| What first draws your attention
to the Highlander is its incredible ears.
Standing tall, open and with a slight backwards flare, they
bring to mind the large tufted ears of the Canadian Lynx.
The dominant curl gene, which was introduced to the breed,
makes the ears more noticeable and exotic in appearance.
Highlander ears have more of a vertical crimp than a
horizontal one. Having this vertical crimp makes the
ears stand tall and open. The ears should not fold
back into a tight curl. The breed's chin and muzzle
are also very noticeable. The muzzle, long and
squared-off with larger whisker pads and resting atop a
well-defined deep chin, evokes the image of a wild cat.
Highlanders have 3 coat patterns; ticked, spotted and
clouded and in long and short hair. They come in many
colors from ebony, charcoal, bronze, brown, silvers, mink,
snows and seal lynx point.
What most people like about this breed is the substantial
body structure. Watching a Highlander move is
pure beauty as their long hind legs flex and the heavy,
pronounced muscles ripple between their shoulder blades,
reminiscent of a wild cat. The Highlander's
feet are most impressive; they are large with prominent
knuckles built for the stamina for which the Highlander
is known. Some have extra toes (polydactyl) that make
the feet appear even larger.
Anchored on the muscular hips of
the Highlander is a natural short tail. Ranging
in length from one inch to hock length, it should be thick
and preferable articulated. Though a straight tail is
preferred, sometimes a slight twist and kink may be
detected. Many times there will also be a noticeable
fat pad at the end of the tail.
*TICA
Registered
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