Australian Mist cat breed: facts, temperament and care

About the Australian Mist

The Australian Mist is a short-coated cat developed in Australia from 1977 by Dr Truda Straede. She began with about thirty foundation cats and crossed domestic spotted tabbies with Burmese and Abyssinian cats. The aim was a friendly, easy-care house cat with a spotted or marbled pattern. The breed was first called the Spotted Mist and was renamed the Australian Mist after marbled cats were accepted in 1997.

The coat is short to medium, smooth and silky. The ground colour is pale underneath, and the spots or marbling sit on top, so the pattern looks as though it is seen through a mist. Accepted colours are brown (black), blue, chocolate, lilac, gold (cinnamon), peach (fawn) and caramel. Eyes are green. The body is medium in size, with a rounded head and good muscle, and registries do not allow pointed or mink colour.

The breed gained championship status with the New Zealand Cat Fancy in 1999, the World Cat Federation in 2004, TICA in 2014 and the GCCF in 2017. FIFe does not recognise it.

Temperament and living with one

The Australian Mist is bred to be placid and people-oriented. Breeders describe it as gentle and tolerant, with a calm manner that suits family life, including households with children. It tends to be content as an indoor cat, and many are comfortable being picked up.

It is usually good with other pets and enjoys short play sessions more than frantic activity. It is quiet and does not need constant entertainment, but it enjoys company, so it may not like long days alone. Allow time for gentle introductions to dogs or other cats.

Care: coat, food and play

The coat is easy. Brush once a week, and a little more in spring and autumn. Check the teeth, ears and nails as you would for any cat.

Feed a complete diet in measured portions and keep the cat lean. Provide a scratching post, a cat tree and play with wand toys or small balls. Because it suits indoor life, give it window perches and a secure, enclosed outdoor space if you can.

Health

Breeders recommend testing for pyruvate kinase deficiency, feline hypokalaemic polymyopathy, neonatal isoerythrolysis and progressive retinal atrophy, because the Burmese and Abyssinian in its ancestry carry some of these conditions. Ask a breeder what the parents have been screened for. The breed is young and rare, so published health data is limited. A vet can advise on vaccines, parasite control, dental care and routine checks. Report weakness, loss of vision or a change in appetite promptly.

Is it right for you?

The Australian Mist suits someone who wants a calm, affectionate indoor cat with a distinctive coat and low maintenance. Kittens are hard to find outside Australia and New Zealand. For a more active spotted cat, look at the Bengal or the Egyptian Mau, and for a related temperament, see the Burmese.