Australian Mist Cats

Head and shoulders of an Australian Mist cat looking to the side

Australian Mist cat leaning against a cat tree

History

The Australian Mist cat formerly known as the Clouded Mist is the first breed of cat that has come from Australia. This breed was developed by Truda Straede in 1976. Thirty cats of various breeds including Abyssinian, Burmese, and domestic shorthair moggies were used to create the Australian Mist cat breed. Around 1976 there was concern that domestic cats were having an impact on Australian wildlife by hunting birds and rodents. Truda Straede aimed to develop a breed that was happy to live exclusively indoors. Her breeding created a cat that was of medium build and was docile. Originally the Australian mist had a spotted coat (hence the name clouded mist) but the name was changed in 1998 when cats with a marbled coat were accepted as the same breed. They were specifically bred to be a suitable low maintenance house cat, so they have a short coat which requires very little grooming.

Behaviour

The Australian cat was bred to be docile and laid back. Because of this they are very good with children and really enjoy attention. These cats make good lapcats, and are perfectly content to live an indoor life. This breed are happy to be handled, even by very young boisterous children. At a young age this breed can seem very sprightly but they soon mellow into a lovely calm, well mannered cat. Although a fairly docile breed they are still very attentive to their owners activities and will most likely follow you around the house as you go about your day.