Breeders of Serengeti are very often also breeders of the Savannah. These are not to be confused with each other, as Savannahs are the Serval wild cat outcrossed to the domestic cat, however the Serengeti is a manufactured breed made to impersonate the Serval in which no wild animals are used as crosses. In short, a copycat and not a hybrid. A bengal outcrossed to a spotty oriental was the inspiration for the breed basis. The Bengal not the Asian cat hybrids are used in the design. A serengeti is a bunny eared cat and should have very large conical ears that stand erect on top of the head and not to the side but unlike the oriental instead of almond eyes they should be round. Once established it will be motioned that extensive outcrosses to orientals will cease as this will reintroduce the incorrect eye shape.
My reason for wishing to help promote this breed here in the UK is .....The best of both worlds can be enjoyed as a spotty wild breed look alike without using wild cats is coutured... so should make the perfectly balanced lapcat with the much admired wild look.
Although Siamese outcrosses are being allowed at present to forward the breed. As the breed develops then these outcrosses will cease to be allowed in favour of adhering to the standard of points and working towards our final goal. Ideally the originator Karen ... Kingsmark Bengals and Serengeti...has crossed The Bengal with a spotty Oriental using the best of both breeds.
The Serengeti will be a spotty - some bars allowed (not marbles or rosettes and without ticking. Some selfs allowed). With long legs, straight back and short striped tail in comparison to height and extremely large conical shaped bell ears (that stand erect from the top of the head nearly meeting in the middle of the small headed long necked feline). Nice large round eyes - not almond.
The Serengeti... A complete copycat of the Serval which does not contain any wild Serval blood. A pedigree domestic breed only.
Not allowed and will not be recognised....
non active unregistered cats
non domestic breeds
non recognised cross breeds that are not in keeping with the breed
Moggies.
The Serengeti breed standard...
Revised 09/30/02 Serengeti Breed Standard, 05/01/2003
SERENGETI (SE)
HEAD . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 35 points
Shape . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
Ears . . . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Eyes . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Chin . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Muzzle . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Nose . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Profile . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Neck . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4
BODY . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 points
Torso . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Legs . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
Feet . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Tail . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Boning . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
Musculature . . . . . . . . 3
COAT/COLOR/PATTERN 30 points
Length . . . . . . . . . . . . 3
Texture . . . . . . . . . . . . 2
Pattern . . . . . . . . . . . 15
Color . . . . . . . . . . . . . 10
OTHER . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7 points
Balance . . . . . . . . . . . . 1
Condition . . . . . . . . . . 1
Temperament . . . . . . . 5
CATEGORY: Traditional.
DIVISIONS: Tabby, Solid and
Silver/Smoke.
COLORS:
Tabby Division: Brown spotted
tabby ONLY; Solid Division: Black
ONLY; Silver Smoke Division: Silver
spotted tabby and black smoke.
HEAD:
Shape: Medium width, modified
wedge with rounded contours.
Ears: Wide and deep at the base
with rounded tips. Strikingly large,
equal to the length of the head. Set
upright and close together on the top
of the head.
Eyes: Round and large. Neither
protruding nor recessed. Separated
by a broad nose. Much more than an
eye width apart.
Chin: Tip of chin lines up with tip
of nose in the same vertical plane.
Muzzle: Fine but strong. Wedgeshaped
with broad moderately
prominent whisker pads.
Profile: Long, straight line from the
top of the head to the bridge of the
eyes with a slight change of angle to
the tip of the nose. Very slight
eyebrow ridge.
Neck: Long in proportion to body.
Thick with very little to no taper into
back of head.
BODY:
Torso: Medium size, tubular and
solid. Males may be somewhat larger
than females.
Legs: Excessively long with strong
boning and musculature. Hind legs
are not higher than front legs.
Feet: Medium, round.
Tail: Thick and tapering slightly
from the body to the end. Medium
short, ideally short of shoulder when
laid along torso.
Boning: Strong.
Musculature: Firm.
COAT:
Length: Short and even.
Texture: Fine, thick, tight with
some loft.
COLOR:
Tabby Division: Black or dark
brown spots on a clear nearly
unticked tan to yellow body or black
spots on a clear cold gray body. Light
to white underbelly, chin and front of
muzzle. Back of ears with eye spot.
