Cat Breeds for NOCTI
By: Chris Paul
Abyssinian
Today's Abyssinian retains
a resemblance to the
noble cats depicted in
ancient Egyptian statues.
The breed sports a ticked,
richly colored tabby coat
without markings on legs,
tail and neck, but with
dramatic facial markings.
The Abyssinian comes in
four coat colors: ruddy,
red, blue and fawn.
American Bobtail
The American Bobtail is a
short-tailed cat, with a
medium to large frame. Its
tail should be clearly
visible above the back
when the cat is alert, not
exceeding the hock in
length. A spotted or ticked
brown tabby pattern is
dominant. All colors and
patterns have been found,
including points with or
without markings.
American Curl
The American Curl gained
CFA acceptance and has
purred its way into the
hearts of judges and cat
lovers all in a short time.
The Curl originated in June
1981, when a spontaneous
genetic mutation produced
the breed's signature
backward-curling ears.
The American Curl comes
in a rainbow of colors.
American Shorthair
Ideal American Shorthairs
exude symmetry, with the
breed standard calling for
them to be slightly longer
than tall. Females tend to
be smaller than males. The
American Shorthair's face
should be full-cheeked
with an open expression.
American Shorthairs come
in 80-plus colors and
designs.
American Wirehair
The American Wirehair
sports an exceptional coat,
as each hair is bent or
hooked, producing a dense,
springy coat, with whiskers
of the same texture. This
breed was developed from
the American Shorthair, so
apart from the coat, the two
display many similarities.
The breed standard accepts
all colors and patterns,
except those showing
evidence of hybridization,
resulting in chocolate,
lavender, the colorpoint
pattern or those
combinations with white.
Balinese
The Balinese gets its name
from its sinuous flowing
movement, which reminded
early breeders of Balinese
dancers. Its oriental body
type, with a long, tubular
body and a wedge-shaped
head, is softened by the
semi-long coat that graces
its body. Traditional colors
are seal, chocolate, blue and
lilac points. Red, cream, lynx
and parti-color points are
registered as Balinese in
some associations, and as
Javanese in others.
Bengal
The International Cat
Association defines the Bengal
as at least a fourth-generation
descendant of a crossing
between the wild Asian Leopard
Cat and a domestic cat. The first
three foundation crosses are
identified as F1s, F2s and F3s.
The International Cat
Association recognizes brown
tabby, seal lynx point, seal sepia
tabby and seal mink tabby
colors, and spotted (singlecolored spots or two-toned
rosettes in a random pattern)
and marble (random tabby
markings minus the distinctive
bull's eye) patterns.
Birman
Also known as the "Sacred Cat
of Burma," Birmans are
colorpoint cats, meaning they
have a darker color on their tail,
legs, ears and face, much like
the Siamese or the Himalayan
division of the Persian.
Traditional colors accepted by
CFA and TICA include seal, blue,
chocolate and lilac.
Nontraditional coats, also
accepted by both organizations,
include red, tortie and lynx
varieties. TICA also recognizes
all pointed colors, solid
particolor point, lynx (silver and
nonsilver) particolor, tortie,
particolor point and smoke
particolor point.
Bombay
This American breed is
called the Bombay because
its intensely black coat is
reminiscent of that of an
Indian Black Leopard. It's
also known as a Black
Burmese, because this
breed came about after
crosses with a sable
Burmese and a black
American Shorthair. The
Bombay cat is always a jet
black color.
British Shorthair
The British Shorthair is a
stocky purebred that
resembles a plush teddy
bear. Although blue is the
color most associated with
the breed, Brits are found in
a number of colors and
patterns. Popular in blue,
but available in any color or
pattern, with the exception
of Himalayan patterns.
Chocolate and lavender
colors are welcomed in TICA,
but not accepted for show in
CFA. Striking copper eyes
adorn most British colors.
Burmese
The Burmese was created
in the United States in the
1930s from the breeding of
a male Siamese and a
brown female cat found on
the San Francisco
waterfront, believed to
have traveled there from
Burma. The Burmese cat
comes in either of the
following colors: Sable,
Champagne, Blue,
Platinum.
Chartreux
The Chartreux dates back
to 16th-century France. Its
thick, velvety coat is any
shade of blue-gray, from
ash to slate, with the tips
lightly brushed with silver.
The Chartreux's copper or
gold eyes hint at its
relation to the Russian
Blue, whose eyes are a
deep emerald green.
