The Highlander (also known as the Highlander Shorthair, and originally as the Highland Lynx) is a new
breed of cat. The unique appearance of the Highlander comes from the deliberate cross between the
Desert Lynx
The following is a list of experimental cat breeds and crossbreeds that do not have the recognition of any major national or international cat registries, such as The International Cat Association (TICA) in the US, Europe, and Australasia; the Go ...
and the
Jungle Curl breeds, also recently developed. Although both of these cats claim wild species bloodlines, both have been found to be completely domestic cats.
Description
The Highlander originated as a
crossbreed
A crossbreed is an organism with purebred parents of two different breeds, varieties, or populations. ''Crossbreeding'', sometimes called "designer crossbreeding", is the process of breeding such an organism, While crossbreeding is used to mai ...
of the experimental
Desert Lynx
The following is a list of experimental cat breeds and crossbreeds that do not have the recognition of any major national or international cat registries, such as The International Cat Association (TICA) in the US, Europe, and Australasia; the Go ...
breed and the
Jungle Curl, to add the latter's curled ears to the former.
They are
bobtailed or short-tailed, have spotted or classic bullseye markings, mackerel and resemble the
bobcat.
The Highlander has a long sloping forehead and blunt muzzle with a very wide nose.
The eyes are wide-set and the ears are upright with a slight curl and a slight turn in the backward direction.
Some have
polydactyl paws but this is not a desired trait in the cats and have been proved to cause health problems in the knees and hips as the cats age. Highlanders have no known health problems, and are fond of water.
The body is substantial and very muscular.
Females can grow to between , and the males between .
Despite the "big-cat look", the Highlander is a human-oriented, friendly and playful cat, and very active and confident.
The Highlander displays
tabby
A tabby is any domestic cat (''Felis catus'') with a distinctive 'M'-shaped marking on its forehead; stripes by its eyes and across its cheeks, along its back, and around its legs and tail; and (differing by tabby type), characteristic striped, ...
/
lynx point
The Platform Controller Hub (PCH) is a family of Intel's single-chip chipsets, first introduced in 2009. It is the successor to the Intel Hub Architecture, which used two chips - a northbridge and southbridge, and first appeared in the Intel 5 ...
or solid
point coloration
Point coloration refers to animal coat coloration with a pale body and relatively darker extremities, i.e. the face, ears, feet, tail, and (in males) scrotum. It is most recognized as the coloration of Siamese and related breeds of cat, but can ...
in various colors. Bicolored cats are not allowed in the breed standard. Although some cats are polydactyl, it is not part of the standard and it is a disqualification in the show ring.
History
The Highlander breed refinement began in 2004, to distinguish the breed better from its foundation stock, and to seek competition status in major
breed registries.
The name Highlander was adopted in late 2005.
Starting May 1, 2008, the breed was recognized by
The International Cat Association
The International Cat Association (TICA) is considered the world's largest genetic cat registry. Originally a North American organization, it now has a worldwide presence. The organization has a genetic registry for pedigreed and household pet ca ...
(TICA) for competition in the Preliminary New Breed class,
and in 2016 was moved up to Advanced New Breed.
TICA divides Highlanders into two varieties, under the names Highlander Shorthair (HGS) and simply Highlander (HG) for the longer-haired variation.
References
{{Mammal hybrids
Cat breeds
Cat breeds and types with bent ears
Cat breeds originating in the United States
Cat breeds and types with suppressed tails
Experimental cat breeds