Description and behavioral characteristics of a Caraquet cat

Brief history of the breed

The Caraquet is a hybrid breed, the first representatives of which appeared in the 90s of the last century. This happened in the Moscow Zoo as a result of an unintentional mating of a caracal and an ordinary domestic cat. The kitten from an unplanned mating had a charming appearance and fluffy tufts on its ears. True, this was not enough for breeders to become seriously interested in them.

At the beginning of the 21st century, experiments on crossing caracals with domestic cats began to be carried out in the United States. The greatest success in this matter was achieved by Joy Geisinger, who bred a male steppe lynx with a female Abyssinian breed. The result of the American woman’s work was highly appreciated by TICA representatives, but after the woman’s death, breeding work was stopped.

Later, the experiments were continued by the owner of the Krasnodar nursery KATALEYA Irina Nazarova. The felinologist took the breeding of caraquets seriously and in 2021 was able to produce the third generation of kittens.

Today the breed has received official recognition from the International Cat Union (ICU). But due to the unresolved problem of infertility of male hybrids up to the fourth generation, breeding work has not yet been completed.

Cat Caracal

Breeding

Breeding Korat cats is labor-intensive and costly. Interspecific mating of Korats is strictly prohibited, and finding a partner is problematic. There are no nurseries in Russia and the CIS countries. All Korat nurseries are located abroad.

The problem is exacerbated by the need for genetic analysis of animals before mating, to exclude diseases of the breed - gangliosidosis and atelosteogenesis.

Interesting Facts

Although Caraquet cats were bred quite recently, many interesting things have been associated with them:

1. The name of the breed has a direct bearing on its origin. The beginning is taken from the name of the wild ancestor of the caracal, and the ending means “cat” in English.
2. The Caraquet is a hybrid cat breed. The offspring from the mating of a caracal with an Abyssinian has 50% wild blood and has all the characteristics of a predatory ancestor. Such cats are designated as F1 and are considered the most valuable and expensive. First generation hybrids are crossed with purebred domestic cats to produce second generation F2 kittens, which contain about 25% wild blood. Animals F3 and F appear according to the same principle. Moreover, each new generation of hybrids has fewer and fewer wild characteristics and goes through the process of socialization more easily.
3. Due to the unsettled breed type of the Caracat, it is allowed to breed with Caracals, Abyssinians, Orientals, Bengals, Serengeti and Egyptian Mau.

Breed description, standards, appearance

The caraquet is a large cat with a small head and a strong, muscular body. Despite the fact that the breed has not yet been fully formed, it has its own standard with a detailed description of the reference individual.

Find out what other cat breeds exist that are similar to the lynx.

Dimensions and weight

Caraquets are large-sized animals with moderate sexual dimorphism. Their body length from nose to tail tip can reach 1 m. The average weight of an adult hybrid cat is 12 kg. But among caracats there are also larger individuals with a body weight of 15-16 kg.

Anatomical characteristics

A typical Caraquet cat should fit the following description:

1. The head is wedge-shaped, with smoothly outlined contours, a wide convex forehead, a large nose and a pronounced, but not heavy, lower jaw. The lobe is painted black, brick or pinkish. In the last two cases it should have a dark outline.
2. The eyes are large, expressive, almond-shaped, with a dark edging against the background of light “glasses”. The iris is colored amber or green. The most valuable are caraquetas with a clearly defined wild “tear path” from the inner corner of the eye to the nose.
3. The ears are large and set high. There is a uniform edge on the outer and inner parts of the shell. The tips of the caraquet's ears are decorated with black tassels.
4. The body is of medium length, with a broad chest, strong neck and developed, but not prominent muscles. There is a pronounced fat fold on the belly of the caraquet.
5. The limbs are tall, muscular, with wide paws and oval toes.
6. The tail is powerful, with a wide base and a rounded black tip.

Color and coat type

The body of the caracat is covered with short, thick, soft, ticked fur. There are white areas around the eyes and on the chin of the animal. The inside of the limbs, chest and belly of a hybrid cat are covered with lighter hair.

