Standards

Glossary of Terms

AWN HAIRS:

The coarser of the two types of secondary hairs having thickened tips.

BARRING:

Tabby-striped markings.

BELLY SPOT:

See LOCKET.

BRAIDED:

Irregularly fluid linear markings that are interwoven and branching, as the stripes on a tiger. Characteristic of some tabby markings found on the Toyger.

BREAK:

An indentation of the nose at about eye level or between the eyes.

BRINDLE:

(Brindles, brindling) A blending of two colors, as in many tortoiseshell cats. The scattered "wrong" colored hairs in a coat.

BRITCHES:

Longer hair on the back of the legs in semi-longhair breeds. See pantaloon.

BRUSH COAT:

May either be a full dense coat with short, slightly wiry curly hairs, or sparsely scattered short, slightly wiry curly hairs covering the entire body.

COAT COMPOSITION:

There are three main types of hair that makeup the normal coat: 1) guard hairs, 2) bristle or awn hairs, and 3) down or wool hairs.

COBBY:

Having a short, compact body, with broad shoulders and rump. Usually goes along with a short tail and a large, rounded head, as in the Persian, Himalayan, Exotic Shorthair, or Manx/Cymric.

COMPACT:

Closely or neatly packed together opposite of rangy.

CONCAVE:

Curve shaped like the inside arc of a circle.

CONDITION:

Referring to the state of being of the cat, i.e., health, both mental and physical. Proper weight, overall health and grooming are considerations.

CONFORMATION:

The particular form of a cat, made up of the size and shape of a breed. Also called type.

CONTRAST:

The visibly noticeable difference in color and value between two coat colors on a cat.

CONVEX:

Curve shaped like the outside arc of a circle.

COWHOCKING:

Condition in which a cat has back legs which are not parallel, the hocks are very close together.

CRISP:

Firm, not soft or limp. Refers to British Shorthair coat texture.

CROUP:

The area between the point of the hip bone and the base of the tail.

CUPPED:

A deep ear.

CURLED EARS:

The ears curve up and back, away from the face. The distinctive feature of the American Curl (Ac/-).

DENSE COAT:

Heavy undercoat, thick, hairs are crowded together.

DEPTH OF FLANK:

Determined by viewing the flank from top to bottom; the area between the rib cage and the thigh. The Manx/Cymric will have greater depth of flank; the Cornish Rex will have minimal depth of flank.

DOMED:

Hemispherical or rounded.

DOMESTIC LONGHAIR/SHORTHAIR:

Any cat belonging to Felis domesticus not registered as a recognized breed.

DONKEY EARS:

Upright large ears set close together.

DOUBLE COAT:

Having a thick undercoat with another top coat of longer hairs. The awn hairs may be the same length as the guard hairs (Russian Blues, for example) or there may be longer guard hairs (as in the Manx).

DOWN HAIRS:

Soft, crimped, secondary hairs.

EAR MUFFS:

Longer fur on the lower back side of the ear in Devon Rex, also known as ear tufts.

POM POM TAIL:

Effect created by knotted/fused vertebrae and fur of the Japanese Bobtail.

FLANK:

The part between the ribs and thigh at either side of the body.

FLARED:

Spread out.

FOLDED EARS:

The ears fold downward toward the face. This is a dominant gene affecting the cartilage.

FOREIGN TYPE:

Modified wedge or wedge shaped head, large ears, oval or almond shaped eyes, long body with legs in proportion to body length, slim, fine boned, long and tapering tail. Elegant. Greater depth of flank than in Oriental type. The Abyssinian and Russian Blue are examples of Foreign type.

FORESHORTENED:

Shorter than normal; usually due to the fusion of vertebrae of the spine in the lumbar and spinal area of the cat (back and tail). This is sometimes seen and felt in Scottish Folds where flexibility is reduced and thickness is increased.

FROSTED:

Suggestion of light ends to the hair shaft, which give a frosted or silvered appearance; also used in reference to reverse ticking.

GLITTER:

The natural deep glow, shine or sparkle created by a clear layer or bubbles within the hair shaft which reflects light readily. Often seen in Bengals and Toygers.

