| Australian Mist | |
|---|---|
 A Blue Spotted Australian Mist female | |
| Other names | Spotted Mist |
| Origin | Australia |
| Breed standards | |
| TICA | standard |
| GCCF | standard |
| Other | WNCA |
| Domestic cat (Felis catus) | |
TheAustralian Mist (formerly known asSpotted Mist) is abreed ofcat developed inAustralia. It is a cross between theAbyssinian cat, theBurmese cat, and the AustralianTabby cat.[1][2] The Australian Mist has a distinct and uniquecoat pattern hence the name.
This breed was developed inAustralia in 1977 by Dr. Truda Straede with a gene-pool of approximately 30 foundation cats.[3] Dr. Straede submitted a plan to theRoyal Agricultural Society of New South Wales Cat Club (RASCC) for a breed with blue, brown, chocolate, and lilac colourings by usingBurmese; and for a spotted tabby pattern by using theticking gene ofAbyssinian to go with aspotted tabby coat. The first generation of the breed was accepted into the RASCC experimental category in May 1980 and in April of 1986 the fourth generation was accepted as the 'Spotted Mist'. In June 1997 themarbled variety of the breed was accepted by the RASCC and Waratah State Cat Alliance. Due to the newly accepted marbled variety it was decided by the Co-ordinating Cat Council of Australia and the Australian Cat Fancy to rename the breed — in a unanimous decision the name 'Australian Mist' was chosen.[2][4]
On 1 January 1999 the breed received championship status with theNew Zealand Cat Fancy. The breed was accepted for championship status by theWorld Cat Federation in August 2004.[5] The first Australian Mists were imported into theUnited Kingdom in 2007. The breed was given preliminary recognition by theGoverning Council of the Cat Fancy in October 2011.[3] It was accepted at championship status inThe International Cat Association on 1 May 2014.[6] It gained championship status with the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy in February 2017.[7] The breed is not yet recognised by theFédération Internationale Féline.
The Australian Mist is a medium-sized short-haired cat, with a round and medium-sized head, a broad nose, and large green eyes. Eye colour can range from chartreuse to aquamarine.[3] Ears are moderately large with a rounded tip to them. The coat is short to medium in length and feels smooth and silky.
The coat pattern has three aspects: the ground colour, which is paler than the pattern; the pattern; and the appearance of wearing a misted veil, caused by random ticking in solid colour areas. The legs and tail are ringed or barred, and the face and neck also have lines of colour.[8]
There are two types of coat patterns in the Australian Mist: the original spotted coat which has distinctive spots that are symmetrical and the marbled coat which has swirled patches and streaks on the coat. Both varieties should have the tabby M-shaped marking on the forehead and a ringed tail with a dark tip.[9]
Australian Mists have a paler coat on the under-parts of the body which give it the distinctive mist appearance. Colour may not fully develop until the adult is at least two years old. Australian Mists do not have a solid colour as the agouti ground gives them their distinctive look but the base colours in the cat include blue, brown, caramel, chocolate, cinnamon (gold), fawn (peach), and lilac.[9]
Due to the novel status of the breed outside Australia most Australian Mist catteries are located in Australia; however, there are a few in the UK and USA. Breeding cats have also been sent to Norway.[10][11]
Conditions commonly screened for in breeding Australian Mist cats includepyruvate kinase deficiency,feline hypokalaemic polymyopathy,neonatal isoerythrolysis, andprogressive retinal atrophy.[3]