According to the breed standard, 4 color varieties are allowed for the Caraquet:

1. Wild - with a red-brown background and black spots.
2. Chocolate – with brown markings.
3. Cinnamon - with a peach background and red-brown spots.
4. Silver – comparable to the color of a snow leopard.

Possible breed defects

Acceptable flaws:

• gray and excessively cold shades of wool;
• closed rings on the tail and limbs;
• “necklaces” and “medallions” on the chest;
• absence of black markings on the outside of the ears.

Disqualifying faults:

• unacceptable colors;
• spots and stripes on the body;
• gray tint of the lower layer of the coat;
• tail defects;
• polydactyly.

Characteristics of the Korat breed

Korat cats are confused with Russian Blues or British cats. But native Thais have characteristics characteristic of the breed.

A distinctive feature of the animal is its rich emerald eye color, silver, shiny color, and strong muscle corset. Due to the lack of subcutaneous fat, cats have a strong muscular corset, which makes them small in size, but heavy and strong.

Standard

Description of external features:

• Body: the animal is stocky, small in size, but heavy. An adult animal weighs about 4-5 kilograms, although it looks small. The absence of a fat layer makes the animal muscular, strong, and flexible.
• Paws: similar to the body, strong, well muscled. The color of the pads is blue-purple.
• Tail: stands out with a thick base and tapers towards the end. Cats with various kinks in the tail are rejected.
• Head: heart-shaped. The eyes are widely spaced and disproportionately large.
• Ears: the auricle is elongated, externally covered with short hair, internally with long hair.
• Eye color: the main feature of the breed. A kitten is born with blue-blue eyes, then the color of the iris becomes amber, and by the age of 4 the cat acquires emerald green (sometimes amber green) eye color.
• Wool: medium density and length. The hairs are silver-blue, shiny, iridescent when moving. All shades other than blue and silver are considered non-standard and are rejected.

Important! The breed standard assumes a dark purple skin color on the lips, nose, and paw pads. Another distinctive feature of the breed is the absence of undercoat. The coat is thin and lies tightly. It gives the impression of silkiness.

Health

Korats are pure representatives of their breed, without mixing. As representatives of an indigenous species, they have good health. On average they live about 13 years. With sufficient care and attention, they can live up to 20 years. It is important to protect the animal from drafts and cold, since the lack of undercoat makes them susceptible to colds and viral diseases.

Genetic diseases characteristic of the breed have been identified:

• gangliosidosis (neurological symptoms, yeast, developmental delay);
• atelosteogenesis (disturbances in the process of bone formation).
• a small proportion of cats are susceptible to cholelithiasis.

Regular visits to the veterinarian will maintain good health for many years.

Character

Korats become very emotionally attached to their owner, get bored and cannot tolerate long separation.

By nature, Korats are friendly, welcoming and gentle. They are distinguished by their ability to make friends with family members. But at the same time they cannot tolerate loneliness and can become depressed. It is recommended to have Korat representatives in pairs, so they will be calmer and more fun.

Increased curiosity does not allow these cats to be kept near rodents. You will always have to keep their place of residence clean and in perfect order so as not to lose personal belongings. Korats - they will drag away and hide everything that, in their opinion, is bad and attracts attention.

Cats are very jealous. You should not have other animals in the same room with them. The animal will do everything so that no one but him dares to approach the owner.

Peace and quiet are very important to Korats. Loud sounds, noise and hum frighten cats, cause stress, poor health, and deterioration of health. It is not recommended to have them if you have small children. The best accommodation is with an elderly couple, or with grown children. Often a crowd of guests and noisy companies causes depression in pets.

Some representatives of the breed are silent, some like to communicate with the owner by meowing or growling.

Cats strongly feel their owners and their condition. When a person gets sick, the Korat will definitely try to come and lie on the sore spot, warming it with warmth.

Thanks to their flexible disposition and good character, they are easy to train. If you work with a kitten right away, he will quickly learn the rules, understand who is the owner and who is the pupil, and will not cause trouble, even because of his curiosity and playfulness.

Character and temperament

Caracat is a hybrid cat with a pleasant, but rather contradictory disposition. From his wild ancestor he inherited the desire for independence and independence. Therefore, you should not expect that the caracat will turn into a pet.

