Serengeti cat

The Serengeti cat is a cross between the Bengal cat and an Oriental cat.

The breed is still in the development stages, but the ultimate aim is to produce a cat that looks similar to a Serval, without using any recent wild cat blood. (Bengal cats originate from hybridization of Asian Leopard Cats. Most Bengal cats used in Serengeti programs are many generations removed from these origins and possess few genetic contributions of the Leopard Cat). Serengeti cats are spotted cats, with long legs and very large ears. Males are generally slightly larger and heavier than females and can weigh up to 15lbs; females generally weigh between 8 and 12lbs.

They are recognized by TICA (The International Cat Association) in tabby, ebony silver, ebony smoke and solid black. A group of breeders in the UK are currently working towards getting TICA to also recognise the snow spotted (aka lynx-point) variety.

The tabby is known as the brown spotted in the UK - however spots can be black or dark brown on a tan, light beige or gold background. The silver has black spots on a silver background. Ghost spotting can sometimes be seen on the solid black version. They are beautiful cats, with lovely temperaments, somehow managing to take the best characteristics from both their parent breeds. They are not Bengal/Siamese crosses, often mistakenly called serengeti.