Caracal cat - an exotic species of animal, domesticated individuals which can be kept at home. Its other name is desert or steppe lynx. This article will discuss the conditions under which such cats are kept, how to feed them, and how to care for them.
Distribution area
In nature, caracals are most often found in the Middle East, Central Asia and Africa. Their habitat may be forests, bushes, deserts or savannahs.
In Russia, the animal is found in small quantities in the foothills of Dagestan. Of the other countries that formed after the collapse of the Soviet Union, a wild caracal cat, the photo of which is posted below, can be found only in the desert regions of southern Turkmenistan.
Lifestyle
The activity of these animals can fall at any time of the day, but most often they are awake with the onset of twilight and at night. Rodents often become their prey. They also prey on birds and all kinds of small animals, including lizards. Their home is burrows and crevices of rocks. Wild cats are completely not afraid of water and are considered excellent swimmers. Climb trees easily and run pretty fast.
An African caracal cat can go without water for a long time, as its body is able to replenish its fluid supply by eating food. It is interesting that she does not throw the remains of prey, but hides it on the upper branches of trees.
Description
Nobody worked on the breeding of this breed of animals, since its creator is nature itself. The cat caracal with its appearance, and the photo clearly confirms it, very much like a lynx. However, scientists have determined that it belongs to a separate subspecies. Its parameters and almost monophonic coat color are proof of this. Initially, confusion could arise due to the fact that the cat breed caracal, like a lynx, has characteristic tassels at the tips of the ears.
The weight of an adult is 15-20 kg, although larger specimens are found, the mass of which reaches 25 kg. The animal has a slender and muscular body, the length of which can vary from 65 to 85 cm. The height of the cat at the withers is about half a meter. The tail is long and mobile.
The head is small, the muzzle is stretched forward. It has characteristic areas of dark and light tones. The ears are large, black and, as already mentioned, with tassels at the tips. The eyes are almond-shaped, yellow, edged with a black stripe.
Paws medium length, slender. The hind limbs are especially well developed. They allow the animal to jump 5 meters long. Paws are provided with bristles. It is thanks to her that the animal easily moves along sandy terrain.
In the photo of caracal cats it is clearly visible that their coat is short and very thick. The color of the back can vary from light sand to a rich brown hue. The belly is light, almost white. Round spots can sometimes be seen on it.
Character
It is known that even in ancient times, the inhabitants of Asia and Africa took caracals with them for hunting. They helped to catch pheasants, hares and even antelopes. These cats are extremely smart and tame fairly quickly. Maybe this is what prompted them to start being kept as pets.
You can start such a beauty only if you are 100% sure that you will be able to devote enough time to both her education and caring for her. These animals are full of energy and are always in search of something new. They need physical activity, so they never give up fun games in nature, especially if they require great skill and dexterity. Having thrown out all the energy, the caracal cat can rest for up to 15 hours in a row.
These domesticated animals retained their natural features: freedom and courage. However, despite this, they are very affectionate and attached to their masters. Their habits are more like dogs than cats.
It is not surprising that these animals jealously guard their own territory from other animals, but most often this behavior is observed during street walks. At home, they are completely different: they are friendly to the rest of the pets. The exception is only small rodents.
Conditions of detention
The caracal cat (description of the breed is located above) grows to large sizes, and is also highly active. Therefore, it is simply impossible to create comfortable conditions for her living in an ordinary apartment. Such pets will feel good in a spacious aviary and in a large country cottage.
Caracal is almost always in motion, and he needs long walks in the fresh air. If there is an aviary, then the animal can be left in it for some time. If you walk with him on the street, then you definitely need to put on a harness. By the way, these cats very quickly get used to this restriction. You should not be with caracal in those places where dogs walk. He can rush at the dog, even if it is larger and stronger than him.
Parenting
Although the domesticated breed of caracal cats does not show aggression and is friendly, it is not recommended to have it if there is a child of preschool age in the family. There are certain rules for handling these animals, which only older children can learn.
These cats will not cause any trouble if the owners will devote enough time to their education. I must say that his methods are similar to those that are practiced in training puppies. The pet must understand that he should not do the following:
- climb onto the table;
- nibble electric wires, clothes and shoes;
- eat from the plates of the owners.