Representatives of the hybrid breed inherited an affectionate, obedient and non-aggressive character from domestic cats. Curious and energetic caraquets never give up on outdoor games and enthusiastically take part in all household chores. Representatives of the breed need constant communication with people and easily tolerate changes in environment. Caracats love nature walks and road trips.

On a note. By analogy with their wild relatives, many caraquetas prefer to be nocturnal, which causes additional inconvenience to their owners. In order for hybrid cats to sleep at night, they need to be given adequate exercise during the day.

Patient and non-aggressive caraquets do not pose a danger to the owner's children. But if the child is too pushy, the hybrid cat may hiss or release its claws.

The caraquet gets along well with other pets, with the exception of decorative rodents and birds. A strong hunting instinct prevents a hybrid breed cat from making friends with hamsters or parrots.

How to choose the right kitten

The Caraquet is a rare, expensive and difficult breed to breed. You can buy a hybrid kitten only in a few specialized nurseries. When choosing, you need to pay attention to the following nuances:

• availability of pedigree and veterinary passport;
• conditions of detention;
• behavioral characteristics;
• appearance.

On a note. The most expensive are the first generation hybrids. Such cats can be recognized by the presence of black tassels on their ears, which already grow to 0.5 cm by the age of one month.

Kitten care

A Caraquet kitten from a good nursery moves to a new home no earlier than 3.5-4.5 months and only if it already knows how to eat solid food and is adapted to life in a family.

To make the process of adaptation to changed conditions easier, the small hybrid is kept in a separate room for the first 5-7 days. There is also a tray, bowls, scratching post and kitten toys.

In order for the caracat to quickly get used to its owners, it is often picked up and stroked. At first, a hybrid breed kitten may respond to any movement with a wary posture and emit a threatening hiss. But as soon as the little caracat finally gets used to it, this behavior will disappear.

Features of caraquet care

Caraquetas are specific cats that have non-standard sizes and physical characteristics that distinguish them from ordinary pets. This breed requires special conditions for maintenance, which are determined by their lifestyle. Physical activity and active games are important for them, so you should take care in advance of a “sports” area where the animal can surprise with its achievements. When purchasing a caraqueta, you need to know in advance everything about caring for it - from feeding to training methods.

Games

Under no circumstances should you use your own hands and feet when playing with a kitten, as a grown-up caracat can cause serious harm to its owner during play. The best toys for dogs to play with are all kinds of balls and swings. Feather blowers are only suitable for kittens under 3-4 months of age, after which the animal can easily destroy the toy in a matter of seconds. Give preference to everything durable, experimenting, and not leaving tools for games within the reach of the caraquet. If the toy is in sight all the time, the cat will quickly lose interest in it and will not be active.

Representatives of the breed have a good time at special sports complexes that are well fixed. Young caracats require systems consisting of low blocks, since the animal likes to jump not only forward, but also upward. Jumping too high can lead to injuries, so you need to increase the load and increase the size of the playing field in accordance with the age of the pet. Joint walks on the street will be beneficial, for which they use special reinforced harnesses that can withstand weight up to 15 kilograms.

To walk with a caracquet you will need a special harness designed for animals up to 15 kg

Hygiene

Despite their smooth coat, caracats must be systematically combed, at least once a week. In the summer they have a molting period and the cat will have to be brushed more often, preferably every day. You should not bathe a kitten more than once every three months, and after bathing it is important to make sure that the animal does not blow. As the caraquet gets older, water procedures can be carried out as needed, for example, after a walk outside. Exotic cats love water very much and resort to water procedures with pleasure.

Feeding

There are two strategies for feeding caraquets - feeding with dry food and feeding with natural products. When using store-bought food, you should give preference to formulations of the canvas class and buy those options that are intended for decorative, exotic and wild breeds of cats. The following foods are best suited for caracats:

• "Carnilove Lamb Wild Boar Sterilized";
• "ACANA Wild Prairie";
• "Carnilove Large Breed."

