The Mandalay breed has an interesting origin story that dates back to the 1980s in New Zealand. It all began when a cream-colored female American Burmese cat from Dorothy Horton and Pat Hogan's hatchery in the southern region mated with a red shorthair cat, resulting in kittens of a stunning deep red hue with lustrous fur. Around the same time, farther north in the country, another female American Burmese from breeder Jan Parson crossed paths with a black cat, leading to the birth of jet-black kittens with glossy coats. The remarkable dark colors of these kittens caught the attention of the breeders involved, prompting them to collaborate on a specialized breeding program.
As Jan Parson, Pat Hogan, and Dorothy Horton were joined by other passionate breeders, they collectively worked on refining the breed, with Dorothy Horton taking the lead in establishing the initial guidelines for the Mandalay breed. Through their dedication and hard work, they endeavored to gain recognition for the Mandalay breed from the New Zealand Cat Fancy (NZCF), the country's official feline organization. After years of perseverance, their efforts bore fruit in 1990 when the Mandalay was officially recognized by the NZCF, allowing kittens with rich, solid colors to be registered as Mandalays on the NZCF Pedigree Cat Register.
For a significant period, New Zealand remained the exclusive home of Mandalay breeding efforts. However, in 2013, Australia also embraced the Mandalay breed and initiated its breeding program. Facing a lack of imports from New Zealand, Australian breeders began by crossing Burmese and British Shorthairs. Remarkably, within just two years, in 2015, the Mandalay breed earned recognition from both the Australian Cat Federation (ACF) and the Australian Cat Control Council (CCCA), solidifying its presence in the Australian breeding community.
