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Asian | |
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Origin | Developed in the United Kingdom |
Breed standards | |
GCCF | standard |
LOOF | standard |
Notes | |
The Asian cat is sometimes incorrectly referred to as the 'Malayan' cat, however this refers to the blue, chocolate and lilac varieties of Burmese cats in CFA during the years 1974 to 1984. [1] | |
Domestic cat (Felis catus) |
The Asian or Asian group, is a cat breed similar to the European Burmese but in a range of different coat colours and patterns. [2] Long-haired Asians of all varieties are called Tiffanies. Asians are grouped in section 5 (Burmese) by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy. [3]
The breed was accidentally developed in the United Kingdom, starting with a litter of 4 kittens resulting from a mismating of a chinchilla Persian stud, Jamari Sanquist, and a lilac European Burmese queen, Bambino Lilac Faberge, bred in 1981 by Baroness Miranda von Kirchberg. [4] [3]
After the first litter of kittens were born in 1981, breeders believed the kittens showed potential to become their own breed. Early breeders decided the phenotype of the kittens was to be exactly the same as the Burmese, but in more colours and varieties. All varieties gained championship status with the GCCF in 2003, with the Tiffanie being the last variety to gain it. [5]
In appearance, the Asian group is essentially identical to the Burmese breed, but they come in more colours and patterns, and in the case of the Tiffanies (Asian semi-longhairs), longer fur. Smoke is the term used for self/solid coloured silvers (uniform distribution), while shaded and tipped silvers are silver tabbies (distribution in tabby pattern) with 'wide banding'. The Asian group incorporates the: [6]
The Asian Smoke is a non-agouti cat with a white undercoat that is not always noticeable. When the Asian was originally being developed Burmillas were bred with Burmese. These cats were given the name 'Burmoire' due to the moire-like effect of their coats — this look is now considered undesirable for the Asian Smoke. [7]
The Asian Shaded (also known as the Burmilla) has two colours at the tip and at the root of their fur. [8]
The Asian Tabby is an Asian cat with tabby markings. However unlike regular tabbies the coat has a reduced melanin concentration which results in lighter tabby markings. Asian Tabbies come in all four traditional tabby markings and most tabby colourings. [9]
The solid black Bombay under the Asian Self-category has a slightly different origin, but is also developed in the UK. In the early 1980's, the resulting kittens of three mismatings of European Burmese with black domestic short-haired cats were developed into the British-type Bombay. [10]
Additionally, there exist another variant of the Bombay cat, the American-type Bombay developed in the United States. American-type Bombays were developed by crossbreeding sable American Burmese and black American Shorthair cats, [11] [12] to produce a cat of mostly Burmese type, but with a sleek, panther-like black coat and exclusively with bright copper-golden eyes. [12] For the British-type Bombay golden eyes are preferred, but yellow through to green is acceptable, with the preference given to greater depth of colour. [13] [6]
The Tiffanie (Unrelated to the Chantilly-Tiffany) also known as the Asian Semi-longhair is an Asian cat with medium to long length hair. [8]
Male Asians typically weigh around 5–7 kg (11-15 lbs), females weigh slightly less with a typical weight between 3.5 kg and 5.5 kg (8-12 lbs). They should not be cobby and should be similar to the Burmese in type; with a slender and muscular body. [14] [6]
The head should form a short, wide, and well balanced wedge while being in proportion to the body. The top of the head should be gently rounded between the ears, which should be spaced apart. There should be a distinct nose break; with the nose being straight. The chin should be firm with a good depth. The neck should be of medium length and width. [14] [6]
Ears should be medium to large in size, with rounded tips and a slight forward tilt. Tufts of fur in the ear are preferable for the Tiffanie. [14] [6]
Eyes should be large and spread apart with the colour ranging from green to yellow and amber. [14] [6]
The legs should be slender and of medium length in proportion to the body, with the hind legs longer than the front legs. Paws should be neat with an oval shape. [14] [6]
The tail should be medium or long in length with a rounded tip. [14] [6]
The short-haired coat of the Asian should lie close to the body and is fine, satiny and glossy, and can be multiple colours and patterns. [15] Asian Shorthairs are classified in four different varieties: the Asian Self/Tortie (including the Bombay, which is a black Asian Self), the Asian Tabby, the Asian Smoke, and the Burmilla (which is a shaded Asian). [6] [14]
Ancestral breeds of the Asian have been known to carry Polycystic Kidney Disease and Progressive retinal atrophy, however, only Burmese Hypokalaemia has been identified in the Asian. [6]
Many Asian breeders and their cats were involved in the research into the disease, [16] and as of 2018 all registered breeders with the Asian Cat Association are required to test for hypokalaemia for all Asian group cats intended for use in breeding. [3]
The British Shorthair is the pedigreed version of the traditional British domestic cat, with a distinctively stocky body, thick coat, and broad face. The most familiar colour variant is the "British Blue", with a solid grey-blue coat, pineapple eyes, and a medium-sized tail. The breed has also been developed in a wide range of other colours and patterns, including tabby and colourpoint.
