GENERAL BREED STANDARDS FOR LONG-HAIRED CATS*
Body type
The size of the body should be medium to large. The legs should be short and the chest deep. The shoulders and rump should be massive and the body short but well rounded.
Head, cheeks, and jaws
The head should be large and round and the neck of medium length. The cheeks should be full and well rounded and the jaws short, broad, and powerful.
Eyes, ears, and nose
The eyes should be large, wide open, brilliant, and set far apart. The ears should appear neat, set far apart, not too broad at the base, and rounded at the tips. The nose should be short and broad and should appear snubbed.
Tail
The tail should be short, full, and straight. It should be carried at an angle lower than the back but not curved or trailed.
Legs and paws
The legs should appear thick in relation to the size of the body. They should be strong and perfectly straight. The paws should be firm, large, and round, with the toes carried close.
Coat
The coat should be long, flowing, and silky, and the fur should stand away from the body. The ruff should be very full about the neck and continue down in a frill between the legs. The ear tufts should be long and curved and the toe tufts long and full. The tail when brushed out should be especially full.
*Breed standards are based on ideals and vary somewhat between breeds. Some variations within breeds are almost inevitable, and allowances are made for certain of these during judging.
GENERAL BREED STANDARDS FOR SHORT-HAIRED CATS*
Body type
The body should range in size from medium to large. The legs should be of medium length and the chest broad and strong. The body should be strong, well proportioned, and neat in appearance.
Head, cheeks, and jaws
The head should be broad and the cheeks rounded. The jaws should be well developed, and the chin should form a perpendicular line with the upper lip.
Eyes, ears, and nose
The eyes should be large and round, set far apart. The ears should be medium in size, with rounded tips and not too broad at the base. The nose should be broad and short. The muzzle should appear square rather than snubbed.
Tail
The tail should be in good proportion to the body. It should be slightly thick at the base, tapering to an abrupt end at the tip.
Legs and paws
The legs should appear substantial but not especially thick. They should be of equal length and in pleasing proportion to the body. The paws should be neat, round, and firm.
Coat
The coat should be short and dense and have an even texture to give a neat appearance. The fur should be fine but not woolly.
main page - an anatomy of the cat - cat breeds - a cat's life history - choosing & caring for a cat - some diseases of cats - the cat in history