The cat family has a huge number of representatives. It has three main subfamilies - small cats, big cats, saber-toothed cats. Unfortunately, the saber-toothed cat species has become extinct. According to genetic lines, cat species are divided into 8 main types:
- Panther line;
- line of Kalimantan cats;
- caracals;
- ocelots;
- lynx;
- cougars;
- Bengal cats;
- domestic cats.
There are many varieties in each group; there are about 250 breeds of domestic cats alone.
Cats that look like a leopard or cheetah
Bengal cat
A small domestic leopard, an intergeneric hybrid of a domestic cat and a wild Bengal cat. Silver cats resemble snow leopards.
Savannah
Miniature cheetah. The athletically graceful cat has large ears and slightly slanted eyes. This is a hybrid of a domestic cat and an African serval.
Safari
Mini leopard. Males can weigh up to 13 kg, and females about 8. The breed is derived from a cross between the Geoffroy wild cat, the shorthaired Siamese and the Bengal cat. The difficulty in the work of felinologists was that a wild cat has 38 chromosomes, and a domestic cat has 36. The hybrid turned out to have 37 chromosomes.
Serengeti
The breed is based on the Bengal cat, Oriental, Abyssinian and tabby cats. The breed is derived entirely from domestic cats.
Egyptian Mau
The oldest breed of cats, which has not changed much over time.
Ocicat
The rare breed was supposed to copy the color of the jungle cat and was obtained by crossing Abyssinian, Siamese and American shorthair cats. He only looks like an ocelot.
Cheeto
Externally, this breed resembles a cheetah, a hybrid of an Ocicat and Bengal cats.
Serval
Servals are wild cats, but there are people who like to keep them at home.
Ocelot
It is quite difficult to keep a “dwarf leopard” at home, but there are nurseries that breed ocelots and servals.
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Life of wild forest cats in nature
Forest cats have a wide distribution area and are found in Europe, Africa, along the shores of the Sea of Japan, in the jungles of India, the steppes of Turkestan, the mountains of Scotland and the Caucasus.
You can still find a lot of wild cats in the Scottish mountains
These animals prefer to settle in deep forests, where people rarely visit. Therefore, it is rare to discover the wild ancestors of domestic purrs. Mountain clefts and deserted shores of reservoirs become favorite places for forest cats to live.
These small predators can choose abandoned fox or badger holes, empty tree hollows, and even uninhabited nests of large wading birds as shelter.
The territory occupied by one animal is about 2 hectares in size. Boundaries are marked with the help of odorous anal secretion, with which males carefully irrigate trees and shrubs. An irreconcilable war is waged for each plot, especially during the mating season.
It is also interesting that wild cats do not like areas where there is a lot of snow. After all, under the abundant snow cover, it is difficult for small animals to get food. Therefore, in especially snowy winters, purrs walking on their own can be found near a person’s home. This is how forest cats try to survive, because people always have food.
Peculiarities of behavior of forest cats
Since these representatives of the cat family are wild predators, the cats have a corresponding disposition. Animals love freedom and fiercely defend their independence.
Forest cats are skilled and dexterous hunters
Wild forest cats are loners, leading a secretive lifestyle. The animals quickly and easily evade pursuit, hiding in gorges or on treetops. They lead a nocturnal lifestyle, but do not shy away from hunting in the daytime.
Any small animal that can be caught can serve as prey for forest purrs. These can be rats, nutria, as well as hares or squirrels. A wild cat will not refuse to catch waterfowl, fish, and even crayfish. And in arid regions, insects, snakes and lizards become victims of tailed animals.
The method of attack of forest cats is similar to the hunting methods of other representatives of the species - predators catch prey in a jump, sometimes reaching a length of three to five meters.
To hear even a “word” from a wild forest hunter, you need to greatly anger the animal. And then the animal will make hissing, howling or even whistling sounds. And the meowing typical of cats can only be heard during mating dances and the search for a partner.
Procreation issues
For most of the year, wild forest cats prefer to avoid the company of even their own kind. However, with the onset of cold weather in January, males begin to gather in small groups and look for females for mating until the end of March.
