by Sue Threapleton
(Yorkshire, UK)
Kingsmark Bakara
I first saw a photograph of a Serengeti cat, Kingsmark Safii, a few years ago, and instantly fell in love! I breed Ocicats and Egyptian Maus, both breeds being beautiful spotted cats with lovely temperaments, but still the Serengeti cat had that extra “something” – the extremes of type, the look of the wild hunting cats of the African plains, and I was hooked.
I started my search for a foundation cat, and found a lovely boy down in Cornwall. I then found Jackie Morris, of Mandingo Serengeti, who had been breeding the Serengeti cat since 2003, and had some lovely looking cats, and reserved a very pretty girl. Jackie is now my very good friend and we work closely together, developing the breed, gradually working towards the standard, and showing our cats at the TICA shows now becoming popular in the UK.
Last year I decided to bring a girl over from Karen, and was overjoyed when she offered me Kingsmark Bakara, a lovely silver Serengeti cat, and the daughter of Safii, the girl I had originally fallen for!! I could not believe I was going to share my home with such a beautiful Serengeti cat – and when Karen offered to mate her up before she left America it was a dream come true. The next few weeks were a time of hope and, as her due date approached, I had my fingers permanently crossed for a safe delivery. As I sat spellbound and watched five beautiful Serengeti kittens enter the world, it really was one of the best days of my life! They are CON Serengeti, the first such Serengeti cats in the UK, and are a huge step forward in the development of the Serengeti cat in this country.
Recently I have also had a litter from my foundation cats, chosen so carefully two years ago, and one of their daughters is everything I hoped for. Working with such a new breed is immensely satisfying, particularly as there are so few breeders, not only in this country, but also throughout the world. The chance to actually make a difference in the development of the Serengeti cat is an honour, and I am proud to be one of the founder members of The International Serengeti Cat Club (www.tiscc.org ).
So what is it like living with a Serengeti cat? They are very affectionate, purring loudly whenever they get attention. Their Oriental side comes to the fore when nothing much is happening – they will patiently lay and watch the world go by, preferably near to a source of heat ! Get out the toys and the Bengal appears – fast, agile, determined, they will chase a moving toy, especially one made of fur or feathers, for hours. They soon learn to retrieve, and will also happily walk on a harness and lead if it means they can accompany you outside. They are as happy living alone with one special person, as they are as part of a large family – they adapt to their surroundings and enjoy life to the full.
The Serengeti cat is a very special new breed, worthy of its recognition by TICA. You can find more information and photographs on my Aalspotz website.
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| Feb 11, 2012 | My new cat We have just bought a 20 month old Serengeti cat from a breeder in Doncaster. The last 2 wks have been full of hope that this little girl would settle with us. She had not been spade and had had kittens 8wks earlier. We arrived home after 1hr travel in the car. Not a murmur from her! Then it started crying and yelling the house down, for the next week. We tryed to comfort her with playing and cuddles. Wedns we took to be spayed, and at last peace has returned to the household. I am in love again, she is beautiful. Worried about letting her go outside, and dont know when to let her out. How many wks shall we wait? |
| May 22, 2011 | Sorry, not much help. im so sorry i can’t help you. maybe you can help me though. my page is called I’m confused!!!IS MY KITTEN A DWARF KITTEN i am very worried and any contributes i would be grateful for. i love the pic though of the serengeti cat!!! nicole |
| Jun 12, 2009 | Very informative! Great article! Very informative for everyone just learning bout these amazing creatures. Cannot wait for mine! Just a couple of more months 🙂 |
| Sep 23, 2008 | Thanks Thanks for the really informative and interesting submission. And I love the look of Kingsmark Bakara. |
I have two 10 week old kittens 1 boy 1 girl who I have been calling lil snow leopards I been trying to find what they are I’ve never seen any like them ty for your info about them they need a forever home if u could help ty
I need one for my husband. He wants one
Hi,
I think I own one of these cats, i bought a 13 week old male from a pet store back in Octotber of 2011. he looks NOTHING like any other *tabby* cat I have ever seen. The long legs, in which it seems his back ones are a bit longer. Large ears, big paws,very vocal.He’s spotted and has five stripes running down his head and body. He has the most whiskers I have ever seen on a cat!!! They are dark near the face and then white, Im amazed by them! He turned 1 on July 24th, and he weighes 15 pounds. He is the sweetest cat I have ever meet. He’s always around the house calling, in that mournful kinda wail, lol. It just seems he matches youe cats pretty well.
Hi Kris, thanks for the comment. You probably have a cat that looks very similar to a Serengeti, but I am only guessing. The Serengeti is a very rare cat breed so it would be unlikely to find one at a pet store. You have a great cat companion though and a special cat by the sound of it.