Caracal - a wild and extremely expensive pleasure in your home

One glance at this creature is enough to send a sweet shiver of awe through you. This shows respect for the forces of nature, and the caracal is a very strong animal. For us it is exotic, for the Turks it is a “black ear”, for the Kazakhs it is a “black brush”. For the world of zoology, this is Lynx Caracal, but simply - the steppe lynx or croak. If this miracle looks amazing in nature, imagine how it will look at home! So, a caracal cat at home: who is she, and how to live side by side with her.

History of the origin of the breed

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The animal is rare, it is on the verge of extinction in its habitat. But the distribution area is still large. The caracal cat lives in the savannas and deserts of Africa, and is also considered its homeland in Asia Minor and Central Asia, the Arabian Peninsula. Seals are also found on the coast of the Caspian Sea.

In nature there are nine subspecies of this wild breed. They differ in size and color. African animals are the most numerous, but the Turkmen species has long been in the Red Book, recognized as endangered.

It so happened that a previously wild animal became a domestic animal, and moreover, an exclusive pet. But we are not talking about wild steppe cats, but about domestic caracals raised in nurseries.

Description and standards of caracal

Above we said that there are 9 subspecies of caracal, although a person far from botany or felinology is unlikely to notice the difference from photographs.

Any steppe lynx is very large and tall. You can’t call her massive: her natural grace cannot be hidden, her heaviness does not catch the eye.

The elongated head is crowned with elongated narrow ears with the most charming tassels at the tips. There is a decent distance between the ears and they stand strictly vertical. On the back of the ears the skin is either flat black or gray.

The body looks lean and short. The tail is shorter than half the body. The graceful caracal moves on high, lean limbs. The paws are massive and large.

The color of the coat is beautiful, reminiscent of ocher mixed with sand. The villi are short and reddish. The fur on the belly and chest is longer. Yellow stripes under the eyes. There are no differences in color between males and females.

Dimensions and weight of caracals

The tall caracal cat reaches half a meter at the withers in adulthood. Pretty solid! The weight of cats reaches 15-21 kg. The weight of females is less than that of males. If such a pet sits on his lap, the owner will immediately feel every kilogram of the handsome man.

Caracal hybrids

Several breeders in Russia, Ukraine and the USA have bred and continue to breed caracal-domestic cat hybrids. Moreover, in the USA the Abyssinian cat is used.

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The experimental breed was named caracat (cara(cal)+cat), which indicates its origin. The first generation hybrid is the most difficult to breed, because the male caracal does not accept representatives of another species for the purpose of reproduction. But breeders are persistent; today there are cats in the world that look like caracals, with an affectionate character and smaller dimensions.

For some reason, dogs don’t perceive Carket as a cat. For them, this is a creature equivalent to them, and relationships are built on the dog-dog principle

Another hybrid is the servical, or ser-caracal. In this case, breeders took a male from a serval and a female from a caracal. The cat's appearance resembles a serval, and its ears come from Caracal blood. This is a completely new breed, a pure experiment.

Appearance

Externally, the caracal animal closely resembles a lynx. But at the same time, its size is much smaller, its color is monochromatic, and its overall physique is more graceful and slender. The body reaches a length of 65-80 centimeters, and the tail – up to 30 centimeters. At the withers, large individuals can have a height of up to 45 centimeters and weigh 15-20 kilograms.

The ears are so long that they appear disproportionately large on juveniles. They have a long tassel at the ends - up to 5 centimeters. The paws are covered with brush - hard, short hair makes running on cold and hot sand much easier.

In general, the fur is thick and short. On the one hand, this avoids problems with sand getting into the skin. On the other hand, it perfectly protects not only from the wind, but also from high temperatures, which are often observed in the steppe and desert. The color of the fur is uniform - reddish-brown or sandy on top, and white on the bottom. Black markings are visible on the muzzle. The ears (outside) and tassels are also black. In addition, in the wild you can see melanistic caracals - they are black in color, but are extremely rare.

Characteristics of the caracal

The character of a caracal cat is determined by its upbringing. Even a domestic one obtained from a nursery is still a predator. And the character of predators cannot be touching by nature.

Education allows you to smooth out the rough edges and make the home life of the caracal and people pleasant and interesting.