Breeders recommend feeding cats with natural products, combining meat, cereals, plant foods and milk. Caracats are fed mainly with meat - it can be turkey, quail, chicken, beef, rabbit. Products must be given raw; for your own peace of mind, you can pour boiling water over individual raw pieces. Babies up to six months are fed 3 times a day, from 6 to 12 months - 2 times, and starting from a year they are transferred to one meal a day. You can cook rolled oats, millet, and corn from cereals; buckwheat and rice are undesirable. Eggs, cottage cheese, vegetable fats are a must; you can add a small amount of olive or sunflower oil to the porridge.

The optimal amount of food consumed during the day should not exceed 5–7% of the animal’s weight. At first, while the caracat is still a baby, all food needs to be crushed by fine cutting, and starting from 6 months you can not worry about your pet, trusting it with large pieces. The animal must have clean water freely available; it is best to use filtered or bottled water. As for undesirable foods for caracats, these are:

• pork;
• pure cow or goat milk;
• fried foods;
• sweet;
• roots.

Toilet

Caracats are very smart animals; they easily get used to a tray with any filler, be it gel or wood. As a rule, the breeder himself trains the animal to use the toilet, and when purchasing a kitten, you receive a litter tray that the baby is already accustomed to. It is best if the tray is located close to the place where the domestic predator spends a lot of time. If there is a free room in the house, you will have to allocate it to the cat by installing a play set, a bowl for food and water, and a potty there. In most cases, there are no problems with caracats in terms of toilet training; they themselves find a tray and relieve themselves there. The main thing is not to forget to change the filler in a timely manner, since this exotic cat will not go into a dirty potty.

Caraquetas love cleanliness and easily find a litter tray in a new home.

Care and maintenance

Unlike their wild relatives, caraquetas are adapted for living in city apartments. In general, caring for hybrid cats is no different from caring for representatives of other breeds:

1. The coat of a hybrid cat does not require complex grooming. In normal times, the caraquet's fur is combed weekly with a rubber brush or mitten. During the molting period, the procedure for removing dead hairs is carried out every day.
2. Although caraquetas are not afraid of water and can easily tolerate washing, they are bathed no more than once every 3-4 months. Bath procedures are carried out in a warm room, away from drafts. It is recommended to use shampoos for short-haired breeds.
3. Typically, caracats grind their claws down on a well-attached scratching post. But if necessary, you can use a nail clipper.
4. The ears of a hybrid cat are wiped once every 10 days with a cotton pad moistened with a special lotion or boiled water.
5. The caracat's eyes are regularly washed to remove dark deposits in the corners. Dirt is carefully removed with a soft cloth moistened with a decoction of herbs.

Feeding the cat

The caracat is a close relative of wild cats, so it is advisable to feed it natural food. The basis of the diet of a representative of a hybrid breed should be lean, fresh meat such as beef, chicken, turkey, rabbit or quail.

The caraquet menu also includes fermented milk products, eggs, ocean fish, offal and vegetables. It is strictly forbidden to give a hybrid cat fried, spicy, salty, sweet and smoked food.

On a note. Third generation hybrids can be trained to super premium dry food like Royal Canin, Farmina, Hills or Brit Care.

Diet of Caraquet

It should be remembered that this is a hybrid breed, which is still very close to a wild cat. Therefore, the issue of a healthy diet is very acute. For example, Caracal will absolutely not eat dry food; it eats only raw meat, like any cat predator.

Therefore, for Karakets, especially the first and second generations, it is worth giving preference to a natural, balanced diet. The diet must include raw meat - rabbit, beef and, of course, poultry. This could be chicken and quail.

Until the age of two, these pets must receive vitamins and calcium in sufficient quantities, so it is worth including fermented milk products in their diet - kefir, fermented baked milk, cottage cheese.

Until the baby is three months old, meals should be at least three times a day, and it is better to cut the meat into small pieces. From six months you can give larger food, as well as raw heads of broiler chickens.

All raw meat is well frozen before feeding - either in industrial cold chambers using the blast freezing method, or in conventional freezers, but for a longer time. Before giving meat to an animal, it is thawed and thoroughly washed.

Day-old chicks and quails are given occasionally, in small quantities, completely with feathers, heads, and paws. This is how animals can receive the entire complex of vitamins, micro- and macroelements, amino acids and taurine. You should not feed your pet this food more often than twice a week, as this can cause bowel upset.

