The FIFe Easy Mind System (EMS)
The FIFe Easy Mind System (EMS) is a system used to identify cats
by codes.
The code for a specific colour, pattern or other trait is always the same,
no matter the breed. The EMS system, which is not a genetically based
system, is intended to be both easy and logical. With a little practice
and by applying the EMS
system user guidelines anyone should be able to speak EMS as
fluently as his native tongue.
Table of contents
| Item | Description |
| General principles and restrictions | |
| Recognised breed | |
| Non-recognised breed | |
| Non-recognised variety | |
| Colour | |
| Silver/golden | |
| Dilute modifier | |
| Amount of white | |
| Tabby pattern | |
| Pointed pattern | |
| Tail | |
| Eye colour | |
| Ears | |
| Coat structure | |
| The EMS List and the EMS Quick Reference Card |
1. General principles and restrictions
Please note the following general principles and restrictions:- a * stands for any information according to the EMS System
- individual EMS codes will always be separated from each other by a space, unless specifically indicated otherwise
- individual numerical EMS codes are always shown in ascending order
- if a breed is limited to only one specific occurrence of a trait, the code for this trait is never used in the full EMS code of a cat belonging to the breed.
2. Recognised breed
For fully and preliminary recognised breeds: click here for a list of the EMS breed codes.
3. Non-recognised breed
| Code | Description |
| ABL non | American Bobtail Longhair |
| ABS non | American Bobtail Shorthair |
| AMS non | American Shorthair |
| AMW non | American Wirehair |
| ALH non | Asian Longhair (GCCF) |
| ASH non | Asian Shorthair (GCCF) |
| AUM non | Australian Mist |
| BRX non | Bohemian Rex |
| JBL non | Japanese Bobtail Longhair (sister breed: JBS) |
| MBT non | Me-kong Bobtail |
| NEB non | Nebelung (sister breed: RUS) |
| RGM non | RagaMuffin |
| TGR non | Toyger |
| TIF non | Tiffanie |
| TOL non | Tonkinese Longhair |
| TOS non | Tonkinese Shorthair |
| XLH | non-recognised longhair |
| XSH | non-recognised shorthair |
4. Non-recognised variety
| Code | Description |
|
x
|
non-recognised variety |
5. Colour
|
Code
|
Description |
|
n
|
black ("n" comes from the French noir, meaning black), seal (in pointed cats), brown (in BUR), ruddy (in ABY and SOM), tawny (in OCI) |
|
a
|
blue |
|
b
|
chocolate |
|
c
|
lilac |
|
d
|
red |
|
e
|
cream |
|
f
|
black tortie |
|
g
|
blue tortie |
|
h
|
chocolate tortie |
|
j
|
lilac tortie |
|
o
|
cinnamon (sorrel in ABY and SOM) |
|
p
|
fawn |
|
q
|
cinnamon tortie |
|
r
|
fawn tortie |
|
t
|
amber (in NFO) charcoal (in BEN) |
|
w
|
white |
6. Silver/golden
| Code | Description |
|
s
|
silver |
|
y
|
golden |
7. Dilute modifier
|
Code
|
Description |
|
m
|
modifier |
|
am
|
caramel, based on blue |
|
cm
|
caramel, based on lilac |
|
em
|
apricot, based on cream |
|
pm
|
caramel, based on fawn |
|
*m
|
caramel, where the base colour is unknown |
8. Amount of white
|
Code
|
Description |
|
01
|
van |
|
02
|
harlequin |
|
03
|
bicolour |
|
04
|
mitted (only applicable to RAG) |
|
05
|
snowshoe (only applicable to SNO) |
|
09
|
any other amount of white |
9. Tabby pattern
|
Code
|
Description |
|
11
|
shaded (for BLH/BSH: tipped) |
|
12
|
shell (not for BLH/BSH) |
|
21
|
unspecified tabby |
|
22
|
blotched tabby |
|
23
|
mackerel tabby |
|
24
|
spotted tabby |
|
25
|
ticked tabby |
10. Pointed pattern
|
Code
|
Description |
|
31
|
Burmese pointed |
|
32
|
Tonkinese pointed |
|
33
|
Siamese pointed |
11. Tail
|
Code
|
Description |
|
51
|
rumpy |
|
52
|
rumpy riser |
|
53
|
stumpy |
|
54
|
longie |
12. Eye colour
|
Code
|
Description |
|
61
|
deep blue |
|
62
|
copper or deep orange |
|
63
|
odd eyed: one deep blue eye, the other one according to the standard for the breed |
|
64
|
green |
|
65
|
golden yellow - Burmese eye colour |
|
66
|
aquamarine (bluish-green) - Tonkinese eye colour |
|
67
|
intense deep blue - Siamese eye colour |
13. Ears
|
Code
|
Description |
|
71
|
straight (only applicable to ACL and ACS) |
|
72
|
curled (only applicable to ACL and ACS) |
14. Coat structure
|
Code
|
Description |
|
81
|
longhair (only applicable to DSP and PEB) |
|
82
|
shorthair (only applicable to DSP and PEB) |
|
83
|
brush (only applicable to DSP and PEB) |
|
84
|
straight (only applicable to LPL/LPS and SRL/SRS) |
15. The EMS List & the EMS Quick Reference Card
In the section Rules & Forms you can find:
- the EMS List for a complete overview of all correct full EMS codes within the recognised and preliminary recognised breeds
- the EMS Quick Reference Card which is a colourful chart giving an overview (on one page only!) of all recognised and non-recognised traits within the recognised and preliminary recognised breeds.
Last revised: 01.01.2023