Wild forest cats give birth to up to five kittens in one litter
If two cats develop a liking for the same cat, fights with characteristic fights and warlike cries arise between the furry “knights.”
It also happens that forest males choose domestic females as partners, and then the latter give birth to wild and wayward kittens.
Pregnancy in wild forest cats lasts 62–67 days, after which blind kittens are born. The eyes open only 9–12 days after birth. One litter usually produces five cubs, but there may also be one kitten. Or, on the contrary, the brood turns out to be numerous - up to seven heads.
Shortly before giving birth, the female finds a secluded place from which she makes a safe den. Kittens will grow up in this shelter until they are four months old. The mother cat feeds her cubs with breast milk for the same amount of time.
The level of safety decreases when the grown offspring begins to leave the den on their own - at one and a half to two months of age. And then martens and foxes will pose a threat to the life of the young animals.
At two months, young forest seals begin to go hunting, accompanied by a cat, and at five months they enter adulthood. Males begin to explore new lands, while females remain in the maternal area.
Forest purrs live for quite a long time - up to 15 years. However, young animals often die before reaching 10 years of age.
And if there are no threats in the form of large predators, then life expectancy increases up to 30 years of age. Such situations arise, among other things, when animals enter a person’s home.
Video: forest cat family
Pixie bob
To develop a breed of cat that resembles a lynx, breeders used short-tailed forest cats. These animals live in the forests of North America. The first cat obtained in this way was named Pixie, which means “Elf” or “Fairy” in English.
The animals are distinguished by a short tail, tufts on the ears and whiskers are possible. Pixies are unpretentious, train well and easily make contact with people.
California shining cat
The famous screenwriter Paul Casey was involved in the origin of this breed. On his trip to Africa, he decided to preserve the unique colors of wild cats on the skins of domestic animals.
Many breeds took part in the creation of the new species: Manx, British, Siamese, Angora and Abyssinian cats. Eventually, the Californian shining cat appeared, so named for its unusual color.
The breed immediately found many admirers. They say that the Californian cat is a link between humans and wild nature. At the same time, they do not forget to advertise the new breed everywhere.
Manul
The Pallas cat is a medium-sized wild cat, weighing up to 5 kg, with a flat head and long fluffy hair, making it look like a Persian. The second name - Pallas's cat - is given in honor of the German scientist Pallas, who first described it in 1776.
The pupils of the Pallas' cat's green eyes are unusual in that they do not turn into slits in bright light, but remain round. The fur coat is mostly light gray, as if slightly dusted with snow, making the animal invisible in the cold season. It lives in burrows in semi-desert mountainous areas with a harsh climate in the Caucasus, Central Asia, Mongolia and China. It feeds on burrowing animals, birds, and insects.
Pallas's cat takes root in zoos, but it is difficult for him to raise offspring due to the kittens' susceptibility to various infections. At home, he behaves extremely unsociable, aloof, hides from people and pets, damages furniture and things, sheds heavily, leaving large clumps of fur all around. In case of danger that seems to him or the place allocated for his life, he can aggressively attack a person, other animals and injure him with sharp claws and teeth, which makes his maintenance and care extremely difficult.
Cats that look like pumas
Abyssinians
A recreated ancient breed based on the indigenous breeds of Africa and Asia.
Chausie
The cat weighs about 10 kg, it is somewhat similar to a chito, but it is the result of crossing a wild jungle cat (swamp lynx) and an Abyssinian cat. Undoubtedly, it resembles a mountain lion - a puma.
Cats that look like lynx
Pikibob
Breeders used North American short-tailed forest cats to create a small version of the lynx.
Kurilian Bobtail
What makes this breed look like a lynx is its short tail and tufts on its ears.
Maine Coon
Giant cats with tufted ears. The shape of the head is very similar to that of a lynx.
Norwegian forest
Powerful bones, wild cat muscles and tufted ears.
Caracal
The desert lynx is a wild cat that is bred in nurseries for domestic keeping.
Caraquet
A fairly new cross between the caracal and the domestic cat that is gaining popularity. Such a cat can weigh up to 15 kg.
