Hybrid Cat Breeds

The Norwich, CT Norwich Bulletin has an article featuring Debra-Ann Milette, an exotic cat rescuer. During her career, she has rescued, retrieved and relocated African servals, tigers, cougars and caracals, traveling to Texas, Illinois and Kentucky to find them. She has had her own exotic cats as pets, including a 38-pound caracal named Sara-Linda and a 52-pound Savannah African serval.

Today, she owns a 22-pound F2 Savannah cat named Matahah Me Al (Hebrew for “gift from above”), whose grandfather was a wild African serval. This cat, nicknamed Motzie, stands 16 inches tall and is described as “doglike.”

Motzie is appearing at the Helping Paws fundraiser, in Norwich, CT, on September 21 and 22.

Norwich Bulletin: Pet Talk: Come meet Motzie

In addition to the more common hybrid cat breeds featured on this site, there are many more rare and experimental hybrid cats that have been produced or are being attempted. Here is a more complete list of hybridisations and hybridisation attempts.

Breeds derived from Hybridisations between domestic Cats & wild Felids

• Bengal: domestic Cat / Asian Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis)
• Bristol: domestic Cat / Margay (Leopardus wiedii)
• Chausie aka Stone Cougar : domestic Cat / Jungle Cat aka swamp-lynx (Felis chaus)
• Cheetoh: Ocicat / Bengal
• Jungle-Bob: Pixie-bob / Jungle Cat aka swamp-lynx (F. Chaus)
• Jungle-Curl: Hemingway Curl aka American Curl / Jungle Cat aka swamp-lynx (Felis chaus)
• Layanese: Tonkinese / Himalayan
• Machbagral and/or Viverral: domestic Cat / Fishing Cat (Prionailurus viverrinus)
• Pantherette: Pixie-bob / Asian Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis)
• Punjabi: (domestic Cat with Indian Desert-Cat aka Asiatic Wildcat (Felis s. ornata)
• Safari: (domestic Cat with Geoffroy’s Cat (Leopardus geoffroyii)
• Savannah and/or Ashera: (domestic Cat with Serval (Leptailurus serval)
• Serengeti: Oriental / Bengal
• Toyger: domestic Cat / Bengal
• Ussuri: domestic Cat / Amur Asian Leopard Cat (Prionailurus b. euptailura)
• Caracat: Domestic Cat / Caracal (accidental Hybridisation, Moscow Zoo, 1998)
• Oncicat: Domestic Cat / Oncilla (Little Spotted Cat/Tiger Cat)
• Domestic Cat / Black-footed Cat (F. nigripes)
• Domestic Cat / Rusty-spotted Cat (Prionailurus rubiginosus) (wild-occurring Hybrids, India)

Breeds derived from multiple Hybridisations between domestic Cats & Felids

• Afro-Chausie: Chausie / African Wildcat (F. s. lybica)
• Euro-Chausie: Chausie / European Wildcat (F. s. silvestris)
• Scottie-Chausie: Chausie / Scottish Wildcat (F. s. grampia)

Attempted or unconfirmed Hybridisation between domestic Cats & Felids

• Jaguarundi Curl (alleged name) aka Mandalan Jaguar (proposed name) : Domestic Cat / Jaguarundi
• Domestic Cat / Canada Lynx
• Domestic Cat / Bobcat (Felis rufus)
• Domestic Cat / Pallas Cat (Otocolobus manula)

According to Steve Dale at My Pet World, “If a cat breed can have attention deficit disorder, it’s the Bengal.”

Bengals are bright, active cats that demand activity like few other breeds. If their natural playfulness and demands for activity are left unfulfilled, they can resort to destructive behavior, such as trashing their litterbox or knocking things over. If Bengal owners make the effort to meet their unique needs, they are rewarded by the cats’ intelligence, playfulness, and affectionate natures.

Marilyn Krieger, a cat behavior consultant and coordinator says Bengals require places to climb and activities when people are not there to entertain them. “A cat tree with various levels is important, and perhaps it overlooks a window is where you put the bird feeder. I suggest a Turbo Scratcher for Bengals because it’s two toys in one for cats twice as active (as most). This combination scratcher and track toy is available online and in pet stores.”

From Steve Dale’s My Pet World