLD
A complete reference to cat breeds, characteristics
and showing your cat

Paddy Cutts

4 I

XJ.

SeSudtian Jie£i^
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Contents
 CAT BREED
CLASSIFICATIONS
JiilJt
Although pedigree cats do not range in size to the same extent as

pedigree dogs, there is still a tremendous selection to choose from.

Breeds vary, not just in shape, colour and size, but in character and
personality too. Some are far more demanding than others, some do
not like to be left alone, others prefer to live in a quiet house. Do not

be tempted to buy a kitten purely on its looks, or the fact that its colour

suits your furnishings. No reputable breeder would sell you a kitten

on those terms anyway.

 Jl
C A 1 11 i< I I-. D Classifications

oine cat brcccis are old, derived from Longhairs

S a natural selection, and may even be Persian Type
unique to a particular region. The tail- These all conform to the same standard of

Manx cat is a good example of

less this. points for type, shape, size and length of

More recent pedigree breeds have been fur. They all have short noses, little ears

genetically engineered by breeders. By and an abundance of fur. They are avail-

introducing new coat colours and patterns able in a multitude of colours and pat-

and different lengths of fur, breeders terns. In general, they are quiet, placid

have made it possible to find pedigree creatures that will not demand too much
cats in a kaleidoscopic range of colours. attention. Where they do need extra help

Cat fancies around the world group is in their grooming; allow at least fif-

pedigree cats in slightly different ways. teen minutes a day. If you do not have
Some breeds only exist in a few countries, this time to spare, do not contemplate a
while others are available worldwide. In Persian cat, no matter how beautiful it

this book, the pedigree section has been may look.

arranged roughly along the lines of the

BELOW
British Governing Council of the Cat Longhairs The- Birman is one of

Fancy (GCCF) registration system, but N on-Persian Type the most popular oj the

detailing alternative names of breeds, The only factor that these all have in com- non-Persian type of
Longhair. This pair of
where applicable. mon is the length of their fur. Each breed
Blue-points dearly
There are seven basic groups of cat, is unique, both in type and temperament.
shov: the typical
each outlined here, or eight if you include Within this group are Birmans, Turkish, restricted coat pattern
the most popular of all cats, the domestic Maine Coons and Norwegian Forest and the white pains
moggie, or non-pedigree. Cats, to name but a few. There can be no unique to this breed.
 Cat Breed Classificaiions

generalization as to their characters, as

they all are different.

British and
American Shorthairs
Like the Persian breeds, these all look

basically the same, although there are

some differences between the British and

American standards. These tend to be

quieter creatures than other shorthair

varieties, but still need extra grooming

because of their thick, short coats. They
can grow to be very large and heavy, so
if you prefer a small cat, look to one of
the other groups.

Other
Shorthair Breeds
These are grouped together for con-

venience. Some varieties, such as the

Exotic Shorthair, are actually judged in

the longhair section in the UK and there

are some longhairs that come into this

shorthair category for judging. The group

includes all shorthaired cats that do not

fit into any other designated shorthaired

group. It is similar to the Longhaired

Cats of Non-Persian Type section, in that

the varieties are all different in appear-

RIGHT
Fo7- those "xho prefer a

larger breed of cat the ,

British Shorthair is

the answer. Although

available in many
colours and patterns,
the Blue is probably

the most popular.

 Jk
C
C A 1 B l< I I- l> L A S S I 1- 1 t A r 1 O N s

BELOW ancc and temperament. Included in this

As ye/ unrecognized by
group are Abyssinians, Cornish and
the (loverninji Coiineil
Devon Rex, American Wirehair and
of the Cat h'uniy
Curl, and the newer varieties such as the
(CCCF) in the UK,
but popular within the Asian cats, including Burmillas, and the

Cat Association of spotted Bengals and Ocicats.

Britain (CAB) and
the various American
Oriental Shorthairs
cat fancies, the
These are cats of Siamese shape and size,
Snowshoe is one of the
and should conform to the Siamese stan-
newer 'designer' breeds

of shorthair cats. dard of points. The difference is that they

do not display the restricted coat pattern,

genetically called the Himalayan factor.

They come in a myriad of coat colours

and patterns, but are essentially of
Siamese temperament.

Burmese
Burmese are a very distinctive grouping,

all of the same type and character; only

the coat colours vary. They are active

cats, need lots of attention, and do not

like to be left on their own. In general,

% however, they are not quite

Siamese. They have such
as noisy as

remarkable
characters and loving dispositions that

they are one of the most popular breeds

of cat today.

Siamese
Siamese are very popular and relatively
easily obtained. They are elegant, sleek,

and have the most distinctive coat pat-

terns. Like the Burmese, they do not

I simply need attention - they demand it.

The following chapter describes the

details of all these breeds, their character,

I and the standards needed tor a cat to be

worthy of a show Challenge or Premier

certificate in the UK, or their equivalents

in America and Europe (see S/iozt'ing

Yotir Cat).

Before choosing a cat: remember that

all cats are first and foremost famiU' pets,

so consider the tmie that each indi\idual

breed will require, both for grooming

and attention. Your cat is going to be

living with you tor many years.

10
 Cat Bkhhu Classifications

LEFT
Siamese are the most
instantly recognizable

breed ofpedigree cat,

and one of the most
popular. Available in

many different colours

and patterns , this

Blue-point epitomizes

the elegance of this

enchanting breed.

ABOVE LEFT
The Korat is one of the

oldest-kno'jcn natural

breeds of blue cat, and

originates from

Thailand irhere it is

considered to be 'Si

Sawat' - a symbol of
(luck. It is only

seen in the original

blue colour.

RIGHT
The first Burmese, a
bro'jL-n cat called Wong
Mau, was imported
into the USA in the

1930s. Today,
Burmese are available
in ten different colours

all conforming to the

basic standard of
points as sho-jcn in this

pretty young Cream

11
 Jk
D C L A
C A 1 B R E li S S 1 F 1 C A 1 I O N

Genetics
I
enetics could be considered a science COAT INHERITANCE^ '
Coat Colour
I of probability, if a science can be PATTERN IN CATS As a simple beginning, \ou could start

thought of as based on the possibility of Hherc are many different genes that with two Brown Burmese, both carrying
what could occur and not on precise, make up a cat: those for the body, the recessive blue gene. Mate the two

proven results. In the mid 18811s (Jeorge eye and head shape; those tor colour, together, and each kitten will receive one

Mendel, an Austrian monk, became in- length, and pattern of coat; and even gene from each parent. The result should

creasingly fascinated by the different col- those which can carry a weakness towards be what is commonly termed the Mende-
ours he found among the peas that grew certain defects. The combinations can he lian ratio of 1:2:1 — one brown kitten,

in the monaster)' garden. He felt there endless and so in this book 1 will ex- two browns carrying the recessive (blue)

must be some sort of divine order that plain, simply, the coat inheritance pattern. gene, and one blue. The process is shown
decided which plants were of which col- The phenotype (outward appearance) more simply in the diagram (helrrjc),

our and petal shape, which produced is dictated by the genotype (genetic make- where D represents the dominant brown
wrinkled or smooth peas, and even w Inch up), and with the fur of the cat there are gene and d the recessive blue.

were more dwarf-growing than others. three main areas of possibility: longhair This example considers only one set of

What he was really looking at was the or shorthair; differences in colour; differ- 'characters', that of coat colour, and so is

outward manifestation (or phenotype) of ences in pattern. relatively simple to work out.

the genetic make-up (or genotypf) of the

plant; this was the beginning of what we

now call genetics, which governs both the
Coat Colour
outward and inward appearance of every
living thing - including cats.

Mendel discovered that b\' selectively BROWN PARENT BROWN PARENT

pollinating plants with flowers of the CARR'ilNt, BLUE CARRYING BLUE

same colour, the new plantlets' flowers

were nearly always the same colour as the

parents'. He continued his research to see

if this were also true of animals. For this

he selected tame mice, because they breed

with great speed, and found again that if

two similar parents mated together, the

offspring tended to have the same colour

as the parents.

However, when two pea plants of

different colour, or mice of different
coloured coats, produced offspring, the
colour produced in the offspring DU Dd dD "dd
appeared to be dominated by one or other
of the parents. Things now started to get

interesting: by breeding from two of the

same first generation, some of the plants,

or mice, resembled one parent and some

the other. Mendel had discovered that

there are two types of gene, one dominant

and one recessive. He had also discovered

that all living beings inherit one set of
I IIROWN 2 BRC5VVN Kll TENS I Bl.UK
genes from each parent. So how does this K I 1 I I N CARRYING BLUE Kl I 11 N

basic information relate to cats?

12
 Cat Breed C i, a s s i e i c a r i 1 1 n

Coat Length and Colour

SHORTHAIREI) LONGHAIRED Burmilla Programme
BI -ACK BLUE
all shorthair black
(carrying longhair)

i t <?>

1 SHORT- 3 LONG- -1 SHORT

HAIRED HAIRED HAIRED
BLACK BLLTE

CHINCHILLA LILAC BURMESE

The iwo breeds selected

for the first Burmilla

programme mating
(ABOVE); the first
generation Burmilla

Coat Length and Colour gene for shorthair (Burmese) is dominant

( RIGHT); aW
( BELOW) examples
If you now consider two characters, those over longhair (Chinchilla), all the resul-
of the variety of coat
of coat length and colour, the possibilities tant kittens from this first outcross were colour, length ai:,:'

increase. If a shorthaired black cat is shorthaired tipped of Burmese type, car- pattern seen in '-^^ -

mated with a longhaired blue, black coat rying the recessive longhair gene. subsequent generations. BURMILLA
colour is dominant to blue, and shorthair In theory, if two of these Burmillas
dominant to longhair. The progeny of the were mated together, there are sixteen
first cross will all be the same. If two of different colour combinations of coat
this first cross are mated together there is length and pattern that could result; that

a possibility to produce four quite differ- is, eight colours with short coats and a

ent phenotypes, different in both colour corresponding eight with long coats. This
and fur length. comes back to Mendel's idea of ratios

The diagram {above) shows a ratio of between dominant and recessive, and
three blacks (dominant) to one blue (re- shows how two cats with the same coat

cessive) and three shorthairs (dominant) colour, length and pattern can produce

to one longhair (recessive). offspring that look completely different.

It also demonstrates how complicated cat

Coat Pattern, genetics become when more than one

Length and Colour character has to be considered.

Involving a third character, coat pattern, In practice, as breeders wanted to keep

can give rise to even more possibilities. the Burmese type, first generation Bur-
A programme to develop a new
recent millas were mated back to Burmese, and
breed, the Burmilla - one of the Asian not to another Burmilla; which explains

group of cats - shows these three genes, the relative rarity of the longhaired varie- ASIA.N TABBY
and how they are passed down. The ty, the Tiffanie, in the early stages of the ASIAN SMOKE
original mating was a Chinchilla male (a breeding programme.
longhaired variety with a black-tipped This is only an outline for the princi-

coat) to a Lilac Burmese (a shorthaired, ples of 'working' cat genetics and how
dilute-recessive of unpatterned coat). As new breeds can be created. In practice it

the patterned (Chinchilla) gene is domi- includes much paperwork, research and

nant to the plain (Burmese) coat, and the mathematical calculation. CREAM TIFFANIE

13
 LONGHAIRED
CATS OF
PERSIAN TYPE

Longhaired Persian
1^^ k.
cats are one of the oldest known breeds
ofpedigree cat . The long, luxuriant coat gives them a
glamorous look and instant appeal Over the years, the type of
.

the Persian has changed quite radically; today they are a

short-faced, compact breed, with a long thick coat available

in a myriad of colours.

m.
"W. i

»i».'
" /
%

^t-
 Longhair i- d c a t s o k I» i- r s i a n T v i- k

1 1 istory know today as the Angora (set' 'Oriental

iiigliaircd cats have been luiropc Other longhaired were
B
known
I since the sixteenth century but are

have existed
in Sl}()iiliairs').

discovered in Persia, modern-day Iran,

cats

to in certain parts of and because these had more profuse coats,

the world long before then. they became more popular.

The original longhairs were found in These early Persians, as they became
Turkey in the region of Ankara and known, looked quite different from those
became known as Angoras; these should that we see on the modern show bench.
not be confused with the breed that we Their faces were much longer and their

H K A 1) EYES BELOW
LARGE. ROUND HEAD WITH ROUND EYES
LARGE. FULL,
SMALL, NEAT, WIDE-SET WHICH SHOULD NOT BE DEEP A Blue Persian
EARS SET COLOUR IS DEPENDENT showing the correct
ON COAT COLOUR AND IN THE
BLUE SHOULD BE A DEEP
standards for type,
ORANGE OR COPPER, coat and eye colour.

•^.-

TAIL
SHORT. BUT IN PROPORTION
TO THE OVERALL LENGTH OF
THE CAT AND DISPLAYING A
TYPICAL BRUSH

COAT
LONG AND THICK. BUT FINE-
TEXTURED AND WITHOUT ANY
SIGNOFWOOLLINESS.

16
 L o N (, H A 1 R K D Cats of Persian Type

coats neither as thick nor as luxuriant as

their modern equivalents. The earliest

record of a longhai red cat was of a brown

tabby in the mid-nineteenth century and a
solid black about the same time. By the
turn of the century, more than twelve
different colours were recognized, in-

cluding what must be one of the most

beautiful of all longhairs, the Chinchilla.

Today there are more than sixty varieties

and colour variations of the Persian.

Character
and Temperament
Generally, Persian cats have quiet, gentle
dispositions. The time they need for extra

grooming is balanced by the fact that they

do not demand constant personal attention.

On the whole they are not a vociferous

breed and will not pine it left alone when

you are out at work during the day,

although it is always kinder to have two Coat Colours

cats rather than one, even if you do opt
for Persians. SELF COLOURS ABOVE
Historically, black

Type and cats have had iheir tips

Black
and doivns in the
Standard of Points The Black Persian is one of the oldest
popularity slakes. This
Persian cats all conform to the same varieties and is still one of the most Black Persian well
general standard of points. Only the popular. As an adult, the fur should be illustrates the beauty of
colour and pattern of their fur differs. jet black and the eyes deep copper — a the breed, groomed to

Persians are probably the most gla- striking combination. Although kittens perfection

morous of all pedigree varieties. With may show faint ghost markings, or even a
long, luxuriant coats, brush-like tails, few white hairs, these are considered

and a distinctive ruff around the neck, severe faults in an adult. Remember that

they look quite beautiful but need a lot of for any black cat, longhaired or short-

grooming to keep their coats in pristine haired the full coat colour will take time

condition. This takes time and any to develop and so slight variations are
would-be owner of a Persian cat must be acceptable up to about six months of age.
prepared to devote at least fifteen minutes
a day to grooming their cat. Blue
The standards require a small, elegant, It is said that the Blue Persian was Queen
but stocky cat showing large expressive Victoria's favourite breed of cat. Certain-

eyes, a tiny nose and small, wide-set ears. ly it is one of the earliest Persian colours

The eye colour varies according to the and is often thought to be the original

coat colour but should always be com- colour of the breed (for this reason it is

plementary. Each colour variation calls still one of the most popular variations).

Jtev- for a slight modification in the standards The coat should be a pale, even blue-grey

but in general should still give the with no shading or markings, and the

appearance of a typical Persian cat. eyes should be deep copper or orange.

17
 L () N (; H A 1 R K V C A r S OK P fc R S I A N T V I" E

Chocolate I, EFT
This Chocolate
This is one of the newer colours and is a
Persian shows the
byproduct of the Colourpoint breeding
correct warm, medium
programme, as is the lilac variation. The chocolate-brn-x'n
coat should be an even, solid, medium colour required.
chocolate-brown, and the eyes a deep
copper colour. BEI.OW
Persian kittens appear

so cute and appealing

Cream
— hut do you have the
Cream Persians have been known since
time to spend cm their
the end of the nineteenth century, when all-important
they were not particularly popular be- grooming needs?

cause they were considered to be rather

bad, pale examples of a Red.

Today, the reverse is true and they are

now admired for their beautiful colour-

ing. It is considered a fault for the cream

colour to be too hot; it should be an even
pale cream, and the eyes deep copper.

Lilac
This is another variety of Persian from
the Colourpoint breeding programme.
The coat should be a solid pinkish dove-

grey without any sign of masking or

lighter or darker patches. The eye colour

should be copper.

* ^- ^ ^ ,®

m
 Longhaired C a r s ok P t; r s i a n Type

RIOHT ABOVE
Tlie Cream Persian is The Lilac Persian,
one of the best known like the Chocolate, is

oj the soliJ colours of one of the newer colour

this breed, and is still varieties and has
very popular. arisen by way of the
Colourpoint breeding
programme

19
 L () N (, H \ I i( I I) Cats o i- Persian T y p li

Red
This may well be one of the older colours
of Persian cat but it is one of the most
difficult to breed successfully - a com-
mon problem when breeding any red- or
cream-coloured cat is to produce a coat

without any tabby markings. For perfec-

tion the coat should be a clear, rich

orange colour, solid to the roots. The eyes

should be deep copper.

ABOVE AND LEFT

The glamorous look
of (he Persian belies

the fad that it is a

sturdy and robust

breed that ifill enjoy

outdoor access if this

can be safely afforded.

An added bonus,
Persians -jcill develop

a fuller coat if allowed

outdoors in the cooler

months but, as a
minus, irill need more
grooming!

20
 Longhaired Cats of Persian Type

LEFT
Glamorous White
Persians are still one

of the most popular of

the Persian varieties.

White • EYE COLOUR IN WHITE PERSIANS*

The White was the original Angora col-

our but, as the Persian breed type has

been preferred since the beginning of the
twentieth

longer bear
century,

any
these white cats no
resemblance to their »D^
^ 'm..-m
Turkish ancestors. They now conform to

the typical Persian breed standard, except

that they can be found w'th three differ- ^ White Persians are available with three
distinct eye colorations; (clockwise from

#
ent colours of eyes: orange, blue and odd
(one blue and one orange).

consideration for
The only
White Persians
extra

is that
t left) orange-eyed, blue-eyed and odd-eyed.

their coats may need frequent bathing,

especially if they are allowed some free-

dom outside the house.

21
 L C) N C. 1 1 A 1 R 1-, D C A 1 !, <) i- P K R S 1 A N TYPE

RIOHT (Jaweo Persians have

A Blue-Cream a contrasting coat; the
Persian should shcnc a
undercoat should he as
well-mingled mixture
pale as possible with
ofpastel tones of blue llic tips shading to the
and cream. designated colour, such

as Red (K\r,HT) or
Tortie (KAR
RIGHT).

PATTERNED COLOURS

B i -colour
These are two-tone cats which may be of %
any colour mixed with white. Whatever
the main colour the eyes should be a deep

copper gold. As with any cat that has

white fur, Bi-colours may need to be
bathed occasionally to keep their coats
sparkling.