Glitter acceptable.
Solid Division: Black solid, ghost
spots may be visible.
Silver/Shaded Division: Black
spots on a clear silver body; black
smoke.
PATTERN: Random spotted or solid.
Preference given to random spot
pattern with some short horizontal bars
on the shoulders, spot pattern on
shoulders and hips extending down the
legs and black rings around the tail.
Revised 09/30/02 Serengeti Breed Standard, 05/01/2003
OTHER:
Balance: Square build with level top
line.
Condition: Well muscled.
Temperament: Confident. Must be
unchallenging.
GENERAL DESCRIPTION: The ideal
Serengeti Cat is a medium sized cat
with long legs. It should be in excellent
physical condition, very strong and
muscular. It should appear as a
powerful, squarely built cat with a very
upright posture. Also noticeable is the
long powerful neck, which blends into
the base of the skull without tapering.
The head should be a medium wedge
with large round eyes and carry huge
upright ears. In shape the head is a
modified wedge, starting at the nose
and flaring out in a straight line to base
of ears forming a triangle with a slight
break at the whiskers. Cheeks should
not be prominent. In profile there is a
long, straight line from the top of the
head to the bridge of the eyes, then
turning down approximately 30 degrees
and continuing in a straight line to the
tip of the nose with a very slight
eyebrow ridge. The muzzle is fine but
strong with no muzzle break. From the
front view the whisker pads are
moderately prominent. The chin is
strong and lines up with tip of nose in
the same vertical plane, neither
receding nor excessively massive. The
head is longer than it is wide. Strikingly
large ears, equal to the length of the
head, are one of the main features of
the Serengeti. They are conical with
rounded tips. Wide at base with a deep
bell, the ears are set upright and close
together on the top of the head. The
eyes are also an important
characteristic of the Serengeti. They
should be large and round, neither
protruding nor recessed. Much more
than an eye width apart and separated
by a broad nose. Gold is the preferred
eye color, followed by any shade of
yellow through copper. Green and
amber permitted. The Serengeti is
generally a spotted cat. Preference
given to random spot pattern with some
short horizontal bars on the shoulders,
spotting extending down the shoulders
and hips on to the legs and black rings
around the tail. Two-toned spots
(rosettes) are not to be rewarded. Solid
black and black smoke Serengetis
need to have exceptional type in order
to compete successfully against the
spotted cats. They should have a
gentle, confident, outgoing and alert
temperament.
ALLOWANCES: Green or amber eye
color permitted. Locket on throat or
small spot in groin not to exceed ½" in
diameter.
PENALIZE: Spots tending towards
bars on side of body; two-toned
(rosetted) spots; heavy ticking; small
ears; short legs.
WITHOLD ALL AWARDS: White tail
tip, toes or white anywhere on the body
except for small locket described
above. Miniaturization. Blue eyes.
. . . . .
Temperament must be unchallenging; any sign
of definite challenge shall disqualify. The cat
may exhibit fear, seek to flee, or generally
complain aloud but may not threaten to harm.
In accordance with Show Rules, ARTICLE
SIXTEEN, the following shall be considered
mandatory disqualifications: a cat that bites
(216.9), a cat showing evidence of intent to
deceive (216.10), adult whole male cats not
having two descended testicles (216.11), cats
with all or part of the tail missing , except as
authorized by a Board approved standard
(216.12.1), cats with more than five toes on
each front foot and four toes on each back
foot, unless proved the result of an injury or as
authorized by a Board approved standard
(216.12.2), visible or invisible tail faults if
Board approved standard requires
disqualification (216.12.4), crossed eyes if
Board approved standard requires
disqualification (216.12.5), total blindness
(216.12.6), markedly smaller size, not in
keeping with the breed (216.12.9), and
depression of the sternum or unusually small
diameter of the rib cage itself (216.12.11.1).
See Show Rules, ARTICLE SIXTEEN for more
comprehensive rules governing penalties and
disqualifications.
For more information visit the TICA website: http://www.tica-uk.org.uk/
contact: sitedirector@kittenlist.co.uk