web.archive.org

Himalayan Standard

Head:
Shape/Size: Round and massive with great breadth of skull. Round face with round underlying bone structure. Head well set on short, thick neck. Jaws broad and powerful, with cheeks full and prominent. In profile, forehead, nose and chin should appear to form a perpendicular line. Nose snub, as broad as it is long, and with a break. Break to be no higher than the middle of the eye. Top of nose leather no higher than the middle of the eye. Chin well developed. Ears: Small, round tipped, tilted forward and not unduly open at the base. Set far apart and low on the head fitting into, and without distorting, the rounded contour of the head. Eyes: Large, round, and full. Set wide apart, giving sweet expression to the face. The pointed Himalayan must have blue eyes, the deeper the better. Non-pointeds must be copper in all colors except Silver and Golden Tabbies, these two colors must have green eyes. Deeper shades preferred. Allowance to be made for color variations in kittens.

Body and Tail:
Body: Cobby in type. Low on legs, deep in the chest, equally massive across the shoulders and rump. Back level, short, rounded midsection. Medium to large in size. Quality and proportion the determining consideration. Legs/Feet: Legs should be short, thick and heavily boned. Forelegs should slant inward very slightly from breadth of chest adding to sturdy appearance. Feet should be large, round and firm with toes close together; five toes in front and four behind. Tail: Short, straight, but in proportion to the body. Carried without a curve and at an angle lower than the back.

Coat:
Long and thick, standing off from the body. Of fine texture, glossy and full of life. Long all over the body, including the shoulders. Ruff immense and continuing in a deep frill between the front legs. Ear and toe tufts long. Tail full. Seasonal variations of the coat shall be recognized.

Condition/Balance:
Firm in the flesh but not fat; well balanced physically and temperamentally, gentle and amenable to handling. Medium to large in size. Heavily boned, short-coupled, broad through the chest and rump with short, sturdy legs, giving the impression of robust power.

Accepted Colors:

Frost Point
Blue Point
Chocolate Point
Seal Point
Cream Point
Red Point

Lynx Point - Same colors
as Solid Point
Frost Tortie Point
Blue Tortie Point

Chocolate Tortie Point
Seal Tortie Point

Tortie Lynx Point - Same
colors as Tortie Point

Frost
Blue
Black
Cream

Red
Chocolate

Frost Tabby
Blue Tabby
Cream Tabby
Red Tabby
Brown Tabby
Chocolate Tabby

Silver Tabby
Golden Tabby

Mackerel Tabby Same
colors as Classic Tabby

Frost Patched Tabby
Blue Patched Tabby
Chocolate Patched Tabby
Brown Patched Tabby

Frost Tortoiseshell
Bluecream Tortoiseshell
Chocolate Tortoiseshell

Pointed Himalayans:
Pattern: The mask, ears, legs and tail should be clearly defined in darker shade but to merge gently into the body color on legs. foot pads and nose leather to be included in point color as described in color standard. Allowance is to be made for body darkening in older cats and for lighter and incomplete markings in kittens and young cats as certain colors are slow to develop.

Color Descriptions:

Solid Points:

Frost Point: Body glacial white with no shading. Points frosty gray with pinkish tone. Nose leather and paw pads lavender or pink.
Blue Point: Body bluish white, cold in tone, shading gradually to white on stomach and chest. Points slate blue. Nose leather and paw pads slate blue.
Chocolate Point: Body ivory with no shading. Points milk chocolate in color, warm in tone. Nose leather and paw pads cinnamon pink.
Seal Point: Body even pale fawn to cream, warm in tone, shading gradually into lighter color on stomach and chest. Points deep seal brown. Paw pads and nose leather deep seal brown.
Cream Point: Body creamy white with no shadings. Points buff cream with no apricot, uniform in color. Nose leather and paw pads light, dusty pink to beige.
Red Point: Body cream white. Points deep orange to red, uniform in color. Nose leather and paw pads pink.

