The Australian Mist (formerly known as the Spotted Mist) is a breed of cat developed in Australia. It is a cross between the Abyssinian cat and the Burmese cat.
This breed was developed by Truda Straede in Australia beginning in 1975. The breed was developed by crossing the Burmese, Abyssinian, and miscellaneous domestic short-haired cats to create a short-haired cat with a spotted coat. The name was changed from “Spotted Mist” to “Australian Mist” in 1998, when cats with marbled coats, rather than spots, were accepted as part of the breed.
Australian Mists are medium-sized short-haired cats, with a round head and large eyes. The coat is very short and lacks an undercoat. Australian Mists do not require much brushing because they lose little hair. The coat patterns have three aspects: the ground colour, which is paler than the pattern; the pattern; and the appearance of wearing a misted veil, caused by random ticking in the solid colour areas. The legs and tail are ringed or barred, and the face and neck also have lines of colour. Their life expectancy is 15–18 years.