People love the unusual, even when it comes to choosing their pets. Hybrid breeds are just as trendy for cats as they are for dogs. But do exotic breeds really feel at home in the living room? Today, our veterinary practitioner Vanessa takes a critical look at the question of whether wild cats really fit into your home.
Wild cat breeds domesticated
Extravagance seems to play an increasingly important role when buying a cat. People don't just want to get a pet, they want it to stand out from the crowd. The breeding of hybrid breeds is booming. Domesticated domestic cats are crossed with small wild cat species. The following breeds exist, for example:
Savannah cat
A mix of the wild Serval cat and the Bengal domestic cat. This cat is a very large, slender, long-legged and muscular species with a relatively small head and large ears. With its cheetah-like appearance, it is a real eye-catcher. In the wild, the serval has a hunting area of eleven square kilometers. Cramped cages are therefore more than precarious for the offspring of this wild cat.
Caracats
The cross between the wild caracal and the domestic Maine Coon domestic cat or Abyssinian cat. It is muscular and elongated and the massive head has slanted eyes. The very large ears with pronounced long tufts of hair give the animal a "lynx-like" appearance. Before breeding, the small wild cats lived in very dry areas such as deserts, steppes and dry forests.
Bengal cat
The ancestors here are wild Bengal cats (Prionailurus bengalensis) and domesticated American shorthair cats. Breeders like to advertise the "leopard look" of the wild Bengal cat. The physique is athletic and muscular with a medium-length tail. It is native to Asia and is originally nocturnal.
Originally different: European and African wild cat
There seems to be no limit to new hybrid breeds. Unusual matings are bred time and again. In Europe, however, there are still wild cats living in the wild: Experts estimate that around 5000 - 6000 European wild cats are at home in our forests.
Today's domestic cats, on the other hand, are descended from the African wild cat (Felis silvestris lybica), which was easier to tame and was probably brought to Germany by the Romans. In addition to a centuries-long development process, our cuddly pets also come from completely different genetic material than their wild counterparts. This is how you can tell the difference between today's domestic and wild cats:
Distinguishing features between domestic and European wild cats
- Skull volume: Significantly larger in wild cats.
- Body size: Wild breeds can measure up to 110 cm from head to tail tip.
- Intestine: As pure carnivores, wild cats have a shorter intestine.
- Tail length: Domestic cats have a longer tail than their wild relatives.
It is also more pointed and less bushy. - Eye color: Grey-green in wild cats, domestic cats can have all eye colors.
- Lifestyle: European wildcats are solitary animals.
- Food preferences: In addition to small animals, wildcats can also prey on large prey,
e.g. a young boar or a fawn. - Mating season: Wildcats only become active in cold February.
The offspring of European wildcats that mate with domestic cats are called "dazzlers". Just like the bred hybrid breeds, they endanger the wild cats, as the offspring combine genetic material from both breeds and are therefore only partially equipped for life in the wild.
The legal trade in hybrid breeds
The breeding of hybrid breeds, which supposedly combine the best characteristics of certain wild cats and domestic cats, is on the increase. But is the trade in hybrid breeds legal? The answer is yes, under the following conditions:
- EC certificate (marketing permit/species protection law): The seller can use this to prove the legal acquisition of the cat.
- Proof of expertise: You must obtain confirmation from an official veterinarian that you are familiar with these cats. Only then are you allowed to keep the animal.
- Large outdoor enclosure: This must have an area of approx. 50m². This is not a lot of space compared to the space the cats are used to in the wild.
- No private owners in Austria: Our neighbors prohibit the keeping of servals and caracals by private individuals. Unfortunately, this leads to breeders taking the animals abroad for mating. This causes additional stress for the animals.
A ban on keeping does not immediately lead to a lack of trade - because where there is demand, there will always be someone to take care of the supply. This is why educational work is particularly important - because breeding hybrid cats is not only dangerous for the animals, but new owners often feel overwhelmed by the typically "wild" behavior of hybrid cats.
Wild cats in the pedigree have their price
For many pet owners, the purchase price of hybrid cats is one of their unique selling points. Not everyone can afford such an animal. Hybrid kittens often cost around 5000 euros and more on the Internet. Some breeds are traded for up to 25,000 euros. When faced with these horrendous sums, owners often forget that it's not just about whether breeding is permitted. It's about the welfare of the animals and a wild cat in the pedigree changes the personality of your pet.
Why hybrid breeds are problematic
Unfortunately, many people currently believe the breeders of hybrid breeds who advertise their cats with two characteristics: The look of a wild cat and the personality of a domestic cat. But is this really possible? As you probably know, the domestication process of our cats has taken thousands of years. It is very unlikely that the behavioral pattern of a wild cat would have disappeared after only a few generations, while the appearance remains.
