what defines a new breed?

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

the point of the shorthair somali is that we currently have somali variants that can be used in breeding but cannot be shown.  the somali club want to be able to show them and they do have a different face and body shape to Abys plus a different coat texture.

[Dawn F]

the shorthaired somali thing seems a bit pointless to me    but I think the ultimate is the melanistic bengal what is that all about

[Susanne (urbantigers)]

I read about them a while back in one of the cat mags.  They are gorgeous.  A new breed has to be considered sufficiently different from other breeds to justify being a new breed by the governing bodies.  They have to apply for new breed status.  Then it's a case of agreeing rules for acceptable outcrossing etc., gaining provisional status etc.  I think the governing bodies, the GCCF at least which seems to be a bit more conservative than the others, are getting a bit stricter about accepting new breeds.  It's a tricky one.  for example, the somali cat club are trying to get the short haired somali accepted as a breed.  I thought that was just an abyssinian but it's not as the somali has evolved from the Aby and is sufficiently different in type for the short haired Somali (currently called somali variant) to be different from the Aby (they have ear tufts too which the Aby breeders are very jealous of  ).

[Angiew]

Tonkinese is siamese x burmese ?

I think tonk with Tonk will produce anything from siamese to burmese.? In which case it ain't a breed.

[Gillian Harvey]

So isn't it just a cross? or even, lets face it a moggie??

As I understand it a 'pedigree' Mist would be when you are breeding like to like (Mist to Mist) - I think?!

If you think about colourpoint persians - they came about from breeding a persian to a siamese - so technically a cross to begin with, and they are considered a separate 'breed' from Persians, in the US, although not here.

Isnt this called outcrossing? not that I'm very up on this really   

[Dawn F]

I guess they have to be accepted by GCCF TICA or whatever they have in Australia - I have heard of australian mists, they are in cat mags from time to time

[Angiew]

OK you pedigree lot.

just saw an ad for some australian mist kittens so went to have a look

"The Australian Mist Cat is a relatively new cat breed, as far as cat breeds go. It was created by Dr Truda Staede as recently as 1978.

It is a combination of a Burmese, Abyssinian and the Domestic Short Hair. And it’s said to have inherited the laid back nature & loving personality, loved about Burmese; the intelligence and ticked coat of the Abyssinian and the genetic hardiness of the Domestic Shorthair."

So isn't it just a cross? or even, lets face it a moggie??

Do they have to be able to reproduce their line cleanly to become a new breed?