Domesticated wildcat pets

[357wheelgunner]

I was at the petshop and they had a small cat with a really long tail and leopard spots for $1200. The lady said it's grandfather was bred with a wild cat from asia, making a houscat sized wildcat.

The cat was more attentive, playful, and affectionate than any I'd seen. I was told that all the cats from the breed were like that.

Anyone else heard of this?

 

[Steven Valys]

Google Ashera and Savannah cats. They are similar to what you are describing. $1200 is a good deal if it's the real thing.

 

[sassysmama]

Generally if you are buying it for a pet, get one at least 4 generations from the true wildcat. Yes, they are quite sweet as babies, but they grow into terrors. Similar to the way that most people could handle an 8 wk old tiger, but when it grows up, that's a totally different story. I had 2 bengal cats a long time ago, similar thing to the savannahs but they are farther removed from their wild relatives. Anyway, they were pretty cool, but after they grew out of being kittens, they were NOT tame. Tolerant of us and friendly, but nothing like a sweet little house cat. I cannot imagine keeping one inside only. They get larger than normal cats, too. Do your research before getting a cat like this. Way too many people buy them thinking its going to be like having the looks of a wild cat with the personality of the tabby next door. It will not be, I guarantee it. If you like the thought of having to treat it like a wild animal, then go for it, but if you want it to behave like a normal cat, look elsewhere. On a side note, I have a munchkin cat now. They play like kittens their entire lives, they are very affectionate and intelligent, and they love to follow you around like a dog all day long. Plus they have short little legs and they come in all colors. They run about $600-$1500 and they are very fun. If you want a cat that will be really sweet and playful its whole life, you should consider a munchkin.

 

[Mushroom Spore]

If you want a cat that will be really sweet and playful its whole life, you should consider a munchkin.

You know plenty of normal domestic felines are sweet and playful their whole lives too, right?

 

[sassysmama]

lol. Yeah, I do. Just seemed like they wanted something a little exotic and different. It did sound kinda weird in my post though. But yeah, your local shelter is great place to find a great cat. If, however, you have to have a different looking cat, I would rather see people get pretty much anything besides one of these wildcats. Many people that breed them are basically like the puppy mills of the cat world. Plus add in the fact that these cats can actually be dangerous, and yeah, bad combo. But yes, regular cats are wonderful. We have two of those too. And both of them are delightful.

 

[pitbulllady]

I was at the petshop and they had a small cat with a really long tail and leopard spots for $1200. The lady said it's grandfather was bred with a wild cat from asia, making a houscat sized wildcat.

The cat was more attentive, playful, and affectionate than any I'd seen. I was told that all the cats from the breed were like that.

Anyone else heard of this?

The cat you're describing is a Bengal Cat, a domesticated breed originally created by crossing regular domestic breeds like Egyptian Maus with the Asian Leopard Cat(Felis bengalensis), hence the name. Bengals are a very popular and now fairly-common breed because they have the look of a wild cat with the temperament of a domestic, but with the wild cat's more dog-like personality. $1200.00 is awfully expensive now for one, though, but then it's a pet shop, and they do tend to horribly inflate their prices knowing how easily fools and their money are parted. Several years ago, it might not have been that odd to see a top-quality Bengal listed for that price, but now, even well-known show breeders would only sell their absolute best stock for that price, and you can purchase a really nice kitten from a legitimate breeder for much less. Most kittens in pet shops, as with puppies, are bred on commercial breeding farms, or "puppy mills", and sold via brokers, who have no clue where the animals wind up or with whom, and could care less. Bengals are no longer rare, and it's not hard to find a good breeder who carefully screens potential homes for their kittens, and will stand behind the health of the kitten well into adulthood.

