"Safari cat"

The Safari it is a relatively new breed of cat, dating back to the years 70. It is a hybrid between Domestic cat (or "street cat") and the Geoffroy's cat (Leopardus geoffroyi). The latter is a small wild cat -some 4 kg adult- whose habitat is southern South America, from Bolivia to Patagonia. The breed was first called "Criollo" and then "Appaloosa.". Finally, the name of Safari, to refer to its exotic and wild origin.

It is not recognized by American organizations such as the American Cat Fanciers’ Association (ACFA), the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) or The International Cat Association (TICA), nor by European organizations such as Governing Council of the Cat Fancy (GCCF), the World Cat Federation (WCF) wave Fédération Internationale Féline (FIFé). However, some have been registered 100 specimens in the TICA, which makes the Safari in a very rare cat. For this reason and for its price, Some have even called it the “Rolls Royce of cats.”.

The first Safaris were created in the United States in the decade of 1970 by Washington State University for use in a leukemia research program. In particular, were used as guinea pigs for stem cell studies and the like.

Upon completion of the medical research project, the hybridization program was abandoned by university researchers due to difficulties encountered. The cells of the geoffrey cat and those of Domestic cat do not contain the same number of chromosomes. The private breeders who have taken over have had to face the same genetic problem. In particular, lack of male fertility makes the breed very difficult to develop. This is the reason why the Safari cat still so rare today.

As the breed is not recognized, no standard has yet been established for the Safari cat. But his genetic heritage makes him a tabby and exotic-looking cat.: its fur is reminiscent of a leopard.

It is a Domestic cat large: first-generation hybrids can weigh up to 15 kg. But, size tends to decrease in subsequent generations, stabilizing around the 11 kilos for males and 8 kilos for females.

• Size: Of 40 to 45 cm.
• Weight: Of 6 to 12 kg

"Safari cat"

There are a growing number of "breeds" that are being developed through the crossing of our Domestic cat Felis catus with wild cats. Apart from the first generations, these cats are being bought by people who want a pet with something different, but the character and behavior of cats is uncertain and many of them are quite large cats. To this must be added the problems if they go outside and are aggressive and very territorial with other cats., or are they much more avid hunters causing the devastation of the fauna.

What is not taken into account is the welfare of the wild cats kept for breeding, the danger to domestic cats that mate with wild ones and the welfare of the first generations that cannot be sold as pets but must be kept as wild cats.

Keeping them confined may not contribute much to your own well-being. hybrid cat.

In conclusion, no need to hybridize domestic cats with wild cats and the resulting races, as the Safari cat, they have many welfare issues and should not be bred or kept as pets.

The small number of individuals makes it difficult to identify the specific health problems of the Safari cat.

But, males are known to be infertile, which makes it difficult to breed the breed. The breeders of Safari they usually stay with the females for breeding, so the cats available for adoption are mostly infertile males.

In general, the races with pedigree use a much smaller gene pool for breeding than domestic cats and, therefore, are at increased risk of developing inherited disorders. It also, A number of "newer" pedigree breeds are derived from crosses between one or more "older" breeds., and in these situations hereditary problems seen in older breeds are likely to be perpetuated within newer breeds.

As it is a very rare breed, no specific care requirements have been mentioned so far Safari cat. All you have to do is provide the general care any domestic cat needs.. How is a shorthair cat, a weekly brushing is enough.

The price of a Safari cat varies greatly from farm to farm. On average, it can cost from 4.000 at €6,000 given the rarity of this breed. Your sex, the uniqueness of your lineage or your age can influence the price of a Safari. You have to calculate, In addition, around €50 per month to ensure you have a quality meal and keep you in good health.
Special care must be taken with fraudulent breeders who try to sell cats of other breeds under the name of "Safari”.