Chausie
The Chausie combines the genial
nature of a domestic cat with the
beauty and elegance of a jungle
cat. This big, muscular breed has
large, mobile, tufted ears, long
legs and a naturally short tail
reaching to the hock. Chausies'
shorthaired coats are recognized
in the three colors of the Jungle
Cat: brown ticked tabby, called
"golden" by breeders, which can
range from light tan through
tawny and mouse gray to a deep
yellow brown; solid black; and
silver-tipped black, a striking and
unique color found on no other
exotic or domestic cat. Markings,
seen only on the ticked cats, are
limited to a bit of black leg barring
and tail rings.
Colorpoint Shorthair
The Colorpoint Shorthair is the
result of breeding between
Siamese and other shorthair
breeds, in particular the
American Shorthair. These
breedings were performed with
the intent of enriching the color
varieties and patterns in the
Siamese. Accepted colors are
red, cream, seal tortie,
chocolate tortie, blue/cream,
lilac/cream, red lynx, cream
lynx, seal lynx, chocolate lynx,
blue lynx, lilac lynx, seal tortie
lynx, chocolate tortie lynx,
blue/cream lynx and lilac/cream
lynx. The body color should be
free of shading or marking and
is a variation of white.
Cornish Rex
The Cornish Rex is known
for its soft, wavy curls-even the whiskers curl.
This native of Cornwall,
England, savors the
warmth and comforts of
home and is well suited for
apartment life. The breed
is graced with every
imaginable color, including
colorpoints, lavender,
chocolate and white, in
addition to all of the basic
colors.
Devon Rex
The Devon Rex first
appeared in Devonshire,
England, in 1960, 10 years
after the birth of the first
Rex, the progenitor of the
Cornish breed. The Devon
Rex's coat, much like that
of the other Rex breeds, is
delicate, short and curly.
Egyptian Mau
With characteristics of a
wildcat, the Egyptian Mau
embodies a spirit reflecting
the deity it once was in
ancient Egypt. The breed
boasts exotic coats of bronze
and silver spots and is
known as the only naturally
spotted domestic cat. A
loose pouch of skin just
before the hind legs allows
for extra extension in
running and jumping.
Accepted colors for show
are silver, bronze and
smoke, although black and
blue do occasionally occur
and make lovely pets.
European Burmese
The European Burmese's
history is quite similar to
that of the Burmese known
and loved in the United
States. When the Burmese
moved to the United States,
the breeders in Europe took
the breed in a different
direction, resulting in two
distinct breeds today. Colors
for the European Burmese
include Brown, chocolate,
blue, lilac, red, cream,
brown-tortie, chocolatetortie, blue-tortie and lilactortie
Exotic Shorthair
The Exotic is a man-made breed
resulting from the cross of
Persians with American
Shorthairs and other
shorthaired cats. The Exotic's
body and head-style match that
of the Persian, but the breed
was separated into its own
category in the 1960s. The
exotic shorthair exhibits in a
variety of coat colors including:
white, blue, black, red, cream,
lilac, chocolate, chinchilla silver,
shaded silver, blue chinchilla
silver, blue shaded silver,
chinchilla golden, peke-face red,
shaded golden, blue chinchilla
golden, blue shaded golden,
shell cameo, shell cream,
shaded cream, shell
tortoiseshell, shaded
tortoiseshell and several others.
Havana Brown
The Havana Brown, a breed
of medium size and
structure, is noted for its
dark, chocolate coat. The
well-toned, muscular body
conveys a sense of power.
The first Havana was born in
England some 50 years ago
when a black "shorthair"
Persian had a brief fling with
a Chocolate Point Siamese.
The Havana Brown’s coloring
must be Solid colors only.
CFA - the Havana Brown is
accepted in Brown only.
TICA - refers to breed as
Havana and accepts both
Chocolate and Lilac colors
Himalayan
Depending on the association,
the Himalayan may be
considered a separate breed or
a color pattern of the Persian
breed. The Himalayan was
originally developed from
crosses between Siamese and
Persians in an effort to transfer
the pointed pattern to the
Persian type. Himalayans are
shown in shades of white to
fawn, with point colors on the
mask and extremities in the
following hues: chocolate, seal,
lilac, blue, red, cream tortie,
blue-cream, chocolate-tortie,
lilac-cream, seal lynx, blue lynx,
red lynx, cream lynx, tortie lynx,
blue-cream lynx, chocolate lynx,
lilac lynx, chocolate-tortie lynx
and lilac-cream lynx.
Japanese Bobtail
The Japanese Bobtail is an
ancient breed indigenous
to Japan. As its name
indicates, the Bobtail is a
partially tailed cat.
