There is a wide range of unique cat breeds with different coats, colors, sizes, and shapes. But what happens when you take some of the distinctive feline species and combine their most notable characteristic? You get a hybrid cat, which combines the best of both the breeds-domestic tameness and wild lions. Hybrid cat breeds can be a product of crossbreeding two domestic cats or a domestic cat and a wild cat species. This creates genetic diversity and unpredictability with varying markings, colors, temperaments, and sizes. Check out some of the hybrid cat breeds in the world today.
The 12 Hybrid Cat Breeds
- Bengal Cat Image Credit: Irina_kukuts, Pixabay
Lifespan: 12-16 years
Temperament: Intelligent, active, affectionate, vocal, agile
Color: Brown, silver, seal lynx, seal sepia, seal minx point
Height: 8-10 inches
Weight: 15 pounds
Here’s the most common and most popular hybrid cat breed. Breeders created Bengals by crossing housecats and Asian Leopard cats, with the oldest confirmed case dating back to 1934. However, it wasn’t until about two decades ago that they were consistently created and became the popular breeds they are today. A breeder must separate a Bengal from its parents by at least three generations before considering it a domestic cat. Bengals are larger than most domesticated cats, and their coats retain the wild leopard-like spots on the back and belly.
- Cheetoh Cat Image Credit: Lux Blue, Shutterstock
Lifespan: 12-14 years
Temperament: Playful, intelligent, energetic, curious, social, sweet, gentle
Height: 12-14 inches
Weight: 15-23 pounds
Comparable Breeds: Bengal, Ocicat
Cheetoh’s parent breeds are Ocicat and the Bengal cats, bred by Carol Drymon in 2001. She intended to develop a cheetah-like cat that would display a wild cat and a housecat’s gentleness. These cats are roughly eight generations removed from wild feline parents. Cheetohs are talkative, bond strongly with their owners, thrive in large and active homes, and love to have other kitties for the company. They are still rare breeds and are by no means small hybrids.
- Savannah Cat Image Credit: Kolomenskaya Kseniya, Shutterstock
Lifespan: 12-20 years
Temperament: Brilliant, friendly, active, affectionate
Color: Black, brown spotted tabby, black silver spotted tabby, black smoke & tabby pattern
Height: 20-22 inches
Weight: 12-25 pounds
Savannah hybrids look like cheetahs and are taller than typical housecats. They are offspring of the wild African Serval and domestic cats and acquired their names after the Serval’s habitat in Africa-the Savannah. Like their wild ancestor, Savannah hybrids are tall, with lean frames, long legs, big ears, and long necks. They are also intelligent, athletic, and generally spirited. They require spacious playrooms and lots of exercise for entertainment.
- Toyger Image Credit: Kutikova Ekaterina, Shutterstock
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Temperament: Intelligent, energetic, friendly, trainable
Color: Brown mackerel tabby, dark markings on a bright orange coat
Height: Up to 18 inches
Weight: 7-15 pounds
A Toyger’s stripped tiger-like markings may make you think that they are wild cats. They are among the newest cat breeds, developed in 1980 by Judy Sugden after crossing a domestic shorthair cat with a Bengal. These mini-tigers have laid-back personalities, intelligent, easier to leash-train, and get along with other cats, dogs, and kids.
- Chausie Cat Image Credit: flightofdeath, Shutterstock
Lifespan: 12-16 years
Temperament: Fearless, gentle, quick, agile, trainable, extremely active, intelligent, social
Color: Black, silver-tipped, brown ticked tabby
Height: Up to 18 inches
Weight: 12-25 pounds
Chausies resemble small mountain lions and are products of a domestic cat (Abyssinian), crossed with a wild Asian jungle feline. This French breed is rare and slower to develop-may take up to three years to reach full maturity. Chausies are quick, adventurous, form deep bonds with owners, and enjoy walking on leashes.
