Ashera is the most expensive and largest domestic cat

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Classification Origin: USA

Class: breed not recognized

Color: spotted – dark brown or brown spots on a sandy background

Dimensions: body length reaches 1 m, height at withers about 60 cm

Lifespan: 15 to 20 years

Despite its impressive dimensions and frightening appearance, the beautiful Ashera is an ideal pet. Cats of this breed love children and are very attached to their owner.

Asherah claims to be one of the biggest cats in the world. Representatives of this breed were considered a real exclusive, a precious treasure, a rarity, as eloquently evidenced by the high price and long lines in nurseries.

Such a cat is characterized by canine loyalty, has developed intelligence and is capable of becoming a true friend. But at the beginning of the 21st century, no one could have imagined that this was just the brainchild of a unique scam.

This animal was named after the Semitic goddess Asherah, who was worshiped by the ancient Israelites and was considered the mother of all things divine.

• 2 Psychology
• 3 Application
• 4 How to choose a kitten
• 5 Features of care
• 6 Combing
• 7 Walking
• 8 Food
• 9 Health
• 10 Characteristic diseases
• 11 Vaccinations
• 12 Mating

History of the origin of the Asher breed

The name of the Asher breed was first heard in the early 2000s. A Delaware-based organization, lifestyle pets, has introduced a unique breed that has hypoallergenic fur and saliva. Externally, the pets looked like small leopards. The weight of the animal reached 14-15 kg, which was surprising for breeders accustomed to cats of standard sizes. The first copy was sold for 22 thousand dollars. At the same time, there was a special attitude towards customers. They were offered free shipping, free annual veterinary checkups and even food supplies.

The photographs in the newspaper attracted the attention of Chris Shirk from Pennsylvania, USA, who was in the process of breeding a new breed. He crossed an Asian serval with a Bengal cat, resulting in the Savannah cat. In the photo under the advertisement for the sale of Asher's cat were photographs of his kittens. The Savannah breed began to be bred back in 1986 and there was no sensation about it.

It turns out that Simon Brody, who sells expensive Asher kittens, actually bought them from Chris at a low cost, like Savannah kittens. The high prices and “uniqueness” of the breed were a real scam that Brody pulled off for his own profit. This is a rare case of such fraud.

An independent genetic examination confirmed the deception. The kittens in the ad were first generation hybrids called Savannah F1. Despite all the confusion, the truth prevailed and the Asher cat breed gained its popularity. The expensive breed has retained its uniqueness and wild appearance.

Interesting!

The Ashera breed is named after the goddess of the sea.

Where to buy and how much does a kitten cost?

The Asher is bred by the American company Lifestyle Pets. You need to order kittens from their representatives. Information about the location of nurseries in Russia has not been confirmed.

Asher is bred by the American company Lifestyle Pets

The price of a kitten varies depending on color from 20 to 30 thousand dollars.

What to pay attention to

Externally, the kitten should look healthy: the ears and corners of the eyes should be clean, the fur should be shiny.

Pedigree matters: blood relatives cannot be the parents of an elite cat. Kinship causes unwanted mutations and diseases.

Upon purchase, a contract is drawn up indicating vaccinations and examinations by a veterinarian.

Approximate cost of a kitten

The price of a kitten starts from $22,000. You can choose among babies who have reached the age of three months. An advance payment of $6,000 is required.

Asher kitten

At one year of age, the pet is handed over to the new owners.

Another $2,000 will be required:

• for transportation;
• microchip;
• care kit;
• veterinary card;
• insurance;
• consultations with a veterinarian.

The cost of an Ashera increases when purchasing a kitten with an unusual color. Reaches up to $120,000.

Appearance of the Asher breed

Ashera is a cat with a unique exotic appearance, thanks to which it has earned the love of cat lovers and the recognition of phenological organizations. There is no fixed breed standard, because... each subsequent generation of Asher has less pronounced characteristics of the wild Serval. Let's look at the classic characteristics of the breed.

Height and weight

Weight 14-15 kg. However, the weight depends on the generation of the cat, so the first F1 hybrids are larger, weighing 12-15 kg. Subsequent generations are more reminiscent of ordinary cats in characteristics and weigh 8-10 kg.