There are other breeds created by intentionally crossing wild species of cat with domestics, like the Savannah(Serval x domestic), Chausie(Jungle cat x domestic-and by "Jungle cat" I mean Felis chaus), and Serengeti Cats(Geofferie's Cat x domestic). The International Cat Association(TICA)registers these cats, and establishes criteria for showing and breeding based on how many generations removed from the original wild cross they are. These are NOT dangerous wild animals but recognized domesticated cat breeds that just happen to look very exotic, and happen to have much more "people-oriented" dispositions, more like a dog, which I've found to be true of many hand-reared true wild cats, like bobcats.

pitbulllady

 

[xchondrox]

Nice post pitbulllady. I was going to say it sounded like it may be a bengal as well. I had a 2yr old female marbled bengal for 6weeks last fall, ended up giving the thing away. Would constantly meow, drove me nuts! And no it wasnt in heat, it was definately beyond annoying. Only thing it had going for it was its looks and that it was 2X as soft as a regular cat. The petstore I worked at in high school had a male as a store pet that was very mischevious and like to claw/bite. They ended up giving that one away aswell. I havnt had a very good expierence with this breed of feline. My suggestion to anyone wanting one is to not do so, go get a healthy free cat from the shelter!

 

[Jimi Thing]

We had this guy (Moe) for about 11 years or so. He lived in a large 10'X30' kennel outside. He loved to play rough and made some pretty cool sounds also lol. We had to put him down about 3 years ago, he wasn't packing on the winter weight and no vet wanted to mess with him. There's more to the story but I won't get into it. We miss him to this day.

Since Moe, we've picked up Rocky, a female marbled bengal

 

[pitbulllady]

Nice post pitbulllady. I was going to say it sounded like it may be a bengal as well. I had a 2yr old female marbled bengal for 6weeks last fall, ended up giving the thing away. Would constantly meow, drove me nuts! And no it wasnt in heat, it was definately beyond annoying. Only thing it had going for it was its looks and that it was 2X as soft as a regular cat. The petstore I worked at in high school had a male as a store pet that was very mischevious and like to claw/bite. They ended up giving that one away aswell. I havnt had a very good expierence with this breed of feline. My suggestion to anyone wanting one is to not do so, go get a healthy free cat from the shelter!

Among the domesticated breeds used to create the Bengal were the Egyptian Mau, which isn't from Egypt at all, but an American/English breed derived from Oriental(think "Siamese") cats. Those cats are known for being "talkative", to say the least, as anyone who has had a Siamese will attest! They also tend to be very active(or HYPERACTIVE)and have a mischievous streak, so it's little surprise that Bengals are similar. I've had one Bengal, but found that for some reason, he really aggravated my allergies. I had to place all my big cats many years ago because of this same issue, although the exotic small cats, like bobcats, never caused any problems. I've had some problems, allergy-wise, with the Oriental breeds, so it appears that certain types of cat must produce either a lot more dander, or a different kind, than others, but in any case, Bengals are a breed that I can't be around very much.

I would recommend shelter/rescue cats, too, if you're not too particular on breed, since a lot of shelters mis-identify cats as purebreds in order to place them. I've never seen a shelter that had "free" cats, though. At the least, you'd have to pay for the vaccinations and spay/neuter, but you're gonna have to pay for that anyway. Around here, finding a HEALTHY cat in a shelter is a challenge; many are sick when they come in and infect everything else with respiratory illness. Many show cat breeders will from time to time have "retired" show cats or breeders that they've had spayed/neutered, and they will place these cats with carefully screened people as pets. These cats have been kept in very clean, disease-free environments and are usually very well-socialized. Sometimes they have cats that they kept back for showing, that for some reason, just didn't work out, and they will place those, too. That's a really good option if you want an adult cat or older kitten that's past the mischievous stage, that's had all its shots and is already "fixed", and is of a certain breed. Four of my cats came from show breeders, and all have been really good cats.

pitbulllady

pitbulllady

 

[T-kid's mom]

Also be wary of picking up a kitten from anyone with "free kittens". Elizabeth bonded instantly with an absolutely adorable kitten that was being given away along with her littermates at the local garden center one day last October. Laughing that there is no such thing as a free kitten we took Andromeda home. She really is an absolutely wonderful kitten with one of the best personalities I have ever seen and looks, sounds and acts a lot like a Maine Coon. The only down side is that when we took her to the vet she turned up FIV+, something we hadn't even thought about but should have since her parents were barn cats. We're counting our blessings that she at least turned up FeLv- so we don't have that major worry and FIV is certainly the lesser of the two evils.

While we woudn't trade Andromeda for a minute and are right now enjoying the fact that she seems no different from a healthy cat, we know we might have shortened time with her and some difficulty ahead. Given our background the past few years, this is not what I would have chosen for E!