Blue-Cream
This is a form of the Tortie and so is

usually a female-only variety. As with all

Torties, any males produced are almost

invariably sterile. The Blue-Cream was

developed by mating a Blue and a Cream
together. The standards of the UK re-

quire that the two colours are well-

mingled without any obvious patches of a

solid colour. In the L'SA

true and clearly separated areas of definite

colour are required. In either case, the

eyes should be deep copper or orange.
the reverse is

^.Jt^ A
r

11
 Longhaired Cats ok Persian Type

Cameo
These are Persian cats with a restricted

tipped coat, related to the Chinchilla and

Smoke. There are three densities of

Cameo, shell, shaded and smoke, de-

pending on how much tipping appears on

each strand of tur. Shell Cameos have
just the smallest amount ot colour at the
BELOW
Cream-and-V/hite Bl- end of each hair; shadeds have pigmenta-

colour showing the tion further down the hair shaft, and
required distinct smokes only reveal white undercoat when
patches of colour.
the fur is moved or when the cat is

walking. For each of these three varieties

there are three acceptable colours: red,

cream and tortie.

23
 L o N (, n \ I) Cats o k P i- r s i a n T y i" e

RIGHT
The Chinchilla is oiif

of the most popular of

Persian breeds, ami no

wonder; it has an
almost ethereal look,
as each strand of white

fur is tipped in black,

giving a 'sparkling'

effect. Note the

regui red green eyes,

outlined in black and

the brick-red nose,

again, outlined in

black.

Chinchilla Colourpoint
In the USA the Chinchilla conforms (usA, HIM.M^.'WWn)
exactly to the standards laid down for the This is a genetically engineered breed,

Persian breed in general; in the UK the the result of crossing a Blue Persian with

cat is allowed to be more finely boned, a Siamese; this introduced the restricted
with a tendency to a longer muzzle than coat pattern or Himalayan factor. What-
seen in most Persians. ever colour the points, the type should be
The Chinchilla is one of the most as for a Persian, but with the colour

popular of all longhaired breeds and not restricted to the face, ears, tail and legs.

without reason. Its white coat, lightly However, the eye colour differs to the

tipped at the edges with black, give the Persian type in that a deep blue is the

cat a sparkling, almost ethereal and fairy- required standard for all Colourpoints,
like appearance. smiilar to that ot the Siamese.

The coat should be evenly tipped with Colourpoints are available in just as

black on the head, back, legs, tail and many colours as are Siamese: seal, blue,

flanks; the underpart should be pure chocolate, lilac, red, cream, tortie, tabby

white. The nose should be a distinctive and tortie-tabb\- (torbie). These colours,
brick-red outlined in black. The large and the associated colour of nose leather
expressive eyes should be green, without and paw pads, should be identical to those

any trace of blue, with eyelids outlined in laid down tor Siamese (see 'Siamese' for

black giving an effect of applied mascara. more details).

24
 r--'

Culoiiypoint

Himalayan) Persians
slio'dc
(

the restricted
USA
#
'Himalayan coat
pattern that was
introduced hy mating a

Persian to a Siamese,
and they are available
in just as many colours

and patterns as the

Siamese. Whatever

the colour, it is

important for the

points to be restricted

to ears, face, legs and

tail only. The
examples sho-jcn here

are Tortie-Tabhy

(RIGHT), Seal
(BELOW l,EFT),
Blue BOTTOM) and
(

Cream (below
right).

25
 L () N (. H \ I k I 1) C A r S () K F> i: R S I A N T Y P E

ABOVE Golden
The Golden Persian In recent years the Chinchilla has shown
(LKFT)anJS/!aJeJ
that it hides a recessive gene, the red
Golden (right) are
factor. This has given rise to the Golden
related lo the

Chinchilla and show

Persian. The coat should show the same
what happens when amount of tipping as seen in the Chin-
the sex-linked red gene chdla, but the base colour must be a rich
is introduced to the cream tipped with brown, shading to a
Chinchilla breed; they
lighter hue on the underparts. Just as a
were originally known
Shaded Silver can be produced from the
as 'Golden

Chinchillas'
Chinchilla, so can a Shaded Golden; this

shows much denser tipping. Both

varieties of golden should have vivid

green eyes like the Chinchilla.

Shaded Silver ABOVE
Pewter This is a more heavily tipped type of The Pewter is almost a

'halfway house'
The Pewter is the result of mating a Chinchilla, and in many fancies it is not
between the Chinchilla
Chinchilla with any one of the self- recognized as a separate breed. In general
and Smoke, being
coloured Persians. Like the Chinchilla, it it has similar markings to the Chinchilla,
neither as pale as the
has a tipped coat but the density of the including the brick-red nose and eyes Chinchilla nor as dark

tipping is much heavier. Peep copper is outlined in black; it is only the density of as the Smoke.

the required eye colour. the tipping that distinguishes it.

26
 Longhaired Cats of Persian Type

RIGHT
Shaded Silvers are a
close relation of the
Chinchilla, shoivin^

the same eye and nose

colours, hut feature a

more densely tipped

coat

27
 LO N G H A 1 R h D C A 1 S () 1- I' 1- R S I A N T V P E

RIOHT
Tabby cats reflect the

'j:ild-(al coal pattern

that 'xouldbe needed

for camouflage in the

BI-.I.OW
wild, but are now bred
I'frsian Smokes can be
in many different
seen in many colours,
colours. The Silver
hill ihf Black Smoke is
Tabby is one of the
the I lassie . Whatever
most popular colours.
llif colour, the

undercoat should he as

li'hite as possible with

the definite colour most

apparent on the hack,

head andfeet. The eye
colour should always

he copper or orange.

^. i^.-.-

1.L.1 1

This Red-Tahhy
Persian shows a really

full, long and

luxuriant coal so

topical of this group in

general.

'
o

§^_ .jam

28
 LoNGHAiRtD Cats ok Pkrsian Type

BEl^OW
Brown-Tabby
Persians are one oflhe
older tabby colours but

still retain their

popularity despite the

newer, and more
glamorous,
introductions.

Smoke Tabby
This is another variety of Persian that has Brown Tabbies are possibly the oldest

been seen since the nineteenth centur)'. It variety of Persian, but as with most
was originally bred by crossing a Chin- things time moves on and even this classic

chilla with a Black ^^ersian. The tipping pattern is now available in ten colours:

on a Smoke is almost the reverse of that brown, silver, blue, chocolate, lilac, red,

on a Chinchilla; it is only the very base of and four colours of tortie-tabby (torbie).

the coat that shows the pale hue, with the Because the Tabby conforms to the gener-
tipped effect taking up most of the length al standards of Persian, particularly in

of the fur. Over the years Smokes have the profuse coat, it is often difficult to

been produced in a variety of colours and distinguish the tabby markings. Most
today ten of these are recognized. What- Tabbies should show deep copper eyes;
ever the coat colour the eyes should be however, in the silver this colour should

copper or orange. be green or hazel.

29
1. () N (, II \ I K K 1) C A I S O I- V K R S 1 A N T Y 1' K

^M
 LONCH AIRED CATS OF PERSIAN TVPE

BELOW
Exotic Shorlhairs are
truly cats of Persian

type, quite distinct

from the British

Shorthairs, but with

short fur! They are

available in all the

colours and patterns

acceptedfor the

Persians.

ABOVE EXOTIC SHORTHAIR

Tortie-and-White cats
(Calico in the USA)
may seem strange to include a short-
must have at least one- Dthaired variety of cat in a longhaired
third 'jchite in their
category. It is an anomaly, but the Exotic
coat, and the colours

accepted are the same is truly a shorthaired Persian; it conforms

as for the lortie colours to all requirements ot the Persian breed,
111 general. displays the same temperament, is avail-

able in all the recognized colours for

Persians, the only difference being that it

has a short coat.

1 ADVANTAGES e
 LONGHAIRED
CATS OF
NON-PERSIAN TYPE
J^iiJi
These breeds are all completely different , come from various
parts oj the world , and many are quite recently developed

'designer' breeds; the only common factor is that their fur is

long, but usually neither as long nor as profuse as in the full

Persian breeds. Each breed displays its own personality , needs

and demands and so must be treated as a separate entity.

-4*^
Wwj
 1. O N I. H A I R 1 1) C ATS OK N O N P h R S 1 A N 1 V P K

An(;()RA stayed to this day. Because of the cat's

{see Oriental Shnrthairs) devotion to the priest, it is further told

that each time a Birman cat dies, the soul

Bai.1 nksk of a priest accompanies it to heaven.

{see S iatnese) These tales are charming, hut in

actuality the breed was probably de-

BIRMAN veloped much more recently by crossing

a Siamese with a Bi-colour Longhair; this

H istory definitely occurred in France in the early

Ohcse are often thought of as the 1920s. The first Birmans were of a

sacred temple cats of Burma, and similar coat colour to the Seal-point

they originate from this country. They Siamese, a pale milky cream with deep
are an enchanting breed and the distinc- seal points and, of course, the distinctive

BEI.OW tive coat pattern, with white paws, has white paws.
Birmans originate given rise to a delightful legend. It is said
from Burma although, that a cat, sensing that the high priest was Character
unlike Burmese -xhich
dying, walked over to him and gently put and Temperament
also come from the
its paws on the priest's frail body to offer The Birman is a clever breed, but not as
same country, they are
a longhaired variety.
companionship during his last hours; as demanding or noisy as the Siamese or

These are Blue-point the priest died, the cat's paws were turned Burmese. Their semi-long coats do need
Birmans. purest white and that is how they have extra grooming, but not as much as the

Persian Longhairs require. They make

ideal pets, and are good with children
and other animals.

Type and
Standard of Points
The Birman should be a medium-sized
cat, with a long, silky coat - although it

should never be as long or as dense as

the Persian's.

Over the years, Birmans have been

bred in many different colours, and can
now be seen in twenty variations. The
original Seal is possibly the most popular,

but the Birman is available in blue,

chocolate, lilac, red, cream, and the

associated tortie and tabby patterns.

Whatever the colour, the coat should be

evenly marked with points confined to

the face, ears, tail and legs, but with the

paws white. These markings must be

symmetrical, with the 'gloves' on the
front legs ending in a straight line and
extending no further than the top of the
paws; the rear leg markings, 'gauntlets',
should stretch up to the back of the hock.
In all Birmans, the e\e colour should be
bright sapphire blue.

34
 L o N G H A 1 R t I)
^
Cats ok N o n - P e r s i a n 1 y p e

RIGHT
This Seal-point was
TAIL.
the first ever Birman SHOULD BE BUSHY AND IN
to be made up to the PROPORTION TO THE BODY

Grand title in the

UK. This beautiful

neuter boy really

displays the finer

points requiredfor this

breed.

H t A D
BROAD, ROUNDED, STRONG
HEAD, WITH MEDIUM-SIZED
EARS SET WELL APART IN

PROFILE, THE NOSE SHOULD

SHOW A SLIGHT DIP EYES
ROUNDISH

B O D Y
MASSIVE, LONG BODY, WITH
MEDIUM-LENGTH. THICK-SET
LEGS AND LONG SILKY FUR
WITH A NECK RUFF'

2,5
 L O N I, 1 1 A I l< 1-, D C A T S O !•
N O N I' I- M s I \ v 1 Y P K

M F A n
THE HEAD SHOULD BE
MEDIUM IN LENGTHWI1HA
SQUARE MUZZLE AND FIRM
CHIN THE EARS SHOULD BE (. (1 .^ 1

LARGE AND TALL, SET HIGH THE TYPICAL SHAGGY,

AND WELL APART, WIDE AT WATERPROOF COAT SHOULD
THE BASE AND TAPERING AT NEVER BE FLUFFY FUR IS
THETIP LESS DENSE ON THE HEAD.
NECK AND SHOULDERS, BUT
IT IS IMPORTANT FOR A

FACIAL RUFF AND FULL

O D *
BRUSH TAIL TO BE OBVIOUS
LARGE, SOLID AND
MUSCULAR WITH LONG,
SUBSTANTIAL LEGS AND
LARGE, ROUND PAWS

wi^ '/^P^^Pw

ABOVE Cymric romantic, notion is that Marie Antoinette

This Silver-Tabby {see Manx, British Shorthairs) sent her beloved cats to America to escape

Maine Coon displays

the French Revolution and these were the
the typical standards

of the breed.
MAINE COON ancestors of the modern breed.
The Maine Coon was recognized in

H istory some American cat fancies as early as

s the name suggests, this was origi- 1967, but it was not until the 1980s that

nally an American breed although, they became popular in the UK, where
in recent years, they have been imported they are now accepted.

into the UK where they are now becom-

ing increasingly popular. The name com- Character
es in part from the state of Maine, where and Temperament
they were first seen, with 'Coon' being Although Maine Coons can grow to be

derived from the brush-like tail that is large cats, they ha\'e very sweet natures.

reminiscent of a racoon, and so typical of They are pla)ful and triendly, and make
this breed. An alternative, and more delightful pets.

36
 L » N (, n A 1 R E D
^
Cats of N o n P k r s i a n Type

Typ e and is not as profuse as on the Persian Long-

Standard of Points hairs, and does not require as much
The Maine Coon is a large, sturdy, ex- grooming; however, it is a thick, dense

tremely handsome semi-longhaired cat. coat that provides the cat with insulation

The head should be long, but not as long during the cold winter months in New
as the Siamese, with a definite squared- England. The classic Maine Coon is a

off muzzle. The legs are long. The coat tabby-and-white, but the breed is accept-
is heavy and tends to be more prolific able in almost any coat colour and pattern,
around the neck (giving the typical ruff and the eye colour may be green, hazel,
effect), the belly, legs and tail. The coat copper, blue, or odd-eyed.

RKiHT
Brown Tortie-Tabhy
Maine Coons should
show black and red
markings againsi a
background of "warm
copper.

LEFT
Tortie-and-While
Maine Coons should
have a coal
predominantly made
up of the base colour,
with white fur ideally
on the face, chest, legs

andfeet.

37
 1, <) N (. II \ I K K I) C A 1 S <) I- N () N I' K R S 1 A N 1 Y P K

RIGHT Norwegian
Norwegian Forest Forest Cat
Cats are a new and
interesting breed; they

have the unique ability

H istory
his breed a little similar to the

Q
is
to climb up sheer rock
faces, and are both Maine Coon, but developed in the
elegant and energetic. cold climate of northern Scandinavia.
This Blue Tabby-and-
The thick coat provided the cat with
White typifies the type
warmth in severe weather. In Norse
requiredfor
tales, legends make reference to a fairy-
this breed.
cat, and this may well have been the
Norwegian Forest Cat as its plume-like
tail has an ethereal look. It is an excellent
climber, able to get to areas most cats

could not reach, and this has added to the

mystique of the breed. It has been seen at

shows in Norway since before World

War II, but was not recognized by the
Federation Internationale Feline (FIFe)
until 1977. The breed is popular in the

USA, but has only recently been im-

ported to the UK.

Character
and Temperament
The Norwegian Forest Cat is a lively and
independent cat. It is a good hunter and,
with its thick, waterproof coat, enjoys
being allowed freedom in a garden. It

does like human company and prefers

not to be left alone for any great length

of time.

Type and
Standard of Points
The head should be roughly triangular in

shape, with high-set large ears. The nose

should be straight and the eyes an almond

shape. The thick, waterproof coat should

be long, with long guard hairs covering

the dense undercoat.

LEFT
Norwegian Forest
Cats come in a variety

of colours and
pallerns; this is a
Rroicn Fahby-and-
While.

3 8
 "ifi
L o N G n A I K h D Cats of N o n Persian 1 v p t

BODY HEAD
THIS IS STRONG BREED
A BIG THE HEAD SHOULD BE
OF CAT, WITH A LONG BODY TRIANGULAR IN SHAPE. AND
AND LEGS, THE BACK LEGS IN PROFILE BE STRAIGHT
SHOULD BE HIGHER THAN WITH A STRONG CHIN EARS
THE FORELEGS THE COAT IS ARE SET HIGH. WITH GOOD
SEMI-LONG, WITH A GLOSSY. WIDTH AT THE BASE OF THE
WATERPROOF OVERCOAT. EAR THE TIPS SHOULD BE
AND SHOULD DISPLAY A TUFTED WITH LONGHAIR
RUFF' AROUND THE NECK SEEN OUT OF THE EARS EYES
ARE LARGE AND SET AT AN
OBLIQUE

TAIL
BUSHY LONG ENOUGH
TAIL,
THAT IT REACHES THE NECK

ABOVE PEKE-FACED
This Smoke
Norwegian Fores/ Cat
really shows the
his is a somewhat controversial breed
required 'brush' tail to q: that is essentially an ultra-type Per-

perfection sian. The breed has been put in this

section, as some of the traits it displays

RIGHT are not desirable in the usual Persian type
Peke-faced Persians do
of longhair. The nose is so short as to be
not conform to the

general standards laid

almost flat on the face. There is also a

down for the Persian very strong indentation between the eyes,
breed. They are giving rise to a typically furrowed brow
neither accepted nor and causing the eyes to be large and
bred in the UK, but
protruding. This is a breed only seen in
are available in the
America, although some ultra-type Per-
USA in as many
colours and patterns as
sians are bred in the UK, but not to such

acceptable for the an extreme. In temperament and charac-

Persians. ter, they are very similar to the Persian

Longhairs and, in the fancies where they

are regarded as a separate breed, are

available in all the colours recognized for

Persians.

39
 L <) N (. H A I K 1 1) C A T S O F N O N - P h R S I A N K V P E

1 1 h \ I >
B () I) l

THE HtAD SHOULD BE THE BODY IS LONG AND

MEDIUM TO LARGE, WITH MUSCULAR, WITH A STRONG
LARGE. TUnED EARS NECK AND BROAD CHEST.
ROUNDED AT THE TIP, SET THE LEGS ARE HEAVILY
WIDE ON A FLAT SKULL BONED, WITH THE HIND LEGS
LARGE, OVAL EYES SHOULD SLIGHTLY HIGHER THAN THE
BE SET AT A SLIGHT SLANT FRONT THE COAT SHOULD BE
SILKY, OF MEDIUM LENGTH,
FACIAL FUR IS SHORTER,
WITH LONGER FUR AROUND
THE NECK FRAMING THE
FACE

T A 1 1,

LONG, BUSHY AND TAPERED

ABOVE
Bi-colour Ragiioll,
Ragdoll Character
shoii-ing the correct 'V and Temperament
marking on the History The Ragcioll is possibly one ot the most

forehead. Lich controversy surrounds the his- laid-back ol all breeds ot domesticated
I tory of this breed, which gained cats. It is relatively undemanding, very
recognition in the LISA in the 1960s. tolerant of most situations, and is gentle

The charm ot the Ragdoll is said to lie in and relaxed. It is said that these cats have

the fact that it will flop in your arms a lower pain threshold than most, hut it

when handled, but this is not uncommon is a debatable point, anci certainly not one
in any cat that trusts its owner. that shoulci be tested.