- Serengeti Image Credit: Krissi Lundgren, Shutterstock
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Temperament: Super athletic, loyal, vocal, active, social
Color: Gold, grey, leopard-style markings
Height: 8-10 inches
Weight: 8-15 pounds
These hybrid cats look strikingly like wild African Serval cats. However, they do not contain any Serval strain as they are a cross between Bengals and Oriental Shorthairs. This breeding produced a hybrid with a graceful Leopard-like cat with a unique spotted coat, an athletic build, and an amiable temperament. Serengeti cats have medium to large sizes, large-boned, boast long legs, long bodies, large round-tipped ears, a small triangular face, and bold eyes. They have short, glossy, and tight-fighting coats with rich gold coloring and widely spaced dark markings. Generally, Serengeti cats possess are instinctual, energetic, active, and require spacious playrooms.
- Highlander Image Credit: SUSAN LEGGETT, Shutterstock
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Temperament: Friendly, intelligent, energetic, nurturing
Color: Solid points, lynx points
Height: 10-16 inches
Weight: 10-20 pounds
The Highlander is a new experimental hybrid, developed in 2004. It is a cross between two hybrids; a Desert Lynx and a Jungle Curl. For this reason, the Highlander does not have any wild cat genes, meaning it is docile, playful, confident, and loving. They are large, muscular, highly energetic, and require lots of activities to shed some. Interestingly, Highlanders love water, unlike other cat breeds.
- Pixie Bob Image Credits: DaveFrancis, Pixabay
Lifespan: 13-15 years
Temperament: Curious, intelligent, playful, leash-trained, friendly
Color: Spotted tabby in all shades of brown
Height: 20-24 inches
Weight: 8-25 pounds
Pixie Bobs are naturally occurring hybrids that started from an unplanned crossing between a female Domestic Shorthair and a male Bobcat in 1985. Ann Brewer, the Shorthair’s owner, named a female offspring Pixxie, a cat that became the breed’s matriarch. Pixie Bobs entered The International Cat Association’s (TICA) records in 1994. These cats are wooly, muscular, large, have a bobbed tails and wild appearances due to genetic mutation. These cats may be products of the wild but are generally laid-back, affectionate, interactive, and excellent family pets.
Related Read: Do Bobcats Make Good Pets? What You Need to Know!
- Jungle Curl
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Lifespan: 12-15 years
Temperament: Intelligent, charismatic, adaptable, playful, affectionate, loyal
Color: Bi-color, tabby, solid black, grey, or brown
Height: 14-25 inches
Weight: 8-25 pounds
A Jungle Curl is a product of an African Jungle cat and a domestic American Curl. They are active felines that are rapidly gaining popularity thanks to their affectionate and social dispositions and wild appearance. These felines have their ancestors’ intelligence and domestic cats’ affection and friendliness. Jungle Curls are relatively challenging to breed, making them rare species. They can only be considered domestic after their fourth or fifth generation.
- Burmila
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A post shared by Европейские бурмы и бурмиллы (@burmilla_burmese)
Lifespan: 7-12 years
Temperament: Playful, affectionate, gentle, extroverted, adventurous
Color: Black, blue, beige, apricot, chocolate, caramel, lilac
Height: 10-12 inches
Weight: 8-12 pounds
Burmila hybrids originated from the U.K. in the early 1980s after crossing Chinchilla Persian and Burmese cat breeds. These cats are sturdy, medium-sized, somehow compact, muscular, and heavy-boned. A Burmila’s coat is short, soft, and dense, thanks to the original pairing. They are rounded cats with round heads, round-tipped ears, and slightly slanted eyes. They are also independent felines, easy-going, relatively peaceful, and retain their kitten-like traits into their adulthood.
- Ocicat Image Credit: dien, Shutterstock
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Temperament: Highly energetic, intelligent, social, happy, require attention.