The Australian Mist is a breed of cat developed in Australia. It is a cross between the Abyssinian cat, the Burmese cat, and the Australian Tabby cat. The Australian Mist has a distinct and unique coat pattern hence the name.
The Exotic Shorthair is a breed of cat developed as a short-haired version of the Persian. The Exotic is similar to the Persian in appearance with the exception of the short dense coat.
The Manx cat is a breed of domestic cat originating on the Isle of Man, with a mutation that shortens the tail. Many Manx have a small stub of a tail, but Manx cats are best known as being entirely tailless; this is the most distinguishing characteristic of the breed, along with elongated hind legs and a rounded head. Manx cats come in all coat colours and patterns, though all-white specimens are rare, and the coat range of the original stock was more limited. Long-haired variants are sometimes considered a separate breed, the Cymric.
The American Bobtail is an uncommon breed of domestic cat which was developed in the late 1960s. It is most notable for its stubby "bobbed" tail about one-third to one-half the length of a normal cat's tail. This is the result of a cat body type genetic mutation affecting the tail development, similar to that of a Manx cat. The breed is not related to other short-tailed breeds, such as the Cymric cat, or the Japanese Bobtail or Kurilian Bobtail, despite the similar name and physical type—the breeding programs are entirely unrelated, and the genetic mutation causing the bobbed tail are known to be different, as the mutation causing the American Bobtail's short tail is dominant; comparatively, the Japanese Bobtail, for example, has a tail mutation that is recessive.
The Burmese cat is a breed of domestic cat, originating in Burma, believed to have its roots near the Thai-Burma border and developed in the United States and Britain.
The Egyptian Mau is a small to medium-sized short-haired cat breed. They are one of the few naturally spotted breeds of domesticated cat. The spots of the Mau occur on only the tips of the hairs of its coat. It is considered a rare breed.
Tonkinese is a domestic cat breed produced by crossbreeding between the Siamese and Burmese. Members of the breed are distinguished by a pointed coat pattern in a variety of colors. In addition to the modified coat colors of the "mink" pattern, which is a dilution of the point color, the breed is now being shown in the foundation-like Siamese and Burmese colors: pointed with white and solid overall (sepia).
Cat coat genetics determine the coloration, pattern, length, and texture of feline fur. The variations among cat coats are physical properties and should not be confused with cat breeds. A cat may display the coat of a certain breed without actually being that breed. For example, a Neva Masquerade could wear point coloration, the stereotypical coat of a Siamese.
The Bombay cat is a short-haired breed of domestic cat. Bombays are glossy solid black cats with a muscular build, and have characteristic large bright copper-golden eyes. The breed is named after the Indian city of Bombay (Mumbai), referring to the habitat of the Indian black leopard.
