Serengeti Cat Breed Description

Active: Serengeti cats are a highly active and energetic cat breed. They love running and climbing, feeling right at home when perched up above everyone else to oversee things. They need exercise and lots of cat trees or furniture for climbing to get their energy out.

Size: The Serengeti cat is a medium-sized cat, ranging in size from 8 - 15 pounds.

Characteristics: The beautiful, exotic look of the Serengeti cat is truly a sight to behold. Their stunning coat will be the first thing you notice because of its unique spotting. Only four colors are accepted for the Serengeti coat: black smoke, silver-spotted tabby, solid black as well as brown-spotted tabby. Upon one of those four colors sits black spots that are widely spaced out across the body. Their coat beautifully shows off their lithe, muscular body and their long neck gives them an elegant regality that is not seen in many other cat breeds. But their long neck and beautiful coat are not their only striking features, they are also known for their very large ears with rounded tips as well as their large round eyes that are quite striking. Their bright gold or amber color will draw you into their gaze and mesmerize you. They are not incredibly large cats but they have large bones and long legs that add to their wild appearance.

Temperament: While they may look like they were plucked right out of the wild, Serengeti cats have a more domestic personality. But, while they are friendly, they are discerning and want to take time to get to know someone before they become best friends with them. Once they do get to know their humans and warm up to them they will stick close. In fact, they tend to stick so closely they have been given the nickname "Velcro cat." Once you make friends they are also sure to chat your ear right off as they are a fairly vocal cat breed. In addition to being friendly and confident they are an incredibly athletic and agile cat. They will climb and leap to great heights and run through the house at breakneck speeds.

Care: Because their coat is short and sleek, the Serengeti cat only needs minimal care including occasional (once per week is ideal) brushing or combing.

Coat: Serengeti cats have a short, fine, and very tight coat that feels silky to the touch.

Origin: The Serengeti cat breed is incredibly beautiful and bears a striking resemblance to the African Serval. The African Serval is a medium-sized wild cat but, in spite of the striking resemblance, African Servals were not used in the breeding process or creation of the Serengeti cat breed. Even though they have a wild appearance, the Serengeti cat breed was created right in California by breeder, and professional conservation biologist, Karen Sausman of Kingsmark Cattery. The Savannah cat breed was created by breeding domestic cats with African Servals but Sausman set out with the intention to create a domestic cat with no wild blood that still resembled the African Serval in a push to promote conservation of wild animals. In 1995, rather than using African Serval cats, Sausman bred Bengal cats with Oriental Shorthair cats and the breed has been gradually developing ever since. The Serengeti cat breed is recognized by TICA (The International Cat Association) as a Preliminary New Breed.