Color: Silver-spotted, brown-spotted, chocolate spotted, cinnamon-spotted
Height: 16-18 inches
Weight: 6-15 pounds
This hybrid is an all-domestic breed, a cross between three domestic cats; the Abyssinian, Chocolate Point Siamese, and a Seal Point Siamese. It resembles a wild cat even though it is entirely domestic. Ocicats have spotted coats, large ears and resemble Ocelots. These cats are relatively new and resulted from accidental mating in the 1960s. Despite their exotic appearance, Ocicats are friendly, social, playful, and intelligent.
- Oriental Shorthair Image Credit: TalyaPhoto, Shutterstock
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Temperament: Vocal, athletic, social, intelligent
Color: White, blue, chocolate, seal, red, brown, cream, ebony, frost, platinum, lavender, champagne, fawn
Height: 9-11
Weight: 8-12 pounds
Oriental Shorthairs must be among the most distinct and smartest hybrid felines out there. With their large ears, athletic builds, stunning eyes- no wonder people refer to them as ‘the ornaments.’ These felines are of the Siamese family breeds, only that they have different colorings. They share many features with Siamese cats, including long bodies and almond-shaped eyes. Oriental felines are active breeds, highly curious, and are people-oriented.
Summary Hybrids are a recent phenomenon and a controversial one, and cat registries may not recognize some of them. Although they may have a place in most households, pet parents should be careful when considering adoption because they can be wild enough! But truth be told, these kitties are unique and beautiful.
Featured Image by: stockelements, Shutterstock
There is a wide range of unique cat breeds with different coats, colors, sizes, and shapes. But what happens when you take some of the distinctive feline species and combine their most notable characteristic? You get a hybrid cat, which combines the best of both the breeds-domestic tameness and wild lions.
Hybrid cat breeds can be a product of crossbreeding two domestic cats or a domestic cat and a wild cat species. This creates genetic diversity and unpredictability with varying markings, colors, temperaments, and sizes.
Check out some of the hybrid cat breeds in the world today.
The 12 Hybrid Cat Breeds
1. Bengal Cat
Lifespan: 12-16 years
Temperament: Intelligent, active, affectionate, vocal, agile
Color: Brown, silver, seal lynx, seal sepia, seal minx point
Height: 8-10 inches
Weight: 15 pounds
Here’s the most common and most popular hybrid cat breed. Breeders created Bengals by crossing housecats and Asian Leopard cats, with the oldest confirmed case dating back to 1934. However, it wasn’t until about two decades ago that they were consistently created and became the popular breeds they are today.
Lifespan: 12-16 years
Temperament: Intelligent, active, affectionate, vocal, agile
Color: Brown, silver, seal lynx, seal sepia, seal minx point
Height: 8-10 inches
Weight: 15 pounds
- Lifespan: 12-16 years
- Temperament: Intelligent, active, affectionate, vocal, agile
- Color: Brown, silver, seal lynx, seal sepia, seal minx point
- Height: 8-10 inches
- Weight: 15 pounds
A breeder must separate a Bengal from its parents by at least three generations before considering it a domestic cat. Bengals are larger than most domesticated cats, and their coats retain the wild leopard-like spots on the back and belly.
2. Cheetoh Cat
Lifespan: 12-14 years
Temperament: Playful, intelligent, energetic, curious, social, sweet, gentle
Height: 12-14 inches
Weight: 15-23 pounds
Comparable Breeds: Bengal, Ocicat
Cheetoh’s parent breeds are Ocicat and the Bengal cats, bred by Carol Drymon in 2001. She intended to develop a cheetah-like cat that would display a wild cat and a housecat’s gentleness.
Lifespan: 12-14 years
Temperament: Playful, intelligent, energetic, curious, social, sweet, gentle
Height: 12-14 inches
Weight: 15-23 pounds
Comparable Breeds: Bengal, Ocicat
- Lifespan: 12-14 years
- Temperament: Playful, intelligent, energetic, curious, social, sweet, gentle
- Height: 12-14 inches
- Weight: 15-23 pounds
- Comparable Breeds: Bengal, Ocicat
These cats are roughly eight generations removed from wild feline parents. Cheetohs are talkative, bond strongly with their owners, thrive in large and active homes, and love to have other kitties for the company. They are still rare breeds and are by no means small hybrids.
