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 (GCCF). [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]
The Asian group is a relatively rare breed among pedigree cats. Only 160 Asian kittens pedigreed with the GCCF were born in 2023. [6]
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: [7]
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. [8]
The Asian Shaded (also known as the Burmilla) has two colours at the tip and at the root of their fur. [9]
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. [10]
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. [11]
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, [12] [13] to produce a cat of mostly Burmese type, but with a sleek, panther-like black coat and exclusively with bright copper-golden eyes. [13] 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. [14] [7]
The Tiffanie (Unrelated to the Chantilly-Tiffany) also known as the Asian Semi-longhair is an Asian cat with medium to long length hair. [9]
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. [15] [7]
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. [15] [7]
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. [15] [7]
Eyes should be large and spread apart with the colour ranging from green to yellow and amber. [15] [7]
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. [15] [7]
The tail should be medium or long in length with a rounded tip. [15] [7]
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. [16] 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). [7] [15]
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. [7]
Many Asian breeders and their cats were involved in the research into the disease, [17] 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 Turkish Van is a semi-long-haired, standardised breed of domestic cat, which was developed in the United Kingdom from a selection of cats obtained from various cities of modern Turkey, especially southeast Turkey. The breed is rare, is one of the larger breeds, and is distinguished by the Van pattern, where the colour is restricted to the head and the tail, and the rest of the cat is white; this is due to the expression of the piebald white spotting gene, a type of partial leucism. A Turkish Van may have blue or amber eyes, or be odd-eyed.
The Cymric is a Canadian cat breed. Some cat registries consider the Cymric a semi-long-haired variety of the Manx breed, rather than a separate breed. Except for the length of fur, in all other respects, the two varieties are the same, and kittens of either sort may appear in the same litter. The name comes from Cymru, the indigenous Welsh name of Wales, even though the breed is not associated with Wales. The name may have been chosen to provide a "Celtic" sounding moniker for the breed. While the breed's Manx bloodline originated from the Isle of Man, the long-haired variant is claimed to have been developed by Canada. The breed is called the Longhair Manx or a similar name by some registries.
The Birman, also called the "Sacred Cat of Burma", is a domestic cat breed. The Birman is a long-haired, colour-pointed cat distinguished by a silky coat, deep blue eyes, and contrasting white "gloves" on each paw.
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).
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 Siberian is a centuries-old landrace of domestic cat in Russia, and recently developed as a formal breed with standards promulgated the world over since the late-1980s. Since 2006, the breed is recognised for registry and championship status with all major cat registries.
The Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF) is a cat registry, established in 1910 and the largest organisation that registers pedigree cats in the United Kingdom. It was formed from a small number of cat clubs which were registering cats at the time when the modern cat fancy was in its first stages. It is considered to be the original prototype for cat fancy registries. It is an independent body with around 150 member clubs, including specialist breed clubs and area clubs covering particular regions. The GCCF became an incorporated company on 5 November 2010. It licenses cat shows put on by its affiliated clubs with about 135 shows per year. Pedigree cats shown at these shows can gain the titles Champion, Grand Champion, Imperial Grand Champion and Olympian. The latter having three levels, Bronze, Silver and Gold. The word Champion is replaced by Premier for neutered cats, and Master Cat for cats competing in household pets. The showing of non-pedigree cats and Pedigree Pets is also popular at GCCF shows.
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 has been considered extinct with the passing and neutering of the last two cats of the Chantilly lineage, and with no intact Chantilly cats the inevitable resulting discontinuation of the breeding program.
The Oriental Longhair is a variety of domestic cat closely related to the Oriental Shorthair. The Oriental Longhair in some registries, such as The International Cat Association (TICA), it is considered 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 Ragamuffin is a breed of domestic cat. It was once considered to be a variant of the Ragdoll cat but was established as a separate breed in 1994. Ragamuffins are notable for their friendly personalities and thick fur.
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.
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. Persian cats have been 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.