Lynx Points: Body colors same as Solid Point Division, without visible stripes preferred. Shading, if any, to be the same tones as point color. Point colors same as Solid Point Division. The Lynx pattern must be balanced and clearly marked in deeper color. Mask must be clearly lined with dark vertical stripes on forehead with the classic M on forehead, horizontal on the cheeks with dark spots on the whisker pads. Eyes clearly outlined in darker color. Inner ear light with thumb print on outer ear. Balanced, broken bracelets on legs. Tail to have broken rings and heavy tipping, however, this is not as obvious in adult cats as it is in kittens. Chin pale. Ground color to be pale shade of point color, with markings in distinct darker color. Nose leather brick red or pink or conforming to standard for point color. Outer edge lined in point color. The front part of nose bridge to be fawn on Seal and Chocolate Points, silver gray on Blue and Frost Points, orange red on Red Points. Paw pads to conform to point color. Allowance to be made for slow development of color and striping in kittens and young cats. Frost is especially slow to develop color. Overall appearance of dilutes, even when mature, will be pale.

Tortie Points: All colors must be patched, no brindled. On all colors, a blaze of red or cream on the face is desirable, however, an absence of a blaze must not be penalized providing the mask is well marked and attractive. No barring or tabby markings.
Frost Tortie Point: Body glacial white with no shading. Points frosty gray with pinkish tone with patches of cream. Nose leather and paw pads lavender or pink, or a combination of lavender and pink.
Blue Tortie Point: Body bluish white or creamy white. Points slate blue with patches of red or cream. Nose leather and paw pads slate blue, pink or a combination of slate blue and pink.
Chocolate Tortie Point: Body ivory. Points milk chocolate with patches of red and/or cream. Nose leather and paw pads cinnamon and/or pink patched.
Seal Tortie Point: Body creamy white. Points seal brown with patches of red and cream. Nose leather and paw pads seal brown with flesh and/or coral pink mottling to conform to point color.

Tortie Lynx Points: Body colors same as Tortie Point Division, without visible stripes preferred. Shading, if any, to be the same tones as point color. Point colors same as Tortie Point Division. The Tortie Lynx Point has the same pattern as the Lynx Point. These markings must be clearly defined in all colors. The patches of red and cream must be clearly marked as well. Frost Tortie Lynx Points will be especially slow to develop color. Overall appearance of dilutes will be pale.

Objections: Pattern that is not carried into the red or cream.

Non-Pointeds:

Color: All colors must be sound.
Eyes: Eyes must be copper in all colors accepted Silver Tabbies and Golden Tabbies, these two colors to have green eyes. Deeper shades preferred. Allowance to be made for color variations in kittens.

Objections: Hairs of any color other than those specified. Rust or yellow tinges. Smoke undercoat. Drab, lifeless color. Tabby markings or barring on all colors except the Tabbies and Patched Tabbies. Pale eye color.
Withhold Wins: White spots or markings. Eye color other than copper, except silver and golden Tabbies.

Solids: Color must be sound to the roots.
Blue: Blue, lighter shades preferred. One level tone from nose to tail. A sound darker shade is more acceptable than an unsound lighter shade. Nose leather and paw pads blue.
Black: Dense coal black. Nose leather and paw pads black.
Cream: One level shade of buff cream. Lighter shades preferred. Nose leather and paw pads pink.
Red: Deep, rich, clear, brilliant red. Lips and chin same color as coat. Nose leather and paw pads brick red.
Frost: Frosty gray with pinkish tone. Flesh tone may show through, resulting in a peach tone to the inner ear. Nose leather old lilac, paw pads coral pink.
Chocolate: Warm milk chocolate in color, as even as possible. Nose leather burnt rose. Paw pads salmon pink.

Tabbies: Both the Mackerel and Classic patterns accepted. Should show good contrast between the pale ground color and the deep heavy markings. Head barred, with frown marks extending between the ears and down neck to meet "Butterfly" on the Classic Pattern. The wide center stripe bordered by stripes of ground color, these being bordered by a second dark strip, making three dark stripes down the back. Cheeks and sides of the body to have dark swirls centered by a large spot surrounded by the swirls but may have one wide spine line or three spine lines, and vertical bands of the marking color in unbroken lines. Legs are evenly barred with the bracelets coming to meet the body markings. Tail evenly barred. For all colors except the Golden Tabby, the underside of the body to have the characteristic "vest buttons" or rows of dark spot in the color of the dense markings. Eye color for the Silver and Golden Tabbies green, all other Tabbies copper.

Patched Tabbies: Colors to be the same as the Blue, Brown, Chocolate and Frost Tabbies with the addition of patches of the red and/or cream clearly defined on both the body and the extremities. A blaze of red or cream on the face is desirable, but lack of one not to be penalized if the face is well marked and attractive. Lips and chin to be the same color as the rings around the eyes. patches of red and/or cream should conform to the tabby pattern.