3. Savannah Cat
Lifespan: 12-20 years
Temperament: Brilliant, friendly, active, affectionate
Color: Black, brown spotted tabby, black silver spotted tabby, black smoke & tabby pattern
Height: 20-22 inches
Weight: 12-25 pounds
Savannah hybrids look like cheetahs and are taller than typical housecats. They are offspring of the wild African Serval and domestic cats and acquired their names after the Serval’s habitat in Africa-the Savannah.
Lifespan: 12-20 years
Temperament: Brilliant, friendly, active, affectionate
Color: Black, brown spotted tabby, black silver spotted tabby, black smoke & tabby pattern
Height: 20-22 inches
Weight: 12-25 pounds
- Lifespan: 12-20 years
- Temperament: Brilliant, friendly, active, affectionate
- Color: Black, brown spotted tabby, black silver spotted tabby, black smoke & tabby pattern
- Height: 20-22 inches
- Weight: 12-25 pounds
Like their wild ancestor, Savannah hybrids are tall, with lean frames, long legs, big ears, and long necks. They are also intelligent, athletic, and generally spirited. They require spacious playrooms and lots of exercise for entertainment.
4. Toyger
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Temperament: Intelligent, energetic, friendly, trainable
Color: Brown mackerel tabby, dark markings on a bright orange coat
Height: Up to 18 inches
Weight: 7-15 pounds
A Toyger’s stripped tiger-like markings may make you think that they are wild cats. They are among the newest cat breeds, developed in 1980 by Judy Sugden after crossing a domestic shorthair cat with a Bengal.
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Temperament: Intelligent, energetic, friendly, trainable
Color: Brown mackerel tabby, dark markings on a bright orange coat
Height: Up to 18 inches
Weight: 7-15 pounds
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
- Temperament: Intelligent, energetic, friendly, trainable
- Color: Brown mackerel tabby, dark markings on a bright orange coat
- Height: Up to 18 inches
- Weight: 7-15 pounds
These mini-tigers have laid-back personalities, intelligent, easier to leash-train, and get along with other cats, dogs, and kids.
5. Chausie Cat
Lifespan: 12-16 years
Temperament: Fearless, gentle, quick, agile, trainable, extremely active, intelligent, social
Color: Black, silver-tipped, brown ticked tabby
Height: Up to 18 inches
Weight: 12-25 pounds
Chausies resemble small mountain lions and are products of a domestic cat (Abyssinian), crossed with a wild Asian jungle feline.
Lifespan: 12-16 years
Temperament: Fearless, gentle, quick, agile, trainable, extremely active, intelligent, social
Color: Black, silver-tipped, brown ticked tabby
Height: Up to 18 inches
Weight: 12-25 pounds
- Lifespan: 12-16 years
- Temperament: Fearless, gentle, quick, agile, trainable, extremely active, intelligent, social
- Color: Black, silver-tipped, brown ticked tabby
- Height: Up to 18 inches
- Weight: 12-25 pounds
This French breed is rare and slower to develop-may take up to three years to reach full maturity. Chausies are quick, adventurous, form deep bonds with owners, and enjoy walking on leashes.
6. Serengeti
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Temperament: Super athletic, loyal, vocal, active, social
Color: Gold, grey, leopard-style markings
Height: 8-10 inches
Weight: 8-15 pounds
These hybrid cats look strikingly like wild African Serval cats. However, they do not contain any Serval strain as they are a cross between Bengals and Oriental Shorthairs. This breeding produced a hybrid with a graceful Leopard-like cat with a unique spotted coat, an athletic build, and an amiable temperament.