The first Ragdoll kittens are said to

have been born in California to a white Typ e a n

Persian (]ueen who had misniated and, Standard of Points
after suffering a broken pelvis in a car There are three basic patterns ot Ragdoll

accident, gave birth to a litter of kittens that are accepted: bi-colour, colourpoint

that flopped when handled. This would and mitted, and the colour for each may
be genetically impossible, as the result of be seal, blue, chocolate or lilac. The
a road accident cannot cause the cat's coloured areas are generally restricted to

genetic make-up to be changed and so be the face, legs and tail, in a manner similar

passed on to future generations. The to the Colourpoints' and Birmans' restric-

truth of the Ragdoll's background is open tive markings. The tur is particularly

to speculation. Looking at the varieties of long on the chest and abdomen, on the

Ragdoll accepted today, it is likely that back of the head (giving a distinct rutf),

the breed has an ancestry linked with and on the tail, which should be thick and
Siamese, Colourpoints or Birmans. full. The eyes should always be blue.

4(1
 1fl
Longhaired Cais of Non- Persian Type

Somali Britain and a breeding programme

(see Abyssinian, Other Shorthairs) started; by 969 they were granted
1 official

recognition. Today they grace the show

T I I- 1- AN K I benches on both sides of the Atlantic.
{see Asian Cuts, Other Shoithairs)
Character
Turkish van and Temperament
Turkish Vans are very friendly, sociable
History and intelligent, and they like company.
his IS a natural breed ot cat which They have soft voices, and are happy to

was first discovered around the live quietly inside your home, as long as
shores of Lake Van, a remote area of they are given attention and the odd game
Turkey. The most astonishing fact about to play. They like to be offered the

the breed is that it not onl\' likes water, opportunity for a swim and so, if you do
but really enjo}s going for a swim. It is not have a pool, let the cat take some
probably descended from the Angora, exercise in the bath.

one of the original varieties of longhaired

cat, and is distinguished by attractive Typ e a n d
auburn markings around the face and on Standard of Points
the tail. Turkish \'ans have a distinct The classic form of Turkish Van is a

white 'thumb print' mark between their chalk-w'hite semi-longhair cat with auburn
ears which the Turkish people call the markings restricted to the head, ears and
mark of Allah and so, in their native tail, and with amber eyes. Over the

homeland, these cats are treated with years, various other colours have been

great respect. A trip to modern-day Istan- noted and the Van is now accepted in both

bul will reveal street cats that, although auburn and cream colours, and with
mostly shorthaired, are generally white amber, blue or odd-coloured eyes. The
with auburn markings. In the early head is a short wedge shape, with a longish

1950s the first pair was brought back to nose, and the ears are large and pointed.

BODY H K A I)

A LONG, STURDY CAT THAT IS HEAD SHOULD BE A SHORT

STRONG AND MUSCULAR, WEDGE AND SHOW A LONG
WITH MEDIUM-LENGTH LEGS NOSE, IN PROFILE, NOSE
SHOULD BE STRAIGHT BUT
WITH A SLIGHTLY
RIGHT NOTICEABLE DIP EARS ARE
The Classic Turkish LARGE, SET HIGH ON HEAD
AND FAIRLY CLOSE
Van has a -ji'hile coat, TOGETHER THE EYES
with auburn markings SHOULD BE LARGE AND
OVAL,
and amber eyes

1 \ 1 I

THE TAIL SHOULD BE BRUSH

LIKE AND IN BALANCE WITH
J
4
THE OVERALL LENGTH OF
THE CAT \

41
 BRITISH AND
AMERICAN
SHORTHAIRS
JLiiJt
British and American Shorthairs gain their names from the fact
that they are the indigenous breeds of these tvco countries.
Although American Shorthairs probably originated in

Great Britain, travelling to America around the time of the

Pilgrim Fathers in the early seventeenth century, the two
breeds are still very similar with only minor differences
required in their standards.
n
58-

.*/

""

.4|L#*'*^"'
 IJRI lis II
^
AND A.MKRICAN ShORTHAIRS

* HISTORY* attractively marked with darker stripes or

She history of this breed goes back to spots, the tabby's coat reflects the coat

Roman times and it is thought that pattern of its wild cat ancestry; the cats
the invading Roman troops first brought worshipped in Ancient Kgypt were simi-
shorthaired cats to Britain. Written lar tabbies, although their coats tended to

records tor the British Shorthair only go be ticked. On the show bench today.
back to the turn ot the century although Tabbies are still very popular but the

it is clear, from old paintings and en- newer, glamorous Silver Tabby is more
gravings, that they had been around for in evidence than the original Brown Tab-
several hundred \ears before this. by, which seems to have been ignored in

Shorthairs were probably originall\- the breeding programmes of recent years.

kept tor their mousing ability and for the The self-coloured varieties of British

fact that, unlike the Persians and Angoras and American Shorthairs are among the
also seen at this time, they did not need most popular, the most obvious example
human help with their grooming. They being the Blue. They are also available in

were a self-sufficient variety, which pro- various other colours and patterns; more
vided a useful service to man, and it is recent introductions include the Tipped,
BELOW recorded that most ships setting sail for showing the coat markings associated
The British Shnrthiiir
the New World included several cats on with the Chinchilla, and the Colourpoint,
is essenlially a chunky
the cargo list. a true British cat but with the distinctive
feline, ixell-dlustralej

by this orange-eyeil The oldest recorded type of short- restricted coat pattern usually associated

White. haired cat was the tabby. Elegantly and with the Siamese.

44
 British and American Shorthairs

Character Coat Colours

and Temperament
British and American Shorthairs can SELF-COLOURS
grow to be some of the largest domestic

cats, but their gentle and shy dispositions White

have caused them to he described as the Although the coat colour should remain
'gentle giants'. They are loving and affec- the same — an even, pure white — three
tionate, have quiet voices and, rather like different eye colours are acceptable:

the Persians, do not continuously demand orange, blue and odd-eyed. In a young

their owners' attentions. Generally, they kitten, the odd patch of darker colour on
do not seem to have the wanderlust of the the top of the head is permissible; by

foreign breeds and will not mind being adulthood any such markings should have
confined to an apartment. Even if given disappeared and if they remain, are con-

the freedom of a garden, they are unlike- sidered a serious fault.

ly to wander far. BELOW

Black The British Black is

Typ e and A glossy, jet black is the required coat typical of this breed;

a/though the kittens

Standard of Points colour. Moreover, the colour should be
are most appealing,
British and American Shorthairs should solid to the roots, with no trace of rusti-
remember that they
be large, strong, sturdy and muscular. ness, tabby markings, white hairs or
will grow into very
The male is larger than the female, and patches. The eyes should be a deep copper large cats when adult,

more obviously so than in most other without any trace of green. especially if male!

breeds. Neuters, especially the males, do

have a tendency to obesity, so a close

watch should be kept on their diet.

Typically the chest should be deep and

broad with short, strong legs and neat,

rounded paws. The head should be wide
and rounded and in males should show
definite jowls. In profile the nose should

show a 'stop', and the jaw should show a

level bite without any sign of being either

overshot or undershot. The ears should

be small and set wide apart. In all colours

and patterns the coat should be short,

crisp and dense but without appearing
woolly; the only exception to this is in the

Manx varieties.

The overall look for the British is for a

chunky, cobby cat 'vithout the extreme

facial expression of the Persian; it is

usually accepted for the American Short-

hair to be slightly heavier and in general

longer than its British counterpart. The

colours available are almost the same as

those acceptable for the Persian, with

more colours for the American Shorthair

than the British.

45
 Bullion AND American
Jk
S h o k t h a i r s

Blue
This is probably the best known ol all the

Shorthair varieties; in Europe, it is

known as the Chartreux. The coat should

be a distinctive blue-grey, without any

silver ticking, and the colour solid to the

roots. The eye colour should be deep

copper, as in the Black.

Cream
An even, pale-coloured cream coat is

desired; in practice this is hard to achieve

and many cats do show faint 'ghost' tabby

or spotted markings. The eye colour

should be deep copper.

Chocolate
This should be an even, solid, medium
chocolate-brown, and the eye colour
should be copper.

RIGHT ABOVE
The Bnlish Blue, British Chocolates are

shoit'ing the required a relatively ne-dc

golden-copper eye colour and, like their

colour, can groijc to be Persian counterparts,

an exceedingly large have arrived by zvay

cat. of the Colourpoint
breeding programme.

46
 British and American Shorthairs

HEAD BELOW
THE HEAD SHOULD BE
BROAD WITH FULL CHEEKS The Brilish Cream
AND WITH SMALL, ROUNDED showing the correct
EARS SET FAR APART THE
coat colour, neither too
EYES ARE LARGE. ROUND
AND SET WELL APART red nor fawn, hut a
pate tone of cream.

BODY
THE BODY SHOULD BE
COBBY, COMPACT AND
POWERFUL WITH A SHORT,
CRISP, DENSE COAT

TAILSHOULD BE THICKER AT
THEBASETHANATTHETIP
AND OF MEDIUM LENGTH

47
 B K I I 1 s II
^
AND American S h o k i h a i r s

Lilac '""»^^
,,,.,11
A pmki>h dove-grey
solid
I
coat coinhincs
I'lilhcy (inil iJaiivhler

of one of tin- ni-j.'t'r

with a copper eye
'
colour. The Lilac and ' , , ,
' ' toloiirs, I .iliu
Chocolate are (juite recent colours, by- s/iou-i>,^/wu- mm/,
iroducts ot the CoK)urpoint breeding lav^ey the male may
irogramnie. become in eompaiison
III the female.

ABOVE
The American
Short hair varies
slightly from the

standards laid do'jcn

for the British; in

general, it is a longer
cat and less hea-cily
boned.

48
 British and American Short hairs

• TABBIES • PATTERNED COLOURS

Tabby
,^,. y These are seen in three patterns: classic,

mackerel and spotted, and are most often

brown, blue, red and silver. Whatever
the colour, the markings should be a

much deeper hue than the background;

for example. Brown Tabbies should have
a sable background colour with black
markings, the Reds should have a rich

red background with distinctively deeper BELOW

British Red Spotted Tabby red markings, and the Silver Tabbies a Spoiled Tahhies are a

clear silver body colour with black mark- very popular breed,
ihe Silvers in
ings. The eye colour depends on that of
particular. They
the coat; in Reds and Browns this should
should slio'W numerous,
be copper or orange, and green or hazel
'jcell-defined spots

in the Silvers. throughout the coal

^^^-
American Brown Tabby

^ 'ijr

./

British Silver Tabby

*^-j^

M'ttr

'^'
^^^^^»*

49
 B R 1 I I S H AND
Jk
A M K R I C A N S H O R I H A 1 R S

Kic.irr Tor I it'

T/ie Brilish firown- As in the Persian, a well-mingled mix-
Torlie should have a
ture of colours is desired in the UK,
coat thai displays a
without any solid patch of any one colour.
mixture of black, rich
The most popular and most commonly
red and cream.
seen of this female-only variety is the

Blue-Cream. They can, however, be seen

in a variety of colours and the eye colour
should be the same as that laid down for

the main colour of the coat.

Tortie-and-White
These have been produced by mating a

Tortie to a Bi-colour and are seen m the

same number of colours as Torties. It is

important for the white areas to be clearly

defined, and the eye colour should be as

for the Tortie.

Colourpoint
This is a more recent colour variation,

genetically engineered by breeders. The

original cross was between a British and a

Longhair Colourpoint, which resulted in

early generations showing slightly fluffy

coats; this has now been eradicated and

Colourpoints today have typical British

coats and type. They are available in all

the colours seen in Siamese and, unlike

most British, have blue eyes.

LEFT
The Blue-Cream
British should sho'dO a

coat that has a -jcell-

mingled mixture of
blue and pale cream.
British and American Shorthairj

ABOVE
.4 good contrast
between the basic coal
colour am/ the points is

requiredfor the

British Cn/ourpoint,

as depicted here in a

young Blue
Colourpoint ( LEFT)
and Tortie

Colourpoint
(RIGHT).

LEFT
A Chocolate
Colourpoint clearly
showing the required
coat colour pattern

restriction

51
 H K I I 1 s II
^
AND American S h o r j h a i r s

• ADVANTAGES!

ABOVK
The British Tipped is
a British Shorthair
•with the Chinchilla

gene introduced to
produce the distinctive

tipping to the coat.

 British and American Short hairs

ABOVE LEFT ABOVE RICiHT

'/'/;;,( may look like a A British Blue Bi-

black cat , hut it is a loloiir; one of many of

British Smoke; the the colours available

difference lies in the for this coat pattern.

fact that the undercoat

is silver, ami not black

to the roots.

RIGHT
The British Bi-colour
should have patches of
the self-colour and
white, with the

patches, for perfection,

being as symmetrical

as possible as seen in

this Cream-and-
\\ hite Bi-colour.

m
4l,'„;, i^_ *ji

53
 B R I 1 I s H
J^
AND American S ii o i< i ii a i r s

RIGHT
77;f classic Rumpy
Manx has no vcs/ige of

a tail and, as seen in

this Torlie-and-

While, should have a

rump thai stands

higher than the

shoulders.

BELOW LEFT
A White Stumpy
Manx, shozcing the

distinctive rounded
rump requiredfor the
hreed standards.

BELOW RIGHT
An odd-eyed Tailed
Manx, unacceptable

for the shove bench

requirements but ,

useful to any Manx

breeding p rogra m me

54
 British and American Shorthairs

MANX noticeable at the base of the spine where above

(an J Cymric) the tail would have been; this is the only The Cymric, rare in

type 01
f \i
Manx J f
recognized u
tor showing
Briliiin bill popular
^^ '^
m
the Vniled Slates, is a
he Manx is unlike most British purposes in the L'K, although the other

Q r
, , ,

longlianea I'anely of
I Shorthairs and not just because it types ma\- be used for breeding. Stumpies
Mam
usualK' does not have a tail. The type have a small amount ot tail, more like a

required for a Manx is less extreme than bump at the base ot the spine, and it is

that required for most British and Amer- possible to have tailed varieties of Manx
icans cats. Also, the Manx nose is usually too. All Manx cats should have back legs
a bit longer. The coat is accepted in any that are considerably longer than the

colour or combination of colours, is front ones, which gives rise to their

thicker and more prone to matting than typical, rather unusual, rabbit-like gait.

the classic British Shorthair coat, and for The Cymric is a longhaireci variety of

this reason, needs extra grooming. Manx and is comparatively rare, espie-

Manx are generally seen in four cially in the UK. In character and tem-
forms; Rumpy, Stumpy, Tailed and perament, Manx and Cymric are just like
Cymric. Rumpies have no tail at all and, other British varieties and make the most
tor perfection, a small dip should be delightful pets.

55
 ORIENTAL
S HORTHAIR S

The Oriental is very much an artificially created type of breed.

Although solid-coloured cats of Siamese type have been seen for
many years, usually as the result of a mismating, they were not
popular until the 1950s. Then, experimental matings took
place between Siamese and Russian Blues, among others, and
led the way to the development of the Havana. A byproduct of
this breeding programme was the Oriental Lilac.
 O
Ji
R I K N T A L S H O R 1 II A I R S

these are available in just as many col-

ours. Genetically, this section could pro-

duce an almost unlimited variet\ of coat

colours and patterns.

Character
and Temperament
Oriental cats are basically Siamese cats

without the restrictive, Himalayan, pat-

tern in their coats. They have exactly the

same t)pe and conformation as the

Siamese, and their temperament is the
same too: outgoing personalities that de-
mand a lot of attention.
Orientals have exceedingly loud voices
and will often instigate the conversation -
they are not like well brought-up chil-

dren who onh' speak when the\' are

spoken to. They want to be involved in

every household activity, be it sharing

your bed or helping you wash the dishes.
Just like dogs, they love to play retriev-
ing games and derive hours of pleasure
from a simple piece of screwed-up paper.
They do not like to be left for any length

of time on their own, and would benefit

from a feline companion if you are out at

work all day.

Type and
Standard of Points
Whatever the coat colour or pattern, the
ABOVE H i story standard requires the shape and type of
The Oriental Black,
iolid colours, other than the original
ucilh the typical glossy

solid black coat,

s
today
Lilac, soon became
we have Orientals recognized
possible, and
the cat to be exactly the

Siamese (see 'Siamese').

same
This means
as that of the
that

typifies the elegance of

in the Oriental is a medium-sized cat that

the Oriental group of ten colours and the associated seven should tee! firm and muscular. It is

cats. colours of the Tortie. slender and elegant, but despite its shape
As the popularity of the Orientals and size should teel heavy. Orientals
increased, and breeders became aware of should never be overtly skinny or feel

the genetic possibilities of different coat too light in weight.

patterns, a new programme was started. The eye colour varies to complement
This gave rise, by mating back to Tabby- the coat colour, and the eye shape should
point Siamese, to Spotted, Classic and show the typical Oriental slant. The ears
Mackerel Tabbies, in a variety of differ- should be wide apart and, when viewed
ent colour variations. The Ticked Tabb\' from the front, should gi\e the appear-
arrived by crossing a Seal-point Siamese ance of a triangle from the tip of the two
with an Abyssinian. It is equally possible ears down to the point of the nose. In
to breed Orientals with a smoke coat, and profile, the nose should be straight.

58
 L
Oriental Shorthairs

ABOVE Coat Colours White

T/if Havana is one of A clear, bright white is the required
ihe feix: breeds of
SELF-COLOURS colour, with pale-pink nose and paw
broison cat and is
pads, and brilliant sapphire-blue eyes.
sometimes confused
with the Bro'jcn
These must be of the same colour overall,

Burmese; they are, solid to the roots and without any sign of Black
ho'iivt'er, quite shading, barring, tabby markings or A solid jet black is required, with paw
different in both white hairs. These are some ot the colours pads and nose leather the same, and vivid
genotype and
currently recognized; green eyes.
phenotype.

Havana Blue
This is a rich, warm brown with brown This should be a light to medium blue,

nose leather and pinky-brown paw pads, with nose leather and paw pads the same.
The eye colour should be vivid green. and the eyes green.

LEFT
The Foreign White
should have a pure
white, sleek coat and
brilliant blue eyes.

59
RIGHT
This Oriental Blue
Torlie, one of several

colours oflortie

acceptable for this

•• W'
I
breed, shows a 'jcell-

mingled mixture of
medium-blue and
cream colours in the

coat.

60
 Oriental Shorthairs

Lilac
A pinkish frosty-grey is required, with

nose leather and paw pads lavender, and

the eyes green.

Other newer solid colours include red,

cream, cinnamon, caramel, and fawn.

PATTERNED COLOURS

Tortie
The sex-linked red gene will give rise to

the Tortie, which is usually a female-only

variety. The usual Tortie is a well-

mingled mixture of red, cream and

brown, with black and/or pink paw pads
and nose leather and with green eyes.