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Animal mating
Forest purrs mate no more than once or twice a year. At the same time, they are similar to the “song” of domestic cats. Females reach sexual maturity at 9-10 months and can have offspring. Cats “grow up” until they are 2 years old. Only at this age are they ready to conceive offspring. During the mating season, males gather in groups and often fight over the female. The winner begins mating with the female.
Before the birth of the cubs, the cat sets up her home, making sure that the kittens are warm and dry. Males practically do not take part in raising offspring, but sometimes they bring prey to the female’s den.
Typically, a wild cat litter contains 3-6 kittens. They feed on their mother's milk for up to six weeks, but then begin to learn how to hunt. At three months, they already obtain food for themselves on a par with adults.
Cats that look like a panther
Burma
The American type of this cat breed, unlike the European one, has more color variations.
Bombay cat
To obtain a miniature black panther, Burmese cats were crossed with black American Shorthairs.
Havana brown
The result of crossing Siamese, regular black and oriental cats. Chocolate panther, with a narrow muzzle and large ears.
Mandalay
The New Zealand Little Panther was created by crossing a Burmese cat and a regular black cat. Later, Abyssinian cats were added to the breed.
Abyssinian cat
Due to its unique ticked coat color, the Abyssinian cat is very similar to African wild cats. Ticking is alternating light and dark patches on each hair shaft. In addition to their beautiful fur coat, representatives of this breed stand out for their playfulness, high level of intelligence and energetic nature.
Meerkat
Charming miniature animals from the mongoose family are incredibly charismatic and energetic. In order to keep a meerkat at home, you will not need a special enclosure or cage. The baby will calmly move around the house and sleep wherever necessary.
Meerkats can easily be trained to use a litter box, just like an ordinary cat. The animals feed on mushrooms, nuts, lean meat, milk and sour cream.
Meerkats are sociable animals. They can easily make friends with dogs and cats. But they get along best with each other, as they live in packs. Therefore, try to get two touching creatures at once, so that they definitely don’t get bored alone.
Bombay
If you do not take into account the calm, patient and friendly nature of the Bombay, you might think that he is a miniature copy of the black panther. The breed's exotic appearance was achieved by crossing a sable Burmese cat with a black American Shorthair, earning it the nickname "the patent leather baby with the new penny eyes."
Get to know the carrier
It is advisable to purchase a transport box or bag before your pet arrives at home. The kitten will quickly get used to the new house, and it will be easier to teach it any tricks. An adult pet will need a little more time to get used to the box. If you are planning a trip with your cat, you need to place a portable house in advance in your pet’s favorite place so that he gets to know it. It is advisable to leave the animal alone in a closed room and give it the opportunity to sniff an unfamiliar object. You can introduce a new product by putting your hand with a toy in the carrier and luring the cat with movements. At the same time, you should speak to him in kind words. Don’t be upset if your pet doesn’t want to come into contact with the carrier and stays away
This is natural, because animals always treat everything incomprehensible with caution. It may take more than one day for the cat to understand that the new home is completely safe.
After this, the little hunter will begin to examine the strange box with great interest, and will experiment with the purpose of the house - what is the best way to adapt it. It is advisable to place the carrier in the place where the cat spends most of its time, for example, near the bed or near the sofa.
Egyptian Mau
Egyptian Mau cats can run at speeds of up to 50 km per hour, making it difficult for them to sit still long enough for you to notice their natural spotted coloring and exotic markings around the eyes. Researchers believe the breed originated in Egypt at least 3,000 years ago, and likely descended from African wild cats.
Pantheretta
This black beauty was born almost by accident. One of the litters of Bengal cats once gave birth to a black baby. The little one grew and became more and more like a panther in appearance.
The breeders did not ignore the amazing similarity, and selection work led to the creation of a new breed. Pantheretta cannot be bought: the work of researchers is not yet finished. Cats of this breed are very friendly, distinguished by good health and indescribable elegance.
Safari
One of the largest cat breeds in the world. The body length of the safari is more than a meter, the tail is thick, long and flexible. The thick plush skin requires special care. Safari is a hybrid of a domestic and wild cat.
The following breeds were used for crossing: Geoffroy, Bengals and Siamese cats. Distinctive features: leopard color, well-developed muscles, pronounced cheekbones on the muzzle, the outer corners of the eyes are noticeably raised.
