AUSTRALIAN MIST
Standard of Excellence

GENERAL DESCRIPTION

The Australian Mist is a well-balanced, gently contoured cat of moderate foreign type, with no tendency to extremes in any characteristic. Both males and females have an open, generous expression. The males may be slightly larger than the females with facial characteristics and musculature more developed. Muscle development, coat and eye colour achieve adult expression by two years of age.

Head Of generous proportions, comparatively broad, and gently rounded from the front and in profile.
Ears Moderately large, wide at the base, rounded tips. Set low on the head and tilted slightly forward.
Eyes Large and lustrous, upper lid straight, lower curved; wide apart, slanting towards the nose.
Eye Colour Clear, delicate shadings of green, from chartreuse to aquamarine, the same for all coat colours.
Nose Broad, moderately short and of even width. In profile, the nose break is concave below and convex above the line of the eyes; the two parts of the curve being of equal length. A roman nose is a fault.
Cheeks Well rounded, with good width.
Jaw Firm, wide at the hinge and with whisker pads.
Chin Firm. In profile of good depth. The chin, well-developed whisker pads and tip of nose leather are in the same vertical plane.
Neck Of medium length, and in proportion to the body.
Body Medium in length, hard and muscular, heavier than it appears; chest broad and round.
Tail Long, thick, minimal taper, well furred.
Legs & Paws Proportionately strong, hind legs slightly higher than forelegs. Paws neat and oval.
Coat - Texture & Colour Short, glossy, dense and resilient.
Markings are delicate, though distinct from the paler ground, which provides a misted background. Overall colour should be rich and warm, paler on the underbody, with rufous tonings on nose, cheeks and ears, present in even the palest colours. Chocolate, lilac, gold and peach kittens are very much paler than adults, with the rufous toning dominating the body markings. Full colour is not obtained until two years of age.

PAGE 1 OF 4  

 

AUSTRALIAN MIST
Standard of Excellence

PAGE 2


Coat Patterns

These markings/patterns as described below should be seen despite the diffusing effect of the characteristic agouti misting. The pattern is more apparent when viewed from a distance.

Spotted

An unbroken line runs back from the corner of the eye to meet a broken line running from the corner of the mouth. Markings on the forehead form an intricate letter “M” and extend as lines over the top of the head to the shouldered region. Several broken/unbroken necklaces on neck and upper chest. Spine line/s, broken or unbroken, no penalty. Body markings symmetrical spots of any size or shape over sides, flanks and belly. Elongated spots, or banding on the legs permissible. Tail evenly ringed, with a solid tip. Paws may be spotted above, undersides of the pattern colour.

Marbled Head

The marbling consists of symmetrically placed patches of the darkest colour, broken internally with blotches of lighter colours, on a pale ground. Margins between ground colour and dark patches may be uneven, but should be clearly delineated. Ground colour has uneven margins along the spine. Dark lines from the corner of the eye, below the eye and below the jaw to meet mid-cheek below the ear. Markings on the forehead form a scarab (coronet). From the scarab, four parallel lines run over the top of the head and neck.

  Body Shoulder and neck marbled. Sides and flanks marbled. The flow of the pattern to be horizontal, not vertical. Dark spineline from level of mid-point of the rib cage to base of tail bordered by two bands of lighter colour. Belly spotted with at least two rows of rather heavy elliptical spots.
  Chest A series of broken or unbroken necklaces or scallops which extend from the shoulder pattern.
  Legs Irregular-shaped banding on the upper legs, incomplete smaller bands and spots on the lower legs and feet. Underside of feet of darkest pattern colour, which should extend to the hocks.
  Tail Dark colour above, light below. Banding on upper surface irregular, due to extensions of pale bands from below. Seen from the side, it looks like irregular scalloping. The tail is tipped with a broad band of the darkest colour.


SCALE OF POINTS
TOTAL 100 points
Head, Neck, Ears, Eye Shape, Set & Colour 30
Body, Tail, Legs, Paws & Condition 30
Coat length, Texture, Colour & Pattern 40


PAGE 2 OF 4  

 

AUSTRALIAN MIST
Standard of Excellence

PAGE 3


Penalise
  • Fine bones.
  • Shallow, long or flat skull.
  • Upright or small ears.
  • Small or round eyes.
  • Roman nose.
  • Pinched muzzle.
  • Whippy or visibly kinked tail.
  • Poor muscle tone.
  • Woolly or sleek coat.
  • Excessive shyness.
Disqualify
  • White toes.
  • Blue, amber or orange eyes.
  • Pattern on flanks obscured by overmasking (resulting in lack of definition).

RECOGNISED COLOURS:   Brown, Blue, Chocolate, Lilac, Gold, Peach

 BROWN
Body Colour Seal brown markings against a silvery fawn to old ivory ground. Rufous toning reddish-brown.
Nose Leather Brick red outlined in brown.
Paw Pads Brown

 BLUE
Body Colour Bluish-grey markings against a dusty blue to silvery-cream ground. Rufous toning pinkish-cream.
Nose Leather Pink outlined in blue.
Paw Pads Blue.

 CHOCOLATE
Body Colour Chocolate markings against a creamy fawn to old ivory ground. Rufous toning reddish-gold.
Nose Leather Pinkish-orange outlined in chocolate.
Paw Pads Chocolate.

 LILAC
Body Colour Dove-grey markings against a delicate mushroom to pinkish-cream ground. Rufous toning pinkish-fawn.
Nose Leather Pale pink outlined in dove grey.
Paw Pads Dusty pink.

PAGE 3 OF 4  

 

AUSTRALIAN MIST
Standard of Excellence

PAGE 4


 GOLD (CINNAMON)
Body Colour Old gold markings against a rich cream ground. Rufous tonings on ear tips, nose, underside of paws and tail tip, intensify the colour to bronze.
Nose Leather Pinkish orange outlined in bronze.
Paw Pads Pink


 PEACH (FAWN)
Body Colour Pinkish-salmon markings against a pinkish-cream ground. Ear tips, top of head and back brushed with a faint lilac bloom. Rufous tonings salmon pink.
Nose Leather Pale pink outlined in salmon pink.
Paw Pads Pink


PAGE 4 OF 4  
Allowable Outcrosses: None.