GLOVES:

Referring to the white on the front feet, not extending up the leg.

GHOST MARKINGS:

Faint tabby markings seen in some self(solid) colored cats, especially when young. These markings are not penalized in young kittens and are often allowed in young cats. Check individual Standards.

GROIN SPOT:

See LOCKET.

GROUND COLOR:

1) The area of color on the lower part of the hair shaft; also the agouti area between the markings in the tabby patterns. 2) the color over which or through which pattern or tabby markings are visible.

GUARD HAIRS:

Long coarser hairs forming the outer coat; the longer outer hairs.

GYPSY SHAG:

Loose and bouncy hair of different lengths (layered). Appearance of permanent losing it's tight curl. Semi long hair loosely curled at varying lengths, rather than all one length, as in the LaPerm. In comparison a Selkirk would have a tight "Afro", Devon and Cornish would appear "Marcelled", or finger-waved.

HAIRLESSNESS:

Relative absence of noticeable coat. Hairlessness is not usually absolute in the cat; there may be hair on the points of a Sphynx and the body is often covered with a down similar to suede.

HOCK:

The joint of the hind leg corresponding to the ankle in man. The joint between the knee and the top of the foot.

HOOD:

Mask (color) extending to the base of the ear forming a hood of color; i.e., no contrast on head.

HORIZONTAL CRIMP:

Excessive width of both edges of the base of the ear distinguished by the ear continuing beyond a vertical curved ridge that one would have expected to be the natural outer edges of the ear, giving the ear a splayed appearance. A horizontal ridge of cartilage is also visible in the center of the ear above the canal (as in the AC ear).

LACES:

Linear patterns of white extending up from the feet, especially the back feet.

LOCKET:

An undesirable small spot of white usually found in the neck, groin, or armpit areas, and sometimes found on the toes or paws, the result of a white spotting gene believed to be different from the dominant white spotting gene (S/-).

LONG AND SUBSTANTIAL:

Denoting the type of some breeds, use to indicate longer length of body that is not accompanied by foreign type.

MASK:

Darker color covers the face, including whisker pads and may be connected to the ears by tracings.

MITTED PATTERN:

A predominantly colored cat with white limited to paws, back legs, belly chest, and chin in most specimens. Cat is about 1/4 white. White does not extend beyond the wrist joint on the front feet.

MUTTON CHOPS:

Downward growth direction of hair below ears and on cheek area, giving the impression of "mutton chop" whiskers on a man.

MUZZLE BREAK:

See Whisker Break.

NECKLACE:

Distinct tabby markings in the neck area. May be broken or unbroken.

OCCIPUT:

The prominent, back part of the head or skull.

OCELLUS (pl. ocelli):

Light colored horizontal bar on back of ear encircled by a band of another (darker) color; often referred to as night eyes. A desirable trait in the American Bobtail and the Savannah.

ODD-EYED:

A cat with one blue eye and one copper, yellow, orange or green eye.

ORIENTAL TYPE:

Long, triangular head with large ears; almond or oval eyes; long, lean tubular body; long, fine-boned legs; long whippy tail. There is minimal to no depth of flank. The Siamese is an example of Oriental type.

OVERSHOT:

The upper jaw protrudes in front of the lower jaw.

PANTALOONS:

See britches.

PATCHING:

Clearly defined patches of color in the coat, as seen in torties, particolors (color/pattern plus white).

POINTS:

The extremities of a cat's body: the mask, ears, tail and feet.

POINT COLOR:

Darker color limited to the mask, ears, feet and the tail, i.e., the extremities of the cat's body.

PUG:

Short as in pug nose.

RANGY:

Rather long torso with legs of a length to accommodate the body length.

RECEDING NOSE:

Lying further back than the chin.

RESILIENT:

The fur springs back to its original position after it is stroked backwards.

REVERSED TICKING:

Outermost tip of banded hair is light instead of dark.

REXED:

1) Appearing to be without guard hairs, the hair is wavy. Two recessive rex genes appear in the Cat Fancy: the Cornish (r/r), Devon (re/re).