So, my advice is definitely go to a shelter or check out the adoptions at Petco or Petsmart. We saw a cat recently that looked like a purebred Russian Blue, so if you are patient, you never know what you might find.

Susan

 

[Eclipse]

Does anyone know the smallest species of cat that can be kept as house pets?

 

[RoachGirlRen]

Just a minor beef with this topic... there is no such thing as a domesticated wildcat. There are captive born, captive bred, and hybrid wild cats, but domestication is a lengthy process of selective captive breeding resulting in physiological and behavioral changes that modify an animal permenantly and genetically. You can have semi-tame wild cat, but is will ALWAYS just be a wild animal that you are keeping captive. It will ALWAYS be unpredictable, will ALWAYS have the needs of a wild cat, and will NEVER be like a house cat. They should never be kept as "house pets." They deserve a proper enclosure, healthy diet, behavioral enrichment, and while they can interact with you, their wild natures should always be respected. When those behaviors aren't respected, the situation is dangerous to you, inhumane to the cat, and overall just a very poor arrangement for both of you. IMO no wild cat should ever be a pet, but if you are going to do it - do it right. Don't buy it from a random pet store (find a responsible and knowledgeable breeder), don't treat it like a house pet, and for god's sake research its behavior and needs at length. There is an unreal number of wild cats and wild cat hybrids in sanctuaries due to a fundamental misunderstanding of what the owner was getting into.

 

[sassysmama]

People appear to be missing the point of this. Bengal cats are NOT wild. They have wild cat in their VERY distant past and are now bred to other bengals. This person said that this particular cat's grandfather was wild. That makes it an F2 generation, I believe. It will have 25% wild genes. Having had a 25% wolf hybrid, I can tell you that it will weigh HUGELY on that cat's temperment. By the way, is no one else concerned that all responsible breeders will screen applicants for cats like this? They will not allow it to go to any old person with $1200. Most people say that from F4 generation on, meaning 4 generations removed from wildcat, they make suitable pets. Not to say that some people don't keep the others, just that your average person will not be as well equipped to deal with such a cat. To the person with the bobcat, that is awesome. They are stunning animals. But they are not for everyone. Basically, just do your research. It is not going to act just like a domesticated cat. If it does, then you were most likely lied to about its bloodlines. Many stupid breeders will lie about the percentage of "wild" that is in a cat, believing that the closer it is to wild, the more money they can get, and the more people will want it. It happens all the time with wolf-hybrids. Breeders will say that the dog is 75% wolf, because they know people will want a dog that looks like a wolf, but behaves like a dog. It is a sad fact of human nature that people will pay so much to be able to say they have tamed a wild beast. In reality the dog is probably 12.5% wolf, and the rest husky, but no one wants to hear that. This has really touched a sore nerve for me. I euthanized my wolf-hybird 2 years ago after trying for 6 years to help him adjust to domesticated life. It became unfair to him. This was the result of an unscrupulous breeder trying to make money off of the "cool factor" and not socializing this animal at all. There is a reason they do not sell lions and tigers. Yes, some people can and do train and handle them, but it is not fair to them to be bred just to be a trophy for someone. Sorry to rant, and I'm not saying that people shouldn't keep them, its just that when people breed just for money, and don't care about the animals lives, it totally sucks for everyone involved. If I did my research and felt that this type of cat was right for me, I would find a proper breeder who cared enough to make sure their animals went to caring, appropriate homes and didn't sell out to the highest bidder.

 

[blacktara]

Couple of things. First of all, I agree with whoever said that there is no such thing as a domesticated wildcat. They may be playful as kittens, but wildcats DO NOT bond. Period.

Second, someone said $1200 is a "good deal". You have GOT to be kidding. (unless of course, you mean for the pet shop owner)

 

[pitbulllady]

Couple of things. First of all, I agree with whoever said that there is no such thing as a domesticated wildcat. They may be playful as kittens, but wildcats DO NOT bond. Period.