The height at the withers is 60 cm.

Length and shape of limbs

The tail is thick and long, tapering slightly towards the end. The legs are disproportionately long, dry, and muscular. The hind legs are much larger and longer than the front legs. The toes are massive, pronounced, and well separated. The claws are large, hard and sharp.

Head

The head is much wider than that of ordinary cats. It has small dimensions relative to the body. The shape is wedge-shaped. The ears have rounded, wide tips. They are set wide apart from each other. The ears have internal pubescence.

Despite the large ears and wide muzzle, the neck retains its elegance and sophistication, which was passed on to the shroud from its ancestors.

Eye color and shape

The eyes are set far apart. The shape is round. The outer corner is directed towards the temple. The eyelid is outlined with a dark outline that enhances the beauty of their eyes. The eyes are set deep. The standard color of the iris is golden yellow. Green eyes are less common.

Wool

The fur is dense and smooth to the touch. Ashera is a short-haired breed. The hairs are quite hard. The spots consist of softer guard hairs. Dark spots on the fur can have either a regular rounded shape or a more elongated one.

Constitution

Cats are muscular and large in size. The body is dry with a pronounced muscular corset. The body is elongated. To better imagine the cat, watch the video in the gallery, which is presented at the end of the article.

Voice

The cat had wild ancestors in its blood. She makes sounds characteristic of wild cats - chirping, hissing, and prolonged meowing.

Lifespan

The standard life expectancy is 15-18 years. With quality care and good health, a big cat can live up to 20 years.

Interesting!

The cat occupies a leading position among the most expensive breeds.

Possible defects

There are a number of defects, partly manifested in the litter. They do not allow the pet to participate in exhibitions. In some cases, animals with defects are not allowed to be bred.

Common defects:

1. The standard color of the spots is dark brown or black; other colors are considered a defect.
2. White spots on the body.
3. Dark tiger stripes instead of spots.
4. Small ears.
5. Short stature and disproportionate limbs.

Characteristics and features of Ashera

Today you can still find an offer for the sale of a “divine cat,” but honest breeders will definitely indicate that this is a Savannah F1, that is, a first-generation hybrid obtained from a wild serval.

The descriptions of these animals are very similar. Distinctive features of the cat named after the mother of all gods:

• Large sizes - body length is about one hundred centimeters and approximately the same height.
• The weight of an adult is up to fifteen kilograms.
• The coat is short, without undercoat, lying close to the body. A distinctive feature of the Bengal, which participated in the development of the new hybrid, is the extraordinary quality of the coat - glitter, shine and silkiness.
• The declared hypoallergenicity is also borrowed from the Bengal cat. Zero undercoat means no shedding. Saliva contains a component characteristic of cats to a much lesser extent. Read the article about hypoallergenic cats.
• The newcomer had three main colors.

1. The rarest is royal - almost orange with a slightly darker spot. There are only a few such animals.

1. No less original - snowy with a dark spot, snow leopard color.

1. Common for Bengals is gold with a black spot.

• The head is characteristic of a serval, small in relation to the body, wedge-shaped, tapering towards the chin.
• The ears are long, wide at the base, tapering at the top. On the back surface of the ear are white “eyes” characteristic of wild cats. It is believed that these light spots help guide the brood following its mother in the dark.
• The eyes are large, almond-shaped, slightly raised to the ears at the outer corners. Color - green or golden topaz.
• The legs are high, muscular, dry, the hind legs are much longer than the front ones. This structure of the limbs is characteristic of the serval.
• The body of an athlete is strong, with well-developed muscles, long and elongated.

Coat color

There are only 3 main colors that are acceptable in purebred breeds.

Royal

The photo shows the most beautiful and rare color. The royal coloring is distinguished by a rich orange tint of fur, which is decorated with distinct dark brown spots.

Interesting!

The classic Asherah has the brown coloration of the Savannah breed. In another way it is called royal color.

Snowy or smoky

This is a gray colored breed that also has a base gray tint and dark gray spots on top of the base color. The photo shows a light color option, a darker smoky color is possible.

