Cat Breeds & Types

Kolts & Kitties Combined Cat Info

I. Cat Categories
In 4-H, cats are divided into two categories:
Household Pets Purebreds
A. Household Pets
Most cats in America are housecats of unknown ancestry.
These cats are referred to as Household Pets (HHP).
HP cats are not judged according to a breed standard. Instead they are judged on:
Physical condition Attractive or unusual appearance
Cleanliness Presentation
Temperament
B. Purebreds
A purebred cat is a cat whose ancestors are all from the same recognized breed.

II. Breed Registries

Cat registries are the organizations in charge of keeping records of the genealogies of purebred cats.
They also issue formal certificates attesting to a cats breed & documenting its lineage. These are known as
pedigrees.
Cat registries hold cat shows, where registered cats are judged according to detailed breed standards.
Titles earned during these shows are recorded in the cats papers.
The beginning of modern cat breeding is attributed to a cat show held at the Crystal Palace in London in 1871.
An organization called The National Cat Club was formed for the purpose of this show. Essentially, it became the
worlds first ever cat registry.
It wasnt long before cat breeders branched out & set up new cat registries. These reflected different views of breed
standards or other aspects of breeding & showing cats.
Today there are numerous cat registries in the US & around the world, but 4 large international registries dominate
the arena. Most pedigreed cats will have their papers issued by one of these associations.
A. Cat Fanciers Association (CFA)
Founded in 1906, the CFA is considered to be the largest cat registry in the world.
Its headquarters are in the US & it is predominantly an American association.
The CFA is considered to be more conservative than other registries & currently recognizes 44 cat breeds.
http://www.cfa.org/
B. The International Cat Association (TICA)
Established in the USA in 1979, TICAs founder wanted it to be a more progressive and flexible registry.
It seems to hold true to its mission statement, with recognizing over 55 cat breeds & introducing a formal genetic
registry.
www.tica.org/
C. Fdration Internationale Fline (FIFe)
FIFeis a governing body that brings together 42 cat registries in 40 different countries.
The organization offers a unified registry with established breed standards.
Founded in France in 1949, its current board members reside in various countries in Europe.
http://fifeweb.org/

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D. American Cat Fanciers Association (ACFA)
Not to be confused with the CFA, the ACFA was established in 1955 & currently recognizes 53 cat breeds.
It emphasizes the friendly & welcoming nature of its organization & the social aspects of cat breeding.
http://www.acfacat.com/

III. Cat Breed Types

Purebred cat breeds are divided into 3 types: Natural, Man-made (Hybrid), Spontaneous Mutation
A. Natural Cat Breeds
Created by nature then refined & stabilized by selective breeding.
Examples of natural breeds:
Abyssinian American Bobtail American Shorthair Birman
British Shorthair Egyptian Mau Japanese Bobtail Korat
Maine Coon Manx Norwegian Forest Cat Persian
Russian Blue Siamese Siberian Singapura
Turkish Angora Turkish Van Cymric

B. Man-Made (Hybrid) Cat Breeds

Created by crossing 2 or more breeds to create a third breed.
Some are created by crossing a domestic cat with a wild cat. These are called Exotics.
Examples of Man-Made breeds:
Bombay = Burmese + American Shorthair Exotic = Persian + American Shorthair +Burmese
Havana Brown = Black shorthair + Seal point Siamese Javanese = Balinese + Colorpoint Shorthair
Tonkinese = Siamese + Burmese Bengal = Asian Leopard Cat + Domestic Cat
California Spangled = Many breeds. Trying for spots Chausie = Jungle cat + Domestic cat
Foldex = Scottish Fold + Exotic Shorthair Himalayan = Persian + Siamese
Longhair Exotic = American Shorthair + Persian Pixiebob = Bobcat + Domestic cat
Savannah Cat = Serval cat + Domestic cat Snowshoe = Siamese + America Shorthair
Toyger = Bengal + Domestic Shorthair Ragdoll = Bred from one friendly cat
C. Mutation Cat Breeds
Created by a spontaneous change in a gene resulting in an unusual feature.
Breeders then work to develop the feature & create a new breed.
Some mutations happened so long ago that they are now considered Natural Breeds.
Examples of mutation breeds:
American Curl American Wirehair Balinese Cornish Rex
Devon Rex Donskoy Scottish Fold (Shorthair) Don Sphynx
LaPerm Munchkin Selkirk Rex (Shorthair) Sphynx