If quails and day-old chicks are not in the diet, then it is worth supplementing it with special vitamin complexes and preparations with taurine.

Caraket must always have clean drinking water available to the public.

Under no circumstances should you give an animal pork, boiled bones, or food from the human table, especially anything salty, spicy, sweet, fatty, pickled, or fried.

An adult animal, especially the third generation, can be partially accustomed to dry mixtures with age. But even in this case, preference should be given to high-quality holistic and super premium products. Read about the classes of cat food, as well as their composition.

Education and physical activity

The Caraquet is a temperamental and active cat. To maintain physical fitness, she needs active games using dense balls, rubber rings and latex “squeakers”. To ensure that the caraquet’s muscles are always in good shape, he is equipped with a securely fixed “sports” complex with blocks for jumping.

On a note. To avoid bites and scratches, you should not use your hands when playing with the caraquet. The owner's palms should be associated only with affection and encouragement.

Caraquets are intellectually developed animals and are easy to train. Curious cats of the hybrid breed quickly learn new skills and rules of behavior in everyday life. Caracats immediately remember their name and can, like dogs, retrieve thrown balls.

Vaccinations and antiparasitic treatment

Despite the fact that experts do not know cases of caraquets being infected with infectious diseases of domestic cats, it is recommended to regularly vaccinate them:

• from calcivirosis;
• rhinotracheitis;
• panleukopenia;
• chlamydia;
• depriving;
• rabies.

The first vaccination is given to a kitten at the age of 7-8 weeks with a mandatory repetition after 28 days. In the future, the caraqueta is vaccinated annually.

To prevent diseases transmitted by fleas and worms, a hybrid cat is systematically subjected to antiparasitic treatment. Anthelmintic drugs are given to a caracat kitten once a quarter, and to an adult cat - once every six months. The dosage of the medicine is selected on the advice of a veterinarian, taking into account the weight of the animal.

Caraquet fleas are treated with special drops or shampoos. And if a hybrid cat goes outside, it is additionally protected with an anti-parasitic collar.

Health of the Karakets

There is very little information about the quality of health of Carakets, some hereditary diseases, it’s just that the experimental breed is too young and lacks accumulated experience.

In any case, so far the few breeders have not encountered any problems. At the same time, when raising pets, it is very important to follow the same rules that apply to an ordinary domestic cat of any breed. It can be assumed that due to close wild blood, pets have very high immunity.

First of all, up to three months of age, primary and secondary anthelmintic treatments are carried out.

No earlier than ten days after it, the first comprehensive vaccination is given - against panleukopenia, rhinotracheitis, calcivirosis, chlamydia. It is also mandatory during revaccination (after two to three months) to simultaneously administer the drug Nabivak-Rabis against feline rabies. The next such vaccination is done after twelve months, then repeated annually.

Caracats should also be regularly treated for external parasites, because these pets usually regularly walk outside. This procedure is performed monthly; it is more convenient to use drops on the withers.

Do not forget about the rules of personal hygiene - be sure to treat entrance mats, houses, carriers (especially after visiting a veterinarian), beds, toys, bowls. Toilet trays should be washed daily with hot water and completely disinfected once a week.

Many responsible owners also regularly administer ringworm prevention medications, especially if the animal frequently attends shows.

So far, we can say that out of all eighty individuals, over the 15 years of the existence of the experimental Caraqueta breed, not a single case of an animal contracting any infectious disease has been noted.

Pros and cons of the breed

The caraquet, like any other cat breed, has both advantages and disadvantages:

Caraquets are hybrid cats with a non-standard appearance and interesting origin. They harmoniously combine the features of a wild animal and the affectionate nature of a pet.

Possible problems

Like any living beings, Korats have their own characteristics in character and physiology.

1. The animal is very jealous and has a strong attachment to its owner. There is no need to have a Korat in the vicinity of dogs or parrots.
2. Cats do not tolerate harsh sounds, constant noise and crowds. It is better not to have them if you have small children.
3. Indigenous Thais are not adapted to living conditions in cold latitudes. You will have to carefully monitor the health of the animal, avoid hypothermia, drafts, and dress it after washing.