|
|
Rescue a Mojave Spotted Cat
Mojave Spotted
Kittens for Sale
Mojave Spotted
.Photo Courtesy of Cheshire
Cats.
Find
a Mojave Spotted Breeder
Place an Ad |
Rescue a Mojave Spotted Cat
List Your Rescue |
|
Description |
A medium to large cat, belly flap, hind legs slightly
longer than front legs, very muscular, medium slightly oval head, medium
to large rounded ears, oval shaped eyes slightly slanted at the ends. Large paws with up to two extra toes each foot, short to medium length
tail, bobtail permitted. The head is slightly wedge shaped, chin forms a
perpendicular line with the upper lip. The eyes are large oval slightly slanted
at the ends & set far apart. The ears are medium to large in size, wide
base, rounded tips ear tufts allowable. The nose is broad & short, square
muzzle, prominent whisker pads, solid color nose leather, brown, black, pink.
The legs are medium in length although hindlegs longer than forelegs. Strong
bone structure, paws wide but firm, up to two extra toes on each paw. |
Coat |
Short, sleek pelt, each single hair showing
a clear ticking in the basic color as well as in the spots. Ticking is
inalienable but not so dominant that the spots disappear. |
Colors and Patterns |
Spotted tabby, leopard, rosetted, snow
leopard, sable, chestnut, tawny, silver, blue, charcoal. |
Temperament |
Each generation is
born more & more exotic looking and more affectionate to their human
friends. Terms used to describe this breed include: Highly intelligent, alert,
agile, powerful, active, cunning, athletic, curious, busy, determined, outgoing,
social, loving and independent. Also, fond of water and love to hunt. |
Height, Weight |
Weight: 8-22 pounds (3.6-10
kg.) |
Health Problems |
Average litter size was 1- 3
kittens one to two times per year. |
Living Conditions |
- |
Grooming |
- |
Origin |
The Mojave Spotted is a breed of cat developed for the purpose
of preserving the wild cats of the Mojave Desert. The Mojave Spotted, originally
named the Mojave Desert Cat was first discovered back in 1980 by April Langford.
In 1980 the first colony of wild cats were discovered living under the
thick desert shrubbery in deep borrows which were used for the purpose of
sheltering the cats offspring from the harsh desert weather. It is not known as
to how these burrows were dug, possibly by other wild animals or by the cats
themselves. Colony size was never noted but there were at least 6 adult cats to
each colony found. First colony found in a small town called Hesperia, located
in Southern California. Each cat that was observed resembled one another down to
the very specific spotted pattern including body structure but color did
slightly vary from one cat to another. Colors
ranged from silver, brown, gold agouti & black between the different
colonies. Soft sleek pelt, spots occurring over sides and flanks, heavy ticking
but does not cause spots to become lightened. Dark bars on the neck, legs &
tail. Spotting on belly cream color on belly and face, prominent light colored
whisker pads. These cats were larger than an
average house cat, a larger bone structure and large paws, lynx like paws in
mitten shape, almost resembling the local wild Bobcat. It is not known as to the
possibility of the two species being related or not but they did seem to
resemble one another. Lifespan for an average adult cat is unknown. Study shows
these cats survived on a diet of live birds, desert mice, lizards and insects.
Predators are the coyote, mountain lion, dog packs & man. In 1984 a litter
of Mojave Desert kittens were found abandoned beneath a large Juniper tree, ice
cold from the approaching winter, and starving. It seems as though during colder
parts of the year food sources were very low and if the Queen had trouble
finding the food she needed, she would just abandon her young. The first litter
found was rescued and supplemented with a Kitten Milk Replacement {KMR} formula
and raised indoors but would never tame because of their wild heritage. After
several years the wild cats became more and more scarce. By 1990 people
from all over began to come to the small desert town and the cats started to
slowly disappear. By this time the breeding program to preserve the Mojave
Desert cat had already been underway. It was such a shame to see these beautiful
cats just vanish without a trace, so by taking this into serious consideration
the Mojave wild cat lives to this very day but in the homes of the people who
helped save it. The most important thing to be taken into consideration in the
study of these cats, was the untamable nature of the cat even when raised in a
completely human environment, this was something that would need immediate
attention in order to keep them in captivity. Each generation is born more
& more exotic looking and more affectionate to their human friends. For the
next few years the Mojave Spotted will be out crossed to the Bengal, other
Mojave Gen. 1 cats & Polydactyl variations to produce larger, heavier built
cats. Out crossing did not start happening until 1996, but to no disadvantage,
it was a success. Not only did the Bengal produce more pronounced spotting
but also gave the Mojave a more brilliantly soft and glittered pelt. Bengal only
added a few extra features to better the breed color wise, in no way did this
breeding take from the already beautiful wild cat's appearance. In 2007 the
Mojave Spotted will be bred true without having to outcross to any other breed.
Cheshire Cats Cattery is the only existing cattery to own and breed this rare
and beautiful wild cat native to the deserts of the Mojave. There are no other
breeders who have access to the Mojave Spotted, all kittens resulting from the
breeding program have been placed in Spay / Neuter homes therefore preventing
the novice from using the Mojave in a way which would cause a threat to the
breed. |
Outcross Breeds |
Bengal, Abyssinian, Mojave Desert cat
variants, Polydactyl variants. |
|
Recognition |
IPCBA |
| IPCBA
=
International Progressive Cat
Breeders' Alliance |
.Photo Courtesy of Cheshire
Cats.
Photo Courtesy of Cheshire
Cats.
General Cat Info
Cat Breeds
Dogs with Cats
Amazing Cat
Photos
__________________
Pets
All
Creatures
Send
in a Photo!
|
|