IV. Body Types

All cats are divided into 3 basic body types: Cobby, Moderate, Foreign
There is some overlap between types.
A. Cobby Body Type D. Semi--Foreign Body Type
Bodies are: heavy, short-legged, compact, Bodies are beginning to stretch out, but not too
broad-chested extreme.
Examples: Persian, Manx Examples: Abyssinian, Japanese Bobtail, Russian Blue

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 B. Semi--Cobby Body Type E. Foreign Body Type
A little longer & not quite as broad-chested as Sometimes called Oriental or Exotic.
cobby bodies. Bodies are extremely long & tubular.
Examples: Chartreux& British Shorthair Examples: Siamese & Cornish Rex
C. Moderate Body Type
Body is: Well balanced, Medium length, Well-
muscled, Not extreme
Most breeds are of this type

V. Cat Colors
Coat, color & pattern are not breeds, they are decorations.
The original coat was a shorthaired, brown classic tabby.
All other coats, colors & patterns were mutations.
A. Basic Cat Colors
Basic colors are: Red, Black, Chocolate, Cinnamon*
Cat Color: Red
Other names: orange, marmalade or tangerine.
Light reds are called yellow.
The dominant color gene
Cat Color: Black
Other names: Ebony
Cat Color: Chocolate
A lighter version of black.
Other names: brown, sable, seal, mahogany or chestnut
Cat Colors: Cinnamon
An even lighter version of black.
Other names: terracotta, burnt sienna, tawny
B. Dilute Cat Colors
Each basic cat color has a diluted version:
Dilute Colors: Cream
Dilute of red.
Other names: beige, tan
Dilute Colors: Blue
Dilute of black.
Other names: grey, ash, slate
Dilute Colors: Lilac
Dilute of chocolate.
Other names: lavender, platinum, frost
Dilute Colors: Fawn
Dilute of Cinnamon.
Other names: coffee & cream, caramel
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C. White & White Markings
A solid white coat may be any of three types: Albino white, Complete white spotting, Dominant white.
Some white cats are deaf.
Albino White
Albino whites can have pink or pale blue eyes
Albino white does not cause deafness.
White Spotting
Can cause just a few spots or an entire white coat.
Dominant White
Caused by gene which hides all color & pattern.
Eyes are a darker blue than in albino whites.

Basic Colors

Red Black Chocolate Cinnamon

Dilute Colors

Cream Blue Lilac Fawn

White & White Markings

Albino White (pink eyes) Albino White (blue eyes) Complete White Spotting Dominant White
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VI. Coat Patterns
Patterns are:
Tabby
Solid (self)
Tipped
Parti--color
Bi-color
Pointed
A. Solid (Self)
Cat is entirely one color.
Red & its variants will show faint tabby markings.
B. Tabby
The original coat pattern.
Each hair is banded with light & dark stripes called agouti bands.
Have an M on the forehead & stripes on the cheeks.
Patterns: Classic Tabby
Markings are swirled creating a bulls-eye or marble cake appearance on the sides.
Have solid lines on the spine.
Have a butterfly mark on the shoulders.
Patterns: Mackerel Tabby
Have stripes like a tiger (or a mackerel)
Patterns: Spotted Tabby
Stripes are broken & appear as spots.
Often looks like a mackerel tabby with dotted lines.
Patterns: Ticked Tabby
Has no noticeable spots or stripes, just the agouti hairs.
C. Tipped
Each guard hair is white with color only on the tip.
Variations include:
Cameo: Red tipping
Chinchilla (Shell): Color only on the very tips of the hairs.
Shaded: Color on the last of the hairs.
Smoke: Color on the last of the hairs.
D. Parti-Color Patterns
Cats with both red and black.
Usually female.
Variants are:
Tortoise shell: Patches of solid red & solid black.
Patched tabby: Patches of 2 or more
colors with tabby markings.
Calico: A tortoise shell where the color patches are on a white background.