Classical

The color in the photo is the most common among Savannah cats. It was passed down from a Bengal parent. It is distinguished by its leopard print coloring - a large number of black round spots scattered throughout the light brown or golden fur.

How to choose a kitten

The Life Style Pets company annually offered for sale no more than 100 kittens, the price of which was constantly increasing. But, despite this, queues for the “branded” pet continued to form.

The big cat attracted special attention, and was purchased both for maintenance and for breeding purposes, but the price of the latter was somewhat higher.

In addition, for breeding, Ashera could only be purchased by specialized nurseries. The “golden” kittens fell into the hands of happy owners already sterilized.

They could be selected from photos posted on the official websites of breeders, or during a personal visit to the nursery.

The price of a kitten varied depending on gender and purpose of purchase.

Buying a representative of this breed of cat from someone else was considered the height of carelessness. At best, resourceful breeders offered a Bengal, which they handed over at an inflated price.

A purchase from Life Style Pets required a deposit of about $6,000. Potential owners were offered 12-week-old babies to choose from. Active, cheerful kittens were considered healthy.

Animals were handed over when they reached 1 year of age. The reason was explained as follows: at the age of 12 months, the pet’s character and its inclinations are fully determined.

• Before picking up the kitten, the future owner had to examine it again - there should be no discharge from the ears and eyes.
• There should also be no foreign odor.
• And first it was necessary to take care of creating all the conditions for the new resident of the house.

These conditions are mandatory when choosing any kitten. But the breeders tried to once again remind potential owners of this, once again drawing attention to the uniqueness of the animal.

An animal that finds itself in a decent environment will develop well and be easy to train

Nowadays, you can buy a Savannah cat in nurseries, although its cost will not differ much from that of an Asherah. The price for a spotted cat can vary from 4 to 20 thousand.

Characteristics and habits

Despite its wild appearance and large size, the Asher is an affectionate pet. Asherah is a cat that follows a person. It is worth preparing in advance for constant contact with animals.

Important!

A description of the pet's character is an important component that should be considered before purchasing. In case of incompatibility with the animal, the owners have to look for new owners, which is a lot of stress for the cat.

Intelligence

They quickly learn new things. Doors and drawers open easily, so the animal should be protected from troubles in advance.

They love to watch people from high places. They quickly find their way to the top shelves and refrigerator. They are sensitive to people’s intonation, react to simple words like “no”, “move away”, etc.

Able to learn simple commands. You can use treats and praise as encouragement, but you cannot shout at the animal.

Playfulness

Ashera is a cat with a playful character. Pets jump high, conquering new heights. The jump height is 2-2.5 m. They are not embarrassed by their own dimensions, so things from the top shelves often end up on the floor.

They are excellent swimmers and love to play in water. This quality was passed on to them from the serval. They can scoop up all the water from a bucket, glass, cup. Some individuals even jump into a full bathtub or try to get into the shower stall. It is better to close the toilet with a lid, otherwise the pet will get to it.

They are loyal to the harness and love to walk outside.

Interesting!

They show excitement and interest with the help of their tail, actively tossing it from side to side.

Attitude towards people

The domestic cat quickly gets used to people. It follows its owner everywhere around the house, like a dog. In order to accustom the pet to human affection as much as possible, it is socialized from birth. Otherwise, instincts may take over, and then the animal will distance itself from people.

Important!

To a greater extent, the character of a cat is influenced by socialization and its origin. The Asher cat breed is relatively new, habits are still subject to change.

Animals are loyal to children. They can play and sit next to a calm child. They prefer to stay away from active children.

A large cat does not like prolonged loneliness, as well as intrusiveness from the owner. It is worth treating the royal animal with respect, taking into account its mood.

Mobility

The cat will be cramped in the apartment. It is important to take her for walks regularly, preferably at least once a week in the warm season. It is good if the owner has a fenced space in the backyard.

With an active lifestyle, the cat develops a healthy skeleton and muscle corset. She spends extra energy and does not spoil the interior.

