The beginning of caracat cats was totally accidental in a Russian zoo at the end of the last century, when a wild caracal was bred with a domestic cat that happened to be around. The result was a cat with a wild character and personality similar to the caracal, but smaller in size and different in color, so it was rejected and forgotten.
However, later they began to interbreed intentionally, as interest in this mix had increased, considering that it was easier to tame than a wild caracal. The cross with the Abyssinian cat was considered the best mix so that the little caracat was born with the most similar colors to the wild caracal, since both layers of the parents are similar. Even so, the cross between these two felines is morally questionable and the offspring can have serious problems. Read on to learn more about the curious cat caracat, its origin, character, characteristics, care and he alth.
Origin of caracat
The caracat is a feline resulting from the cross between a male caracal and a female domestic cat, mainly of the Abyssinian cat breed. The caracal or African lynx is so called because it has plumes on its ears similar to those of lynxes, which consist of black hairs up to 6 cm long, with which they help to locate the origin of the sound and use them as sensors. However, they are not actually related to lynxes, but rather to servals. It is a solitary and nocturnal feline of medium size that lives in the steppes, savannahs and stony and sandy deserts of Africa, Arabia and India. It feeds on multiple prey, but especially birds, for which it jumps up to 4 or 5 meters to hunt them.
The first cross between a caracal and a domestic cat occurred in 1998 completely accidentally, in the Moscow Zoo, Russia. The news appeared in the German magazine Der Zoologische Garten, Vol.68. This crossing brought a calf that they called "bastard" and was forgotten and sacrificed for not having the colors that a caracal should have, even though it did have its feral behavior.
Nowadays, however, it is one of the most popular hybrid cats, especially in the United States and Russia, because they are considered easier to tame than wild caracals. Because of this, they have been bred in captivity in order to meet the increased demand for these cats. Nowadays, it is preferred to cross them with an Abyssinian cat because it is the most similar in colors to the caracal. This crossing is carried out in captivity, with “artificially” educated caracals, since in nature caracals see cats as prey and not as an equal to mate and have offspring. Thus, the breeding of this hybrid is morally questionable due to the entire process and, as we shall see, the he alth problems that the offspring may have.
Characteristics of caracat
The caracat is smaller than the wild caracal, but much larger than the small Abyssinian cat. The weight they can reach can reach 13-14 kg, measuring about 36 cm high and up to 140 cm long, including the tail.
The coat color is very similar to that of the caracal if mixed with an Abyssinian cat. Thus, the caracat is characterized by having coppery-orange hair with dark stripes or bands (ticking) or by having the same shades of fur as the caracal (brown, tan, and black, with white breast and belly). The coat is dense, short and soft. In addition, in the caracat you can also see the black locks on the tips of their long ears (called plumes in the caracal), the black nose, eyes big, wild look and strong but stylized and aesthetic body.
Character of char
First-generation hybrids, that is, those that come directly from the cross between a caracal and an Abyssinian, tend to be more restless, energetic, playful, hunters and feralthan those of the second or third generation, when they already cross caracat with caracat, which are more domestic and affectionate.
Depends on how lucky you are with the first generation specimens, they may or may not be good as pets, as some may have nasty wild instincts, being annoying, violent and destructive in the home. Others, however, adapt well to the home and, although sometimes their wild instincts surface, at other times they seem like a normal cat, but more independent and solitary.
Something to keep in mind is that the specimens with the highest percentage of caracal have, instead of a regular meow they usually roar or emit a mixture of screeching and roaring.
Caracat care
The diet of the caracat is more similar to that of the caracal than to that of the domestic cat, so it should be based on meat or dead prey(small birds, rodents or small mammals) for being strict carnivores. They eat more and require more kilocalories per day than a standard domestic cat due to their larger size and greater strength, energy and vitality. However, some eat large cat food, wet and dry. Find out what cats eat in this other article and what is the BARF diet for cats, since when caring for a caracat this is a more than recommended diet.
In addition to taking into account the nutritional needs, it is important to offer the caracat adequate environmental enrichment. If in domestic cats this aspect is essential to avoid stress, anxiety, boredom and frustration, in the caracat it is even more so. Also, this feline tends to have more need to explore and hunt, so it is convenient to go for a walk.
On the other hand, caracat cats can be affected by the same infectious and parasitic diseases as domestic cats, requiring their vaccination and dewormingThe brushing is also important, as well as monitoring the condition of their ears and teeth for disease prevention.
Caracat he alth
The main problem with caracat cats occurs at the end of pregnancy, when they give birth. You have to think that a caracal male is crossed with an Abyssinian female. To begin with, Abyssinian cats are not characterized by having a large litter, usually giving birth to only two pups. If we add to this that she has come across a feline much larger than her, she will only gestate a huge cat or two smaller ones, but larger than what a kitten usually gives birth to. Thinking about giving birth in these conditions is quite unpleasant and these females spend a lot of time suffering, often requiring veterinary assistance. It is also not too much to imagine that some female dies during childbirth, she loses a lot of blood or suffers damage to her reproductive system during the process
Once they are born, many caracat puppies die after a few days because the gestation of both felines is different, being that of the caracal about 10-12 days longer than that of domestic cats. Others suffer from intestinal problems such as inflammatory bowel disease, difficulties digesting cat diet, greater predisposition to illness or increased urine marking due to their wild nature and territorial.
Can you adopt a caracat?
There are very few caracat specimens in the world, no more than 50, so getting hold of one is extremely difficult. Also, this breeding is cruel, so first of all you have to think about the damage it causes to Abyssinian cats and forcing something that is not natural only by human whim.
On the internet you can investigate until you find some, although they usually ask a lot of money for them, so that the inability to adopt them is added to the lack of ethics of this cross. It is best to enjoy the two animals separately, both are beautiful and big cats just as they are, without the need to force a third of their mix.