Location 3: Caracal
Dimensions: cats are quite large, weight can reach 20 kg.
Of the wild cats, caracals are the most popular domestic animals. Despite the popular misconception, the domestic caracal is not a tribute to the fashion of keeping wild predators; the history of domestication of this animal goes back more than 2000 years.
In Africa, the Middle East and Asia, these cats lived side by side with humans, they were tamed for joint hunting.
Like any wild animal, caracals need to be tamed from early childhood; these cats are unusually smart, they easily understand the rules of subordination and learn commands.
Karkal can be kept both in a house and in an apartment, however, they need a separate enclosure of at least 15 sq.m., so a country house is still better suited.
It is better to trim the animal’s claws, as it can cause injury to humans and other animals by playing too much. They are fed meat 1-2 times a day, you need to walk on a leash and muzzle, cats are emotional and can harm others.
Ocicat
With a coat that can be spotted with tan, chocolate, bluish, lavender or tan and cinnamon, the Ocicat is quite an exotic breed. But there is nothing wild about these cats: the breed was the result of crossing Abyssinians, Siamese and American Shorthair cats.
Savannah
A relatively new breed that was recognized by the Cat Fanciers' Association in 2012, the Savannah is known for its unusual appearance. Large, tall ears are located on the top of the head. The savanna is also characterized by a long neck, long legs and a short, thick tail. In addition, these cats have exotic spotted and striped coats. And this is not surprising, the wild appearance of the savannah was achieved by crossing the African serval with a domestic cat.
Little cute animals
If you want less hassle, keep the animal in a cage. He doesn’t need to be toilet trained, walked, or cleaned up all over the apartment. It is enough to choose a suitable house, pour sawdust, feed the animal and keep its home clean. Let us describe in more detail the animals kept in cages.
Hamsters are funny rodents. They love to run in a wheel, sleep curled up in a ball and eat, funny stuffing their cheeks with food. There are many varieties of these rodents, differing in color and size. The most popular are Angoras with long hair and Syrians, which can be golden, black, gray and white.
They put a house, a food bowl, a drinking bowl and a tray in it. They also install a small container with fine sand, with which the animals clean their coats. It’s not difficult to care for your pet’s house: you need to throw out leftover food, refresh the water and change the sawdust every 3-4 days.
Toyger
Thanks to its orange color with black or brown stripes and muscular body, the toyger can easily be confused with a real tiger cub. Fortunately, this breed is much nicer (and safer) to humans than a tiger cub and is known for its sweet, calm and friendly nature. The wild appearance of the Toyger was obtained by crossing a Bengal and a domestic tabby shorthair cat.
Housey
This is a relatively young cat breed that was created by crossing a domestic cat with a wild jungle cat (Felis chaus). They can grow to almost a meter in length and weigh 4-7 kilograms or more. As with other hybrid Savannah or Bengal cats, male Housies from the first few generations are usually sterile, with the F4 and F5 generations considered the most suitable for showing.
Place 1: Serval
Dimensions: these are quite large cats with long legs and a graceful body, maximum weight is 18 kg.
Servals are popular for pets because they are very intelligent and easy to train; the behavior of the serval is more reminiscent of a dog than a cat. They choose one owner and remain devoted to him all their lives.
Servals love walks and active games; they, like dogs, protect their owner in case of danger. With proper upbringing, cats are affectionate and friendly, but they need to be raised from childhood.
These cats are also used to breed hybrid breeds such as Savannahs.
What do you think about this? Would you like to have a wild pet at home? Share your opinion in the comments!
- 04.10.2017
- 4 min. for reading
- 37.1K views
Serengeti
The goal of breeding the Serengeti breed was to create a cat that resembled the wild Serval, but did not contain any of its ancestry. The first Serengeti was created by Karen Sauzman in 1994 by crossing a Bengal and an Oriental cat. Subsequent offspring were crossed with many other types of cats to perfect the breed. However, the Serengeti ancestry includes genes from the wild Bengal cat, which was used to create the domestic Bengal cat. Cats of this breed have long ears and legs, like a serval. They are very mobile, active, and sociable.
