Highlander Breed Standard

The Highlander (HG) is a medium to large shorthair domestic cat. Well-muscled and feral in looks, the Highlander has the look of the "big cats" in a purely domestic breed. Highlanders are playful and good natured. The Highlander Longhair (HL) is the long hair version.

HEAD

40 points

Shape

Ears

Eyes

Chin

Muzzle 6

Nose

Profile 3

BODY

40 points

Torso

Tail

Boning

Musculature 7

Legs/Feet 5

COAT/COLOR/PATTERN

20 points

Length

Texture

Pattern

Color

CATEGORY: All.

DIVISION: Solid, Tortie, Tabby, Silver/Smoke.

COLORS: All.

PERMISSIBLE OUTCROSSES: Domestic longhair/shorthair, not a member of a recognized breed..

HEAD:

Shape: Wide inverted pear-shaped head with substantial width to muzzle.

Eyes: Medium to large set far apart. Set on a slight bias. Slightly flattened oval in shape. Eye color independent of coat color except in Pointed Category

Ears: Medium to large, wide at the base, set as much on the top of the head as on the side, as erect as possible. Ears must be firm at the base, flexible at the tips. Loose relaxed curl with little backward direction, allowing the tips of the ears to be clearly visible in a frontal view. Ear furnishings and ear tufts are desired but not required. Kittens may have a greater degree of curl but not more than 90o.

Muzzle: Full, wide, strong with a definite break. Prominent whisker pads should make muzzle appear squared. Muzzle length makes head appear longer than wide.

Chin: Strong and deep. Must align with top of jaw.

Profile: Rounded back skull, sloping forehead, change of direction at the nose bridge, slight curve to nose. Nose, muzzle and chin form a blunt look in profile

Nose: Wide with substantial nose leather

BODY:

Torso: Medium to large in size with noticeable depth. Rectangular in shape. Straight back with hips higher than shoulders. Overall muscled, athletic appearance. Males are proportionally larger than females.

Legs: Medium in length, back legs longer than front..

Feet: Medium to large, rounded with large knuckles. Longhair (HL) must have toe tufts.

Tail: Short and thick. Bone length must be a minimum of 2 inches in adults with proportional length in kittens. Must not extend past the hock. Slight kinks and curls are allowed.

Boning: Moderately heavy and substantial.

Musculature: Well-muscled.

COAT/COLOR/PATTERN:

Length:

(HG) Short, dense and resilient.

(HL) Long hair up to 2-1/2 inches with shaggy belly hair, longer than the rest of the coat.

Texture:

There will be texture variations depending upon the color of the cat.

(HG) Resilient, snapping back into place

(HL) Soft

Pattern:

Spotted : Random pattern preferred. Spots should be well-defined. May be oval, round, squared or triangular in shape.

Classic: Will have spots and swirls distinguishing it from the normal classic pattern.

Pointed: Expression of the underlying tabby pattern is desirable.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The Highlander began its development in 2004, tracing its roots back to the Highland Lynx. The Highland Lynx that were originally used in the development of the Highlander have no other breeds within a three generation pedigree. The Highlander is a muscular, athletic domestic cat. Selective breeding has contributed to protecting the unique features and enhance the bloodlines. Highlander cats come in both short hair and long hair.

LOCKETS: Withhold All Awards

ALLOWANCES: Tarnishing in Silvers

PENALIZE: Ears that are not open or wide based, ears too small or low set. Tips of ears not visible from frontal view in adults. Kittens with more than 90o curl.

DISQUALIFY: Ears not erect. Tail too short, too long or docked.

Temperament must be unchallenging; any sign of definite challenge shall disqualify. The cat may exhibit fear, seek to flee, or generally complain aloud but may not threaten to harm. In accordance with Show Rules, ARTICLE SIXTEEN, the following shall be considered mandatory disqualifications: a cat that bites (216.9), a cat showing evidence of intent to deceive (216.10), adult whole male cats not having two descended testicles (216.11), cats with all or part of the tail missing , except as authorized by a Board approved standard (216.12.1), cats with more than five toes on each front foot and four toes on each back foot, unless proved the result of an injury or as authorized by a Board approved standard (216.12.2), visible or invisible tail faults if Board approved standard requires disqualification (216.12.4), crossed eyes if Board approved standard requires disqualification (216.12.5), total blindness (216.12.6), markedly smaller size, not in keeping with the breed (216.12.9), and depression of the sternum or unusually small diameter of the rib cage itself (216.12.11.1). See Show Rules, ARTICLE SIXTEEN for more comprehensive rules governing penalties and disqualifications.