Torties can now be seen in several other

colours including chocolate, cinnamon,

caramel, and fawn; whatever the main

colour, it is important for the com-

plementary colours to be well-mingled

and the eye colour to be the same as that

laid down for the dominant coat colour.

ABOVE
The Orienlal
Cinnamon is one of the

newer colours in this

section, and is a warm

cinnamon colour.

LEFT
The Oriental Cream
should be a cool cream
colour, with faint

tabby markings
acceptable in another

good example of the

breed.

61
 () k 1 I* T A 1, S H O R I HAIRS

HEAD
SHOULD BE LONG AND. IN
PROFILE, STRAIGHT WITHOUT
ANY STOP OR DIP THE EARS
LARGE, WITH GOOD WIDTH IN
BETWEEN FACE ON, THE
HEAD-SHAPE AND EARS
SHOULD GIVE THE
APPEARANCE OF A TRIANGLE

BODY
ORIENTALS ARE AN ELEGANT
BREED OF CAT AND THE BODY
SHOULD BE LONG, SLEEK
AND MUSCULAR. WITH
PROPORTIONATELY LONG,
SLENDER LEGS

> i L
ABOVE • TICKED TABBIES LEFT
•
An Orienlal Choiolalc 1 1 'hatever the colour,
Spotted Tabby the Ticked Tabby
shelving good round should have an evenly
spots that are evenly ticked coal with two,
distributed. or preferably three,

bands of colour on each

hair. It is acceptable

for the undersides to

show slight tabby

markings, but the
main part of the coat

should be free of spots,

l**%,'HL-> Oriental Cinnamon Ticked Tabby
stripes or other

markings.
Oriental Red Ticked Tabby

Oriental Lilac Ticked Tabby Oriental Chocolate Ticked Tabby

62
 Oriental Short hairs
L
Tabby neither as long nor as dense as the Persian

Tabbies are available with four different and is easier to groom. In all other re-
patterns: classic, spotted, mackerel and spects, including character and tempera-
ticked. In total. Tabbies are available in ment, it is essentially Oriental. Angoras
more than thirty different colours. The can be bred in all the variations of colour

coat and eye colour should be as laid and pattern acceptable for the Orientals,
down for the self colour.
• ADVANTAGES •

Smokes, Shaded and Tipped

\'cry elegant and attractive.
With these varieties the coat is not visibly
, Short, close-lying coats that neither
patterned; each single hair has a different
require much grooming nor shed to
amount of colouring giving a uniform
any great degree.
effect. In the Tipped there is only a small
• Intelligent, affectionate and play-
amount ot colour visible at the tip of each
ful temperaments.
hair; in the Smoke it is c)uite the reverse,
I Companionable.
with the coat colour extending almost to
the skin. The Shaded is in-between these
• DISADVANTAGES •
two. Again, it is possible to breed this

series in all the colour variations. I Very loud voices, especially when
calling.

Angora I Incessant talkers.

I Can be destructive if left alone for

he Angora to the Oriental what
Q is the any period of time.
I

Balinese is to the Siamese: a long- I Angoras will need additional, fre-

haired variety of what is usually thought quent grooming.
of as a shorthaired breed. The fur is

RKiHT
The Angora is the

longhaired -cariety of
(Jneiilal, and has a
dislmcttve sUk-like

sheen to the coat. In

general type and

conformation, the
standards are the same
as the Oriental.
 OTHER
SHORTHAIR
BREEDS

All breeds of sharthaired cats other than British and American,

Burmese, Siamese and Oriental are classified
, m the UK as

Foreign Sharthairs; for the purposes of this book, I am also

including in this section other shorthair breeds that are

available only in certain countries

%.

V
--*«*i.

:i
\
-k
 O T il K H S H () R r II A I R BREEDS

he only characteristic these breeds Abyssinian

Q! I all have in tommoii is their outgoing ( dnii Somali
personalities, and even so some are more
demanding than others; their fur colour, History
patterning and textureare completely
all
Bins is an old cat breed and is thought
different. These cats come from all four to have been imported into the UK
corners of the world, and there are many from Abyssinia, now Ethiopia. The
varieties. Some breeds have been imported shape, size and distinctive coat bear a
to the West from distant countries, where considerable resemblance to the mummi-
they have been known for centuries - the fied cats found in Egyptian tombs, and
Abyssinian, for example, thought to be a the wall paintings that depicted Bast and
descendant of the original Egyptian cats, other feline gods. It is possible that the
BELOW
and the elegant Korat, the 'Si-Sawat' or Abyssinian is directly descended from the The Somali is

sacred cat of Thailand. Then there are the sacred cats of Ancient Egypt, which gives basically a longhaired

naturally mutated breeds, such as the a certain romance to the breed. Abyssinian; it

furless Sphynx, and the curly-coated Rex In recent years, a longhaired variety, conforms to the
standards for this
breeds; and also the newer, man-made known as the Somali, has been recog-
breed other than the
'designer' breeds, geneticalk manufac- nized. It is likely that these longhaired
length offur, and is
tured by breeders, such as the Burmilla, cats have been around tor many years available in Just as
Bengal and Ocicat. but, in the past, were considered to be many colours.

66
 ^
Other Shorthair Breeds

U }• A II
strangely coated Abyssinians. Breeders
THE HEAD SHOULD HAVE A
MODERATE, MEDIUM WEDGE ignored their existence to the point that
AND THE MUZZLE SHOULD
HAVE GENTLE CONTOURS they would sometimes not even admit that
WITHOUT BEING SHARPLY
POINTED THE EARS ARE
one of these longhairs had been born to a
LARGE, BROAD AT THE BASE litter of supposedly 'pure' Abyssinians.
WIDE SET AND WITH TYPICAL
EAR TUFTS' THE EYES ARE They are now, however, extremely popu-
LARGE AND EXPRESSIVE,
WITH AN ORIENTAL SET, AND lar worldwide.
SHOULD BE AMBER. GREEN
OR HAZEL
Abyssinians have been known in the

UK since the mid 180()s, when the coat

colour was the ruddy brown ticked pat-

tern known today as the 'usual' Abyssi-

nian. Today, both Abyssinians and Soma-
lis are bred in a variety of different coat

colours, but all display the typical wild-

cat ticked pattern.

Character
and Temperament
Typical ot most foreign breeds, Abyssin-
BODY ians and Somalis have highly intelligent,
A MEDIUM BUILD OF CAT,
THAT IS FIRM AND outgoing personalities. They do not like
MUSCULAR
to be left alone, and will pine without
company. Despite their wild-cat coat

colouring, there is very little that is wild

about their temperament; they are a very
loving breed that enjoy a domestic life-

style. However, they do not like to be

overcrowded, so do not be tempted to

have too many cats if an Abyssinian is

your chosen variety.

LEFT
Tlie Blue A/'yssiHian
shows a pale oatmeal
undercoat ticked with
Jeep slate-blue.

r TAIL
l-AIRLY LONG AND TAPERING,
BROADER AT THE BASE THAN
THE TIP, IT SHOULD NEVER BE
WHIP-LIKE-

^m jC

67
 OTHKR ShORTHAIK BRtEDS

'/',:

RIGHT
The Usual Abyssinian
has a golden-hro'irn
body colour, wilh BELOW
black licking, and the The Sorrel Somali has
base fur should be a coal ofivarm copper
ruddy or apricril. tuked-jcith chocolate.

%.
HL:i.

68
 Other Shorthair Breeds
^

Type and ^^^ (h^ i^g^ lo^g .j„d slendcr; and the
otandard of Points tail, tapering at the tip, in proportion to
This should be a medium-sized cat with a the length of the body,
close-lying ticked coat that shows a lus- The eye colour should be amber, green
trous sheen. The general appearance or hazel, and the coat is now accepted in
should be of an elegant cat: the head is a many colours: usual, sorrel, blue, choco-
round, wedge shape; the ears large and late, lilac, silver, fawn, red, cream, and
wide-set with tutted tips; the neck long, the associated colours of tortie.

LEFT
A Sorrel Abyssinian
s/wwing the distinctive
ticked coat pattern

69
O 1 II I- R S H O R T H A 1 K B K I E D S

70
 ^
Other Shorthair Breeds

OPPOSITE American Character ABOVE

The American Curl The American

has dhlimtive ears

wirehair and and Temperament Wirehair has a unique

thai curl back from the american curl Both the Wirehair and Curl display the wiry coat not
temperament and character associated with dissimilar to the coat
face.
seen in the Devon and
History the other American Shorthair varieties
Cornish Rex; it is an
Rl oth these breeds are domestic short- [see 'British and American Shorthairs').

9 hair varieties that display the effect

naturally mutated gene which has

They are friendly, intelligent, sturdy

adaptable and make excellent pets.

and
American variety not
seen in the UK.
of a

only been seen in the USA to date. The

American Curl has ears that curl away Typ e and
from the face; a misshapen ear is also seen Standard of Points
in the Scottish Fold, but with that breed In general, both are medium-sized

the ear flops forwards. breeds, with rounded heads, medium-

The American Wirehair has a unique sized, wide-set ears, and with well-

wiry coat that is not dissimilar to that of developed muzzles and distinctive whisker

the Cornish and Devon Rex varieties. pads. They are not as cobby or short-

However, the genes causing the ear shape faced as the American or British Short-

and coat texture are quite different to hair, and in general tend to be more

those responsible for the Scottish Fold elegant and graceful, similar to the

and the Rexes. general build of the Foreign Shorthairs.

71
 Othlr Shorthair ButEDS

ASIAN CATS lovers of this charming new breed — the

(including Burtnilla) cleaner left the study door open and

allowed the lovelorn Chinchilla access to
History his girlfriend. The resulting kittens were

his breed was the result of a modern- so instantly attractive that the owner de-
B9 day I Romeo and Juliet story. It was cided that they should be given a special

created by accident, when two lovers name, and nicknamed them 'Burmillas'.
w^re barred from seeing each other. A There was no problem in finding new
Chinchilla male lived in the same home homes for these little cross-bred kittens;

as a female Lilac Burmese; as youngsters, indeed, there was more interest in them
BELOW they loved to play together but when the than in the pure-bred Burmese kittens,
Wit/iin l/ie Asian female began to show signs of coming in and so a repeat mating was made. This
Group are many
to call, she was isolated in the study until was the beginning of what is now an
colours of cat, the best
she could be taken to her pre-arranged increasingly popular breed, and explains
knvxn being the

Burmilla (right);
assignment with a Burmese
suitable how it gained its name.

his litter brother 'husband-to-be'. Unfortunately - or for-

(left) is a Smoke. tunately perhaps for the cats and the Character
and Temperament
The Burmilla is an outgoing, friendly

and sociable cat that has inherited slightly

modified characteristics from both of the

original parents; it is not as noisy or

demanding as the Burmese but is more

adventurous and inquisitive than the

Chinchilla. For anyone who likes the HEAD

THE GENERAL STANDARD
Burmese, but could not cope with the FOR THIS BREED IS FOR A CAT
OF BURMESE TYPE THE HEAD
TAIL continual demands made by it, then per-
SHOULD HAVE A GOOD WIDTH
AN ELEGANT, MEDIUM TO
haps a Burmilla is the ideal compromise. BETWEEN THE EARS, AND, IN
LONGTAIL IS REQUIRED, OF
PROFILE, THE NOSE SHOULD
MEDIUM THICKNESS AND
SHOW A DISTINCT BREAK
CARRIED PROUD
THE EARS MAY HAVE SLIGHT
EARTUFTSINTHE
SHORTHAIRED VARIETIES,
WITH LONGER TUFTS IN THE
B o D
Y TIFFANIE FULL, EXPRESSIVE

INGENERAL, ASIANS, LIKE EYES SHOULD BE SET WIDE

BURMESE, ARE ELEGANT APART
CATS OF MEDIUM TYPE, AND
SHOULD ALWAYS HAVE A
WELL-MUSCLED
APPEARANCE

^F J^

w III
^i4^ »^ -
_
,

72
 II
Othkr Shorthair Breeds

Type and decided to use the term Asian Group to

Standard of Points apply to all the genetic possibilities associ-

A breeding plan was developed to per- ated with this breed. This includes not

petuate the breed; it was decided that the just Burmillas which may be shaded or
Burmilla should, ideally, be a short- tipped, but also the self shorthair -
haired cat of Burmese type but displaying known as a Bombay if it is Black, and an

certain traits from the Chinchilla: these Asian if it is any other colour - the
included the tipped coat pattern, brick- longhair version, or Tiffanie, and four

red nose leather outlined in black, and varieties of Asian Tabby - Spotted, Clas-

the black markings around the eyes sic, Mackerel and Ticked.
giving the impression that they have been In the USA, the term Bombay refers

outlined with mascara. to a Black Burmese that has resulted from BELOW
The Asian Ticked
To preserve the type, the first- a cross between a Burmese and a Black
Tabby showing the
generation Burmillas were mated back to American Shorthair; the Tiffany (spelt
distinctive 'M'
Burmese. This next generation gave rise with a 'y' not 'ie') was the result of an marking on the

to several different types of Burmilla- original cross between a Burmese and a forehead.

related cat, and at this point it was Self Longhair.

RIGHT
One oj the original

four Biirmillas, the

result of a mating
hefjceen a love-lorn

Chinchilla male and

the object oJ his

desires, a Lilac

Burmese female. This

ii'as the start of a

whole ne-jc group of

cats.

BELOW
The Tiffanie (Tiffany
tn the USA) is the

longhaired variety of
the .Asian (longhaired
%X*'
version of the Burmese
in the USA).

73
 OlHER SHORTHAIR BREEDS

LEFT
BENGAL I'lie Bengal, although
a II d I ( op a rd Cat)
(
.
popular in the USA
for inaii\ years, has
History only recently arrived
F9 he spotted cat always been highly
has alwa; m the UK.
]i()|Hilar, probably because the mark-
ings remind us ot true wild cats. The idea

of a small spotted leopard cat with the

temperament of the domestic moggie
seemed appealing, and so it was decided
to try to breed such a cat.

In America in the early 1960s, the

first planned mating took place between a

domestic shorthaired cat and an Asian

leopard cat, but it was not until the late

1980s that a structured breeding plan was

developed. This was the beginning of the with the hind quarters slight!}' taller than

breed that we now call the Bengal. An the front. The coat, which should be
American geneticist was particularly in- spotted and show a distinct contrast be-

terested in these cross-matings, as it tween the spots and background colour,

appeared that the Asian leopard cats did has an unusual texture which is more like

not have the teline leukaemia genome in a wild-cat's pelt than a domestic cat's fur.

their DN.^ structure, and so were im- The head is a modified, broad, long

mune to this virus. This made the Bengal wedge, with distinctive whisker pads,

a very sturdy breed. and the ears are short, medium-set and
As their popularity increased, they with a broad base ending in rounded tips.

were seen on exhibition at cat shows and

by 1991 were granted championship sta- Bombay
tus by The Independent Cat Association (see Asian Cats, including Biirmilla)
BELOW
(TICA) in the USA. More recently, they
The Snow Leopard
have been imported into the UK, where a BURMILLA Cat is the silver

new breeding plan has been set up. {see Asian Cats, including Biirmilla) version of the Bengal.

Character
and Temperament
Although a comparatively large breed,
it is friendly, loving, alert, curious and
intelligent. The Bengal has little fear of
"'
other cats, or any other animal, and <'r«i

makes a charming pet.

Type and
Standard of Points
The general appearance should be of a

large cat, with a coat pattern and colour

mimicking that of the wild leopard cat;

of equal importance is the temperament,

which should be gentle and friendly. The
cat should be sleek and very muscular,

74
 1i
Other Shorthair Breeds

Excvnc Si K)K HAIR 1

{see Lnng/iiiirs , I'tisinn Type)

Manx
{sff British Shorthairs)

EGYPTIAN MAU
History
he name Mau comes from the Eg\p-
Q I tian word lor cat, and the breed is

basically a spotted variety of modified

Siamese type. Although the GCCF in the

UK used this title tor many years, the

breed is now referred to as the Oriental

Spotted Tabby. In the USA it is still

known as the Egyptian Mau where, over

the years, it has developed a type quite

distinct from that ot the Siamese and

Orientals.

Despite their glamorous name, Egyp-

tian Maus do not come from Egypt, but
have been breti tor a coat pattern that

resembles that ot the cats in Ancient

Egypt. The breed was first developed in

Europe in the mid 1950s and, later that

decade, was exported to the USA where it

has remained popular.

Character
and Temperament
As with any breed that has Siamese or
Oriental ancestry, this is an outgoing,

adventurous, intelligent and friendly cat

that loves company and does not like

to be left alone. One word of warning;

as their coat pattern is so distincti\e,

these cats are more likely to be stolen

than many other varieties and should be

carefully watched if they are to be

allowed outsitie.

'
y P^ '^ "" medium length, tapering at the tip — not ABOVE
The Egyptian Mau
Standard OJ Points a Siamese 'whip' tail, as this is considered
is

an American breed not

The Mau should generally be of a modi- a fault. The eyes should be almond-
dissimilar to the
fied Siamese type. The head should show shaped, neither too Oriental nor too
Oriental Spotted
a rounded wedge and, in profile, should round, and pale green. The coat is Tabby seen in the UK,
not be as straight as the Siamese or accepted in five colours; black, smoke. but leith less extreme

pewter, bronze and silver. Oriental type.

Oriental varieties. The tail should be of

IS
 Other Short hair Brkeds

Character
and r emperament
This is a most friendly breed and makes
a perfect pet. It has a sweet disposition

and IS intelligent. It gets on very well

with most other animals, and loves

human company.

Type and
Standard of Points
This is a medium-sized slender cat but
has a feel of muscularity despite its dainty

appearance. Typically, the hind legs, like

on the Manx, are longer than the front
legs. The tail should be carried upright
when the cat is relaxed and the fur should

radiate to give a similar effect to that of a

well-clipped poodle. The eyes are large,

oval and slanting and the head should be

similar in shape to that of the Siamese, an

equilateral triangle from ears to nose.

Traditionally black, white and red, or

tortie-and-vvhite, many other colours and

patterns are likewise accepted.

KORAT
History
he Korat one of the oldest breeds,

Q
is

iriginating from Thailand v\here it

was known as the sacred cat, 'Si-Sawat'. It

first came to America in the early 195()s

and from there arri\ed in the UK in

1972. The Thai name for the breed means

ABOVE
JAPANESE BOBTAIL good fortune and in their own country
The Japanese Riihtail,
Korats have always been highly prized.
or 'Mi-Ke' cat,
originates from Japan
History They are a unique breed as they are only

and is a popular breed )t a completely tail-less variety, as available in the original blue colour.

in America; it is not ^ome Manx, this cat shows a short

available in the UK. 'bobbed' tail. It originates from Japan, Character

where it is known as the 'Mi-Ke' anti is and Temperament
considered a symbol of friendship and This is a quiet, gentle, loving breed with
hospitality. The Japanese often have the sweetest of temperaments. It ma\'

ceramic cats of Mi-Ke type, with one seem placid, but is intelligent. It does not

paw in the air, displayed in their homes like loud noises or an unruly household
as a symbol of welcome. so is best suited to a quiet home.

