All about the Highlander cat

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Abbreviations

CE- curled ears

SE- straight ears

PF- polydactyl foot

SF- straight foot

NST- natural short tail

LT- Long tail

SH - Short hair

LH - Long hair

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General Description

The striking look of the Highlander with its long sloping profile and loosely curled ears draws attention to this substantial cat. But it is the fun-loving nature that steals hearts as it entertains you with its crazy antics. This is a cat that loves to be the center of attention and its big cat look also helps keep it front and center. The Highlander comes in both short and long hair.

History

Development of the breed began in 2004 with the intent of creating a domestic cat with a powerful "big cat" look. In 2005, the name Highlander was settled on and breeders focused on defining the breed and its characteristics as they worked toward championship status in TICA - one of the largest registries in the world. The cats used to develop the breed were carefully chosen from the domestic gene pool and not from any existing recognized breed. The ears are a key feature of the Highlander. TICA recognized the Highlander for competition in the Preliminary New Breed class starting May 1st, 2008.

Personality

Despite their "big cat" look, the Highlanders are the clowns of the cat fancy and love to play and chase. They love human company and will be there to greet you at the door or will show off to visitors. Vocally they are relatively quiet cats but physically they are high energy cats. This energy comes out in entertaining chase games and it is this energetic activity that helps build the powerful musculature that is so characteristic of this breed.

Traits

The Highlander has a long, sloping forehead and medium to large eyes shaped like a slightly flattened oval set on a bias that look at you with great intensity. The nose is wide with large nose leather. Together, the nose, muzzle and chin provide a boxy look to the muzzle. The chin itself is deep and strong. These features make the head appear longer than it is wide. The ears are unique: the top 1/3 has a loose curl. They are set as much on the top of the head as on the side and stand tall and open with good width at the base.

The powerful, muscular body is substantial and entrances you with the beauty of its movement. Flexible long hind legs combine with the rippling muscles developed in the torso from its active play. The feet are large and have prominent knuckles. These are big powerful looking cats with a gentle disposition. The naturally short tail ranges in length from 1 inches to hock length. It is thick and articulated, and sometimes has kinks and curls in it. It also has a fat pad at the end. The Highlander's tail is an incredibly expressive element of the breed and will wag like a dog from sheer joy and signal its happiness and playfulness. (Tica.org)