House of Vaalor - Elf Cats

The Elf can now be shown under New Traits in the Sphynx Breed Group in TICA

The Elf Cat

The Elf is currently being developed using foundation cats from
Sphynx and American Curl breeds. Each of these two breeds
have a single trait that makes them distinct from all other breeds.
The Elf combines these traits to create a unique breed of cat
that is different from each of the contributing foundation breeds.
These two traits are independent of each other and when
combined pose no harm to the health and well being of the new
breed Elf.
HEAD:
Shape: The head is slightly longer than it is wide with prominent cheek
bones and a distinctive whisker break with prominent whisker pads. The
skull is slightly rounded with a flat plane in front of the ears.
Eyes: Shaped as a walnut, oval on top and round on the bottom.
Placement should be at a slight angle between base of ear and tip of
nose . Wide set with a minimum of one eye width apart. Color should be
clear and brilliant with no relation to cat color, except that blue eyes are
required on all pointed cats.
Ears: The ears are moderately large, wide at the base and open, curving back in a smooth arc when viewed from the front, side, or rear. Curl
minimum of 90 degree arc, not to exceed 180 degrees. Firm cartilage from ear base to at least 1/3 height. When viewed from the front, the outer
base of the ear should begin at the level of the eye, neither low set nor on top of the head. When Elf's are alert ears swiveled toward front, line
following curve of ear through tips should point to the center base of skull
Muzzle and Chin: Whisker break with prominent whisker pads. Chin is firm, in line with nose and upper lip.
Profile: Slight to moderate stop at bridge of nose.
Neck: Medium in length, rounded, well muscled, with a slight arc from the base of the skull to the shoulders. Allowances to be made for heavy
musculature in adult males.

BODY:
Torso: Medium in length, hard and muscular with broad rounded chest and full abdomen as if just finished a meal.
Legs: Medium in proportion to the body. Sturdy well muscled with rear legs being slightly longer then the front. Front legs widely set. Females
may have slightly finer boning.
Feet: Medium in size, oval shape with long slender toes. The paw pads are thick giving the appearance of walking on cushions.
Tail: Slender, flexible and long while maintaining proportion to body length. Whip-like, tapering to a fine point.
Musculature and Boning: Hard and muscular, not delicate. Medium boning.

COAT/COLOR/PATTERN:

Length: Appears hairless. Short fine hair may be present on feet, ears, nose, tail and scrotum. The remainder of the body can range from
completely hairless to a covering of down-like fur whose length doesn't interfere with the appearance of hairlessness. Whiskers if present are
sparse and very short.

Texture: Can be chamois-like to smooth skin. A feeling of resistance may be felt when stroking the skin of some cats. The skin is very wrinkled in
kittens. Adults should retain as many wrinkles as possible, especially on the head.
Color and Pattern: Any color or pattern genetically possible.

GENERAL DESCRIPTION:
The Elf is a medium to large size cat with sturdy boning and good muscle development and should have a bit of a belly as if they just finished a
meal. Whiskers and eyebrows may be present but sparse. Males can be up to 25 percent larger so long as proper proportions are maintained. The
most distinctive features of this cat is it's appearance of curled ears and hairlessness, although it is not truly hairless. The skin may be covered
with a fine down which is almost imperceptible to both eye and touch. The Elf by nature is very people-oriented and affectionate. They are
extremely inquisitive and love to be the center of attention. They are active and alert with gentle and even dispositions.

PENALIZE:
Hair: other than described Delicate or frail appearance. Should not resemble the Oriental body type. Lack of wrinkles on the head. Ears:
Abrupt change of direction without smooth curve, pinch, horizontal/vertical crimp, interior surface which appears corrugated. Non-amenable
disposition.

ALLOWANCES: Lockets.

DISQUALIFY (DQ):
Any evidence of debilitating, plucking, shaving or clipping or any other means of hair
removal. Inability to handle. Kinked or abnormal tail. Extreme curl in adult where tip of ear touches back of ear or head. Ears that are straight,
severely mismatched, thick or having inflexible tips. Lack of firm cartilage in base of ear. Ears in which the lower portion of the ear is abnormally
flattened, has compressed ridges of cartilage and does not have a normal, visible ear cavity. Inability to handle.

Elf Standard, 02/22/2008
Revised 02/22/08
HEAD........ ...................................40 points
Shape.............................................10
Eyes............................................... 5
Ears................................................10
Muzzle and Chin........................... 5
Profile............................................ 5
Neck.............................................. 5
BODY .................................. 30 points
Torso..............................................20
Legs and Feet................................ 5
Tail................................................. 5
COAT/COLOR/PATTERN...30 points
Color.............................................. 5
Coat...............................................25

CATEGORY: All.
DIVISION: All.
COLOR: All.
PERMISSIBLE OUTCROSSES
Sphynx, American Curl and
Domestic Short Hair