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 Torbie: A patched tabby where the color patches are on a white background.
E. Patterns: Bi-Color
Any cat that has white markings.
Some common variants are:
Harlequin: A cat that is white with a large spots of color.
Tuxedo Cat: A black cat with white paws & chest.
Van: A white cat with patches of color on the head & tail (may have a few body spots)
F. Pointed
Body is a dilute color.
Points are a darker color.
The points are:
Facial mask
Ears
Legs
Feet
Tail

VII. Coat Texture

A cats coat has 3 types of hairs:
Long guard hairs.
Bristly awn hairs.
Soft down hairs (undercoat)
Different breeds may have more or less (or none) of each of these hairs.

VIII. Coat Length

Short is the natural coat length.
Breeds have many terms for coat length.
4-H only divides as short or long hair.

Cat Breeds
Unit2 Chapter 2 continued
Body: Semi-Foreign Body: Moderately Long
Coat: Short Coat: Short or Long
C/P: Ticked Tabby in ruddy, C/p: Any
red, blue or fawn
Tail: Long enough to show
Type: Natural above back, not long enough
to touch hock
Type: Natural

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Body: Semi-Foreign Body: Solidly built
Coat: Short or long C/p: Any except pointed
C/p: All Origin: Natural
Ears: Minimum 90 arc or curl
Origin: Mutation
Body: Moderate Body: Moderate
Coat: Short hair that is Coat: Short
crimped, hooked or bent
C/p: Spotted or marble tabby
C/p: Any except pointed in brown, blue, peach, lilac,
caramel, gold, or chocolate
Origin: Mutation
Origin: Hybrid (Abyssinian x
Burmese)
Also called Spotted Mist
Body: Foreign Body: Semi-Cobby
Coat: Medium Coat: Hairless
C/p: Seal, chocolate, blue or C/p: All colors
lilac point
Type: Hybrid (Munchkin x
Origin: Mutation (of Siamese) Sphynx)
Body: Moderate Body: Long & Stocky
Coat: Short Coat: Long
C/p: Spotted or marble Tabby C/p: Pointed with white
in brown or seal markings
Hybrid: (Asian Leopard x Eyes: Blue
Domestic Cat)
Origin: Natural
Body: Medium Body: Cobby
Coat: Short Coat: Short
C/p: Black C/p: Any except pointed
Eyes: Gold to copper Origin: Natural
Origin: Hybrid (Burmese x
American Shorthair)
Body: Cobby Body: Cobby
Coat: Short Coat: Short or long
C/p: Sable, champagne, blue C/p: black, blue champagne,
or platinum chocolate, cream, lilac,
platinum, red, tortoise shell
Eyes: Yellow to gold
Type: Hybrid (Burmese x
Origin:
Persian

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Body: Foreign Body: Moderate, compact
Coat: Short Coat: Short
Coat/pattern: Spotted Tabby C/p: Ticked tabby in sable to
golden
Type: Hybrid (many breeds)
Type: Natural
Body: Cobby Body: Medium Long
Coat: Long Coat: Medium short
C/p: Solid or tabby in Blue, C/p: Any shade of blue
chocolate, cinnamon, lilac,
Eyes: Copper to gold
fawn
Origin:
Type: Hybrid (Burmese x
Birman)
Called Chantilly in Canada and
Tiffany in Australia
Body: Medium Body: Foreign
C/p: Solid black, black or Coat: short
brown ticked tabby
C/p: Pointed
Eyes: Gold or yellow
Eyes: Blue
Tail: to full length
Origin:
Type: Hybrid (Jungle cat x
domestic cat)
Body: Semi-Foreign Body: Cobby
Coat: Short & Wavy Coat: Long
Colors/Patterns: All C/p: All except pointes, ticked
tabby, chocolate, lavender
Origin: Mutation
Tail: should appear tailless
Origin: Natural
Body: Semi-foreign Body: Moderate
Coat: Short & wavy Coat: Short or long
C/p: Any C/p: ticked tabby in black,
blue, chocolate, cinnamon,
Type: Mutation
fawn, or lilac
Type: Hybrid (Canadian Lynx x
Domestic Cat)
Body: Medium Body: Foreign
Coat: Lots of skin wrinkles, Coat: Hairless, wrinkled skin
comes in Bald, Flocked,
Type: Mutation
Velour, Brush
Type: Mutation