Objections: Blurred or indistinct markings, light tail. Showing color other than those specified. White ground color on Silver or Golden Tabby. Brindling on Patched Tabby or incomplete markings.

Blue Tabby: Ground color including lips and chin pale bluish ivory. Markings a very deep blue affording good contrast with ground color. Warm fawn overtones or patina over the whole. Nose leather old rose, paw pads rose.
Cream Tabby: Ground color including lips and chin very pale cream. Markings of buff or cream sufficiently darker than the ground color to afford good contrast but remaining within the dilute range. Nose leather and paw pads pink.
Red Tabby: Ground color including lips and chin red. Markings a deep, rich red. Nose leather and paw pads brick red.
Brown Tabby: Ground color brilliant coppery brown, markings dense black. Lips and chin the same color as rings around the eyes. Back of legs black from paw to heel. Nose leather brick red, paw pads black.
Frost Tabby Ground color including lips and chin milky white. Markings of frosty gray to afford good contrast but remaining within the dilute range. Nose leather pink, paw pads coral pink.
Chocolate Tabby: Ground color ivory with warm milk chocolate markings. Front part of nose bridge fawn. Nose burnt rose lined in chocolate. Paw pads rose.
Silver Tabby: Ground color a pure, pale silver, with decidedly jet black markings. Eye color, green, deepest pigmentation preferred.
Golden Tabby: Ground color warm apricot to pale brown, apricot preferred, shading to rich apricot. Markings dense and clearly defined in darkest brown to black. Whisker pads, lip and chin white to cream. Underside rich apricot with NO vest buttons. Eyes green. Nose leather brick red. Paw pads brown to black. Eyes outlined in black. Back of legs deep brown to black from paw to heel.

Torties: All colors must be patched, not brindled. Blaze of red or cream on face is desirable, but lack of one is not to be penalized if face is well marked and attractive. Patching clearly defined on all colors.

Objection: Brindling rather than patching. Solid colored face, legs, or tail.

Blue Tortie: Blue with patches of red and/or cream. Nose leather and paw pads blue with pink mottling desired.
Frost Tortie: Frosty gray with pinkish tone, with patches of cream. Nose leather old lilac, may have pink mottling. Paw pads coral pink, may have lighter pink mottling.
Chocolate Tortie: Warm milk chocolate with patches of red and/or cream. Nose leather burnt rose, may have pink mottling. Paw pads salmon pink, may have lighter pink mottling.
Bluecream: Blue and cream, lighter shades preferred, in clearly defined and well broken patches on both body and extremities. Markings of cream on the face are desirable. Eye brilliant copper. Nose leather and paw pads blue and/or pink.
Tortoiseshell: Black with patches of red and cream. Nose leather and paw pads black with pink mottling desired.

OBJECTION:	Head:	Long, narrow head, long nose, thin muzzle or visible bite deformity.
	Ears:	Large, pointed ears, or set too close together.
	Eyes:	Small, oriental or slanted. Pale eye color.
	Legs:	Light boned, long or bowed legs.
	Feet:	Small or oval feet.
	Tail:	Long.
	Pointeds:	Complete hood, light hairs in points, bars or tabby markings on all colors other than Lynx Points. Pattern that is not carried into the red or cream in the Tortie Lynx Point.
	Non-Pointeds:	Hairs of any color other than those specified. Rust or yellow tinges. Smoke undercoat. Drab, lifeless color. Tabby markings or barring on all colors except Tabbies and Patched Tabbies. Pale eye color.
		Patched Tabby: Blurred or indistinct markings, light tail. Showing color other than those specified. White ground color on Silver or Golden Tabby. Brindling on Patched Tabby or incomplete markings.
		Torties: Brindling rather than patching. Solid color face, legs, or tail.

WITHHOLD:		Eyes any other color than Blue in pointeds, green in silver or golden tabby, and copper in all other non-pointeds. Crossed eyes. Kinked tail or any tail abnormality. White toes or feet, locket or button. Incorrect number of toes. Apparent weakness in hindquarters. Deformity of skull and/or mouth.
	Pointeds:	White toes or definite patches of white in the points. Complete off-color tone to pads or nose leather. Eyes any other color than blue.
	Non-Pointeds:	White spots or markings. Eye color other than copper, except Silver and Golden Tabbies.