Australian Mist

The Australian Mist (formerly known as Spotted Mist) is a breed of cat developed in Australia. It is a cross between the Abyssinian cat, the Burmese cat, and the Australian Tabby cat. The Australian Mist has a distinct and unique coat pattern hence the name.

History
This breed was developed in Australia in 1977 by Dr. Truda Straede with a gene-pool of approximately 30 foundation cats. Dr. Straede submitted a plan to the  Royal Agricultural Society of NSW Cat Control (RASCC) for a breed with blue, brown, chocolate, and lilac colourings by using Burmese; and for a spotted tabby pattern by using the ticking gene of Abyssinian to go with a spotted tabby coat. The first generation of the breed was accepted into the RASCC experimental category in May of 1980 and in April of 1986 the fourth generation was accepted as the 'Spotted Mist'. In June of 1997 the marbled variety of the breed was accepted by the RASCC and Waratah State Cat Alliance. Due to the newly accepted marbled variety it was decided by the Co-ordinating Cat Council of Australia and the Australian Cat Fancy to rename the breed — in a unanimous decision the name 'Australian Mist' was chosen.

Breed recognition
On January the 1st 1999 the breed received championship status with the New Zealand Cat Fancy. The breed was accepted for championship status by the World Cat Federation in August 2004. The first Australian Mists were imported into the United Kingdom in 2007. The breed was given preliminary recognition by the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy in October of 2011. It was accepted at championship status in TICA (The International Cat Association) on 1 May 2014. It gained championship status with the Governing Council of the Cat Fancy in February 2017. The breed is not yet recognized by the Fédération Internationale Féline.

Appearance
The Australian Mist is a medium-sized short-haired cat, with a round and medium-sized head, a broad nose, and large green eyes. Eye colour can range from chartreuse to aquamarine. Ears are moderately large with a rounded tip to them. The coat is short to medium in length and feels smooth and silky.

Coat patterns
The coat pattern has three aspects: the ground color, which is paler than the pattern; the pattern; and the appearance of wearing a misted veil, caused by random ticking in solid color areas. The legs and tail are ringed or barred, and the face and neck also have lines of color.

There are two types of coat patterns in the Australian Mist: the original spotted coat which has distinctive spots that are symmetrical and the marbled coat which has swirled patches and streaks on the coat. Both varieties should have the tabby M-shaped marking on the forehead and a ringed tail with a dark tip.

Coat colours
Australian Mists have a paler coat on the under-parts of the body which give it the distinctive mist appearance. Colour may not fully develop until the adult is at least two years old. Australian Mists do not have a solid colour as the agouti ground gives them their distinctive look but the base colours in the cat include blue, brown, caramel, chocolate, cinnamon (gold), fawn (peach), and lilac.

Distribution
Due to the novel status of the breed outside Australia most Australian Mist catteries are located in Australia; however, there are a few in the UK and USA. Breeding cats have also been sent to Norway.

Health
The following conditions are commonly screened for in breeding Australian Mist cats — Pyruvate Kinase Deficiency, Hypokalaemic Polymyopathy, Neonatal Isoerythrolysis, and Progressive Retinal Atrophy.