Created
by Karen Sausman of Kingsmark Cattery in California in 1994,
the Serengeti Cat breed is accepted in the Foundation registry
of TICA.
We
are excited to announce that as of the Spring of 2002 Serengeti
Cats may now be shown in the Evaluation classes at TICA shows.
What
breeds were used to create Serengeti Cats? Serengeti cats
have been created using primarily Oriental Shorthair Cats
and Bengal Cats.
Are
Servals used to create Serengeti Cats? No, because of
the genetic diversity of the founding breeds - Bengals and
Oriental Shorthairs - there has been no need to introduce
serval blood into the Serengeti Cat. The current gene pool
for Bengals is quite large containing both domestic and wild
genes from many individuals of at least 8 different forms:
the Asian Leopard Cat, the British Shorthair, unregistered
domestic shorthair, the "Indian Mau", the Ocicat,
the Egyptian Mau, the Abyssinian, and the Burmese (Bombay).
Some even carry Persian bloodlines. The
Oriental Shorthair was created from domestic shorthairs and
Siamese.
What
does the Serengeti Cat look like? The Serengeti Cat is
a large boned, long legged, domestic cat resembling an African
wild cat called a Serval. There have
been no servals used to create Serengeti Cats.
The
Serengeti Cat is a clear yellow to gold cat with a pattern
of distinct widely spaced black spots. Their stomach, ventral
surfaces, whisker pads, chin, throat and jowls can be a little
lighter in color. The coat is short, thick, and moderately
soft. Since melanistic servals are known to exist. Serengeti
Cats may also be cold gray with black spots, silver with black
spots or solid black.
The
ears of the Serengeti Cat are very large, rounded on the end,
and placed directly on the top of the skull with black backs
and a "eye-spot". Eyes can be gold to amber; green
is acceptable. The conformation of the Serengeti Cat is more
similar to the Oriental Shorthair. The obvious differences
is that the Serengeti Cat is being bred for larger bone, longer
legs and a much more upright and larger ear. Their posture
is more upright with their heads held high on a long, thick
neck. This conformation sets them apart form both the Bengal
Cat, which is supposed to have a long, sinuous body and very
small ears, and the Oriental Shorthair, which is supposed
to have its ears set more on the side of the head and a have
a more elegant, finer boned body. Also, "glitter",
which has been introduced into the Bengal Cat from the "Indian
Mau", is acceptable in the Serengeti Cat.
How
large are Serengeti Cats? Males
can weigh between 10-15 pounds and females weigh between 8-12
pounds.
How
do Serengeti Cats behave? The temperament of the Serengeti
Cat is open, self-assured and friendly. If introduced properly
they should get along well with other pets. They are active
and can be vocal, but not as much as their oriental ancestors.
They love to climb and chase toys and will play for hours.
Can
Serengeti Cats be shown in cat shows? Serengeti Cats are
registered with The
International Cat Association (TICA) as a developing breed.
They may be brought to shows for Evaluation only at this time.
There is a carefully written standard for judging Serengeti
Cats which meets TICA's guidelines.
Information courtesy of
Kingsmark Serengetis
Mt Center, CA 92561
Call: 909-659-4258
Fax: 909-659-3361