The acquisition of a hybrid cat is associated with various animal welfare problems:
1. mating with great risk for the domestic cat
In most cases, the father is a wild cat and the female is a domestic cat. During mating, serious injuries can occur if the domestic cat is bitten on the neck by the male cat, for example. The larger wild cat often sees the smaller cat as prey and deaths are not uncommon.
2. dangerous birth for mother and kitten
One danger comes from the different gestation periods of the mated species: The caracal gives birth to its offspring after 70 days, the serval after 71-74, whereas the domestic cat gives birth after only 58-63 days. This results in premature births, miscarriages or stillbirths, as the gestation period is too short for the hybrid offspring. In the long term, there is also a risk of health complications or hereditary diseases. However, this cannot yet be proven genetically.
The problem at birth is that wild cats such as the caracal and serval differ greatly in weight and size from normal domestic cats. They are both significantly heavier and larger: the caracal with an average shoulder height of 45 cm and a weight of 18 kg, the serval with 60 cm and a weight of 20 kg.
Due to the different sizes of the animals, giving birth is a torture for the domestic cat. Often this is not even possible without an emergency caesarean section at the vet. In any case, the mother has to endure extraordinary birth pains. Her life, unlike that of her precious kittens, can often no longer be saved.
Furthermore, the kittens are usually separated from their mother a few days or immediately after birth. Every cat lover knows how important imprinting is and that incorrect imprinting is very questionable from an animal welfare point of view. Breeders want to ensure that the hybrids are human-oriented by hand-rearing them, although they often react aggressively towards strangers.
3. the natural instincts of the wild cat
Contrary to what the advertising of many breeders would have you believe, namely that the animals are often portrayed as friendly and social cats, most hybrids have personality traits of their wild ancestors. This includes three things that directly affect you as a pet owner:
The wild animal character remains
Breeders often describe the animals as "dog-like". It is advertised that the cats follow their caregiver wherever they go and often even like to fetch. These animals want to be kept busy and demand this a lot. They tend to behave dominantly and need to have their boundaries strongly defined. However, here too, the descriptions given by breeders of hybrid breeds contradict the opinion of recognized experts and vets. If there is a lack of variety in terms of activity, undesirable behavioral disorders quickly occur.
Not even the domestic cat is considered by behavioral experts to be fully domesticated and so a wild animal character makes the animals unsuitable for close cohabitation with humans and at the same time can lead to considerable suffering in the animals. The hybrids are potential candidates for anxiety and permanent stress problems, as well as the resulting aggression, because they are disturbed by humans in their wild animal behavior (shyness/loneliness, twilight and night activity, very large territories and roaming areas, marking behavior, incompatibility outside the breeding season, never completely disappearing willingness to flee, etc.). When the cats are two to three years old and have reached sexual maturity, problems arise with the owner, as handling is no longer possible and even a visit to the vet is no longer easy, so the animals have to be vaccinated with a blowpipe.
Claws are for scratching
Some breeds, such as the "Caracats", are only sold by American breeders with their claws removed or even with their teeth sharpened. Additional regulations such as "Not to households with children under the age of twelve" reveal that breeders cannot be too sure about the danger of this breed. As soon as the wild cats or their hybrids are sexually mature, they become unpredictable, as these animals want to go in search of their own territory. A simple apartment is not nearly enough for these animals.
Of course, domestic cats also have the natural instinct to scratch. However, wild cats tend to be destructive to an extent that could significantly diminish some people's enjoyment of the beautiful appearance of this new pet.
Territories must be marked
In the wild, populations of hybrid cats have defended their territory against intruders. As soon as they become sexually mature, they therefore urinate where their "home" is. In case of doubt, this also applies to your home - away from the litter tray. The instinct of the former wild cat does not know that it is a nice wall or a corner of your living room that has just been cleaned. You should also make sure that the enclosure is escape-proof, as a Savannah can easily jump two to two and a half meters from a standing start. As with domestic cats, uncontrolled spreading and reproduction should be prevented. Many experts warn that these wild cats, like all predators, are very self-determined individualists who will never be tame cats.
4. protection of native wildlife
Species protection is becoming increasingly important in Germany. In some countries, the import of hybrid cats is already prohibited in order to protect the native animal world from encroachment. For example, the "Savannah" is not allowed to be brought to Australia, as its hunting behavior is clearly superior to that of normal domestic cats. If you are interested in the protection of our birds, you will quickly realize that the descendants of wild cats are problematic pets.
Cuddly tiger or wild cat?
In my opinion, the trend towards hybrid cats is not compatible with a love of animals. The suffering of the animals that is accepted for this "specialty" is too great. You should also be aware that they are not house-trained cuddly kittens, even if some breeders suggest that they are.
Animal shelters in the USA report that many pet owners acquire hybrid cats and underestimate the challenge. Wild cats do not become tame domestic cats over a few generations, but over many thousands of years. Instead, we should all be interested in preserving the wild cats still living in Germany. And where they are doing best: in the wild.
I wish us all that the choice of a pet does not just follow a trend or the desire for extravagance!
