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The Serengeti
With the success of the Bengal, many breeders tried to create new hybrids by crossing wild cats with domesticated animals, including the Safari (Geoffroys cat),
the Pixie Bob (Bobcat) and the Savannah (Serval). Karen Sausman, of Kingsmark cattery, a conservation biologist, decided that a "wild cat look” could be achieved
without the addition of any new wild bloodlines, and the Serengeti was born. Karen has been working on the breed since 1994, and it achieved recognition by TICA as
a Preliminary New Breed, able to be shown in evaluation classes, in 2002. Over the years other breeders in America, Europe and here in the UK have joined her.
Physically, the Serengeti is a medium-sized cat, muscular and athletic, upright in build, with long legs and large ears set high upon its head. The eyes should be
large and round, in any colour except blue. The foundation cats used in the creation of the Serengeti are the Bengal and the Oriental Shorthair, but while the initial
crossing of these two breeds produces Serengetis, it should not be assumed in any way that this delightful cat is simply a mongrel. This cross is simply a starting place
from which to work from. It is the hard work in subsequent generations by breeders that further develops and fixes in the characteristics necessary to achieve the completely
different look required for the Serengeti. It should certainly not be possible to mistake the Serengeti for a poor example of either a Bengal or Oriental.
Four colours are permissible for showing in the USA at present – the Brown Spotted, the Silver Spotted, the Black and the Black Smoke. The spotting should be random, with no
linkage or barring on the body, and should show clearly against the background colour, making the Serengeti look like one of the long-legged hunting cats of East Africa.
The cats pictured above and below are Kingsmark cats, and used with Karen's kind permission. In fact the girl (above) is Kingsmark Safii, mother of our Bakari.
It is the Serengeti’s temperament that makes it such a special cat. It seems to have taken the very best characteristics from both the foundation breeds and combined them
to make an extremely intelligent, affectionate, companion. It has the Bengal’s heightened senses and awareness of everything happening around it, without the need to do everything
on its own terms. The Serengeti is very adaptable and will happily fit in with whatever the day brings. It has the affectionate nature of the Oriental, but is not as vocal.
They adore being fussed, and will happily play the part of lap-cat whenever you sit down, but will be straight up when you move, following you to the ends of the earth if that’s what
you ask of them. They are suited to almost any situation, being just as happy alone with one person as being part of a large active family. A lovely new breed that deserves to become an extremely popular cat!
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