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Body: Semi-foreign Body: Medium
Coat: Short Coat: Short
C/p: Spotted tabby in silver, C/p: Solid colors & tortoise
bronze or smoke shell
Eyes: Green Eyes: Yellow to amber
Type: Natural Type: Hybrid
(Burmese/Siamese)
Body: Moderate Body: Cobby
Coat: short Coat: Short
C/P: all except pointed, C/P: Any
chocolate, & lilac
Type: Hybrid (Persian x
Type: Natural American Shorthair x
Burmese)
Body: Cobby Body: Cobby
Coat: Long Coat: Short
C/P: All C/P: Any
Type: Hybrid (American Ears: Folded
Shorthair x Persian)
Type: Hybrid (Scottish Fold x
Exotic Shorthair)
Body: Medium Body: Moderate
Coat: Short Coat: Curly
C/P: Brown, blue, chocolate, C/P: any except chocolate,
lilac, red, cream, tortoise shell lavender or pointed
Eyes: Yellow Type: Mutation
Type: ?
Body: Medium Body: Medium
Coat: Short Coat: Long, single coat
C/P: Brown C/P: Any except chocolate,
lavender or pointed
Eyes: Green
Ears: fold forward & down
Type: Hybrid (Black Shorthair
x Seal Point Siamese) Type: Hybrid (Scottish Fold x
?)
Body: Cobby Body: Cobby
Coat: Long & thick Coat: Long
C/P: pointed C/P: not pointed
Eyes: Blue Type: Hybrid (Persian x
Siamese)
Type: Hybrid (Persian x
Siamese)

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 Basically a Persian that carries
the colorpoint gene
Body: Semi-Foreign Body: Foreign
Coat: Long or short Coat: Medium
C/P: Any except chocolate, C/P: Pointed
lavender, pointed or ticked
Type: Hybrid (Balinese x
tabby
Colorpoint Shorthair)
Tail: must have 1 or more
kinks, total tail cant extend
more than 3 from body,
must have a pom-pom of fur
Type: Natural mutation
Body: Medium Body: Semi-cobby
Coat: short Coat: short
C/P: all C/P: Silver tipped blue
Ears: Folded back Eyes: Green
Legs: Short Type: Natural
Type: Hybrid (Munchkin x
American Curl)
Body: Cobby Body: Moderate
Coat: short or long Coat: long or short; curly
C/P: any except chocolate, C/P: any
lilac, & pointed
Type: Mutation
Tail: short
Type: Natural Mutation
Body: Large, Moderate Body: Cobby
Coat: long Coat: Short or long
C/P: Any except chocolate, C/P: any except chocolate,
lavender, pointed, ticked lavender, pointed & ticked
tabby tabby
Type: Natural Tail: should appear tailless
Type: Natural
Body: Moderate Body: Semi-Foreign
Coat: Thin & sparse, fur on Coat: Short, long
extremities
C/P: Any
C/P: Any
Legs: Very short
Legs: Short
Type: Mutation
Type: Hybrid (Munchkin x
Sphynx)