Cats do not have mood swings; they do not go from anger to excessive tenderness. They are characterized by curiosity and energy. The caracal kitten loves to play, so you will have to train it from the very beginning. If this is not done, then the natural power of the growing cat will become destructive for the house and its inhabitants.

The main thing to remember is that you cannot play with your hands with cats. Use various accessories for entertainment

The first couple of years of life, kittens are very emotional. This can cause problems if the owner lacks time and understanding. So and so, but you will have to show patience and understanding.

An adult, well-mannered caracal is even-tempered and devoted to its human family. In general, this is an ordinary large cat who is happy to sleep next to his beloved owner.

Raising and training a pet

If there are rodents and birds in the house, then it would be naive to think about friendship between a predator and these innocent creatures.

Raising a kitten begins from the first days of its stay in the apartment. You need to let your child know that he is part of the household order. You can't do it without patience and effort.

Also, small children and the caracal should not be together all the time. The breed has not been studied enough to accurately give an answer about the absolute safety of such a joint stay. Definitely, education comes first!

For the first two years, the kitten is taught to comply with subordination. If everything is done correctly, the cat quickly understands who is boss in the pack. Rough methods in education are not needed. You can decisively take away the thing that the cat took, but this should not have been done. The cat is quite capable of grasping the tone and shades of mood and correctly interpreting it.

Kittens get accustomed to the litter box very quickly, but they do not bury excrement, so the owner will be forced to always monitor the cleanliness of the litter box. The caracal is able to mark territory; it is its most zealous defender. This is also leveled out by proper upbringing.

How much does a caracal cost?

We mentioned that these exotics will cost a decent amount. In Russia, a caracal can be bought for approximately 400 thousand rubles. This price tag makes these animals perhaps the most expensive pets. Of course, the money question significantly narrows the circle of potential owners of this cute creature. They are mainly kept in private homes, where the animal has a large area for walking.

Caracals are purchased by exotic lovers or those who can handle any challenge. These cats are wild by nature, so sometimes they are difficult to train. To raise and accustom a caracal to the conditions of a home, you need to show a lot of strength, attention, care and patience with an extraordinary pet.

Care and what to feed at home

It is best to keep a domestic caracal cat in a spacious home. If there is already a cat and a dog in the house, adding a baby with ear tufts will go smoothly.

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Such a large predator is kept in approximately 15 m². So you will have to allocate a whole room for him in the apartment or a large enclosure next to the house.

A scratching post will definitely help, because often cutting the claws of a twenty-kilogram stubborn cat is a dubious pleasure.

It is better to have your nails trimmed by a veterinarian. Considering the cat's weight and mood, this will be the best solution.

The steppe lynx takes care of its coat and sometimes doesn’t even mind taking a bath. It is necessary to teach bathing from childhood. They lick their fur often; it is better to help the cat with this procedure once a week and use a furminator.

Ears and eyes are cleaned as needed with clean, damp cloths.

Feeding must necessarily include meat and fish. The domestic caracal is fed separately from other pets 1-2 times a day. The amount of food is calculated based on the age and size of the cat.

The diet must contain vitamins and minerals. The difficulty is that the kitty is indifferent to ready-made food, so let’s return to the predator’s menu: rodents, poultry, boiled meat. A cat should eat 300-800 g of food per day.

Pixie bob: mini lynx for the home

A wonderful domestic breed that is most similar to the lynx when it comes to tame and affectionate cats. This artificially bred breed is the fruit of the successful work of specialists from the USA. Pixie bob translates to “elf with a short tail.”

The first kittens were born in the 80s of the last century, from a domestic pet and a wild forest cat with a short tail. The breed's characteristics, such as a pear-shaped head, a spotted coat, and powerful “whiskers” like a real lynx, were fixed over several more generations, and the pixie-bob became incredibly popular.

The pixie bob also has tassels on his ears.

The standard breed characteristics of pixies are:

1. The head is large, strong, the chin is wide and powerful.
2. The ears are rounded, large, with tassels at the tips (there are individuals without them).
3. “Heavy” wide eyes, pronounced brow arches, eyelids drooping, creating a stern look.
4. Pixie-bob kittens have sky-blue eyes from birth; by six months the iris color changes to hazel, honey or green.
5. The mirror of the large nose has a brown tint, the nose itself has a slight hump.
6. The physique is powerful and heavy; the weight of an adult animal can reach ten kilograms.
7. Wild ancestors “gave” the pixie-bob limbs of different lengths - the hind ones are higher than the front ones.
8. The pixie still has a tail - it is desirable that it be five to seven centimeters in length and slightly “broken”.
9. The pixie-bob has brown fur and characteristic spots; hairs are shorter on the body and longer on the belly.

