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| Names |
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The Asian Group comprises the Shadeds, Smokes, Selfs and Tabbies (all separate breeds) including the Bombay, Burmilla and Tiffanie (see separate listings). |
| Breed Classification |
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Shorthaired (Asian Group) |
| Lifespan |
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> 15 years
Asians are generally long lived and can live well into their late teens. |
| Average Litter Size |
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The average litter of Asians numbers 6 but much larger litters of up to 12 kittens are not uncommon. |
| General Physical Description |
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The Asian cats are of medium build and resemble closely their ancestors the Burmese. In the Asians the female is much smaller and daintier than the male. The head has good width between the ears and a gently rounded dome. The jaw is wide at the hinge tapering to a broad blunt muzzle. In profile the head forms a short wedge with a firm chin and short nose. The chin and the tip of the nose are in the same vertical plane. The ears are of medium size with a rounded tip. They are set so as to continue the angle of the face and are slightly tilted forward. The eyes are set well apart and are full and expressive. The eyes may be any colour from yellow through to green depending on the variety. The body is firm and muscular with a strong straight back. The legs are of medium length and the hind legs are a little longer than the front. The paws are oval and the tail is medium to long tapering slightly to a rounded tip. |
| Weight Height Range |
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Asians normally weigh between 4 - 7kgs. |
| Feeding |
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The Asian is an active cat and requires 80 Kcals per kg of bodyweight per day of food. These cats are not generally prone to obesity and regulate their own diets very well. |
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Try Royal Canin Breed Specific Cat Food |
| Ailments |
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The Asians have no specific health care problems and, like the Burmese, live well into their teens. As with all cats it is a good idea to have an annual health check from about the age of eight. |
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| Show Characteristics |
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The Asian breed is still in its infancy and while the Burmilla, Smokes and Tabbies have full Championship status, the Tiffanie remains on the Geverning Council of the Cat Fancy's Listing, while the Selfs and Torties are at an Intermediate stage, and will be awarded full Championship status on 1st Hune 2000. The Asian Group is growing rapidly in popularity and these charming cats can be seen at all the major cat shows in the UK. They are easy to prepare for show and love the attention they get when there. Prizes may be withheld for incorrect coat colour, pattern or length, white markings, incorrect type as well as any of the faults that apply to all breeds such as skull deformities, entropion (an eyelid deformity), unlevel bite, squints, tail kinks etc. |
| Country Of Origin |
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Britain |
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| Energy |
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High |
| Compatibility With Other Cats |
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High |
| Compatibility With Other Animals |
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High |
| Suitability For Children |
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Medium |
| Character & Temperament |
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The Asian is very like the Burmese in temperament - extremely friendly and affectionate - but slightly less boisterous than the Burmese. They love attention and need to be part of the family. They can be quite demanding and often follow their owners around the house crying for attention. If spoken to they often appear to understand and answer. Asians are very intelligent and can often work out such problems as how to open doors. The curiosity and friendliness of the Asian can often lead it to stray into visitor’s cars or delivery vans and they may be best confined to the house or a secure garden. They usually settle quite happily to this arrangement, as above all they do love their home comforts. They love to play and toys and scratching post should be provided for amusement as well as quality time set aside for play with their humans. They can be very sensitive to their owner’s feelings and this makes them excellent companions. They are generally good with children and when fed up with the rough and tumble of play with human children will stalk off until peace resumes. |
| Noisiness |
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Medium |
| Placidity |
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| Playfulness As An Adult |
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| Grooming & Upkeep |
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The short close lying coat of the Asian Shorthair does not require much grooming although they do appreciate the attention that comes with it. |
| Coat Length |
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Short |
| Colour |
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It is thought that every combination of colour and pattern has not yet been bred in the Asian group. The combinations are probably all but endless. The coat itself should be short, fine and close lying in the Asian Shorthair. All the Asian colours can be subject to the Burmese colour restriction gene. This gene has the effect of reducing the melanin in the hair shaft particularly close to the skin, thus the colour is not sound to the roots and the coat will be paler than the full expression colour which is not effected by the gene. Asian Self - The Asian self must be the full expression form of the colour, Burmese colour restriction selfs are known as variants and cannot be shown but can be bred from. The self-colours are: 'Bombay (Black) ' - The coat is jet black and shimmers like patent leather. The nose leather and eye rims are black and the paw pads are black or dark brown. The Burmese colour restriction equivalent of black is brown and this should be a warm seal brown. 'Blue' - The coat is a medium to dark blue. The nose leather, eye rims and paw pads are solid blue. In the Burmese colour restriction blue the colour is a soft silvery blue grey. 'Chocolate' - The coat is a rich warm chestnut brown. The nose leather, eye rims and paw pads are brown or pinkish brown. The Burmese colour restriction coat is that of warm milk chocolate. 'Lilac' - The coat is a frosty grey with a pinkish tone. The nose leather, eye rims and paw pads are pinkish lilac. The Burmese colour restriction colour is pale delicate dove grey with a hint of pink. 'Red' - The coat is a rich intense red, and there may be some tabby markings. The nose leather, eye rims and paw pads are pink. The Burmese colour restriction coat is a light tangerine. 'Cream' - The coat is a medium toned cream. The nose leather, eye rims and paw pads are pink. The Burmese colour restriction cream is warm showing a bloom on ears and back giving a powdered effect. 'Caramel' - The coat is a cool metallic bluish fawn. The nose leather, eye rims and paw pads are bluish fawn. The Burmese colour restriction caramel is a metallic pale fawn shading to honey colour on the tummy and chest. 'Apricot' - The coat shows a cool dusty cast over an intense pinkish cream. The nose leather, eye rims and paw pads are pink. The Burmese colour restriction is a paler warmer version of the full expression colour. Asian Torties. The tortie colours are sound to the roots and are self-colours mingled and patched with red and/or cream hairs. There may be solid coloured blazes, legs and tails. The colours may be black, blue, chocolate, lilac or caramel. Asian Smoke. The Smoke may be any of the full expression or Burmese colour restriction self or tortie colours with a silvery white undercoat. The undercoat will cover one third to one half of the hair shaft and there will be ghost tabby markings which give the coat the impression of watered silk. The face shows ‘clown markings’; silvery frown marks on the forehead and silvery rims around the eyes. Asian Tabby. The Tabby may be any of the full expression or Burmese colour restriction self or tortie colours and can be Standard or Silver. In the Silver varieties the colour may be reduced in intensity. There are four tabby patterns, Spotted, Classic, Mackerel and Ticked. All four patterns have the same typical tabby markings on the head and it is the markings on the rest of the body that are different. The head shows the typical ‘M’ on the forehead with lines running from the outer corner of each eye and there is pencilling on the cheeks. The ears show a thumbprint in the base colour and the ears are edged in the colour of the markings. There may be broken necklaces on the neck and chest. All tabby patterns will show a dense concentration of colour running from the toes to the hock on the high leg. In the Spotted Tabby the spots will be evenly and symmetrically distributed but may vary in size. The spots will be clearly defined and not run together. There is no |
| History And Uses |
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Apart from the Burmilla, which was the product of an accidental mating bewtween a male chinchilla and a lilac female Burmese, the cats of the Asian Group were brought about by breeders attempting to create cats of Burmese type, but in colours not recognised in Burmese cats. |
| Shedding |
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Little |
| Suffers From Allergies |
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| Tendency to Cause Allergies |
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