The Oriental Shorthair is a breed of domestic cat that is developed from and closely related to the Siamese cat. It maintains the modern Siamese head and body type but appears in a wide range of coat colors and patterns. Like the Siamese, Orientals have almond-shaped eyes, a triangular head shape, large ears, and an elongated, slender, and muscular body. Their personalities are also very similar. Orientals are social, intelligent, and many are rather vocal. They often remain playful into adulthood, with many enjoying playing fetch. Despite their slender appearance, they are athletic and can leap into high places. They prefer to live in pairs or groups and also seek human interaction. Unlike the breed's blue-eyed forebear, Orientals are usually green-eyed. The Oriental Longhair differs only with respect to coat length.
The Snowshoe is a rare breed of domestic cat originating in the United States of America in the 1960s. The Snowshoe is a short-haired bicolour colourpoint breed. Snowshoes were first produced when a Siamese breeder's cat gave birth to three kittens with white feet. The breeder, Dorothy Hinds-Daugherty, then began a breeding program to produce what were originally called "Silver Laces", crossing the strangely marked Siamese cats with bicolour American Shorthair cats and other breeds. Despite having existed for 45 years, Snowshoes are rare due to the difficulty of reproducing the correct coat markings.
The Burmilla is a breed of domestic cat, that originated in the United Kingdom in 1981. It is a cross between the Chinchilla Persian and Burmese cats. In certain cat registries the breed falls under the Asian group, and is sometimes referred to as the Asian Shaded. Standards were produced in 1984, and the breed gained championship status in the United Kingdom in the 1990s.
The Chantilly-Tiffany or Chantilly/Tiffany, also known as the Chantilly or the Foreign Longhair, was a breed of domestic cat which originated in the late-1960s in North America. The Chantilly breed never got off the ground and has always been rare. It was near-extinction in the late-1980s and again in the late-2000s. Since 2015 the breed was considered extinct with the passing and neutering of the last two cats of Chantilly lineage, and with no intact Chantilly cats the inevitable resulting discontinuation of the breeding program. However, new sightings of the Chantilly have been reported in the United States, disproving their extinction classification.
The Oriental Longhair is a variety of domestic cat. It is closely related to the Oriental Shorthair. The Oriental Longhair in some registries, such as The International Cat Association (TICA), is a separate breed. In others, such as the Cat Fanciers' Association (CFA), it is a division, along with the short-haired variety, of a merged breed, the Oriental. With no globally recognised naming convention, other cat fanciers may refer to this type as Foreign Longhair, Javanese or Mandarin. It was formerly known as the British Angora before being renamed in 2002 by British cat fanciers in order to avoid confusion with the Turkish Angora.
The Tiffanie is a cat breed similar to the Asian Shorthair except it has semi-long fur length. The breed belongs to the Asian Group and is generally recognised in any of the Asian Shorthair or Burmese colours and patterns. Like the other cats in the Asian Group, the breed was developed during the 1980s in the United Kingdom by crossbreeding a Persian Chinchilla and a Burmese.
The LaPerm is a breed of cat. A LaPerm's fur is curly, with the tightest curls being on the throat and on the base of the ears. LaPerms come in many colors and patterns. LaPerms generally have a very affectionate personality.
Traditional Persian is one of several names for a group of cats that are considered to be essentially the original breed of Persian cat, before the variety was selectively bred to have extreme features. Other everyday usage names are: Doll Face Persian, Classic Persian, Old Fashioned Persian, Long-nosed Persian, Old-style Longhair, Traditional Longhair and Original Longhair.
The Persian cat, also known as the Persian Longhair, is a long-haired breed of cat characterised by a round face and short muzzle. The first documented ancestors of Persian cats might have been imported into Italy from Khorasan as early as around 1620, however, this has not been proven. Instead, there is stronger evidence for a longhaired cat breed being exported from Afghanistan and Iran from the 19th century onwards. Widely recognised by the North-West European cat fancy since the 19th century, and after World War II by breeders from North America, Australia and New Zealand. Some cat fancier organisations' breed standards subsume the Himalayan and Exotic Shorthair as variants of this breed, while others generally treat them as separate breeds.