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Body: Semi-foreign Body: Moderate
Coat: medium long Coat: Long, double coat
C/P: Blue C/P: any except chocolate,
sable, lavender, lilac,
Eyes: Green
cinnamon, fawn or pointed
Type: Hybrid (Russian blue x
Type: Natural
?)
Body: Moderately long Body: Moderate
Coat: Short Coat: Short
C/P: Spotted Tabby C/P: Any
Type: Hybrid (Abyssinian x Eyes: Blue
Siamese x American
Type: Mutation
Shorthair)
Body: Foreign Body: Cobby
Coat: Short or long Coat: Long & thick
C/P: any C/P: Any, pointed Persians are
called Himalayan
Eyes: Green or blue, not
crossed Type: Natural
Type: Hybrid (Siamese x ?)
Body: Foreign Body: Medium
Coat: Hairless or brush Coat: Short or long
C/P: Any C/P: Spotted or ticked tabby
Type: Hybrid (Oriental Tail: 2 to hock length
Shorthair x Donskoy)
Type: Hybrid (bobcat x
domestic cat)
Body: Cobby Body: Moderately long
Coat: Medium to long Coat: Long
C/P: any C/P: Bi-color, van, colorpoint,
mitted patterns; seal, blue,
Type: Bred from one very
chocolate, lilac, red, cream;
friendly cat
must have points
Eyes: Blue
Type: Bred from one very
friendly cat
Body: Medium Body: Medium, fine-boned
Coat: long or short, curly Coat: Short, double coat
C/P: Any C/P: Blue
Ears: curled back Type: Natural
Type: Mutation

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Body: Moderate B ody: Semi-foreign
Coat: Short Coat: short to medium
C/P: Brown spotted tabby C/P: black, brown spotted
tabby, silver spotted tabby,
Type: Hybrid (Geoffreys Cat x
black smoke
Domestic Cat)
Type: Hybrid (African Serval
Developed by WSU for
Cat x Domestic Cat)
Leukemia research
Body: Medium Body: Semi-foreign
Coat: short or long Coat: Short
C/P: Any except chocolate, C/P: Spotted tabby, solid
lavender, pointed black, Silver/Smoke
Ears: Small & folded Type: Hybrid (Bengal x
Oriental)
Type: Mutation
Body: Foreign Body: Medium
Coat: Short or long Coat: short or long; curly
C/P: Van, white with any solid C/P: Any
color, tail must be a solid
Type: Mutation
color
Type: Hybrid (Siamese x
Oriental)
Body: Foreign Body: Cobby
Coat: Short Coat: long, triple coat
C/P: Seal, chocolate, blue or C/P: Any
lilac; pointed
Type: Natural
Type: Natural
Body: Semi-Cobby, small Body: Semi-foreign
Coat: Short Coat: Short
C/P: Sepia agouti, no white C/P: Pointed mitted, pointed
bicolor
Type: Natural
Eyes: Blue
Type: Hybrid (Siamese x
American Shorthair)
Body: Semi-foreign Body: Semi-foreign
Coat: Very short, no Coat: Medium-long, double
undercoat coated
C/P: Brown ticked or classic C/P: Ruddy, red, blue or fawn
tabby ticked tabby
Type: Natural Type: Natural or mutation

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Body: Medium Body: Foreign
Coat: appears hairless Coat: very short
C/P: any C/P: Pointed
Type: Mutation Eyes: Blue
Type: Natural
Sometimes called the
traditional Siamese
Body: Medium Body: Medium
Coat: Medium short Coat: Short
C/P: Mink, solid or pointed C/P: Tabby with glitter
Type: Hybrid (Siamese x Type: Hybrid (Bengal x
Burmese) Domestic Shorthair)
Body: Semi-Foreign Body: Moderately long
Coat: Long; single coat Coat: Semi-long with no
undercoat
C/P: Any except chocolate,
lavender; pointed C/P: red, cream, black or blue
in solid, tabby or tortoise
Type: Natural
shell; must have van pattern
Type: Natural
Body: Medium
Coat: Semi-long
C/P: chocolate or lavender in
any pattern; may have white
Type: Selective natural

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