If you can’t go for a walk, you should devote more time to active games.

Characteristics of this breed

The elite Asher breed differs from other cats in many respects. Future cat owners pay a lot of money for this.

Peculiarities:

1. Large size, exotic color.
2. Friendliness and curiosity.
3. Undemanding in care and nutrition.
4. Ready for walks on a harness.

Shedding

The pet's short fur is not prone to shedding. Once a week, combing is required, this removes excess hair, gives gloss and shine to the coat.

Be sure to read:

Toyger cat - a breed similar to toy tigers, description and character of a tiger cat

Allergy

Ashers are not considered a hypoallergenic breed. It is important to understand that allergies are provoked not by the fur itself, but by the protein that is found in the pet’s saliva.

Care and maintenance

Pets are independent and unpretentious. Maintenance requires minimal effort.

Moving into a new home

1. You will need a large, spacious tray where the animal can comfortably fit. Always have clean clumping litter in your cat's litter box. Asheras prefer to bury their surprises. The tray is placed in a secluded but accessible place.
2. A large bowl of clean drinking water and a bowl of dry food are installed in the feeding area.
3. Be sure to install a large scratching post. Wild animals have a special need to sharpen their claws.
4. To lose excess energy, you will need toys, or better yet, a full-fledged play area.
5. The sleeping area implies the presence of a personal sleeping place. A soft house, a warm blanket, or a large bed will do.
6. It is recommended to hide wires, jewelry, and beads from the ashera.

When the animal is brought to a new territory, the carrier is placed on the floor, allowing the cat to get out on its own. First, it is placed in a small room where a tray, bowls, and toys are displayed.

This makes it easier for your pet to adapt to a new place. After 2-3 weeks, you can arrange his things throughout the house.

Hygiene and medical procedures

1. The fur is combed every week for 15-20 minutes. Use a slicker. During the molting period, combing is carried out 2 times a week.
2. The inside of the ears is examined weekly. If sulfur accumulates, they are cleaned with a cotton pad.
3. Every 2-3 days, remove mucus that accumulates in the inner corners of the eyes. Use a cotton pad soaked in warm water. If the animal is clean, then it can handle washing itself.
4. The claws are cut with a nail clipper. The procedure is carried out every 1-2 weeks.
5. The kitten is examined by a veterinarian and given vaccinations. Subsequently, revaccination is carried out on an annual basis.
6. Deworming is carried out every quarter.

Diet

Ashera is a domestic cat, but its wild roots make themselves felt. She needs fresh meat with vegetables and cereals. The animal needs to be fed 3 times a day. Each serving weighs about 150-200 g.

Basic Rules:

1. The meat should be lean, such as beef, rabbit, chicken or turkey. One chicken often provokes allergic reactions, so several types of meat are combined. The cat is also treated to low-fat varieties of fish. Meat makes up 3/4 of the entire portion.
2. Boiled or raw vegetables are administered as a vitamin supplement - carrots, celery, cucumbers, zucchini, pumpkin, lettuce.
3. Rice, millet, buckwheat, and oats are boiled as cereals.
4. Drinking water (filtered or boiled) must be available.
5. It is forbidden to give sweet, smoked, highly salted foods. Dairy products, food consumed by humans, are also prohibited.

Important!

Meat and fish steaks are pre-deep frozen. After defrosting, the meat is doused with boiling water. It is forbidden to feed your cat freshly purchased meat. The risk of helminth infection increases.

If the owner does not have time to prepare separate meals for the cat, they use ready-made store-bought food. The main thing is to choose quality brands, holistic or super-premium.

List of popular holistic foods:

• AATU - reduces fecal odor;
• Grandorf – suitable for pets with allergies;
• Primordial – contains a rich vitamin and mineral composition.

Important!

It is forbidden to mix two types of food, such a menu leads to indigestion.

Combing

Representatives of this cat breed are short-haired, and therefore do not need to be brushed too often. In addition, the Ashera is capable of taking care of the beauty of its fur itself.

If necessary, such a pet can be combed with a thick comb no more than once a week. Ashers don’t shed much, and therefore don’t leave clumps of fur behind.

