Breed: Australian Mist cat
Temperament: intelligent, friendly
Cost: from $450
Lifespan: 12 years
Recommended for: families and elderly people Looking for a true blue Aussie made product?- then the Australian Mist is for you. This extremely affectionate cat was purpose bred to entertain the children and to leave the native wildlife alone. They adore their owners so much they drool! How successful the breeders have been inbreeding a cat which doesn't kill native wildlife is still to be established.

Appearance

Its general shape is like that of a well-balanced domestic cat. The coat is short but dense and soft like that of a Burmese. The pattern is made up of darker spots on a lighter, 'misted' ground. The colour of the spots determines the colour of the cat as the background colour is always a creamy, mushroom shade and very subtle. The colours which have already been named are brown, blue, chocolate, and lilac, gold and peach.

The Marbled Mist

Over the past few years kittens have appeared showing a modification of the classic tabby pattern. The Marbled Mist does not differ from the Spotted Mist in body and head type, eye colour or temperament. The only differences are that the spots on the side are replaced by symmetrically placed patches of the darkest colour broken with blotches of lighter colour, all of which occur on a pale background. The tail instead of being ringed has a beautiful irregular scalloping. Marbled Mists also have "spotted tummies".

Health

They have no special health problems but as with other lighter coloured cats are more prone to allergies and skin cancers than darker ones. There appear to have been very few problems with one exception: some peach Australian Mists have shown a tendency towards skin allergies.

Temperament

Australian Mists are said to be outstandingly affectionate and gentle. They are excellent with children and are very obliging when called upon to participate in games. They remain very kittenish all their lives but are trainable from 9-10 weeks without undue difficulty. Australian Mists are so affectionate that they are prone to becoming very spoilt and this can create problems if you are planning to board them from time to time.

Grooming

They require general hand grooming but no special requirements.

Feeding

They are not fussy eaters and will cost around $7 per cat per week to feed.

Lifespan

Experience to date is that Australian Mists live to an average of 12 years of age.

Breeding

There are no apparent breeding problems. Litters are small, usually with four or five kittens.

Cost

Prices for kittens vary from $360 for a neutered male pet to around $390 for a fully-vaccinated, fully-registered 12-week-old breeding female. Prices may vary slightly between the spotted and marbled variety of the Australian Mist.

History

The Australian Mist (formerly known as Spotted Mist) is the only breed of cat which has originated entirely in Australia. In 1977 Dr Truda Straede developed the Spotted Mist from the domestic and Burmese - from which the spotting (a version of the tabby pattern) was obtained - and the Abyssinian, which provided the ticking for the background of the coat. The ticking must be present to enhance the spotted pattern.

In 1987 the Spotted Mist was accepted by the RAS Cat Control and fully registered. Australian Mists are now recognised in all Australian states. There are currently no Australian Mist breeders in Queensland, the ACT, or the Northern Territory.

Popularity

In 1988 there were around 50 breeding cats and about 200 Australian Mists not involved in the breeding program. Today there are around 100 breeding cats and 1500 pets in Australia.

Further Information

Australian Mist Cat Fanciers Association Inc.
http://www.pnc.com.au/~ausmist/associationindex.htm
Email: ausmist@dcsi.net.au

NSW

Dr T.M. Straede (President)
Telephone (03) 5629 6211
http://www.pnc.com.au/~ausmist

South Australia
Dr V. Hamilton (Secretary) - (08) 8388 6039

Western Australia
Mrs J. Perkins (Treasurer) - (08) 9821 2171

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