Second, someone said $1200 is a "good deal". You have GOT to be kidding. (unless of course, you mean for the pet shop owner)

Wild cats may not be domesticated, in terms of having been selectively bred by humans for specific traits that make them appealing to US, and which often render survival in the wild more difficult(if not impossible), but anyone who says that "wildcats DO NOT bond. Period" had NEVER lived with one, never experienced this first-hand, and is probably relying on typical misinformation from PeTA or API to come to this conclusion. I have lived with wildcats, and the bond that they form with their human caretakers can be much deeper than that of a domestic cat, to the point that they will literally die if separated from their owner, regardless of the care that they receive. I have had bobcats whose loyalty and devotion surpassed that of most dogs. That does not mean that I am recommending that everyone go out and get a bobcat, lynx, or other wildcat-far from it. The success of this animal as a companion is determined not so much by the animal itself, but by the willingness of the human to devote everything to the animal's well-being. This means sacrificing a lot of the things that many people take for granted, like the two-week vacation cruise, the big backyard cook-outs, the New Year's Eve party on the patio, etc. It depends on the human being able to understand and accept the animal for what it is, and not try to turn it into something it's not. Today, with our Disney-fied image of animals as four-legged humans, most people can't cope with a DOG, let alone a wildcat, but for those who are able to meet the demands of having such an animal, there are few experiences more rewarding. If I still had the time and energy I had in my younger days, I'd definitely love to have another bobcat, as I've found them to be far better companions than most domesticated cats.

Sassymama has a good point which I think was missed: Bengal cats are not, indeed, wildcats. It's highly unlikely that the grandfather of the kitten in the pet store was actually an Asian Leopard Cat; this sounds like a typical ignorant spiel from a pet shop to justify some outrageous price tag, not unlike the Rosehaired tarantula I saw recently listed for $130.00 with the label "RARE" written on its enclosure in big, fluorescent orange letters! These people know that the more exotic they can make something appear, the more the gullible public will pay for it. I wish I had a penny for every "Rare blue Pit Bull" puppy I saw advertised; I would have so much money I could fire Donald Trump!

pitbulllady

 

[Hedorah99]

The downside to that whole spiel is, even if you do everything right, and you make all the sacrifices, and the animal still wants nothing to do with you, what do you do now? I know what the answer is because I used to work at a big cat reserve for previously owned, and in most cases, slightly damaged "pets". There are people that do have success stories, and it sounds like you were one of them. Out of the 100 or so bobcats that were there, one was "friendly", about 10 would tolerate you trying to clean the enclosures, the rest would just as soon tear you in half at the waist as look at you. Like I said, there are happy stories, as I do know people with servals and one woman who owned a lion for many years. But my experience at the reserve leads me to believe most attempts at making pets of these animals results in failure, usually at the animal's expense.

Just my 2 cents.

 

[RoachGirlRen]

I agree that wild cats and their hybrids are very capable of bonding (though it is a very different bond than the type you form with a house cat), but I also agree with the last poster noting that the very nature of many of these cats does make them uniquely challenging in ways that most people are ill equipped to meet their needs. I don't just mean socially, either; these are wild animals with very specific enclosure, dietary, veterinary, and behavioral needs that many well funded zoos even have trouble meeting. So you have to be one heck of a committed owner to be able to pull it off, which most people, unfortunately, are not. IMO such intelligent animals are best left in the wild where they belong rather than kept as a cool novelty pet. Granted many would say the same about invertebrates and herps, but let's just say a wild cat's needs and intelligence are much, much more extensive than say, a ball python or cockroach's, which adds a whole dimension that sets them, other large carnivores, primates, and birds well apart (again, IMO).

 

[Hedorah99]

I agree that wild cats and their hybrids are very capable of bonding

I agree with this as well. But just remember, Roy Horn bonded with his pet tiger and it still tried to take his head off. Even if you subscribe to the theory it was "protecting" him, it still nearly killed him. A small wild cat can inflict tremendous amounts of damage in the blink of an eye.

 

[RoachGirlRen]

Oh I know, that's why I'm totally against having them as pets (which the rest of my post goes on to say, heh). The fact that an animal can bond doesn't make it a good pet automatically. In fact, for some animals, it makes them a BAD pet; ever see the damage a bonded cockatoo will do to anyone that comes near its owner (which it considers its mate)?

 

[dtknow]

What do people here think of Jack London's...White Fang? It seems that is what people have in mind with the whole wolfdog craze. Afterall, White Fang was 75% wolf.