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Temperament: Super athletic, loyal, vocal, active, social
Color: Gold, grey, leopard-style markings
Height: 8-10 inches
Weight: 8-15 pounds
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
- Temperament: Super athletic, loyal, vocal, active, social
- Color: Gold, grey, leopard-style markings
- Height: 8-10 inches
- Weight: 8-15 pounds
Serengeti cats have medium to large sizes, large-boned, boast long legs, long bodies, large round-tipped ears, a small triangular face, and bold eyes. They have short, glossy, and tight-fighting coats with rich gold coloring and widely spaced dark markings. Generally, Serengeti cats possess are instinctual, energetic, active, and require spacious playrooms.
7. Highlander
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Temperament: Friendly, intelligent, energetic, nurturing
Color: Solid points, lynx points
Height: 10-16 inches
Weight: 10-20 pounds
The Highlander is a new experimental hybrid, developed in 2004. It is a cross between two hybrids; a Desert Lynx and a Jungle Curl. For this reason, the Highlander does not have any wild cat genes, meaning it is docile, playful, confident, and loving.
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Temperament: Friendly, intelligent, energetic, nurturing
Color: Solid points, lynx points
Height: 10-16 inches
Weight: 10-20 pounds
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
- Temperament: Friendly, intelligent, energetic, nurturing
- Color: Solid points, lynx points
- Height: 10-16 inches
- Weight: 10-20 pounds
They are large, muscular, highly energetic, and require lots of activities to shed some. Interestingly, Highlanders love water, unlike other cat breeds.
8. Pixie Bob
Lifespan: 13-15 years
Temperament: Curious, intelligent, playful, leash-trained, friendly
Color: Spotted tabby in all shades of brown
Height: 20-24 inches
Weight: 8-25 pounds
Pixie Bobs are naturally occurring hybrids that started from an unplanned crossing between a female Domestic Shorthair and a male Bobcat in 1985. Ann Brewer, the Shorthair’s owner, named a female offspring Pixxie, a cat that became the breed’s matriarch.
Lifespan: 13-15 years
Temperament: Curious, intelligent, playful, leash-trained, friendly
Color: Spotted tabby in all shades of brown
Height: 20-24 inches
Weight: 8-25 pounds
- Lifespan: 13-15 years
- Temperament: Curious, intelligent, playful, leash-trained, friendly
- Color: Spotted tabby in all shades of brown
- Height: 20-24 inches
- Weight: 8-25 pounds
Pixie Bobs entered The International Cat Association’s (TICA) records in 1994. These cats are wooly, muscular, large, have a bobbed tails and wild appearances due to genetic mutation.
These cats may be products of the wild but are generally laid-back, affectionate, interactive, and excellent family pets.
- Related Read: Do Bobcats Make Good Pets? What You Need to Know!
9. Jungle Curl
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A post shared by Clinique Vétérinaire Féline (@cliniquevetfeline)
Lifespan: 12-15 years
Temperament: Intelligent, charismatic, adaptable, playful, affectionate, loyal
Color: Bi-color, tabby, solid black, grey, or brown
Height: 14-25 inches
Weight: 8-25 pounds
A Jungle Curl is a product of an African Jungle cat and a domestic American Curl. They are active felines that are rapidly gaining popularity thanks to their affectionate and social dispositions and wild appearance.
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A post shared by Clinique Vétérinaire Féline (@cliniquevetfeline)
View this post on Instagram
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Lifespan: 12-15 years
Temperament: Intelligent, charismatic, adaptable, playful, affectionate, loyal
Color: Bi-color, tabby, solid black, grey, or brown
Height: 14-25 inches
Weight: 8-25 pounds
- Lifespan: 12-15 years
- Temperament: Intelligent, charismatic, adaptable, playful, affectionate, loyal
- Color: Bi-color, tabby, solid black, grey, or brown
- Height: 14-25 inches
- Weight: 8-25 pounds
These felines have their ancestors’ intelligence and domestic cats’ affection and friendliness. Jungle Curls are relatively challenging to breed, making them rare species. They can only be considered domestic after their fourth or fifth generation.