Medium in size, with long,
clean lines, the Japanese
Bobtail comes in a variety
of colors and patterns-solids, bi-colors and
tabbies. A wide variety of
colors and patterns are
accepted, but the most
popular are the dramatic
markings of the calico (mike) and black/white.
Javanese
Take one Balinese, dip it in
the colors of the rainbow
and you have a Javanese.
The Javanese is everything
that is Balinese, and then
some. This breed appears
in the lynx point and tortie
point patterns, as well as
red and cream point
colors.
Korat
The Korat is an ancient
shorthaired breed named
after a province of
Thailand. These felines are
graced with a silver-blue
coat, originally derived
from black, following
dilution. Korats live for
tranquility and will not
tolerate excessive activity,
noise and the coming and
going of new faces. The
short, close-lying coat is
"rain-cloud gray" tipped in
silver for a shimmering
effect.
LaPerm
The LaPerm is an
exceptional combination of
curly hair and affection.
This longhair breed often
wears a curly, plumed tail
and exhibits a full, curly
ruff. The shorthair LaPerm
has more texture to the
coat than does the
longhaired variety. Both
come in all colors and coat
patterns.
Main Coon
The Maine Coon is one of the
most popular breeds at show
tables. This shaggy feline shares
its affection with the entire
family, but elects a single
person as its beloved owner.
The breed sports four color
classes: solid, tabby, tabby with
white and parti-color. The
classic Maine Coon is a brown
tabby or brown tabby with
white, but the breed is available
in virtually every hue, with the
exception of chocolate and
lavender colors, or pointed or
ticked tabby patterns. Their
eyes are golden to green,
though white Maine Coons can
be blue or odd-eyed.
Manx
The Manx is tailless, an
unmistakable trait that
makes it immediately
recognizable. These
purebreds are stocky and
rounded in appearance,
with short front and long
hind legs that give them a
rabbit-like appearance.
Most associations accept
all colors and patterns
except those derived from
Siamese (color points),
although some recognize
these as well.
Munchkin
The Munchkin is
distinguished by a
spontaneous dominant
mutation that shortens the
cat's legs. Except for their
disproportionately short
legs, cats should be wellbalanced. It is important
that the legs be straight,
never bowed or cowhocked. The head shape is
an equilateral triangle. All
colors and patterns, as well
as both longhaired and
shorthaired varieties, are
accepted for competition.
Norwegian Forest Cat
This breed traces its
ancient origins to Norway
and has been tagged as a
skilled hunter, intelligent,
attentive and cautious.
Nicknamed "Wegies,"
these cats sport a thick,
heavy coat, almondshaped eyes and sweet
expressions. The
Norwegian Forest Cat
displays almost all colors
and patterns.
Ocicats
Ocicats look like small,
wild, spotted cats, but are
a domestic breed created
by combining the Siamese,
Abyssinian and American
Shorthair. The typical coat
is actually a spotted tabby,
in colors ranging among
tawny, cinnamon and
chocolate.
Oriental Longhair
Recently accepted as a
version of the Oriental
Shorthair, the Oriental
Longhair has a semilonghair coat, which
softens and adds grace to
the long lines of the
Oriental body. The two
largest cat associations
treat these cats differently.
Oriental Shorthair
Similar to the Siamese in
body type and personality,
Orientals do not, however,
share the characteristic
Siamese coloring. They are
slender yet hearty and are
generally of a solid color or
tabby-patterned in a
variety of colors for both
the shorthair and longhair
varieties.
Persian
The impressive Persian is a
massively built cat clothed in
a long, flowing coat. Short,
heavily boned legs support
the Persian's boxy body. The
cat's head should be round,
with large, round eyes and a
short, snub nose. Such a
wide variety of colors are
accepted in this breed that
they are divided for
competition into seven
categories: solids,
silver/golden,
smoke/shaded, tabby, particolor, bicolor and
Himalayan.
Pixi-Bob
The Pixie-Bob is a domestic
cat visually resembling the
North American Bobcat.
Despite its fierce look, the
Pixie-Bob is noted for its
loving, trustworthy and
tractable personality. Light
to medium shades of brown
spotted tabby in a random
"buckshot" pattern
preferred, with a base of
mousy gray, like a wild hare.
The appearance can change
substantially with the
seasons. Preferred eyes are
gold to brown, but
gooseberry green is also
accepted.
Ragdoll
The Ragdoll earns its name
from its habit of relaxing to
the point of utter limpness
in one's arms. The Ragdoll's
light-colored body has
darker Siamese-type points
on the face, legs, tail and
ears. The CFA accepts four
colors - seal, chocolate, blue
and lilac for registration and three patterns: color
point, mitted and bi-color.
