Standard of the Kanaani

She's coming from the desert, so she's also supposed to wear it's colours!

In General:

The Kanaani is a breed which is based on the wildcat Felis lybica. Thus the Kanaani should have an outward appearance as close as possible to the spotted wildcat (Felis lybica gordoni) It shall also have the carnivore-like walk and like to jump even over big distances. On the one hand it's meant to be self-esteemed, but on the other hand tenderness and affectionation are very important.

The following colours where presented:

• seal-spotted tabby - black soles and tail rings
  
• chocolate-spotted tabby - chocolate soles and tail rings
  
• cinnamon-spotted tabby - brick-red soles and cinnamon tail rings
  

On a slim, relatively long neck, building a broad triangle with big, wide set ears. The space in between the ears has to be as wide as the ears themselves at the bottom. The ears are big, open, tapering. transparent. slightly hairy inside. Slight lynx-brushes on top are welcome.

The skull has to be flat in between the ears.. The softly rounded forehead shows a very soft transition to prominent straight nose. There never has to be a stop, not even slightly. A excellent profile is very important. Snout slightly flat. The chin has to be distinct.

The eyes are big, standing wide, open, wakeful, almond shaped, slightly slanting towards the ears; but not oriental. The adult's eye colour is always green, normally gooseberry- to apple-green; yellowish green is still allowed.

Head - flow: The head has never to be a narrow triangle!!

Body:

It has to be a big, always slender cat with a long very muscular body on long slim legs. The hind legs are slightly higher. The paws are slender and oval. The males necks nape and the shoulders are more muscular.

The very long thin tail has a strong root, becoming slimmer towards the tip.

Fur:

The fur is short, flat lying and has little undercoat. The structure is rather solid, not Siamese soft, But each single hair is long enough to show a clear ticking in the basic colour as well as in the spots. The ticking is inalienable, but not so dominant that the spots disappear.

Colour:

The basic colour ranges from yellowish beige to cinnamon. The spots are seal, chocolate and cinnamon, they may be softened thru the ticking. Independent of the fur's colour there has to be a minimum of three black rings around the tail's end. The tail's end itself and the soles are also preferred to be black, like the Felis lybica's. The genetic colour shows at the tail's tip.

The spots have to be in horizontal to diagonal order, vertical order across the whole body is not allowed... The legs are ringed or spotted. Two to three throat rings, minimum one is preferred open. The characteristic M on the forehead has to be clear and is ideal to continue in three to five lines throughout the whole skull, down to the shoulders. They are allowed to continue over the shoulders ore change to rings, each with a spot in the middle. The dorsal stripe should dissolve in spots. The belly is white or light beige and spotted, chin and throat light beige. The nose is brick-red with a seam identical to the spot's colour.

Classic- (blotched) tabby is permitted, silver in no case allowed.

Scale of Points

Head:	General shape, profile, nose, jaw and teeth, forehead, chin, shape and placing of the ear	25 points
Eyes:	shape and colour	10 points
Body:	Build, size, bone's build, leg's height, paw's shape. Tail and length.	30 points
Fur:	Colour, Contrast, texture and pattern	30 points
Condition:		5 points

Outcrossings: Kanaani allowable outcross breeds: Kanaani, Felis lybica spotted variants, spotted Bengals, spotted Oriental Shorthair until 2005. Kittens born after January 1 2010, may have only kanaani parents. .

Essen, Nov. 1999

Founder of the breed: Doris Pollatschek