Under the
Waratah National Cat Alliance breed standard (profile) the
allowed colors are,
Silver with Black, Blue, Chocolate,
Brown, Lilac and Caramel and shaded goldens (see
Gastonne
above and below for golden)(as at Sept. 2008). These
colors are seen in three different
forms: tipped, shaded or smoke. Each type refers to the amount of
color on the hair shaft and in each case the color referred to is
restricted to the tip of the hair shaft to varying degrees while the
remainder of the shaft is white/silver or golden. The color of the cat
is the color of
the tip of the hair.
"Tipping" (Chinchilla appearance) means the least amount of color on
the tip of the hair. "Shaded" means more color than tipping (the color
extending about half way down the hair) and "smoke" means more color
than either tipped or shaded. In smoke the color extends almost all the
way down the hair shaft leaving a small length of hair, at the base,
that is either white/silver or golden.
For example, Sienna, above, would have hairs that are black to about
half way
down the individual hairs and the remainder of the hair to the skin is
white/silver.
The
appearance should be even over a soft and silky coat. And
their green eyes are lined as if with eyeliner; this comes
from
the Chinchilla Persian side. All cats need some grooming (from us) and a
twice weekly groom will keep the coat in good condition.
As to character the Australian
Tiffanie cat is a medium activity, intelligent, cat with a nicely
rounded character
well suited to modern living.

This is handsome Gastonne grown up
photo © Tatiana
Lenton
Australian Tiffanie cat - more on the coat - basic genetics
Smoke:
This is
produced by a combination of the non-agouti gene and the inhibitor
gene. The non-agouti is a mutant allele and does what it says. It
doesn't produce
the agouti effect which is banding on each hair of black pigmentation
(eumelamin granules) and a yellowish pigmentation (phaeomelanin).
Rather the non-agouti gene allowes eumelamin granules or black
pigmentation to be deposited throughout the hair shaft. The inhibitor
gene suppresses the pigment that is supplied to the hair shaft as it
grows. The combined influence of these genes results in the smoke
effect coat.
Smoke cats look like cats with a solid color until they move when the
lighter color at the base of the hair becomes visible.
Tipped and
Shaded: This
is the result of the combined effect of the presence of the dominant
inhibitor and agouti genes referred to above. It would seem that the
action of the inhibitor gene is altered (modified) by modifier genes.
These change the degree of inhibition of the production of pigmentation
that takes place.