Savannah Cats & Safari Cats

Savannah Cats

A cross resulting from the breeding of an African Serval and a domestic cat has recently resulted in the replication of the striking coat pattern and body structure of the Serval.

Savannahs are smaller (up to 32 pounds) and more manageable than Servals, but are the largest hybrid feline available today. Savannahs are the newest breed of cat available.

Prices for pets are as follows:

• F1 (75% Serval) $6,000 - $7,000
• F1 (50% Serval) $6,000 - $7,000
• F2 (25% Serval) $2,500 - $4,000
• F3 (12.5% Serval) $1,500 - $3,000
• F4 & F5 $2,000 - $5,000

Safari Cats

The Safari cat is a hybrid of the South American Geoffroys cat. The Safari is an unusual animal that provides the look of the wild with the affection rarely found in the sweetest domestic.

Some of the first Safaris were bred in the early 1970’s. A limited number were produced for pets and a few were produced for use in Leukemia research by Washington State University.

Average prices for Safaris are as follows:

• F1 (50%) $6,000 - $8,500
• Males are sold as pets only due to sterility

"Toygers" Breed Conservation Awareness, Animal-Rescue Concerns

Jenifer Santee always dreamed of owning a tiger.

But knowing that wild creatures should not be kept as house pets, she did the next best thing: She joined a small group of cat breeders working to create a fully domesticated look-a-like of the largest member of the feline family.

"It's a designer cat that was bred specifically to preserve the beauty of an exotic animal," said Santee, of the SanteePride Cattery in Manteno, Illinois.

Dubbed toygers, for toy tigers, these playful, black-striped felines have been registered as a breed with the International Cat Association (TICA) since 1993. (see photos of toygers vs. tigers --> http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2007/03/photogalleries/cats-toygers/index.html)


Santee is among 25 breeders worldwide working on perfecting the pedigreed cat. So far, 360 toygers—each valued at upward of $3,000 (U.S.)—have been registered with TICA.

And starting this May toygers will join more familiar breeds—including Abyssinians, Persians, and Russian blues—that can be judged as championship cats at TICA-sponsored cat shows.

Public demand for the tiny tiger replica is "overwhelming," Santee said, and has likely been fueled by recent national media attention on the breed's progress.

Letting the Cat out of the Bag

Checkers Drive-In Restaurants recently re-released a commercial starring a rapping feline named, of course, RapCat.

When it was first released last Fall, it was an "overnight success", according to a Checker's spokesman.

RapCat has his own official website at http://www.rap-cat.com where you can get RapCat merchandise (coming soon), download RapCat themed goodies, read RapCat's bio, and watch RapCat's Music Video World Premiere on March 5th!

What's the problem?

The Tampa, Florida-based, fast-food company has a special take-out bag with cutaways for a cat's legs and tail. Checkers is encouraging customers to dress-up their cats with the bag, which is designed to look like a basketball jersey.

Hillsborough County Animal Services has issued an advisory asking people not to put their cats into the bags. Their fear is that a cat or cat owner will be hurt stuffing a cat into one of the bags. The department also stated in a news release that if someone does force a cat into a bag, they could be charged with animal cruelty. A First Offense comes with a stiff $300 fine and arrest.

Extra-special cat has 26 toes

Her human family noticed there was something different with the three-month-old kitten when she started scratching more than other cats.

"You would sort of want to wear boxing gloves when you play with her," says Kaelene Gerrard, who lives with her partner Eli Eliu and daughters Mercy, six, and 12-year-old Shardae.

She examined the frisky feline's paws and did a double take at what she found.

"We counted and then recounted but we had it right the first time," she says.

Extra has seven toes on each front paw and six toes on each back paw - instead of the normal five on each.

"Her mum Star is a normal cat but her grandmother had six toes on each paw as well and so does her brother. But we've never even heard of a kitten with seven toes on each front paw," says Kaelene.

"Extra's a good climber and runs really fast.

Video: White Catmus

It's cat vs. rat in NY delis

New York city’s health code and state law forbid animals in places where food or beverages are sold for human consumption. Fines range from $300 for a first offense to $2,000 or higher for subsequent offenses.

But many deli and Bodega owners in New York City are defending their right to keep cats in their stores. The cats keep the rat and mice under control - city inspectors contend the cats pose a health hazard.

Many store owners keep cats despite the law, mainly because other options have failed and the fine for rodent feces is also $300.

“It’s hard for bodega owners because they’re not supposed to have a cat, but they’re also not supposed to have rats,” said José Fernández, the president of the Bodega Association of the United States.