10. Burmila
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Lifespan: 7-12 years
Temperament: Playful, affectionate, gentle, extroverted, adventurous
Color: Black, blue, beige, apricot, chocolate, caramel, lilac
Height: 10-12 inches
Weight: 8-12 pounds
Burmila hybrids originated from the U.K. in the early 1980s after crossing Chinchilla Persian and Burmese cat breeds. These cats are sturdy, medium-sized, somehow compact, muscular, and heavy-boned.
View this post on Instagram
A post shared by Европейские бурмы и бурмиллы (@burmilla_burmese)
A post shared by Европейские бурмы и бурмиллы (@burmilla_burmese)
Lifespan: 7-12 years
Temperament: Playful, affectionate, gentle, extroverted, adventurous
Color: Black, blue, beige, apricot, chocolate, caramel, lilac
Height: 10-12 inches
Weight: 8-12 pounds
- Lifespan: 7-12 years
- Temperament: Playful, affectionate, gentle, extroverted, adventurous
- Color: Black, blue, beige, apricot, chocolate, caramel, lilac
- Height: 10-12 inches
- Weight: 8-12 pounds
A Burmila’s coat is short, soft, and dense, thanks to the original pairing. They are rounded cats with round heads, round-tipped ears, and slightly slanted eyes. They are also independent felines, easy-going, relatively peaceful, and retain their kitten-like traits into their adulthood.
11. Ocicat
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Temperament: Highly energetic, intelligent, social, happy, require attention.
Color: Silver-spotted, brown-spotted, chocolate spotted, cinnamon-spotted
Height: 16-18 inches
Weight: 6-15 pounds
This hybrid is an all-domestic breed, a cross between three domestic cats; the Abyssinian, Chocolate Point Siamese, and a Seal Point Siamese. It resembles a wild cat even though it is entirely domestic.
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Temperament: Highly energetic, intelligent, social, happy, require attention.
Color: Silver-spotted, brown-spotted, chocolate spotted, cinnamon-spotted
Height: 16-18 inches
Weight: 6-15 pounds
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
- Temperament: Highly energetic, intelligent, social, happy, require attention.
- Color: Silver-spotted, brown-spotted, chocolate spotted, cinnamon-spotted
- Height: 16-18 inches
- Weight: 6-15 pounds
Ocicats have spotted coats, large ears and resemble Ocelots. These cats are relatively new and resulted from accidental mating in the 1960s. Despite their exotic appearance, Ocicats are friendly, social, playful, and intelligent.
12. Oriental Shorthair
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Temperament: Vocal, athletic, social, intelligent
Color: White, blue, chocolate, seal, red, brown, cream, ebony, frost, platinum, lavender, champagne, fawn
Height: 9-11
Weight: 8-12 pounds
Oriental Shorthairs must be among the most distinct and smartest hybrid felines out there. With their large ears, athletic builds, stunning eyes- no wonder people refer to them as ‘the ornaments.’
Lifespan: 10-15 years
Temperament: Vocal, athletic, social, intelligent
Color: White, blue, chocolate, seal, red, brown, cream, ebony, frost, platinum, lavender, champagne, fawn
Height: 9-11
Weight: 8-12 pounds
- Lifespan: 10-15 years
- Temperament: Vocal, athletic, social, intelligent
- Color: White, blue, chocolate, seal, red, brown, cream, ebony, frost, platinum, lavender, champagne, fawn
- Height: 9-11
- Weight: 8-12 pounds
These felines are of the Siamese family breeds, only that they have different colorings. They share many features with Siamese cats, including long bodies and almond-shaped eyes. Oriental felines are active breeds, highly curious, and are people-oriented.
Summary
Hybrids are a recent phenomenon and a controversial one, and cat registries may not recognize some of them.
Although they may have a place in most households, pet parents should be careful when considering adoption because they can be wild enough! But truth be told, these kitties are unique and beautiful.
Featured Image by: stockelements, Shutterstock