76
 il
Other Shorthair Breeds

Typ e and high on the head. In profile the nose

Standard of Points should show a slight break. The coat

The most striking feature of the Korat is should be short, sleek and close-lying,
its sweet, heart-shaped face with lustrous displaying an even silvery-blue colour all

round green-to-yellov\ eyes; the Korat's over, and, in profile, breaks in the fur

expression is quite distinctive, fhc head along the backbone. In general, the Korat
should show a gently pointed muzzle and should be a medium-sized cat that is

the ears should be of medium size and set muscular and firm.

LEFT
The Koral is one of the
oldest breeds of cat,
originating from

Thailand where they

are highly prized; it is

HEAD a popular breed on

ATYPICAL HEART-SHAPED
FACE IS REQUIRED. WITH A both sides of the
LARGE, FLAT FOREHEAD AND Atlantic, too. Note the
MEDIUM, HIGH-SET EARS THAT
FLARE AT THE BASE THE distinctive fur breaks
EYES ARE LARGE, OPEN AND along the backbone
OVERSIZED FOR THE
DIMENSIONS OF THE FACE, when viewed in
profile.

BO T) V
THE BODY SHOULD BE
MEDIUM SIZED. BUT STRONG
AND MUSCULAR, THE MALES
SHOULD HAVE A POWERFUL
APPEARANCE WHILE THE
FEMALES SHOULD BE
SMALLER AND DAINTY

TAIL
A MEDIUM-LENGTH TAIL,
TAPERING TO A ROUNDED TIP

77
 () 1 II K R S H O R T H A 1 R B R K. K D S

OCICAT Character ABOVE

The typical '-jcild cat'
and r e nip e ra m ent
expression helies the
H i story This is another breed that has been gen-
gentle, afjeetionale
he Ocicat is another of the 'manufac- etically manufactured to produce what nature of the Ocicat.

tured' breeds of spotted cat

I and is looks like a wild cat in colour and pattern

amongst the most popular; because they of coat. In temperament and disposition,

look rather like little ocelots, they were however, it is just like any other domestic

called 'Ocicats'. cat, and is characteristically intelligent

Back in the early 1960s an American and playful - as are all the breeds men-
breeder was trying to develop Siamese tioned in this section.

with Abyssinian points, and so crossed a

Siamese with an Abyssinian. These early Typ e and
litters indeed produced the pattern of Standard of Points
Siamese desired, but they also contained The Ocicat is a moderate-type cat which
assorted patterns of tabbies, including should be large and well spotted. The
one spotted kitten who was called 'Ton- head is a modified wedge with a broad

ga'; this little cat is generally recognized muzzle, with just a suggestion of square-

as being the first Ocicat, although he ness to the jaw. In profile there should

arrived as a side effect of another breed- not be a visible nose break but more a

ing programme. gentle rise from the bridge of the nose to

Tonga was shown only once, in 1965, the brow; the chin should be strong and
but by the end of that decade the breed the jaw firm without any sign of either
had become increasingly popular and being overshot or undershot. The ears are
more and more (Xicats were being quite large and set wide apart and should

shown. Championship status was granted ne\er be too high or too low; ear tutts are

in America in 1987 by the Cat Fanciers preferable but not essential and, if pre-

Association (CFA), and they have recent- sent, should extend vertically from the

ly been imported into the UK. tips of the ears. The eyes should be large
 Other Shorthair Breeds
^

and almond-shaped, displaying a good much smaller in build with large, round

depth of colour; blue is an unacceptable eyes and ears that appeared to be quite out

colour. of proportion to the size of their bodies —

The Ocicat can be bred in ten main if they had been discovered in the 1980s,

colours, or any of these ticked with they would probably have been nick-
silver. In general the cat should gi\'e the named 'Gremlins'.

appearance of elegance but muscularity

and, when held, should feel heavier than Character
its looks suggest. and Temperament
Both Rexes are a lively, intelligent and
BELOW
active breed. They love people and their
An adult Bhie-Tortie
REX families and adore to be included in any
Cornish Rex; any coat
household activity. They can be extremely colour is acceptable for

H istory naughty — these are breeds with a pro- this breed.

Both the Devon and Cornish are

naturally mutated breeds that first

appeared in the UK in the late 1950s and

early 1960s. Although they both display
a curly coat, genetically they are quite

different. The Cornish Rex first appeared

in a litter of kittens born on a farm in

Cornwall; the farmer consulted his vet

about one kitten that was born with this

curious coat anci ciecideci to mate it back
to its mother to see what the result would
be; the kittens appeared with the same
strange coats. A decade later, a similar

curly-coated cat was seen in Devon; this

was the first Devon Rex. When two

Devons were mated together they did not

initially produce curly-coated offspring

and from this it was realized that they
BELOW
were a quite distinct breed from the
,1 /i//i'r of B/uf -Tor/if
and RfJ Cornish Rex
Cornish. The Cornish were much larger,

kittens s/ioii'ing the and resembled a farm cat that had been
distinct cuf/y coat. given a permanent; the Devons were

79
 OiHi-R Shorthair Breeds

III \ n found sense of liLimoLir, and they are the

A MEDIUM WEDGE TAPERING
TO SHOW A STRONG CHIN, sort of cats that you either love or hate.
THEFOREHEAD SHOULD BE
FLAT, AND IN PROFILE THE
The Devons sometimes have less fur but
NOSE SHOULD BE STRAIGHT neither variety has an undercoat - this
EARS ARE LARGE AND SET
HIGH ON THE HEAD EYES means that the Rex breeds are especially
SHOULD BE MEDIUM SIZED
AND OVAL IN SHAPE suitable for people who suffer from aller-

gies such as asthma, as there is little fur

to shed.

• REX CHARACTERISTICS «

The Tabby Cornish Rex shows paler

BODY shading on the neck, tummy and inside

THE BODY SHOULD BE legs.
MEDIUM SIZED, SLENDER,
FIRM AND MUSCULAR THE
CURLY COAT SHOULD BE
SHORT AND PLUSHY,
WITHOUT GUARD HAIRS, AND
DISPLAY A DISTINCTIVE
RIPPLED EFFECT

T A 1 I

SHOULD BE LONG AND

TAPERING, WITH A GOOD
COVERING OF CURLY FUR The main body fur should curl, giving a

wave-like, rippled effect

ABOVE
A Broii-n-Tnrlie

Cornish Rex s/iowing

a iu'ell-rexed coal.

RKiii r

A Co/nish Si-Rex,
such as this Red-point,

has the restricted coat

pattern of the Siamese

but with a rexed coat;

they are available in

just as many colours as

the Siamese.
Even the whiskers are crinkled, which is

a point required in the standards.

8
 Other Shorthair Breeds
^

H h ,\ II SHOULD HAVE AN OBVIOUS B () I) 1 LEFT

THE HEAD SHOULD BE A STOP THE EARS ARE LARGE A FIRM,MUSCULAR BODY
MEDIUM WEDGE WITH FULL AND SET LOW ON A FLAT WITH BROAD CHEST WELL
A Broivn-Tortie
CHEEKS, A SHORT MUZZLE SKULL EYES ARE LARGE, COVERED WITH A SHORT, Devon sho-jcing the
AND FIRM CHIN THE NOSE OVAL AND WIDE SET WAVY, SOFT COAT
finer points of the
breed; an even, well-

rexed coat without any

bare patches, large

ears giving the typical

'pixie' expression and

a firm, slender,
muscular body set on
long, slim legs.

BEI.OW
I'he Smoke effect can
he seen more clearly on

ihe Rex, like this

Smoke Devon, than in

oilier sliorlhair T ,AL 1

LONG AND TAPERING AND

varieties as the rexing
WELL COVERED IN SHORT,
allows the lighter CURLY FUR.

undercoat to be seen.

Typ e and
Standard of Points
The Cornish should be long and elegant,

but tee! firm and muscular. The legs

should be long, the head wedge-shaped

and in profile showing a long straight
nose. The eyes should be oval and the

ears large and set wide apart, in a similar

way to the Siamese but not so extreme.

The coat should cover the body well but
show distinct rexing. The Devon is

altogether much smaller and does not

have such profuse fur as the Cornish: it is

an unusual-looking cat and not to every-

body's taste. The head is round, showing

a definite nose break in profile, and with
distinctive large ears. As the coat is

shorter than the Cornish, there are times

when it can look somewhat bald. Both

Devons and Cornish are available in an\

colour, pattern or combination of both.

 OXHtR SHORIHAIK Br K EDS

Russian Blue H T \ I)

THE HEAD IS A SHORT WEDGE

WITH DISTINCT WHISKER
PADS THE EARS ARE LARGE
History AND POINTED, SET UPRIGHT,
his another all-blue variety, but THE HEAD SHOULD BE FLAT
is
BETWEEN THE EARS THE
q: I the coat colour and texture is quite EYES ARE
AND WIDE SET
ALMOND SHAPED

diiterent troni that seen in other blue cats

such as the British, Burmese and Korat.

It is a cat thought to have originated from
Archangel ( Archangel'sk) in Russia,
hence its other name, Archangel cat. Cats
w ith similar coat colour are to be found in

northern Scandinavia, so it is possible

that the breed did originate in Russia and

travelled to Europe by way of sailors and
their ships.

Character
and T emperament
Quiet, sh\', loving and gentle is probably
the best way to sum up the breed.

Russians do not like noisy households as

they are somewhat thoughtful and pen-
sive — if the\' liked music, they would
prefer Mozart to Wagner. They become
very attached to their owners, and are
quite content to be confined indoors as

long as they have the company of their

preferred human.

Typ e and
Standard of Points
Russians should be medium to large-sized

shorthair cats that exude elegance. They

are most graceful and have been likened

to ballerinas, as they appear to be walking

on 'points' when they move. The fur is

unusual as it is a short plush, with a body

. ,, , , ,
, .
1 1 1 J THE BODY IS LONG AND
typically double coat; this probably de- graceful with long legs,

rived r
J
from .1. .' AC
the cat s need for
»L
warmth
•

in
THE COAT IS QUITE DISTINCT
,,o should be double.
the cold Russian winters. More recently, thick, short and silky.

White Russians have appeared, but this

has not been considered a worthwhile

breeding programme to follow.

TAIL
LONG and TAPERING BUT IN
proportion to THE BODY

82
 Other Shorthair Breeds
n

SCOTTISH Fold mediately taken to their hearts. The slight

size of the Singapura may be attributed to

History its deprived background, but it is gener-

ri« Ithough not recognized in the UK, ally a sturdy breed.

because the deformed ears are consi-

dered an unacceptable defect detrimental Character
to the cat's health, the breed is recognized and Temperament
in the USA where it is quite popular. What It lacks in size it makes up for in

Like the Rex varieties, the breed de- character and temperament. Singapuras
veloped from a natural mutation and, as are sweet, loving and affectionate,
the name suggests, was first seen in although perhaps a little demure and
Scotland. reserved.

Character Type and

and Temperament Standard of Points
Although they have a somewhat strange The general appearance is of a small cat

appearance, the Scottish Fold is a sweet, that feels heavier than it looks. The ticked

gentle breed. They are good with child- tabby coat looks similar to that of the
ren, other cats and pets, and although the Abyssinian. The ears should be large,
shape of the ear may make you suspect slightly pointed and wide at the base; the

that these cats have problems with hear- eyes are large and almond-shaped and the

ing, this has never been known to be head should be rounded, narrowing to a

the case. blunt muzzle and in profile showing a

slight nose break and a firm chin and
Type and jaw line.

Standard of Points
In shape the cat should be of moderated

British type but always showing the dis-

ABOVE
tinctive ears, which are folded forwards riie Scollish Fold,
and downwards. The coat should be thick although originating

and resilient, similar to that of the Manx in the UK, is now

and other shorthair breeds that have almost unknown this

side of the Atlantic,

come from the cold north. The ears
while it is a popular
should be set wide apart so that the head
breed in America.
has a completely fiat appearance. Both
coat and eye colour can be of any hue. LEFT
The Singapura,
available in Europe

and America
SINGAPURA recently
hut only

imported into
the UK, originates
History from Singapore.
Hhis breed gained its name from Sing-
apore where it was considered to be
the 'drain' cat that lived in the gutters —
which is the accepted explanation for it

being smaller than most other foreign

shorthairs. As Singapore is a colony con-
taining many cat-loving 'expats', these

diminutive, indigenous cats were im-

83
RICH r ryp e a n
Thf Spliynx is a Standard of Points
hairless cat that was
This is quite a large breed with a short
first seen in Canada;
close-lying coat which may be of any
they are common at

European and colour acceptable for the Siamese or any

American cat shows, other breed with the Himalayan factor.

but area relative The e\es should always be blue, large and
newcomer in the UK almond-shaped. The head should be a

medium triangular wedge, in profile

showing a definite nose break, but never

being of Siamese type which is considered

a severe fault. The muzzle and feet must
be characteristically white.

Sphynx
History
Hhis breed is a natural mutation, first

seen in Canada in 1*566. Although

there have been reports of hairless cats in

other parts of the world, this is the only

BELOW one to have been bred from, with the idea
The Snowshoe
of establishing a breeding programme to
is another
perpetuate the line.
newcomer.
currently ^k
unrecognized Character
by the GCCF but a popular and T eyn per anient
breed in the American fancies. Sph\nx display an outgoing character not

dissimilar to that of the Rex - if you do

Snowshoe not have much fur )ou have to have
something going for you. This breed is

H istory certainly a conversation piece and it does

omctimts referred to as a Short- not appear to suiter much trom the cold,

s I

haired Birman, the Snowshoe bears although additional heating is probably

no ancestry from this ancient and original most appreciated.
breed of cat. It is, in fact, the resuh of
mating a Siamese with an American Bi- Typ e and
colour Shorthair, which provided the Standard of Points
gene necessary for the t\'pical white The most important point tor the Sphynx
pattern on the feet. is a complete lack of fur; it is a tault tor

even a slight down to be perceptible.

Character Most important is the colour, pigmenta-

and r emperament tion and pattern of the skin. The body

These are sweet-natured cats, displaying should teel hard and muscular with long,
a modified form of the Siamese intelli- slim legs, slender neck, and long taper-
gence crossed with the laid-back nature ing tail. The head should be longer than

of the American Shorthair - possibh' the it is wide, with a smooth profile and dis-
perfect combination for a pet. tinctive whisker pads.

84
 Other Shorthair Breeds
^

The Tonkinese is a Tonkinese

cross between Burmese
and Siamese and is
available in many
H i story
colours including Blue Honkinese are basically a cross be-

('RIGHT j, Lilac tween Burmese and Siamese. They,

('above j and therefore, display a little of each of these
Chocolate well-known breeds. They arrived by way
('BELOW'A
of a breeding programme developed in

North America in the late 1960s and

early 197(ls. Although accepted there in

1975, they are still only granted pro-

visional status in the L^K and Europe.

Char act el-

and T emper anient
As with Burmese and Siamese, the Ton-
kinese is an outgoing, friendly and affec-
tionate cat that will be into anything
and everything.

Type and
Standard of Points
In shape and size, the Tonkinese is a

modified form of its original parentage;

neither as long and angular as the Sia-

mese nor as chunky as the Burmese, but

a true cross between the two. Recently
this breed has been given provisional
status in the UK by the GCCF.
 B URMES E

Although Burmese are relative newcomers to the cat fancy , they

are probably one of the most popular breeds in the world today
Brown cats are reported to have existed in the Far East,
particularly Thailand and Burma, hundreds of years ago;
as with many travellers' tales, fact and fiction tend to get a

bit muddled up. Burmese are said to have been the original
'guard cats' for the Burmese temples — but the Birman breed
also lays claim to this fame too.
 Jk
Burmese

» HISTORY' colour jiossibilities could be created. If

first 'Burmese' seen in the West breeders had managed to introduce the
Q
lie

was a small, brown female called sex-linked colours to Siamese (red, cream
Wong Mail, brought into America from and tortie) then why not try to produce

the Far Kast in 1930. At this point, there Burmese in these colours too,^ A sensible

was no similar male cat to mate her to and breeding plan was inaugurated by several
so it was decided that her beau should be breeders, and with the help of the Bur-
a male of the breed with the closest re- mese Cat Club in the UK to implement
semblance to herself, a Seal-point Sia- this programme, we now have Burmese
mese. Her kittens from this litter were cats 111 ten different colours — all ot which
hybrids, close to what we now call the have the health, stamina, type and tem-
Tonkinese. Genetically, it is most likely perament of the original 'Little Brown
that Wong Mau herself was a dark vari- Cat', as Wong Mau was affectionately
ation of a Tonkinese as when one of her called - the little brown cat that came to

sons was mated back to her, the progeny the USA sixty years ago.

included dark brown cats like herself. Burmese can now be seen in the fol-

These are generally regarded as the first lowing colours, although their titles dif-

real Burmese cats. fer in the UK and the I'SA: Brown

It was not until 1^48 that Burmese (USA, Sable); Blue; Chocolate (USA,
found their way across the Atlantic to Champagne); Lilac (LISA, Platinum);
Britain. Burmese are not as instantly Red; Cream; Brown-Tortie; Blue-Tortie;
appealing, glamorous and recognizably Chocolate-Tortie; Lilac-Tortie. In some
pedigree as the Siamese; however, their American cat fancies, Burmese other than
intelligence and character combined with Brown, Chocolate and Lilac are known as

a marvellous temperament soon won Malayans; in other fancies, the sex-linked

them popularity. They also have the colours are not recognized at all.

added advantage that their voices are not

quite as loud as the Siamese. Character

As their popularity increased, and and Temperament
more kittens were bred, a great surprise This is a quite enchanting breed, but
occurred. In 1955, a silvery grey kitten possibly not one for the faint-hearted.

appeared in a litter. It was the first Blue The Burmese have ver\' out-going per-
Burmese and was quite aptly named Seal- sonalities and in the past have been called
coat Blue Surprise. This proved that the 'dog cat' due to their ability to retrieve

Burmese had a similar genetic make-up and their loyalty to their owners. Their
to Siamese: Brown Burmese is genetically voices are quieter than the Siamese, but

equivalent to Seal-point Siamese; Blue in many respects their character is simi-

Burmese equivalent to Blue-point Sia- lar. Burmese do not like being left alone

mese. This was just the beginning. In for long without companionship, but this

America, a dilute version of the Brown does not always have to be of the human
Burmese had been noted, which was variety. .Another cat, or even a dog, will
called Champagne, and a much paler provide entertainment during the da\' if

version of the Blue, which was termed you are out at work. There is no denying
Platinum. These colours correspond to that Burmese are a demanding breed —
the Chocolate- and I-ilac-point Siamese, they will not tolerate being left out of the

and in the L'K they are known as household hubbub, and the)' do like to be
Chocolate and Lilac Burmese. thought of as part of the family.
Once the basic genetics of the Burmese
cat were understood, a whole spectrum o(

88
 Burmese

ABOVE
Type and standing specimen. A typical Burmese
A stunning example of
a Chocolate Burmese, Standard of Points conforming to these standards will have
showing the correct For any Burmese, the t)pe and body what is called the typical 'wicked'
golden chartreuse eye shape should be the same. Burmese are a Burmese look.
colour, and an even,
medium-sized, sturdy and well-muscled The should be proportion
tail in to the
warm chocolate coat
breed; they should never be as large and body length — a simple guide is that the
colour.
heavily boned as the British, nor as long tail should just reach the shoulder blade
and slender as the Siamese. The head of the cat. It should have no visible kink
should have a well-rounded dome, both or tault.
in profile and front-on, with wide-set ears The coat should be short, close-lying,

of medium size. The nose should show a and of a clear colour. In Chocolate and
distinct 'break', and the chin should be Lilac Burmese it is acceptable for the

strong and firm. The eyes should be an points to be slightly darker, but it is

almond shape and the colour, for perfec- preferable if the coat is of a uniform hue.
tion, should be any hue of chartreuse In kittens, slight barring on the legs is

yellow, although in the UK a pale green- permissible but in an adult cat this is

yellow is acceptable in an otherwise out- considered a serious fault.

