Australian Mist - breed description and cat character

The Australian Mist is a smoky cat breed also known in the English translation as the Australian mist. A smoky cat with specks on the fur was bred due to the crossbreeding of several breeds of cats. Among them are known: Burmese, Abyssinian and other varieties of cats with short hair. It is known for certain that this type of cat breed was first created precisely on the Australian continent. That is why the cat received such a consonant nickname.

Breed history

Australian scientists have long sought to breed a rare species of cats at their research institute. However, the first to do this was the Sydney Doctor Labor Strade, around the eighties. Since 1977, a female scientist began to work on the crossbreeding of different cat breeds. It is known that in the blood of the Australian myst, genes of about 30 different representatives of the feline species are collected. The genes of the Burmese cat endowed the Australian myst with the shape of the head, eyes, a rounded strong body, and also innate friendliness.

After ten years of hard work, she managed to breed a new breed of a rare individual using the selection technique. In 1986, the first kittens of a new bred breed were born. Around 1998, Labor Strade managed to register an unusual variety of spotted, smoky cats. It was then that the name of the rare cat breed, originally from Australia, came from the Australian myst. Today in the world there are a small number of these beautiful and rare animals.

External features of the breed

The features of the appearance of the Australian cat do not greatly distinguish it from its relatives. The body of this rare cat is proportional. The animal has a medium-sized body, round muzzle, large eyes and long ears. The coat of a smoky cat is dense with short hair, without undercoat. To date, science knows six types of color of these pets. There are brown, chocolate, golden, lilac and other shades of Australian mystes. On the surface of the hair of these cats spots and stripes of dark colors stand out. These spots are typical for all types of cats of this breed, regardless of the color of their fur coat.

In adulthood, the weight of these animals can reach from 4 to 7 kilograms. But on average, females of the Australian Mist gain weight up to 3.5-4.5 kg, and males - from 4.5 to 5.5 kilograms. These pets live next to their owners from about 14 years to 19 years of age.

According to information collected by the International Cat Association on the breed of Australian cats, one can judge the appearance of these pets:

1. The head contour is rounded, the cheekbones are round. A bend is visible in the nose, and if you look in profile, you can see a convex curved line on the forehead.
2. The pet's muzzle attracts with large, wide-set eyes. They are tilted closer to the nose. The upper eyelid is straight, and the lower is curved. As a rule, the color of the eyes of all representatives of this breed has a green tint.
3. On the top of the head are wide ears at the base. The tips at the ends of the ears are rounded, slightly turned and lowered down. The ears of the Australian myst can not be called too large, rather - moderately large.
4. The nose of this type of cat can be called wide and at the same time, a little short.
5. The body of the pet is of medium length, the body is muscular, and the chest is distinguished by its wide and round shape.
6. The legs of this rare breed of cats are quite strong, while the hind legs are slightly shorter than the front legs.
7. The tail of four-legged cats native to Australia is proportional to the length of the entire body. The base of the tail is thick and slightly narrowed.
8. The coat of the Australian myst is dense and short-haired, has a glossy color.

Australian Mist character

The character of the cat sets him apart from other members of the family and makes him a faithful friend and obedient pet. These cats tolerate affection well and do not get angry when they are held in the arms of the owners. The cat is very patient, almost never shows its claws, as it is friendly in nature and does not like to scratch. This Australian breed of cats can be brought to people with a large family in which there are small children. After all, the Australian myst is distinguished by a good disposition, and loves spending time with his family. In order to spend time with your beloved owner, a cat of this breed can climb into any crevice and jump to a great height. Kittens of this species are very playful, friendly and energetic. They love to be active, but as cats grow up, Australian cats choose a moderate, calm lifestyle.

The Australian Mist gets along well with other pets in the same territory, even with dogs. Smoky cats from Australia are considered incorrigible homebodies, and do not require a large living space. They can live without leaving their home around the clock. However, this does not mean that they are afraid of the street.

Cats of this breed are well trained. For example, they can be accustomed to travel by car and walk on the street. Therefore, some owners even prefer to walk Australian favorites on a leash.

Wool dyeing

The distinguishing features that distinguish the Australian myst from his relatives are the three colors of his coat. The fur coat of the cat has the main color of the coat, on top of it the nature caused a dark pattern and a pronounced haze in the form of sepia. These spotty stains were formed due to ticking of the hairs on the background color of the fur coat.

A smoky cat can be painted brown, have an unusual lilac or mustard coat color. However, when kittens of the Australian breed are born, their color, as a rule, has a pale color with a reddish tint on the face: in the area of ​​the nose, cheeks and ears. Australian Mists get their distinctive color already in adulthood, by about two years.

Proper breed care

Australian Mists have quite good health. Like most of their relatives, Australian cats can be prone to obesity if they eat improperly and overfeed. This can harm the health of four-legged pets, cause the development of diabetes and other diseases. That is why you need to monitor the amount of food that a domestic cat eats. The recommended food norm is determined at the rate of 75 kilocalories per kilogram of weight.

The hair of this pet is practically not subject to shedding, therefore it does not need close care. Nevertheless, if the fur coat does not fade, then this does not mean that you need to forget to brush the quadruple with your brush. This should be done moderately.

It is also recommended to care for the teeth of cats: brush your teeth and ears. But water procedures are necessary as needed. But in general, smoky cats are known for their cleanliness, they like to wash and lick themselves for a long time.

Feeding cats

Young kittens of this breed need to be fed two to three times during the day. After a cat grows up, with about six months, the owners should transfer their pet to two meals a day. Products that the owners introduce into the diet of their four-legged pets can be combined.For example, you can combine expensive premium cat food with seedless boiled chicken, offal like chicken hearts and ground beef.

It is forbidden to feed cats with exclusively dry food. This may affect their health in the future. For example, cause stones and cause other diseases. Subsequently, this can lead to the imminent death of a pet.

Despite the fact that most manufacturers talk about the benefits of specialized cat foods, it’s impossible to be completely sure of their safety for the animal’s body. You also always need to monitor the presence of clean and fresh water in a cat's saucer, near a plate with dry complementary foods.

Meat containing small or large bones should not be introduced into the diet of Australian Mists. After the smoky breed kitten grows, you can add boiled beef meat instead of ground beef to its daily nutrition. A serving of cat meat should be cut into small pieces so that the cat can chew on it with its teeth. Do not crush the products. Kittens should not be fed with dry foods intended for adult cats, as they have a very solid foundation and can be harmful to teeth. Four-legged babies need to buy special premium food for kittens.

Tips for buying a kitten

If the owners decided to purchase a unique breed of Australian myst, then you should not buy cats from the hands of unverified sellers. They will not be able to give buyers any guarantee. It is necessary to buy cats exclusively in specialized nurseries from professional cat breeding workers.

As a rule, animals bought by owners in nurseries are well-groomed. They are taken care of, trained, given all the necessary injections, properly fed. After all, the Australian myst is a rather rare breed of cats, which is not often found in our country. Mostly smoky breed of cats is common in Australia, so it is difficult to find a real purebred breed.

Video: Australian Mist