Only bi-color may be shown.
TICA accepts all pointed
colors, solid, tabby, torti and
particolor, which is any
accepted color with white.
Russian Blue
As its name indicates, this
blue-coated cat seems to
be of Russian origin; it is
said to have arrived in
England during the mid19th century aboard a
Russian merchant ship.
The most distinctive
feature of the Russian Blue
is its fur, which seems to
be frosted with powdered
sugar.
Savannah
The Savannah inherits its
tall, lean, muscular build
from the serval cat of the
African plains. Its
outstanding features are
exceptionally long legs,
ears and neck. Colors
include solid black, black
smoke and spotted tabby.
Scottish Fold
The most striking
characteristic of the
Scottish Fold is its small
ears, folded forward and
downward, set in a cap-like
fashion. As its name
indicates, the breed is a
native of Scotland.
Longhair and shorthair
varieties come in a number
of colors and patterns.
Selkirk Rex
The Selkirk Rex is covered
with a downy, curly coat
with every little hair
arranged in ringlets that lie
close to the body. If the
whiskers are curly, a
breeder knows they have a
kitten that may grow up to
be a top show cat. Selkirks
come in nearly every color
of the feline palette,
including pointed, bi-color
and silver varieties.
Siamese
Named for Siam, this popular
breed is intelligent and has a
striking personality, suggestive
of an inscrutable inner life. The
breeding tradition began
generations ago, but the
Siamese of today still have the
graceful elegance suggested in
the earliest breed standards.
Body color ranges from glacial
white to pale fawn. Seal, blue,
chocolate and lilac are the four
point colors accepted by
purists. Red, cream, tortie and
lynx (tabby) points are created
by outcrossing to other breeds;
some associations classify these
cats as the Colorpoint breed.
Siberian
Living with a cat is quite
pleasurable, but living with
a Siberian cat is a
rewarding, life-changing
experience. A confident,
problem-solving house
clown, the Siberian can be
your best friend. All colors;
some associations do not
accept the pointed pattern
for championship.
Singapura
The Singapura has many
appealing features, including its
pastel coloring and distinctive
visage. The breed is
characterized by its alert
expression, its healthy, small- to
medium-sized muscular body
and noticeably large eyes and
ears. The only accepted color is
sepia brown in an agouti-ticked
pattern. This means that most
of the individual hairs on the cat
have alternating bands of the
dark sepia brown and a warm
old ivory ground color. The
muzzle, chest and underside of
the cat are the light color only
with no ticking. Like all tabbies,
they have some darker lines
accenting the face.
Snowshoe
As its name suggests, the
outstanding feature of the
Snowshoe breed is its four
white feet. The distribution
of the white and the
pointed color is carefully
outlined in the breed
standard. Ideally the white
pattern should be
symmetrical. The cat itself
is medium-sized, its body
long but hefty.
Somalia
Though its name would
indicate an origin in
Somalia, this breed first
appeared in the United
States. However, it was
named Somali because it
derived from an
Abyssinian. Despite its
medium-length coat, it
does not tolerate the cold.
The CFA recognizes the
Somali in four colors;
ruddy, red, blue and fawn.
Sphynx
The Sphynx is known as
the hairless cat; however,
it does have an almost
invisible fur. The coat of
the Sphynx is sparse and
does not have layers. The
cat's skin is clearly visible
on the muzzle, ears, paws
and tail. They are highly
sensitive to cold and
abrupt changes in
temperature. The Sphynx
cat comes in all colors.
Tonkinese
This cat blends the best
features of its ancestors into
one beautiful, medium-sized cat
that proudly wears one of three
coat patterns, each of which
comes in four colors. Tonkinese
have a surprising sense of
humor and a highly intelligent
and gregarious personality.
Mink (moderate color contrast
with aqua eyes), pointed (high
color contrast with blue eyes)
and full color (least color
contrast with green eyes). CFA
accepts the colors natural
(seal), blue, champagne
(chocolate) and platinum (lilac)
in all three patterns. TICA
recognizes cinnamon and fawn
as well.
Turkish Angora
The long coat of the
Angora is like no other
coat, with a sensuously
silky, luxurious texture.
Angoras are a fine-boned
felines, and surpass many
other breeds when it
comes to playfulness and
affection. They quickly
form devoted attachments
to their owners, lavishing
adoration.
Turkish Van
The Turkish Van traces its
ancient origins to the
region of Turkey's Lake
Van. A natural breed, the
Van sports a full, brush-like
tail as soft as cashmere.
The Van pattern is allwhite with colored
markings restricted
primarily to the head and
tail.