Highlanders are not your grandmother's kitty. They are a cross of several different breeds.. The goal was to have the look of the wild cat and the temperament of the domestic. Like most hybrids they were not consistent in appearance and a uniform look is still in the making.
This new breed was named the Desert Lynx and was the prototype of the different varieties now recognized by two registries, TICA and REFR.
To achieve the curled ears, Jungle curls were included and Hemingways , which brought in the polydactyl feet.
The curled ear varieties were named Highland Lynx and from those in 2004 came the Highlander, as recognized by TICA.
TICA codes show how pure the bloodline is:
A's have one parent that is unknown, unregistered or of another breed.
B's have one such grandparent and C's have a great grandparent of another kind.
The T codes are used by the foundation catteries and are equivelent to the ABC codes as follows
01T = A, 02T = B and 03T = C. The top code in both systems is SBT, which means there are at least 5 generations of pure Highlanders.
The ideal tail is between 1-4 inches, with the longer lengths having a curl or kink in it. If the kink is missing in the longer lengths, the
tail is most likely docked.
Colors range from silver,black, brown,blue, red, cream, to seal, flame and lynx points, with classic(marbled) spotted and mackerel tabby patterning
Eye color ranges from green to gold and copper,
with the Seal, mink and Lynx pointed cats having blue or aqua colored eyes.
Highlanders get along with children and other pets, are affectionate and playful, and often exhibit doglike traits. We have one that
will play fetch with her favorite toy until she is almost too tired to move. They easily learn how to walk on a leash and many
enjoy playing in water.Many enjoy riding in the car and they all want to be involved in whatever you are doing.
A few health notes, Highlanders can have an adverse reaction to Ketamine anesthesia, so be sure to tell your vet this before any surgery.
Ear care
Due to the curl of the ears, Highlanders need more attention on their ears then a standard cat.Examine the ear for redness or discharge.
Apply ear cleaner(We recommend Zymox or Frisco ear cleaner -both available at Chewy.com) liberally to ear canal, massage 15-20 seconds, then wipe out loosened wax and dirt from outer part of the ear with a cotton ball or Q-tip; do not go deep into the ear canal.
Check the cats ears at least weekly, some may need cleaning more often. Normal ear wax will be a brownish color. If you get black, red, or yellow/greenish matter from your cat's ears, a vet exam is in order to check for ear mites or infection.
Cats will get used to routine ear checks and cleaning, especially if treats are involved!
Lysol and related cleaners are extremely toxic to all cats, so if your cleanser end in -Sol, or turn the water milky, make sure your cat doesn't come in contact with it (walking across a just mopped floor)