Animals / Cats

Australian Mist

History of occurrence

Dr. Truda Straede created and developed the Australian Mists from her initial idea in 1977 to full championship in the Australian registries in 1986. Developed over more than 25 years - the Australian Mists have a very large gene pool derived from 50% European style Burmese, 25% Abyssinian, and 25% Domestic Spotted tabby. Outcrossing to the original breeds is no longer recommended. The Australian Mist is known for its exceptional temperament! It is a wellbalanced gently contoured cat of moderate foreign type, with no tendency to extremes in any of its characteristics. Both males and females have well sculpted facial features creating an open generous expression. The males are usually larger than females, with facial characteristics and musculature more developed. Muscle development, coat texture and eye color achieve adult expression by 2 years of age.

General form

The Australian Mist is a well-balanced cat of moderate foreign type, with no tendency to extremes in any of its characteristics.  Both males and females have well sculpted facial features creating an open generous expression.  The males are usually slightly larger than females, with more developed facial characteristics and musculature.  Full muscle development, desired coat texture and eye colour are normally not achieved until 2 years of age.

Отличительная особенность породы Australian Mist

Head

Head:  the head is wedge-shaped, broad and moderately short with gently rounded contours from both side to side and front to back.  The curve at the back of the skull flows smoothly into a well-defined neck of medium length and in proportion to the body.  Allowance should be made for jowls in entire males.  Cheeks:  rounded and of good breadth and in proportion to the breadth of the skull.  The junction of the nose, cheeks and inner corner of the eyes form a definite depression on either side of the bridge of the nose. Jas/Foreface:  jaws are broad at the jaw-hinge and taper to a blunt muzzle.  Nose leather and chin are flanked by well-developed whisker-pads, such that the nose leather, chin and whisker pads give the impression of a four-leaf clover when viewed from the front.  The desired balanced open, generous expression is achieved when the whisker-pads and jaw area of the foreface approaches the same breadth as the width between the outer corners of the eyes.     Nose/Profile:  nose is broad, moderately short and of uniform width.  In profile there should be a concave curve below the line of the eyes and a convex curve above that line flowing into the curve of the forehead, the two parts of the curve being of equal length.  No distinct nose break. Chin:  level with the upper jaw such that the chin forms a vertical line from the nose leather to the bottom of the chin; firm and of sufficient breadth when viewed from the front to complement the nose leather. Ears:  moderately large, broad at the base with rounded tips and tilted slightly forward; spaced well apart such that the outer edges of the ears continue the line of the wedge flowing up from the cheeks, and with rounded top of head of generous proportion between.  Eyes:  large and lustrous, the upper lid is gently curved the lower lid is a fuller more generous curve, set wide apart and slightly obliquely to give a soft, open gentle expression.  Desired colour delicate shades of green from chartreuse through to aquamarine. In kittens the colour develops from various shades of gold, generally with a green outline, therefore allowances must be made for age and development.

Body

Body:  medium to large in length, feeling substantial and muscular and heavier than it appears; chest broad and gently rounded.  The back has a broad arc over a rounded rump, which is distinct from the more obvious curve over the shoulder blades and flowing into the well-defined neck.  

Paws

Legs & paws:  legs are slender yet proportionally strong, hind legs slightly higher than forelegs.  Paws are neat and oval in shape.

Tail

Tail:  long and thick with minimal taper to a rounded tip, well furred and should balance the body, reaching to the shoulder when curled gently around the side of the body.

Wool

Coat texture:  short to medium in length, with a texture that is dense and resilient with some degree of undercoat, top coat feels smooth and silky, displaying a glossy shine indicative of good health and condition. Coat pattern:  the pattern of the Australian Mist is distinct and a key feature of the breed.  The “misted” effect is caused by agouti invasion of the overlying darker pattern and has been deliberately selected for to give the overall impression of a pattern softened at the edges and merging slightly into the agouti ground. All markings are delicate, though distinct from the paler agouti ground, which provides a misted background. Coat colour:  in all cases the overall colour should be rich and warm, paler on the under-parts of the body and with darker rufus tones on nose, cheeks and ears present even in the pale colours.  Chocolate, Lilac, Cinnamon (Gold) and Fawn (Peach) coloured kittens are very much paler than adults, with the rufus tones dominating the body markings.  Full colour develops in an adult cat of approximately 2 years old.

Movement

Free , flexible , balanced.

Size

Height — 25-30 cm. Weight — 4-7 kg.

Character

They make perfect pets for children of all ages, even very young ones, as they are tolerant of handling, and are not inclined to scratch. As kittens they are lively, but sober up a little on maturity. Their life expectancy is in the mid to late teens. Australian Mists thrive on human contact, making them happy to remain indoors between dusk and dawn or to be wholly indoor pets, an advantage as most people now prefer to keep their pets indoors. This also protects native wildlife. Some Mists can be trained to go for walks on a lead. Their tendency to crawl into the nearest lap with or without invitation and to constantly hang around to see what people are up to, makes them excellent companions for home workers and invalids. Desexed cats and kittens fit in easily with all sorts of cats and dogs. These qualities create a truly companionable pet for any household and lifestyle, an Australian Mist will quickly become a member of the family.

Maintenance care

An adult Australian Mist is less active in comparison to the kittens, thus needing a moderate amount of exercise to keep them playful, also lessening the chance of getting obese. As they love remaining indoors, engage them with certain attractive toys to help them play about as well as have a good time. They need minimal grooming. Their short coats can be hand brushed at least twice a week. They have a risk of suffering from gingivitis, thus proper dental hygiene should be given to them. Put them on a dental diet and brush their teeth on a regular basis. Lifespan — 15-16 years.

Dignity

Good with children, good with household cats and dogs, medium sociability with strangers.

Difficulty keeping

They have a risk of suffering from gingivitis, thus proper dental hygiene should be given to them. Put them on a dental diet and brush their teeth on a regular basis.

Diseases

This hardy breed live up to their teens and do not suffer any specific health concerns. However, they are prone to certain common ailments suffered by most feline breeds like eye problem, urinary tract disease, tapeworms, diabetes, renal failure and hyperthyroidism. Their light-colored coats increase their risk of developing skin allergies or even cancer. Do not forget to check with your vet for the necessary vaccinations to be given to your pet.
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