During shedding, it is recommended to use a furminator for short-haired cat breeds.

Hereditary diseases

There is a risk of genetic abnormalities that form in the embryo. It could be:

• cleft palate;
• dwarfism;
• presence of extra fingers;
• hydrocephalus.

More often they appear due to improper dilution. However, all cats are susceptible to this risk from the list. Otherwise, the domestic cat is a healthy breed and does not have any typical diseases.

Important!

There is a risk of swallowing small parts or toys because... animals try to taste them. They are not allowed to buy small toys with a lot of parts.

Asher cats have digestive problems. They have a weak digestive system and absorb only a standard set of microelements. Therefore, it is not recommended for pets to buy cheap packaged food. It is better to feed them a natural menu, which will include raw meat, vegetables, and cereals.

Health

Ashera does not tolerate cold and temperature changes well, since its relatives come from the southern regions of the planet. To strengthen the immune system, you should provide your cat with a balanced diet rich in vitamins. Before bathing, close the windows at home so that your pet does not get a draft after leaving the bath.

The pet's weak point is the gastrointestinal tract. To prevent digestive diseases, coordinate your diet with your veterinarian in advance. Make sure that the cat does not steal food from the table or eat indoor plants. Don't spare money on quality food. Visit your veterinarian regularly.

It is too early to draw final conclusions about life expectancy, because the new breed appeared only in 2006. Representatives stated the figure was 15-20 years. This is not difficult to believe, because the life expectancy of the related Savannah is on average 17-20 years.

Pros and cons of the breed

Enchanted by the beauty of the breed, you can easily overestimate your own capabilities and make a rash purchase. You cannot focus only on the positive description of the cat; it is important to take into account the disadvantages. Ashera requires special conditions of detention. At the same time, parting with the owner has a deplorable effect on the cat’s psyche.

List of advantages:

1. The animal stands out for its exotic appearance and color.
2. The big cat Asher becomes attached to its owner like a faithful dog, chases him and waits for him from work.
3. Asherah is easy to walk on a leash. She is not afraid of the street, other animals, or people.
4. The big cat will attract increased attention from friends, subscribers, colleagues and relatives.
5. Calm character and loyal attitude towards guests, gets along with children.
6. A short-haired cat sheds little.
7. They have strong immunity, and the risk of genetic abnormalities is minimized.

List of disadvantages:

1. Savannah Asher is a cat that stands out for its large dimensions, not intended for a small apartment.
2. The wild cat hybrid has not yet been fully domesticated and studied.
3. When Ashera is alone in the apartment, she actively plays, runs, and destroys everything in her path. Spoils things, flowers and interior items.
4. They do not get along with small pets, because... have a pronounced hunting instinct.
5. Asherah is jealous of the owner of his children.
6. Very high price.

Features of care

This breed of cat is no different from other representatives of the cat world in terms of care. She, like an ordinary domestic short-haired cat, requires standard hygiene procedures:

• periodic bathing using mild shampoo - Ashera is not afraid of water, so there should be no problems in this case; You should definitely bathe such a large cat in a spacious bathroom;

Important! After water treatments, it is advisable to wipe the animal’s body dry and keep the pet away from drafts for an hour - this will help protect it from colds!

• cleaning the ears and eyes - it is convenient to use cotton swabs for this;
• timely trimming of nails using special nail clippers - this procedure will help keep the upholstery of upholstered furniture intact.

This article will tell you more about how to properly wash a cat.

Choosing a kitten and cost

The minimum cost of a purebred pet with documents is 500,000 rubles. Often the price reaches 1,500,000 rubles. For kittens of 3-5 generations they require a lower price from 150,000 rubles. The second generation will cost 500-800 thousand rubles.

Interesting!

In total, there are about 1,500 representatives of this wild breed living in the world, which is why prices for the rare pet are high.

You should look for a big cat in official nurseries, where the Asher cat breed called Savannah is represented. However, some illiterate breeders still offer buyers Asher cats, which are a fictitious breed.

The buyer is required to provide a written agreement for the purchase of a rare animal, a veterinary passport, and information about the parents. You cannot blindly believe the descriptions on websites; it is important to personally examine the kitten.

