California Spangled

General: First impression should be an unmistakably spotted cat, with a long, strong, cylindrical-type body and a hunter-like gait.
Body: Shape long, lean, muscular, well supported; size medium; carriage typically low and even; ample bone without undue bulk; musculature very well developed overall.
Head: Shape sculpted; wide cheekbones; medium length and width; forehead slightly domed; muzzle well developed; chin and jaw strong, fully developed; gentle stop between forehead and nose.
Ears: Base and height approximately equal; rounded tip; size medium; placement high and back from face.
Eyes: Shape open almond; size medium large; placement wide, gently sloping. Color amber to brown, cocoa to gray-brown, sand, or yellow-gray, depending upon coat color. Snow Leopard eyes blue.
Coat: Length short and close across the back, sides, neck, and face; short but slightly longer on tail and underbelly.
Color: Silver/smoke and tabby divisions, spotted pattern only: silver, bronze, brown, gold, red, blue, black, and charcoal. Snow Leopard is a recessive phase of any of the accepted colors.

The idea for the California Spangled Cat came about in the early 1970s after writer and cat enthusiast Paul Casey visited Africa and became concerned about the plight of leopards and other spotted cats, who were poached for their skins. He decided to create a spotted domestic cat to help raise awareness of the need for wild cat conservation. Using only domestic cats—including Abyssinians, American and British Shorthairs, Siamese and spotted cats from Egypt and Malaysia—he began a breeding program to produce a cat that resembled a leopard in miniature. By 1986, he had succeeded, and the cats with the exotic look made their first appearance in the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog. While there was interest in the cats, they remain rare today. They are registered with The International Cat Association (TICA) and may be outcrossed with domestic long- or shorthairs, Abyssinians, and American and British Shorthairs.