2) Any cat with curly hair regardless of mode or inheritance or types of hair affected, for example the Selkirk (Sr/-).

ROCKER of a CRADLE:

When viewed from the back, the ears of a MX/CY are set as to resemble the rockers of a baby's cradle or a wide U-shape.

ROSETTES:

A variation of the tabby pattern whereby doughnut or floral shapes instead of spots are formed.

RUFOUS:

Refers to a reddening of the coat color, especially the ground color in brown tabbies. May be a polygene or the result of the action of a group of polygenes. Considered desirable in the Golden. The rufous factor changes the drab beige 'yellow' band of the wild tabby to a brilliant apricot; it changes the drab orange to a brilliant, rich red. The Ruddy Abyssinian is a rufoused black agouti tabby.

SEMI-COBBY:

Less extreme than cobby, not short coupled like the Manx, not long like the Siamese. The British Shorthair and American Shorthair are examples.

SEMI-FOREIGN:

More than semi-cobby and less than foreign. Long lines, medium boning, modified wedge. The Havana and Egyptian Mau are examples.

SLAB FLANKS:

The area between the rib cage and the thigh that is flat rather than rounded, giving the appearance of length and slimness. In the Persian Breed Group, which should have rounded flanks, slab flanks are a penalty.

SMALL:

Comparatively less in size, diminutive.

SNUB:

Short and turned up.

SPLAYED:

Spreading outward, broad and flat.

STACKED:

Standing with weight evenly distributed on all four feet.

STOP:

A change in direction, the short incline between the forepart of the skull and the muzzle. Concave curve occurring in the nose at eye or just below eye level; may be very slight or pronounced.

STURDY:

Stocky, solidly built, thick set.

TAPER:

A gradual decrease in thickness or width of an elongated object. To make or become gradually narrower toward one end. To become gradually smaller.

TEXTURE:

The composition of structure of a substance. The tactile appearance of the coat resulting from the arrangement of the hair.

THIRD JOINT:

Equivalent to where the fingers are attached to the hand in man.

TICKED:

Three or four separate bands of color on each hair shaft, as on the Abyssinian.

TIPPING:

Having colored ends of the hairs, with a different color on the lower portion of the hair shaft. In silvers the degree of tipping can decide whether a cat is classified as a chinchilla, shaded or smoke.

TORSO:

The trunk of the body.

TRIPLE COAT:

The awn, down and guard hairs are all the same length.

TUBULAR:

Cylindrical, shaped like a tube. Having the same circumference at any point along its length.

TUCK UP:

Curved spine creates the drawing in of the flank, as in a Greyhound or the Cornish Rex, the opposite of increased depth of flank as in the Manx..

TUFTS:

Clusters of hair growing close together as between the toes or behind the ears.

TYPE:

Conformation, the general form, structure.

UNDERCOAT:

A true undercoat is the wooly or down hairs, under the longer guard hairs.

UNDERCOLOR:

The part of the hair shaft closest to the skin, in a smoke, the non-pigmented portion of the hair shaft, in tabbies, the ground color.

UNDERSHOT:

The lower jaw protrudes out in front of the upper jaw.

VERTICAL CRIMP:

Beginning at the base of the ear and continuing along some or all of its height, the outer edge of the ear bends or rolls vertically in toward the center of the ear giving the outer edge of the ear a pinched or crimped aspect (as in the AC ear).

WALNUT:

Having a rounded shape of a walnut; a slightly flattened circle; not quite an oval. Used to describe eye shape.

WEDGE:

(As viewed from the top of front) is created by straight lines from outer ear bases along sides of muzzle, without a break in the jaw line at the whiskers. Skull to be flat and the straight nose a continuation of the forehead.

WHIPPY:

Referring to the tail, long, tapering, giving the effect of slenderness and length.

WHISKER BREAK:

Change of direction between the muzzle and the cheekbones.

WITHERS:

The highest part of the back between the shoulder blades.

WRY MOUTH:

Abnormally twisted or bent to one side. The lower jaw is aligned to the side of the upper jaw. This is the worst of all bite problems.