Smart animals easily get used to the tray. It must be located in some secluded place. A deep container must be filled with silica gel or wood pellets.
During educational activities, it is necessary to be strict, but in no case should you beat an animal. While the kitten is small, you need to take care of its safety: remove all household chemicals, poisonous plants, cords and plastic bags into an inaccessible place for him.
General care recommendations
These animals are distinguished by excellent immunity, since they practically have no specific diseases. However, they still have to do some vaccinations. If the owner takes good care of his pet and follows the rules of feeding, then this exotic beast can live at home for at least 15-16 years.
The tips of the claws of a caracal cat are removed either with round nippers or with a laser, as conventional scissors cannot do this. In the house it will be necessary to equip a convenient claw-claw for a pet. It can be an ordinary massive log. Ears and eyes are cleaned only when necessary, checking their condition at least once a week. In addition, it is necessary to carry out prevention against worms.
Wool Care & Bathing
Caracals shed all year round, but in the summer this process is significantly activated. Thick wool should be periodically cleaned with a rubber brush. For these purposes, you can use a silicone glove, which is held throughout the body of the animal. She perfectly removes excess hair.
Caracals are big lovers of water procedures, during which they play very funny with rubber toys. Sometimes they need to be bathed in the bathroom using a special cat hypoallergenic shampoo. In the warm season, the animal must walk with a flea-collar collar.
Food
The caracal cat is a predator, so it can not do without protein food. The basis of her diet is, of course, meat. Therefore, depending on the weight and size of the animal per day, it can eat up to one kilogram of this product. Beef, liver, chicken and turkey are best suited for their bodies. Some of these products can be boiled, but the rest must be given in raw form, while the meat should contain both cartilage and bones. They are necessary to replenish the body with calcium, as well as to train the jaws and strengthen the teeth of the pet.
Many caracals are big lovers of various dairy products and raw eggs. In addition, the menu should include vegetables such as pumpkin, zucchini and cabbage, as well as raw sea fish. You can sometimes give your cat and dry food premium, designed for breeds of Norwegian and Maine Coon.
Cooking various cereals or soups for caracals is not necessary. You can’t feed your pet with its food, various sweets, fatty foods, pork and smoked meats. The number of receptions is once or twice a day. Unfinished food must be removed. It is recommended that cats not be fed a couple of days a month at all, as they are used to sticking to such a regimen in the wild.
Where to buy and how to choose a caracal kitten
You should not buy a small pet from dubious owners, even if they ask for a small price. It always involves the purchase of an animal without any certificates and documents. In addition, there is a risk of taking a sick or wild kitten. It is best to contact reliable professional breeders.
Caracal kittens should be taken before the age of six months. If your plans do not include animal breeding, then you should immediately castrate or sterilize them, otherwise it will grow up and begin to tag things in the house. In addition, during sexual activity, caracals often become unpredictable and even aggressive.
Going after a kitten, you need to pay attention to the following external indicators:
- clean skin;
- lack of an unpleasant smell;
- smoothness and thickness of the coat, on which dark spots can be seen, gradually disappearing with age;
- the absence of any discharge from the ears, nose and eyes.
Surely many will want to know how much a kitten can cost. Such an exotic beast will require quite substantial costs. For example, in Russia they ask for an average of 450 thousand rubles, and in Ukraine - 210 thousand hryvnias.
The birth of a new breed
Caraket is a hybrid of caracal and domestic cat. Breeding such animals is quite difficult. For the first time, the hybrid turned out purely by accident. This happened on the territory of the Moscow Zoo in the 80s of the last century. Then the domestic cat, accidentally wandered into the aviary to the caracal, after the due time brought an unusual appearance of the baby with tassels on the ears. It was a cat. It is now known that such hybrids remain barren until the fifth generation, so there was no question of procreation at that time.
The first specially made attempt by the Germans and Americans to bring out such a hybrid at the end of the last century was not crowned with success. The only one to date who has succeeded in such an experiment is the Krasnodar breeder Irina Nazarova. It is she who is the founder of the new breed, which was called the Caracat.