Domestic cat with wild charm

Despite the fact that pixie bobs are strikingly similar to absolutely wild cats, they are very affectionate towards humans, have a balanced and even phlegmatic character, and are strongly attached to their family. It is the combination of appearance and docileness that makes the pixie a very common and popular breed abroad. In Russia, cat lovers are just getting acquainted with pixies.

Animal health

The health of domestic lynx is usually excellent. Vaccination helps protect your cat from a number of possible cat diseases. The first vaccination is given at 10-12 weeks, and all others strictly according to the schedule suggested by the veterinarian.

Once a year, they are vaccinated against feline panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis and calcevirosis, and antiparasitic treatment is carried out.

There is a separate issue of castration. If the owner is not a professional breeder, he will be advised to neuter the caracal at 9 months. This will protect the family from aggressive splashes and unpleasant odors.

Breeding can be done all year round. During this time, the female can have three offspring with the birth of 1-6 babies at a time. The female and male get used to each other within 2 weeks. Pregnancy is long - 78-81 days.

The breed may develop Aujesz's disease, pseudorabies. To prevent such a disease, pork is not added to the diet.

How long do domestic caracals live?

When purchasing such an exotic pet, you want it to please you with its presence for as long as possible. The question of how long Caracal cats live is relevant for owners.

The lifespan of a caracal is 15-20 years.

, if the owner takes care of them as expected.

Summarizing

Table. Comparison of cat breeds similar to lynxes

A person who likes the appearance of a wild lynx may well have a miniature pet. There are several breeds of cats that are more or less similar to lynxes. Therefore, choose a pet that will please the eye, but not burden your wallet and everyday life.

Price and where to buy a caracal kitten

The demand for domestic caracal is very high. There are many people who are willing to part with a large sum of money for the sake of a coveted extravagant pet in their home. Including the upcoming costs of transportation and maintenance, the amount turns out to be quite substantial.

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First, a nursery is selected: you need to inquire about official documents. Nursery owners always issue all documents for the animal, and also provide various consultations on the care and training of the caracal.

Due to the natural characteristics of the breed, a cat should be purchased at the age of 4-5 months. Before purchasing, visit the nursery and study the conditions of keeping the animals, the nuances of feeding and walking. If the nursery is home, then this is an advantage: the kitten is kept next to a person from childhood, it will be easier for him to survive relocation to a new home.

The kittens are examined, examining the fur, the cleanliness of the eyes and ears. There should be no discharge. You can watch the cat spend its time and find out its reaction to people.

The price of a caracal kitten is 400,000-450,000 rubles

, Kotofeya is bought abroad for
6,000-8,000 dollars
. Cats are more expensive in price than cats. This cost is due to the fact that the animals are not so easy to raise and breed.

How to name kittens

Naming a young caracal is not easy. You certainly can’t call him Vasya. You can ask about the names of the area where the cat’s ancestors come from. Maybe this will give the new owner an original idea. The name of an animal cannot be very complex and dissonant. This is a representative of the feline species, which means that hissing names will still be welcome.

The domestic caracal should be named exotically, but in a way that emphasizes its nature and beauty.
We offer a list of names for boys and girls; you can choose a ready-made nickname. Nickname table

Conclusions about the breed

Grace, strength, beauty. Wild ancestors passed on to the domestic caracal cat all the best that nature gave them. Good health, powerful strong paws, beautiful fur the color of ocher and reddish sand. One can say different things about the animal, whose ancestors came from the steppes, savannah and semi-desert. But we will emphasize the main thing:

• Excellent immunity;
• The ability to build relationships with a person on their terms thanks to upbringing;
• Demanding requirements for a “carnivorous” diet;
• Playfulness, energy - spending time with such a pet is very interesting;
• To keep it, you need to fulfill a number of conditions; if a person is not ready for this, you should not get a cat yet;
• Difficulties in relationships with children and small rodents and birds. If everything is settled with children by upbringing, then it is very difficult for a cat not to eat a bird.

Is it worth buying a pet caracal? This is a very serious responsibility, if you are ready for it, then somewhere a small cat with tufts on his ears is waiting!