As an owner, the buyer must immediately evaluate:

• cleanliness in the nursery;
• animal proportions, thinness or excess fatness;
• well-groomed appearance of kittens - clean eyes and ears;
• kittens should be playful, communicate well with any person, it is not normal if they start biting, scratching, hissing, or running away.

Usually a kitten is reserved until it reaches the age of 1 year, because... There is a queue for the kittens. Only in adulthood can owners receive a pet. Exceptions may apply.

Nutrition

According to experts, the big cat Ashera, despite its impressive dimensions, is very unpretentious in food. It is allowed to feed her with both ready-made professional food and natural food.

If you want to know how to choose the right bowls for your cat, we recommend reading the article

At the same time, dry and canned products must meet the premium and super-premium class or the holistic class, which is the most acceptable.

You can use vitamin supplements that will help maintain not only the attractive appearance of your pet, but also maintain its health.

But dry food should not form the basis of the diet. There is no complete ban on them, but it is better that such food is only a tasty addition - a delicacy.

Natural foods should serve as the main source of proteins, fats and carbohydrates:

• fresh beef and poultry, but if you are not sure of the quality, then it is better to pour boiling water over the meat;
• sea ​​fish - it is advisable that this is the basis of the ashera menu;
• plant food - it is used as an additive to the diet.

Recommendation! Before getting into your pet’s bowl, any meat must spend two or three days in the freezer! It should only be defrosted in the main compartment of the refrigerator!

Breeding the Ashera breed

The Savannah Asherah is a cat that loses its unique “wild” characteristics with each new generation. There are 4 valuable generations that carry the wild serval gene:

1. F1 is a direct descendant of the African serval and the Bengal cat, the blood consists of 50% wild animal blood. Of great interest to breeders and buyers.
2. F2 is the next generation, whose blood already belongs to 30% of the wild ancestor.
3. F3 – the content of the wild serval gene is only 10%, these are less valuable kittens from the point of view of crossing.
4. F4 is a new generation, the degree of relationship is so distant that the natural characteristics of the serval may not be traceable.

It is for this reason that kittens are sold already sterilized, and professional breeders are engaged in breeding.

Pregnancy takes 68-72 days. No more than 3-4 kittens appear in one litter. Sterilization is carried out at the age of 2 months. The procedure not only protects against pregnancy, but also pacifies the animal’s wild habits.

Vaccinations

Miniature cheetahs fall into the hands of their new owners already vaccinated. But this is only provided that they are purchased from specialized nurseries.

Upon reaching the first year of their life, they received all the necessary vaccines; in the future, constant monitoring should be carried out in veterinary clinics.

Vaccinations are given to the animal in the nursery, and then repeated periodically. Since the animal spends most of its time in the house and is walked on a leash, there is no serious fear of infection of the animal even in the absence of vaccinations.

Due to the constant work of professional veterinarians on representatives of this breed of cats in specialized nurseries, the risk of getting an animal with hereditary abnormalities is eliminated

Photo and video

Photos of kittens and adults:

Video:

Video: Ashera - leopard cat

Video: Cat breeds - Ashera.

In the video you can track the animal’s habits, sudden body movements, and its wild nature.

The Asher cat breed has its pros and cons. The high price is only the first problem that owners face. Animals are very active, require a lot of space and attention, and follow people everywhere. However, they are incredibly beautiful, are loyal friends and truly love people.

Description and breed standard

The large domestic cat Ashera is striking in its size, being considered the largest in the genus. Here is a table that clearly demonstrates the description of the characteristics and features of a unique species, which is a hybrid of the African serval:

Care

These cats have a huge advantage of keeping them - they are not picky. The possibility of training and intelligent education allows Ashers to grow into a pet with excellent manners, becoming a full member of the family.

Caring for and maintaining animals does not require significant costs. Here are the main positive aspects of having this particular breed at home:

• the coat practically does not shed;
• the pet clearly understands the role of the owner in the house, calmly obeying him;
• hypoallergenic wool;
• high learning ability.