89
 J^
Burmese

H K .^ D
THE HEAD HAS A SHORT,
BLUNT WEDGE AND WIDE
CHEEKBONES IN PROFILE,
THE NOSE SHOULD SHOW A
DISTINCT NOSE BREAK. THE
TOP OF THE HEAD SHOULD
BE ROUNDED AND THE CHIN
STRONG AND FIRM THE EARS
ARE MEDIUM SIZED AND SET
WELL APART ON A ROUNDED
DOME EYES ARE LARGE AND
LUSTROUS WITH A SLIGHT
ORIENTAL SLANT

BODY
THE MEDIUM-SIZED BODY IS
FIRM AND MUSCULAR, WITH A
STRONG, ROUNDED CHEST,
AND SHOULD FEEL HEAVIER
THAN IT LOOKS THE LEGS
ARE SLENDER AND THE HIND
LEGS SLIGHTLY LONGER
THAN THE FRONT LEGS

TAIL
A MEDIUM-LENGTH TAIL,
TAPERING TO A SLIGHTLY
ROUNDED TIP, WITH NO
FAULT OR KINK

90
 Burmese

Coat Colours

Brown
fi'.s.A, s.Mi/.i-:)

Brown Burmese should show a deep,

even, warm brown colour with no visible

bars or stripes on an adult; faint 'ghost'

OPPOSITE markings are permissible on a kitten.

The Broivn Burmese is The coat may shade to a slightly lighter

ihe oiliest of the ten tone on the underparts. The nose leather
colours a-cailahle, and and paw pads should be dark brown.
still one of the most

popular., the coat on

Blue
this cat is topicalfor

the breed and colour, A soft, silvery grey is the best way to

and sho'xs the correct describe the colour of a Blue Burmese,

glossy sheen again allowing for a slight variation of
shading to a lighter hue on the under-
BELCJW The paw pads and
parts. nose leather
rhe required
should be grey.
standards for Burmese

differ in the USA to

the UK. The Chocolate

American-type (i'SA, CHAMP.\GNe)
Burmese, as seen in Warm, milk chocolate is the colour that
this Brown, requires
is called tor, although the face, legs and
for a much shorter
tail can be slightly darker, but never as
face, "jcith rounder eyes
and a generally cohhier
dark as a Brown Burmese. The nose

appearance than the leather and paw pads should be of a

English counterpart. chocolate-brown colour.

ABOVE
A Blue Burmese
youngster showing the

correct soft silver-grey

coat colour and silver

sheen around the face

and ears.

91
 J^
Burmese

I.ilac

( VS.-\, I'L.ATINU.m)
I.ilac Burmese have a most attractive
colouring which should be a pale dove-
grey, with a slight pinkish tinge tor

perfection. Like the other dilute colour,

chocolate, it is acceptable lor the extremi-

KKUi I

ties to be slightly darker. Nose leather

An adult Red Burmese
and paw pads should be lavender-pink.
sho-j:ing the correct

tangerine colour.
Red
BELOW 'Tangerine' is the best description of the
The coat colour is
Red Burmese; however, the colour
paler in kittens and
should not be too hot and certainh' not so
young adults, as seen
pair of Red
cool as to be confused with a Cream
in this

(left) and Chocolate Burmese. The nose leather and paw^ pads ^

^
.,¥_
{RXGVIT) brothers. should be pink.

%.

92
 Burmese

RI<;HT
/'/;/,( adull male Lilac

Burmese shows the

correct pinky tinge to

the lilac coat and the

'jrrjcletf look typical of

the entire male.

93
 J^
Burmese

/7/t' Creiim Hurmese

shiiidJ he ii ricli cream
Kiloiiy, IkIIIi (I ilisltncl

'pozcilerin^' efjecl

aroiDul the face, ears

ai\cUep as if I he cal

has heen lif^hlly dusted

icith latcum powder.

94
 Burmese

Cream
Cream Burmese have a pale, clotted-

cream colour, with a distinctive 'powder-

ing' over their ears and heads - looking as

if they have had a light sprinkling of

talcum powder. Like Red Burmese their

nose leather and paw pads should be a

pale pink.

Brown-Tortie
For this colour a combination of brown,
red and cream colours, all intermingled,
is required, with the paw pads and nose
leather a combination of brown or pink,
or both.

Blue-Tortie
Previously called the Blue-Cream, which
The Etue-Tonic
exactly describes the colour required: a
Burmese, shoix:i>ig the

(orrect coal —a combination ot blue and cream. Paw pads

mixture of blue and and nose leather should be the same, a

cream. mixture of blue and cream.

ABOVE
Tortoiseshell Burmese,

such as this Bro-xu-

Tortie, are one of the

most recent colours^

they arrived by aviv of

the breeding

programme designed to
produce Red and
Cream Burmese by
British breeders

during the mid 1960s.

95
 Jk
B U R M K S E

Chocolate- Tor tie

The colour of the coat should he ;i wcll-

minglcd combination of chocolate and

cream, with the nose leather and paw
pads of the same colour.

Li lac-Tort ie
Ldac and cream coat, with paw pads and
nose leather a dove-grey.

ADVANTAGES 9

I Very affectionate.

• Easy to groom.

• Good with children and other

animals; do not object to noisy house-

holds.

• Companionable and sensitive to

owners' moods and feelings.

• Playful.

I DISADVANTAGES «

• Do not like to be left alone without

a companion.
9 Demanding: will want a lot of
your time and attention.
9 Probably the best exponents of
escapology since Houdini. Keep con-
fined if possible.

9 Overtrusting so, unless trained, at

ri-sk of being stolen.

RKJHT ABOVE
In profile, the A Grand Champion
Burmese head should Chocolate-Tortie
show a distinct nose Burmese showing
break, with a strong excellent type and coat
jaw and chin, and the colour.

top of head should

show a well rounded

dome; this Chocolate-

Tortie sums up the

standards beautifully.
 Burmese

RIGHT
The Lilac-Tortie
Burmese coal coiUaim
a mix/lire of lilac and
cream; notice thai even
the nose leather sho-jcs

tortie markings.

97
 S IAMES E

The Siamese is one of the oldest breeds of pedigree cat, and over
the years many stories have been told about it , for the most part
romantic fables, but perhaps there is an element of truth in some
of them. Certainly, they add to the charm of this most exotic,
oriental and somewhat inscrutable breed.

i
 Siamese

• HISTORY* prized goblet, never letting her eyes

Br all

Siamese
the

is
pedigree varieties,

the most instantly recog-

the wander away, and b\'

returned, her eyes had developed a

the time her partner

scjuint.

nizable. Long, lithe and elegant, with its Later she produced a litter of kittens - all

distinctive darker 'points', it has always of which had kinked tails and squints,
had great appeal. because of her vigilance in guarding the
Early Siamese tended to have eye lost treasure.

squints and kinked tails, now regarded as Another fable relates to a Siamese
serious faults, but with careful, selective princess who, fearing that her rings

breeding they have been mainly elimin- would be stolen, entrusted her Siamese

ated from the modern cat. Yet, these cat to guard them, placing them on its tail

characteristics were once so prevalent that for safekeeping overnight. One night,

fables exist to this day 'explaining' how the cat fell asleep, and all the rings fell off

they were acquired.

It is said that Siamese cats were once

sacred cats, guarding the Buddhist
temples. One day, a valuable goblet went

missing and a pair of the cats was dis-

patched to find the stolen treasure. After

a long journey, the goblet was discovered

and the female cat stayed to guard it while

her male partner went back to tell the

good news. So worried was she that the

goblet might go missing again, that she

wound her tail tightly around its stem

and it became permanently kinked. For
days and nights she sat watching over the

100
 mJ
Siamese

her long slender tail and were lost for- highly prized. Over the years, dedicated

ever. The princess decided to tie a knot in breeders have worked hard to produce
the tail to stop this ever happening again; other colour variations in Siamese, but

and this could be another reason why their names vary between the UK and
Siamese have kinked tails. North America. We now have, not only

Siamese kittens have always been high- the Seal- and Blue-points, but Chocolate
ly prized. It was considered an honour and Lilac (USA, Frost-point), as well as

for any foreigner to be presented with one the Red-, Cream-, Tortie- and Tabby-
of the Royal Cats of Siam, and it was an points (USA, Colourpoint Shorthairs).

offence punishable by death for one of

these cats to be stolen from the Royal Character

T/ie Sianiese Is a long, Court, let alone be taken out of Siam. and Temperament
slim and elegant cat of
But, westwards they eventually came, and Siamese are typical of the Oriental group
medium-sized build,
after many generations of selective breed- of cats and, like their near relations the
although Siamese in
ing are now, along with Persian Long- Burmese, are a vocal breed with out-
the USA (above)
have slightly different
hairs and Burmese, among the most going personalities. They are the kind of
standards to those popular of pedigree varieties. cat that you either adore or hate; they
required in the UK Siamese were originally a pale milky can be noisy and demanding and have a
(left); the ears are
colour, with dark seal-coloured points on real need to be a part of the family.
larger and more
the paws, face, ears and tail. They have To aficionados, these are the plus points
uprightly set.
been known in this form for more than and they would not wish for the Siamese
However, they should

exhibit, as these two 200 years. In the late nineteenth century a to be any other way. A Siamese does not
Seal-point Siamese do, Blue-point was recorded in the UK, but like to be left on its own, so for anybody
a pale coat colour, it is likely that this recessive colour had who is out at work all day, and only
with well defined
been around for some time before this. wants one cat, this is not the breed to
coloured 'points'
Perhaps it was not so highly regarded in select. If you want a cat that will give you
whichever side of the
Siam, and was 'swept under the carpet' as life-long devotion, however, then the
Atlantic the Siamese

comes from the rich Seal-point variety was more Siamese is for you.

101
 Siamese

Type and around the eyes; these are commonly

Standard of Points called 'spectacles'. Conversely, darker
Regardless of coat colour, the type of the shading is frowned upon on the otherwise
cat should he the same, although stan- paler parts of the body.

dards do vary a little between those The Siamese coat pattern is restricted

required in the UK by the CiCCF and to the cooler parts of the body and so, if a

those of the various American cat fancies. cat has had an operation such as spaying,
In general, the Siamese should be a it is quite likely that the post-operational

medium-sized cat; long, slim, lithe and shock will cause the coat to temporarily
elegant, but v\ith a definite muscular feel darken m that area. For the same reason,
to it. Despite its fine bone structure Siamese living in warmer climates tend to

(compared with the more heavily built have paler coats than those living in

British Shorthairs) it should be sturdy cooler regions. The pointed areas should
and feel much heavier than it appears. At always show a uniform colour with no
the other end of the scale, it shoulcl never barring or stripes, except in the case of
be obviously overweight to the point that Tabby-points, where rings or stripes are
it feels flabby, although some neuters can required, and the Torties, which should

be prone to fat and a careful watch should show a well-mingled coat.

be kept on their diet.

Looking at the cat face-on, the head

should give the appearance of a triangle, • COAT COLOURS* BELOW

topped by large, low-set, wide-spaced The head of the

ears, tapering down to a pointed muzzle. Seal-point Siamese, when viewed

full-face, should
In profile, the nose should be straight A pale, even cream colour with obvious
resemble a triangle
without any sign of a break or stop. The seal points restricted to the face, ears, legs
from the outward tips
jaw should be firm without being either and tail. The nose leather and paw pads of the ears to the end of
under- or over-shot. The eyes should be should be a similar rich seal colour. the mu'zzle.

almond-shaped with the typical Oriental

slant giving that inscrutable expression,

and certainly without any trace of a

squint. Whatever the coat colour, the

eyes should always be of deepest sapphire-

blue. The tail should be long, slender and

tapering to a whip-like end; any kink or

malformation is considered a serious

fault. The tail should always be in prop-

ortion to the length of the cat — a rough
guideline is that it should just reach the

tip of the shoulder blade.

The quality, texture and the restrictive

pattern of coat are what make the Siamese

cat different from other shorthaired

varieties. The coat should be short, sleek

and fine-textured, with the fur lying close

to the body. The coloured points should

only be seen on the mask area of the face,

the ears, legs and tail. It is considered a

fault for the cat to be mismarked with

lighter colours in these areas, especial 1)

102
 Siamese

BELOW
A Grand Champion
Sfal-poinl Siamese,

shoTcing the correct

contrast of coat colour

and brilliant sapphire HEAD

blue eyes. THE HEAD SHOULD BE LONG.
BUT IN PROPORTION, WITH
AN ELEGANT NECK THE
PROFILE SHOULD BE
STRAIGHT, WITH NO SIGN OF
A BREAK OR DIP, AND THE
CHIN FIRM THE EARS
SHOULD BE LARGE AND
PRICKED, WIDE AT THE BASE
AND SET WELL APART

() I) Y

THE BODY SHOULD BE LONG

AND SLIM YET MUSCULAR,
AND THE LEGS LONG AND
ELEGANT

TAIL
THIS SHOULD BE LONG AND
TAPERING, WITHOUT ANY
KINK OR DEFECT

103
Siamese

ADVANTAGES

• Highly sociable (but thc>' do expect

their owners to give them their un-

divided attention).

• Intelligent.

I Easy to groom.

• Give almost dog-like devotion to

their owners (but tend to be 'one-

person' cats).

DISADVANTAGES *

• Tend to have loud voices and will

use them whether or not you have
invited a conversation.

• Tend to be territorial and may not

get on with other, less domineering
breeds such as Longhairs and British
Shorthairs (they usually settle well

with other Orientals and Burmese).

• Because of their obvious pedigree

looks, are more likely to be stolen

than many breeds.

The Siamese should

a/icays he a tall,

eleganl cat as well

exemplified by this
Blue-point

(LEFT) and
Lilac-point

(RIGHT).

104
 Siamese

Blue-point
Cool, glacier-white is the preferred body
colour, with no sign of a creamy tinge.

The points should shade to a slate-blue,

with nose leather and paw pads the same.

Chocolate-point
The body should be a pale ivory colour,
with points, nose leather and paw pads a

pale, milky chocolate colour.

Lilac-point
(usA, frost-pcjint)
Body colour should be a glacial white,
with the points showing a pale, pinkish-
grey tinge. The paw pads and nose leath-
er should be lavender-pink.

ABOVE
This Blue-point

Siamese has a superb

head, beautiful eye
colour and the correct

sheen to the coat.

 Siamese

BKl.OW
I'he Cream-point
Siamese has cream
points set off against a

background colour of
•xhite shading to pale

cream on the back and

flanks.

RIGHT
The ReJ-point
Siamese has a ivhile
coal, shading lo pale
apricot on the back

anilflanks, "xith

bright reddish-gold

points.

Red -point
RED(VSA,
COLOVRPOINT SHORTHAIr)
A clear white body with deep apricot-
coloured points is the ideal. Nose leather

and paw pads should be flesh-pink.

"^fff^nwr"'' \ \ X

106
Siamese

107
 Siamese

ABOVE
A Chocolate Tabby- Balinese to breed two longhaired Siamese together
point Balinese to see if they bred true, which indeed they
typ'fying the breed

with its lon%, silky

coal, blue eyes and

w ilincse are, essentially, a longhaired
\ersion of the Siamese, and, in type,

they should conform to the standards laid

did;

coats.

silky
all

The
coat
the resulting kittens had

idea of a Siamese with a long,

soon gained popularity,

long

and
plumed tail.
down for Siamese. Their temperament breeders were encouraged to continue the
and character are slightly modified, breeding programme. By 1963, the cats

however, probably due to the introduc- were given official recognition in the

tion of the longhair gene, so they tend to USA. In the I'K, things move more
be slightly quieter and less boisterous. slowly, and it was not until the early

But the main difference is that, because 198()s that Balinese were granted pre-
they have long coats, extra grooming — liminary recognition, with championship
and time - are recjuired. status given a few years later.

This longhaired variety was first seen Balinese are allowed in all the colour

in a litter of kittens in America. They and pattern variations that are accepted

seemed so glamorous that it was decided for the Siamese.

108
p
:%
Balinese, like Siamese

m
cats, should display
their coloured points

^- only on the mask area

of the faces th^ ears,
legs and tail as seen in

this Blue Tahht-poinI

kitten ( left) and
adult stud (BELOW )

109
NON-PEDIGREE CATS
is often said that the most licautifu!
Bt tats at a cat show are to be found in

the non-pedigree section, where cats of all

different colours, patterns, coat lengths

and type are to be seen. Many people take

great pleasure in showing their rescued

pets; these beautiful creatures have mostly

had a deprived kittenhood and to see

them exhibited in superb condition, heal-

thy and with glossy coats, their pens
festooned with ribbons and rosettes, gives

their owners the credit they deserve.

Some non-pedigrees have a known

ancestry; others may even have a pedigree
LEFT
parent or grandparent; the majority are
This exquisitely
waifs and strays, rescued by one of the
marked tortie-and-
charitable organizations, and have no •jch ite is pa rl pedigree
known parentage. All deserve to be treat- Her mother is a
ed with the same love and care. pedigree Oriental

{father unkno-jcn) and

When choosing a non-pedigree cat or
she has inherited the
kitten, the same consideration should be
affectionate and
given as when choosing a pedigree cat.
voluble characteristics
Do not opt for a fluffy, longhaired varie- typical of the Oriental

ty if you do not have the time to spend on breed.

its grooming; a cat with a known part

BELOW
Siamese or Oriental background will be
A topical, friendly
more likely to display the behaviour that
'moggie' -ii'ith a pretty
is typical of these breeds — demanding grey-and-it-hite bi-

cats with somewhat loud voices! With colour coat.

RIGHT many non-pedigrees it is impossible to
This lovely silver
know what size of cat the kitten will
tabby Is hardly
become; at least cats do not vary in size as
distmpiishahle from a

pedigree shorthair.
dogs do, so the adult cat is unlikely to

outgrow your home.

% ADVANTAGES

• Quite often much cheaper to buy

than a pedigree or may even be
BELOW given free to a good home.
Found abandoned, t Many cat shows will offer a non-
dirty and mangy, the
pedigree section; so if you like to
new owners had no
participate in shows you can take
idea of their adoptee's

colour let alone his

your moggie along.

origins. Soon revealed • Available in every possible colour,

as a red longhaired, pattern and fur length.

with plenty of love and • Generally healthy, and non-fussy
care he developed into
eaters.
the healthy, well-
I Will give you just as much love
groomed and very
and attention as a pedigree, possibly
beautiful cat seen here;

he also became the even more.

Supreme Non-
Pedigree. f DISADVANTAGES •

BELOW RIGHT • If the ancestry is unknown, you

These youngsters are will have no indication of how your
from the same litter kitten will develop in terms of type,
and show different temperament and size.
markings. When the
• An adult cat may take some time to
parentage is unknown,
settle into a domestic environment.
it can he difficult to

judge the eventual size • If severely neglected, expensive

and temperamenl of veterinary bills may arise.

the adult cat.

111
 SHOWING
Y OUR CA T

The first formal shove held especially for pedigree cats took

place on 1 7 July, 1871. It was organized hy Harrison Weir,

the founder of the National Cat Club of the UK and took place
at the Crystal Palace, in London. There were 160 exhibits at
the event, all of which were judged to a specific standard,

known then as the 'points of exhibition (the predecessor of what

we now call the 'standard of points' } Although the 'standards'
.

required in the various breeds have changed dramatically over

the years, the basic format of cat shows today still relies on
Harrison Wei7-'s ideas.
\
rr^T-^
 Showing Your Cat

Briginall)-, the National Cat Club seems almost every country has a space in
was set up in the l^K as an adminis- its heart for the domestic cat, albeit a cat
trative body to govern and legislate all with an accredited parentage — the hum-
pedigree cats and their offspring. Today, ble street cat is often forgotten.
the National is a cat club v\hich stUl runs Throughout the world, cat shows are
the largest cat show in the world, but the run on the basic principle ot judging the
administration of pedigree cats in the VK cat to a predefined standard. It is only the
is now the respt)nsibility of the Govern- way in which the judging is arranged and
ing Council ot the Cat Fancy (GCCF). the shows are organized that varies.

As pedigree cats increased in popular-

ity more cat clubs were founded and more SHOWS IN THE
shows organized. During World War II UNITED KINGDOM
all such activities were put on hold and, ost shows in the L'K are run under
although the GCCF picked up again, I the rules laid down by the GCCF.
during this period some breeds came There are a tew small shows organised by
close to extinction. Fortunately, the de- another group of fanciers, the Cat Asso-
dication of cat lovers and breeders en- ciation of Britain (CAB), which is affili-

sured that the breeding lines of these ated to the Federation Internationale
pedigree specimens were continued for Feline (FIFe), and these shows are run
present and future generations to enjoy. along European lines (see 'European
In the 1990s, we have cat fancies in all Shows'). However, the majority of shows
four corners of the world, and many in are run under the guidelines of the
between: North America, South Africa, GCCF and their affiliated clubs. Shows
Australia, New Zealand, Europe, South take place throughout the year. Some are
America and Singapore, to name a few. It all-breed shows, organized by the region-

I.KFT
111 the UK judges go to
the cats' pens to make
their assesstnent of each

exhil'lt; the judge is

aided by a steivard
•who pushes along the

trolley, takes the cat

out of the pen and

generally assists the

judge.
 "%
Showing Your Cat

Mmm wM\mM\mM\^Mi^^!

ABOVE al clubs, while others are run by specific There is one GCCF show that has the

The National Cal breed clubs and cater only for that par- title of sanction, but which awards Pre-
Show, held annualh
ticular breed. Most shows also have a mier certificates to the winning neuters;
in London, is the
non-pedigree section. an anomaly it may seem, but for the
oldest and largest cat
simple reason that this is the annual
show and attracts an
audience from around Types of Show Kensington Kitten and Neuter Cat Club
the world. The GCCF licenses shows under three Show. As there are no entire adult cats

categories: exemption, sanction and present, no Challenge certificates can be

championship. awarded, nor is it possible for a cat to be

EXEMPTION SHOWS are usually quite made up to Champion — so it cannot be

small affairs, often linked with a local called a championship show.

agricultural show or similar. They are CHAMPIONSHIP SHOWS are the most
run along the lines of the GCCF, but do popular kind as they have the bonus that

not have to strictly obey all the rules. the winning cats and neuters may be
SANCTION SHOWS are like a dress re- awarded their certificates.

hearsal for a championship show. The

classes available, the format of the show Categories of Classes
and the procedure for judging are iden- There are five types of classes for pedi-

tical to a championship show, with one gree exhibits: open, assessment, exhibi-

exception: there are no Challenge or tion, miscellaneous and club (the last two
Premier certificates awarded, so winning commonly called the 'side' classes).

exhibits cannot count any win towards the Open classes are available for all

title of Champion or Premier. pedigree breeds, and their associated col-

115
 Showing Your Cat

our variations. 1 here are separate classes group and sex (Siamese male adult, Bur-
tor entire adults, kittens and neuter adults mese female adult, Foreign Shorthair

of each breed and colour. All adult cats male neuter . . . ) for a coveted Grand
have sepiarate classes for male and female; Challenge or Grand Premier certificate.

in the case of kittens and neuters the Again, three ot these trom three different
classes may be separated by sex, depend- judges quality the cat for the title Grand
ing on the number of entries. Ihe win- Champion or Premier. All exhibits must

ners of the adult and neuter classes may be entered in their relevant open class,

be awarded a Challenge certificate (entire unless they are already a Champion or

adults) or a Premier certificate (adult Premier, in which case they can opt to

neuters) if the judge feels that the overall enter onh' the granci class, or lioth the

winners are up to the prescribed stan- open and the grand.

dard, and are a breed with championship Assessment classes are for new breeds
status. It is not unknown tor such a of cat to which the (iCCF has awarded
certificate to be withheld it the exhibit is preliminary recognition. These are

not quite up to scratch. Three such cer- judged in the same way as the open class,

tificates, awarded by different judges, but also display a provisional standard of

(lualify the cat to use the title Champion points above their pens to help the judge

or Premier. There are also open grand assess the new breed. Those that conform
classes, which only those cats already to the standards will be awarded a Merit
holding the title Champion or Premier certificate.

may enter; they compete within their own Exhibition pens are also available at

most shows and these are for cats that are

not competing. Usually, exhibition pens

LEFT
contain cats or kittens that are ot a new A/ GCCF s/iows in
colour variation, or are an imported the UK the only
breed awaiting recognition from the decorated pens alto-ixed
are for cats that are on
GCCF. Other pens may house some
exhibition, and not
famous prizewinner that the owner has
competing; the only
decided not to put in competition any exception to this is the
more, but which is still of great interest annual Supreme show
to fanciers. These exhibition pens are the where all pens are

only ones that may be decorated, and may decorated.

state the name of the cats within.

The side classes are really an opportun-

ity to get an assessment of your cats from

several different judges, not just the one

designated to your open class. There are

various categories, such as debutante (for

exhibits who have never been shown

before) and limit (exhibits that have won
no more than tour tirst prizes). ^ our cat

will also have the opportunity to compete

with other types and colours of cats
within Its own category.

Non-pedigree exhibits have their own

special section, the open classes, usually

arranged by way of coat length and colour

but with a special class for half-pedigree

! 16
 "fl
Showing Your Cat

cats. The side classes are usually more of will probably have family and work com-
the fun variety: classes for the cat with the mitments to contend with apart from
largest eyes, or most expressive face — organizing the cat show.
even for the one 'the judge would most Miscellaneous and club classes are

like to take home'! listed, in group sections, after the open

classes. Again, make sure that you are
How to Enter a Show entering the right classes. For example,

The GCCF publish a list at the beginning in the British Shorthair section there will

of the show season listing all the clubs' be classes for self cats — cats of a solid coat
shows, their dates, venues, the type of colour; a tabby entered in such a class

each show and the name and address of would be disqualified as this coat pattern

the show managers. Most clubs also belongs in the non-self classes. Check and
advertise in specialist cat magazines, double-check the entry form to ensure all

advising exhibitors of the date that sche- the information is correct, and that you
dules will be available and also of the have entered the right classes; remember
closing date tor entries. It is important to to enclose your cheque for the entry fees,

send off for your schedule and return the too, as no entry is accepted without the

completed entry form as soon as possible; appropriate amount enclosed.

many shows have restricted space for Lastly, it is advisable to enclose an

exhibits and entries are treated on a 'first SAE or postcard so that the show mana-
come first served' basis, with schedules ger can let you know that your entry has
being sent to club members first. been accepted - it is not much fun to

When you receive the schedule, first drive a couple ot hundred miles with a

read through the rules carefully. Incor-

RIGHT
At the end of the sho-js rect information on the entry form may
day, the Best in Show disqualify your cat and any prizes won
judging lakes place may be forfeited. Copy the name of the
and the winning cats
cat, its parents, and the registration num-
are placed in special
ber from your registration or transfer
pens for all to admire;
document. Remember that you may only
this cat was the best

rescued non-pedigree. show a cat if it is registered in your name.

The schedules are usually available two

to three months before the show, so bear

in mind that it your kitten is more than

nine months old on the date of the show,

it must be entered in the adult class. You

may not be thinking ot breeding from
your cat, so it might even be a neuter by

this time.

Look through the schedule, and find

the open class appropriate for your breed

and sex ot cat; it is a common mistake to

enter a neuter in the adult class, or a

kitten in the neuter class. If you are in

any doubt, contact your cat's breeder who

should be able to advise you. Lhiless you
are really desperate, try not to ring the

show manager; he or she will be ver\'

busy sorting out all the entry forms, and

 Showing Your Cat

« EQUIPMENT NEEDED AT THE SHOW*

Although many sho-jos have trade stands

selling all the equipment neededfor

shu-Ji'inga cat, it is inadvisable to rely

on this facility. Btty all that you will

need in advance. Do not forget yourself

either; most, but not all, shots: halls

have catering facilities, so a packed

lunch is often a good idea, and a folding

chair as not all halls ivill provide

adequate seating.

• The first essential is a sturdy cat

carrier as no exhibit is accepted into the i \ I

shoit' hall uncontained; in the VSA it

is in fact acceptable, although a rarity, disinfected but many owners prefer to

for cats to be confined on a collar and bring their own favourite disinfectant to
.\i GCCF sho'jcs cats
lead. be absolutely sure that the pen is safe. are alt anonymous

• In the UK all exhibits are in pens % Do not forget cat litter and cat food — other than their pen

and the all-important can-opener if your number and have lo be

that are unmarked apart from their
exhihiled on a plain
pen number. Each cat is allowed a cat's culinary preference is for the canned
•white blanket, with
plain, non-cellular blanket or piece of variety. Water is always available,
while litter tray and
'vetbeif, a litter tray, water bowl and but is often from non-mains water water bowl; the food
feeding dish, all of which must be plain sources, so many exhibitors prefer to howl, seen in this pen,

white. In the USA, pens may be bring a small bottle of still mineral must he removed before
the open class judging
decorated and the equipment can be of water for their cats.
commences, as il could
any colour. • Lastly, all cats admitted to the show
he construed as a
• The cats are all required to wear a must have a current inoculation against
distinguishing factor.

tally bearing their pen number; the tally FIE and, in the UK, the certificate of

is provided, but the thin white ribbon inoculation may need to he presented to
OPPOSITK
or shirring elastic to put it on your cat the duty vet - so don't forget to pack the For show perfection ,

is not. inoculation card with the show kit. Duty ///(• loat of the British

shows should he short, crisp

I The pen that your cat will be confined vets are rarely in attendance at
and thick; many
to for the day has been cleaned and in the USA.
owners will allow
their cats some outside
access in order In crisp

up the coat.

RIUHT
In most countries, cats
must enter the show
hall in a cat carrier.

This top-of-the-range
leather version may be

the smartest way to

travel, hut any sturdy
carrier would be
equally suitable

18
 ^
Showing Your Cat

119
 Showing Your Cat

RIOHT
In the UK, all

exhibits are examineJ

by a velerinaij
surgeon before they are
allo'xed access to the

show hall.

BELOW
A Supreme Grand
Champion Cream
Colourpoint Persian,
howling cat in the car only to discover Sately through vetting-in, you will
shozcing the typical
that your cat is not entered as the entry probably be given a 'V card to display on
long, luxuriant coat of
form did not arrive, or arrived too late. your pen, signifying that your cat has the breed groomed to

passed the vet's examination. Some shows perfection . To be able

Whal to Do at a Show ask the vet to initial your tally envelope to to present a cat, -with

this length offur, in

Cat shows start early in the day, with the indicate that the cat has been examined,
such perfect condition
doors opening for the exhibitors and their and this is marked off on a chart with all
is the result of regular,
cats around 7.30 am. The owner of each the pen numbers. Whichever way, it
daily grooming; it

exhibit will be given a tally envelope, ensures that only visibly fit and healthy cannot be achieved
containing the pen number of the cat, a exhibits enter the show hall. overnight.

tally showing this number, and a prize

money/rosette card. Some, usually the

larger, shows send this to the exhibitor a

week before the event, but at others this is

the first thing to be collected on arrival at

the show hall.

Next is vetting-in: all exhibits must be

examined by one of the appointed veter-
inary surgeons before entering the main

hall to be penned. The vet will examine

the cat for any sign of parasites, such as

fleas and ear mites, fungal infections like

ringworm, and any infectious disease that

could be transmitted at the show. .Any cat

found displaying symptoms of these has

the alternative of being taken back home
or being kept in the isolation room.

20
 11
Showing Your Cat

RIGHT
A final brush an J
comb before the

judging commences;
with longhaired
breeds, il is imporitini

that all traces of

talcum powder are

removedfrom the coal

as this could lead to

disqualification

The next task is to find the pen with As soon as the hall is cleared of exhibi-
your cat's number on it. Clean the pen tors, the show catalogue will be available

with disinfectant, if you have brought it, to all except the judges and their ste-
and leave the cat to settle in with its wards. From this, you will be able to see

travelling blanket, litter tray, water and exactly what competition your cat is fac-

perhaps some food ing and how man\' are in the various
When the cat has settled in, you have a classes that you have entered.
little time for some last-minute groom- The open class results will start com-
ing; if your cat is longhaired, make sure ing up between 1 1.30 and noon, and as

that you have brushed out all traces of these are the most important classes there

talcum powder from the coat. Then place will be quite a crowd around the results

the clean, white show blanket in the pen, board. The results slips are placed in

and remove the travelling blanket and numerical order of class, so are easy to

any container of food. Also remove any locate. The slips themselves show only
toys, or anything else that could be con- the pen number of the cat, again in

strued as a distinguishing feature. Do not numerical order, with the award number
forget to put the tally around the cat's written at the side. This goes in order: 1

neck or, if your cat is not used to a collar, 2, 3, R (reserve or fourth), and the
the show manager may allow the tally to winners receive a rosette (some shows
be tied on the pen; remember that a cat only award rosettes to the first three

will not be judged unless the tally is placings) and a prize card. In large

attached to either cat or pen. classes of top-quality cats the judge may
At 10.00 am all exhibitors are asked to award further prizes of vhc (Very High-
leave the hall so that the judging of the ly Commended), hc (Highly Com-
all-important open classes can begin; they mended) and c (Commended) and the

are then allowed back into the hall usually exhibit will be awarded a card to this

between noon and 12.30 pm. effect.

121
 Showing Your Cat

between prize nmney and rosettes,

although most these days seem to just give

rosettes. If there is a choice, you have to

take your prize card to the rosette table in

order to claim your preferred award.

At the end of the day some shows will
hold a Best in Show competition ending
up with the best adult, kitten and neuter
in each ot the seven sections and, if there

is a non-pedigree section, a Best in Show

Non-pedigree too. There are also cups

available for club members to hold for

one year; some shows will give them out
on the day of the show, while others

present these trophies at their annual

general meetings.

SHOWS IN
*
OTHER COUNTRIES*
Hhroughout the world, the main
objective ot any cat show is to find

the best example of each particular breed

on the day of the show. These winning
cats go on to win appropriate certificates

ABOVE The winning male and female cats in that eventually afford them their respec-

In all tailed breeds of the three opens (adult, kitten and neuter) tive championship status. The main dif-
cat, the judge -jcill for each particular breed and colour are ferences between the LIK and the rest of
examine the cat's tail
then judged against each other for the world lie in the way the shows are orga-
to ensure that it is free
Best of Breed rosette. Adults and neuters nized, the methods of judging, the recog-
from a fault or kink.
not entered in the open class, but only in nized breeds eligible to enter cham-
the grand class, can also be considered for pionship classes, and the titles given to

this award. the winning cats. Also, British shows do

It the winning cat is up to the stan- not use the ring judging system and the

dards laid down, the result slip will pens are undecorated so that the cats have
'CC
indicate (Challenge certificate) or complete anonymity. Show preparation,
'PC (Premier certificate) after the num- schedules and entry forms, catalogues and

ber 1; 'CC W/H' or 'PC W/H' shows the necessary equipment remain pretty
that the judge has declined to award the much the same in whichever part ot the

certificate. It is possible that if the stan- world you show your cat.

dard is too low the judge will withhold

the first prize altogether, and '1 W/H' American Sho-vcs

signifies this decision. 'CNH' against a There are many governing bodies in the

pen number denotes the cat could not be USA, all with different rules and regula-

handled. The rosettes and prize cards are tions; some recognize certain breeds and
then put on the pens in due course, but colour patterns, and others do not.

not until all the open class judging has However, the main bodies are the Cat

been completed. Fanciers Association (CFA) and The In-

The side classes are judged after the dependent Cat Association (TICA). Ring
opens; some shows will offer a choice judging is the method used, so the cats'

122
 "t
Showing Your Cat

HOW THE JUDGES WORK

In the UK the judge, accompanied by a Pedigree cats are judged to the

steward, goes to the cat's pen; the standards laid down for their particular

steward is provided ijoith a trolley so breed and colour, but the condition,

that the cat can be examined both in temperament, general health and
and out of the pen. The steward is also presentation of the cat are also taken

responsible for handling the cat and into consideration. If two cats are of
presenting it to the fudge for his, or her, similar quality, but one is groomed
decision. In the USA and Europe, better, displays a sweeter disposition or
•where ring judging is the main system, even simply has a cleaner show blanket,
the steward's duties also include this may well be reflected in the judge's

collecting each cat from its pen and placing of the exhibit. In the case of

delivering to the judge in the non-pedigree cats, where no 'standard

it appointed BELOW
ring. The only time this happens in the ofpoints' exists, these are the main The judge will need to
UK is at the annual Supreme Cat criteria for the judging placements — assess the eye colour of

Show, where a system of ring judging along with a

each exhibit, and here
little subjective viewing
the steward is holding
is also employed; the cats are brought on the part of the judge who may well
the cat so the judge can
to the judge, and the owners and prefer a tortie to a tabby!
look at the cat closely.
members of the public are allowed to
watch the judging. Because the judge

never goes to the cats' pens these are

allowed to be decorated, and any

previous awards displayedfor all to

admire. To qualify to enter the

Supreme, a cat has to already be a Jit II

Champion or Premier, or have gained

at least one certificate in the previous

show season; in the case of kittens, a

win at a championship show secures
entry. The highlight of the day is the

final judgingfor the three Supreme

winners: adult, kitten and neuter.

LEFT
Having assessed the
finer points of the
breed, the judge will

wish to hold the cat in

order to assess the

weight, condition and

general conformation

of the cat.

123
 Showing Your Cat

• DIFFERENCES BETWEEN SHOWS IN UK. USA AND EUROPE*

UK USA EUROPE
(GCCF) (general) (FIFe)

Exhibit to be registered In exhibitor's name

BELOW
In Europe, as in
America, the pens are
allowed to be
decorated, as the

judging takes place in

a separate ring away

from the area where
the cats are penned
 ^
Showing Your Cat

pens can be highly decorated. The judg- rules in much the same way as the GCCF
ing is an event that exhibitors and mem- administers the rules of cat shows in

bers of the public alike can sit and watch, Britain. Shows are all judged by the ring
with the judge giving a running com- judging method, so the pens are usually
mentary on the assessment of each ex- highly decorated.

hibit. LInlike UK shows, a cat is entered Cats are exhibited in the hope of win-
in its breed class only. Under the CFA ning a Cerlificat cTAptitude de Champion-
rules, a cat can become a Champion in a nat (CAC), the equivalent of the GCCF's
single show, and if the main judge thinks Challenge certificate, or for those already

the cat of sufficient merit, two other made up to champions, a Cerlificat cfAp-
judges will be asked to confirm the litude de Championnat Internalional de
opinion and the award will be made. Beaute (CACIB), which is of the same
status as the Grand Challenge certificate.

Australian Shows Winning three certificates from three

Shows in Australia are run very much in different judges, just as in the UK,
the same way as in Britain, with the judge entitles the cat to use the title Champion
going to the cat and not vice versa, and or, in the case of a CACIB, International

the pens are undecorated. The Austra- Champion. There is no restriction on

lians are currently looking into the practi- livestock being moved within F.uropean
calities of ring judging but, for the countries, and this title (the equivalent of
present, abide by the GCCF system that Grand Champion in the UK) seems most
the Co-ordinating Cat Council of Austra- suitable, as the most worthy of this hon-
lia (CCCofA) has opted for. our have been shown in more than one
country.

European Shows FIFe and the GCCF have considerable

Clubs in Europe are mainly governed by liaison, and it is quite common for Brit-

the Federation Internationale Feline ish judges to adjudicate at Continental

(FIFe), the largest governing body on shows, and for FIFe judges to judge at

the Continent. Any shows run by FIFe- the shows in the LIK - the standard of

affiliated clubs have to abide by their points are all the same.

THE JUDGES' REPORTS ®

The ivhole object oj taking your cat to a happy to send a copy of their report to

show is to get an honest appraisalfrom you after the show.)

the judges, so this is the single most The exception to this is the annual
important part of the ivhole day. All Supreme Show, and assessment classes

judges' reports in the UK are published in cither shows, where the judges leave

in the -uoeekly magazine Cats, and the a written appraisal of each exhibit on

monthly magazine Cat 'World publishes the pen.

a Show World section listing the At FIFe shows, the judges provide a

winning cats, but without the judges' written report on the show day, and
comments. It may be possible to talk to ni America competitors have the best of
your judge during the show, but never both worlds —a running commentary
interrupt a judge while he or she is still while the judging is being carried out as

judging or your cat may be disqualified. well as a written score sheet itemizing

(On receipt of an SAE, most judges are how the points were awarded.

125
 ^
Useful Addresses

Useful Addresses
^1 list of the official organisations of Queensland Independent Cat Cat Fanciers' Club of South Cat World
the major international cat fancies, Council Africa 1 Western Road
together with their official or semi- c/o Secretary POBox 783100 Shoreham-by-Sea
official journab .
Miss Pat Mercer Sandton 2 1 46 West Sussex BN4 5WD
POBox41
Eastern Province Cat Club
Esk4312
AUSTRALIA PO Box 5 1 66 United
RNCAS Cat Club Walmer 6065
c/o Mr Bjorn Christie-Johnston
States
Co-ordinadng Cat Council of Natal Cat Club
Australia (CCCofA)
PO Box 404 American Cat Association
100 Marian Hill Road
Dickson 2602
Box No 43 1 7 GPO Ashley (ACA)
Sydney Pinetown 3610 8101 Katherine Drive
NSW 2001 JOURNAL
Panorama City
Rand Cat Club CA91402
Royal Agricultural Society Cat
Council of Federated Cat POBox 180
Control Journal
Clubs of Queensland Springs I 560 American Cat Fanciers'
c/o Secretary
Box No 43 17 GPO Association (ACFA)
Sydney Transvaal Cat Society
June E Lobwein POBox 203
19 Clifford St
NSW 2001 POBox 133 85 Point Lookout
Toowoomba 4350 Northmead 1511 MO 65726
EUROPE
Feline Association of South Western Province Cat Club Cat Fanciers' Association
Australia Federation Internationale PO Box 3600 (CFA Inc)
c/o Secretary Feline (FIFe) Cape Town 8000 POBox 1005
Mr Lee Caldwell c/o Secretary Manasquan
2 1 Poole St Mme R van Haeringen United NJ 087361005
Osborne 5015 23 Doerhavelaan Kingdom Cat Fanciers' Federation
Eindhoven 5644 BB
Feline Control Council of (CFF)
Queensland
Netherlands Governing Council of the Cat 9509 Montgomery Road
c/o Secretary
Fancy (GCCF) Cinncinatti

Mrs A Barrett
JOURNAL 4-6 Penel Orlieu
OH 45242
Bridgewater
84 Anzac Ave A Tout Chat
Somerset TA6 3PG The Independent Cat
Redcliffe4020 (service des abonnements —
Association (TICA)
Feline Control Council of
subscriptions) GCCF Cat Welfare Liaison POBox 2988
BP205 Committee
Victoria (RAS) Harlingen
Versailles 78003 c/o Secretary
c/o Secretary TX 87550
Mrs Marion Jones
France Mrs Barbara Harrington

Royal Showground
79 Pilgrim's Way JOLIRNALS
Epsom Road
South Africa Kemsing
Near Sevenoaks Cat Fancy
Ascot Vale 3032
Governing Council of the Kent TBI 5 6TD POBox 4030
GoveminjJ Council of the Cat Associated Cat Clubs of San Clemente
Feline Advisory Bureau
Fancy in N'ictoria South Africa CA 92672
350 Upper Richmond Road
c/o Secretary c/o Mrs M Simpson Cats
Putney
Mrs Sandra Weaver-Hall 45 Edison Drive
PO Box 73 London SW 1 5 6TL 445 Merrimac Drive
Meadowridge 7800
Port Orange
Oakleigh3166
All Breeds Cat Club JOURNALS FL32019
Murray Valley Cat Authority POBox 1078
Cats Cat World
c/o Secretary Cape Town 8000
5 James Leigh St
POBox 35635
Miss Shirley E Osmond
PO Box 406 Manchester M I 6EX Phoenix
AZ 850969
Mildura3500

126
 Index
Page numbers in iialic refer to Burmillas. 10, 13, 72-73 non-Pcrsian, S, 34—41 labby, 29 shorthairs. 52, 53
captions to illustrations. Persian type, 8, 16-3! Tabby-and- White, 30 Snowshoe, 10, 84
Tortie-and-W'hite, 30, il Somali. 66

Calico Persians, 30
M Tortoiseshell, 30 Sorrel. A,?
Abyssinians, lU. 66, 69 Maine Coons, 8, 36-37 White, 21 Sphynx. 66, 84
Cameo Persians, 22, 23
Somali, 66 Brown Tortie-Tabby. 37 Pewter Persians, 26, 26
Cat Association of Great Britain, T
Sorrel. 69 Silver- Tabby, 36
10 Tabbies
Usual, 68
Champagne Burmese, 9 Tortie-and-White, 37 R Asian, 73
American Curl, 10, 7 1
Chinchilla, 13, 17,24 Manx cat, 8 RagdoUs. 39
Brown, 44
American shorthairs, 9, 44-53 Golden, 26
Cymric, 55 Red Burmese. 92
Oriental shorthairs, 62. 63
Black, 48
Pewter, 26 Rumpy, 54 Red Persians. 20
Oriental Spotted Tabby, 75
Tabbies, 49. 49
Shaded Silver, 26.^7
Stumpy, 54 Red-Tabby Persians, 28
Persians, 29
American Wirehair, 10,71 Tailed, 54 Rumpy Manx cat, 54
Chocolate British and American shorthairs. 49
Angora cats, 16, 63 Mendel, George, 12 Russian Blue. 82
shorthairs, 46 Silver, 44, 77/
Asian cats, 72-73
Chocolate Burmese, 89, 91 Spotted. 49
tabby, 73
Chocolate Persians. 18 N Tabby-and-Whitc Persians 30
Chocolate Spotted Tabby Oriental National Cat Club. 1 14 Sable Burmese, 91 Tailed Manx cat, 5-^
B shorthairs, 62 National Cat Show, / 15 Scottish Fold, 83 licked tabby Oriental shorthairs,
Balmese, 1()8, 109
Cream Oriental shorthairs, 61 non-pedigree cats, Shaded Oriental shorthairs. 63 62
Bengals, 1(1, 74
Havana Oriental shorthairs, 59 advantages and disadvantages Shaded Silver Chinchilla, 26, 27 Tiffanie, 13, 73
Bi-colour shorthair, 52, 5i
Chocolate-Tortie Burmese, 96 of, 1 1 shorthairs Tipped British and American
Birmans, 8, 3-1-35
Cinammon Oriental shorthairs, 6 choosing, 1 10 American, 9. 44, 45 shorthairs, 52
Seal-point, iS
coat showing, 1 16 British, 9,44-55 Tipped Oriental shorthairs, 63
Black British and American
colour, 12, 13 Tortie-and-White, 110 Exotic, 9, 31 Tonkinese, 85
shorthairs, 45
inheritance pattern, 12 Tortie-Tabby, 110 non-designated, 9 lortie-and-While British and
Black Oriental shorthairs, 5.V, 59
length, 13 Norwegian Forest Cat, 8, 35-39 Oriental, 10, 56-61 American shorthair, 50
Black Persians. I 7
Coliiurpuint, 24, 25 BlueTabby-and-White. iS shows, Tortie-and- White Maine Coons,
Blue British and American
Colourpoint shorthairs, 50, 51 Brown Tahby-and-White, 38 American, 122. 125 37
shorthairs, 46 Cnrnish Rex, 10, 66, 79-81 Smoke, 39 assessment classes, 116 Tortie-and-White Persians. 30, SI
Blue Burmese, 91
Brown-Tortie, SO Australian, 125 Tortie-Tabby, 110
Blue Oriental shorthairs, 59
Cornish Si-Rex, 80 o Best of Breed, 122 tortoiseshell cat
Blue Persians, 17
Cream British and American Ocicats, 10, 78 cat carriers for, 118 Burmese, 95
Blue-and-White Tabby Persians,
shorthairs, 46 Oriental shorthairs, 10,58-63 certificates, I 16 Oriental shorthairs, 61
iO
Cream Burmese, 94, 95 Black, 55. 59 championship, 1 1 5 Persians, 30
Blue-Cream Persians, 22
Cream Oriental shorthairs, 61 Blue, 59 classes, 115-117 shorthair, 50
Blue-Cream shorthairs, SO
Cream Persia^is, 18, / Blue-Tortie, 60 entering, 1 17 Siamese, 107. 107
Blue-Tortic Burmese, 95
Cymric, 55 Chocolate Spotted tabby, 62 equipment needed at, 1 18 iurkish cats, 8
Blue-Tortie Oriental shorthairs. 60
Cinnamon, 6/ Europe and America, lurkish \'an. 41
British shorthairs, 9, 44-53
D Cream, 61 differences between. 124
bi-colour, 52, 53
Devon Rex, U), 66, 79-81 Havana, 59 European, 125 w
Black, 45
Brown-Tortie, 81 Lilac, 61 exemption, 1 i 5 White British and American
Blue, 46
Smoke, 81 Shaded, 63 exhibition pens, 1 16 shorthairs. 45
Blue-Cream, 50
Smokes. 63 first. 1 12 VVhite Foreign (Oriental)
Chocolate, 46
tabbies, 62, 63 grooming. 121 shorthairs, 59
Colourpoint, 50
Egyptian Mau. 7 5,9/ Ticked tabby, 62 judges' reports, 125 White Persians, 2 I

Cream, 46, -^7

Fxotic shorthairs, 9, 3 1 Tipped, 63 judging, 123 White Stumpy Manx cat, 54
Lilac, 48
Tortie, 61 non-pedigree classes, 116
self-coloured varieties, 44
G White, 59 procedure. 120-122
Smoke, 51, 5$
genetics 12, 13 Oriental Spotted Tabby. 9.75 results. 121
Tabbies. 49
Golden Chinchilla, 26 sanction, 1 1 5
tabby. 44
Golden Persians, 26 side classes, 1 16
Tipped, 52
Governing Council ot the Cat Peke-faced Persians, 39 types of, 115
Tonic, 50
Fancy, 8, 1 14 Persian cats, 8, 16-31 L'ntted Kingdom, in, 1 14
Tortie-and-White, 5U
grooming, bi-colour, 22, 23 veterinary examination, 120
White, 'Z^, 45
Persians, 17 Black, 17 Si-Sawat, set; Korat
Brown Burmese, 91
shows, at, 121 Blue, 16, 17 Siamese, 10, 100-107
Brown-Tortie Burmese, 95
Blue-and-White Tabby, 30 Blue-point, 7/, 104, 105
Brown tabby, 44
H Blue-Cream. 22 Chocolate-point, 105
Brown Tortie-Tabby Maine
\ lavana Oriental shorthairs, 59 Brown-and-labby, 30 Colourpoint shorthair. 106,
Coons. 57
Himalayan. 10, 24,25 Brown-tabby, 28 107
Brown-Tabby Persians. 29, 50 Cream-point, 106, Id"
Calico. 30
Burmese, 10, /7, 88-97
Cameo, 22 23 , kittens, 101
American-type, 91
Japanese Bobtail, 76 Chinchilla, 24,2-^ I,ilac-point, 104, 105
Blue, 91
Chocolate, 18 Red-point, 106
Blue-Tortie, 95
Cream, 18, 7 9 Seal-point, 102, 103
Brown, 91
Korat, /;, 66, 76-77 Cream Colourpoint, 120 Tabby-point, 107
Brown-Tortie, 95
Golden. 26 Tortie-point, 107
Champagne, 91
Tortie-Tabby-point, 107
grooming, 17
Chocolate, ^9.91
Leopard Cat, 74 kittens, IS United States, in. 101
Chocolate-Tortie, 96
Lilac British and American Lilac, 18, 19 Silver tabby, 44
Cream, 94, 95 Silver-Tabby Maine Coons, 36
shorthairs, 48 Peke-faced, 39
Lilac, 13.92, 9i
Lilac Burmese. 13, 92. 93 Pewter, 26, 26 Silver- Tabby Persians, 28
Lilac-Tortie, 96, 97 Singapura, 83
Lilac Oriental shorthairs, 6 Red, 2U
Red, 92
Lilac Persians, 18, 19 Red-Tabby, 28 Smoke Oriental shorthairs, 63
Sable, 91
Lilac-Tortie Burmese, 96, 97 Silver-Tabby, 2* Smoke Persians. 24^, 29
Tortoiseshell, 95 Smoke British and American
longhairs Smoke, 28, 29

127
 Acknowledgements

Acknowledgements

k My most grateful
l.KSLliY

this
KLLIS who
thanks to
has helped

book much more readable.

Ko^ KolilNSON F.I.Hioi.. who

my editor

to

advised
make

me
LARRY JOHNSON,

not yet exist in the

DAPHNE NEC;us
for supplying

photographs of American breeds that do

I IK.

for her advice on the

on genetics and checked relateii text. Pan-American aspects ot the Cat Fancy.

M\' veterinary surgeon, JOHN oi.lVKK ROSEMARY ALCiER for reading through
B.Vi:r.Mi;i). , MRCVS, for his ad\'ice and the manuscript to check tor any
help in ensunngthe veterinary tacts are omissions.
as up to date and accurate as possible.
LYNDA FAYLOR and the LYNCHARD
SUE KKMi'SlER (British), SALLY CHINCHILLAS.
FRANKLIN (Orientals), david frolid
(Maine Coons), anckla sivyf.r (Manx) COLOUR CEN'FRE (LONDON) LID for

and ALAN WATTS (Norwegian I-'orest

processing transparencies with their usual

Cats) for their help m providing suitable care and etficiency.

cats ot their respective breeds tor

MIRANDA VON KIRCFIBERC, for valuable
photography.
intormation on the Burmilla/Asian

LESLEY PRINC; and the staff of the (;CCF breeding programme.

for their advice on cat breeds.

l>astly, my grateful thanks to my friend

MARJORIE HORNETF for allowing me to LYNN VAN HAEFTEN who has kindly done

photograph her Bengal and Ocicat, and my shopping, errand running and kept
for the valuable intormation she provided me supplied with ever\thing I needed
on these breeds. while writinu this book!

• CREDITS*

L
holographs by I'addy Cutts, Animals son, pages 9 48 4'' 55, 70,

B Unlimited. The publishers and au-

thor v\i)uld like to thank the follow ing for
71,

Thomas,
75, 76,
/,

^}

back
.^9

/,
/-,

jacket
91
//,

/,,

fla|i;
i-,

KM; Murray
i'.dward

additional picture material: I „irr\ John Young, pages 116, 118 /.

128
 CAT BREEDS
k OF THE
p
»'t^
•
WORLD
Over 200 stunning photographs
A definitive guide to every internationally
recognized breed - and many others
• Special section on showing your cat