Felid hybrid
Encyclopedia
There are a number of hybrids between various felid species. This article deals with hybrids between the smaller felid species and those between smaller felids and Panthera
Panthera
Panthera is a genus of the family Felidae , which contains four well-known living species: the tiger, the lion, the jaguar, and the leopard. The genus comprises about half of the Pantherinae subfamily, the big cats...

species. For hybrids between two Panthera species (lions, tigers, jaguars and leopards) see Panthera hybrid
Panthera hybrid
The four living species of Panthera genus may produce a number of hybrid crosses...

.

Servical/caraval

A servical is a cross between a male serval
Serval
The serval , Leptailurus serval or Caracal serval, known in Afrikaans as Tierboskat, "tiger-forest-cat", is a medium-sized African wild cat. DNA studies have shown that the serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal...

 and a female caracal
Caracal
The caracal is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat ranging over Western Asia, South Asia and Africa.The word caracal comes from the Turkish word "karakulak", meaning "black ear". In North India and Pakistan, the caracal is locally known as syahgosh or shyahgosh, which is a Persian term...

. The first servicals were bred accidentally when the two animals were housed together in Los Angeles Zoo. The offspring were tawny with pale spots. If a female servical is crossed to a male caracal the result is a car-servical; if she is crossed to a male serval the result is a ser-servical.

A male caracal crossed with a female serval is called a caraval.

Margay/oncilla hybrid

There were attempts to breed the Oncilla or Little Spotted Cat (Leopardus tigrinus) with the Margay
Margay
The Margay is a spotted cat native to Middle and South America. Named for Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, it is a solitary and nocturnal animal that prefers remote sections of the rainforest. Although it was once believed to be vulnerable to extinction, the IUCN now lists it as "Near Threatened"...

 (Leopardus wiedii) by Dutch breeder Mme Falken-Rohrle in the 1950s. These appear to have been unsuccessful.
  • Fernand Mery "The life, history and magic of the cat" 1967

Marlot

The Marlot is a hybrid between a male Margay
Margay
The Margay is a spotted cat native to Middle and South America. Named for Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, it is a solitary and nocturnal animal that prefers remote sections of the rainforest. Although it was once believed to be vulnerable to extinction, the IUCN now lists it as "Near Threatened"...

 and female ocelot
Ocelot
The ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...

 (Leopardus pardalis). In May 1977, the Long Island Ocelot Club (LIOC) announced the birth of a marlot bred by Barbara Brocks using captive-bred parents. There was no description of the marlot, but the parent species both have a rosetted or marbled pattern on a sandy background.
  • Newsletter, Long Island Ocelot Club, May 1977

Blynx (lynxcat)

The Blynx or Lynxcat is a hybrid of bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...

 (Lynx rufus) and one or other species of Lynx
Lynx
A lynx is any of the four Lynx genus species of medium-sized wildcats. The name "lynx" originated in Middle English via Latin from Greek word "λύγξ", derived from the Indo-European root "*leuk-", meaning "light, brightness", in reference to the luminescence of its reflective eyes...

. The appearance of the offspring depends on which lynx species is used, as the European (Spanish) Lynx (Lynx pardinus) is more heavily spotted than Canadian lynx (Lynx canadensis) or Eurasian lynx
Eurasian Lynx
The Eurasian lynx is a medium-sized cat native to European and Siberian forests, South Asia and East Asia. It is also known as the European lynx, common lynx, the northern lynx, and the Siberian or Russian lynx...

 (Lynx lynx). These hybrids have been bred in captivity and also occur naturally where a lynx or bobcat cannot find a member of its own species to mate with.

In August 2003, two wild-occurring hybrids between wild Canadian lynx and bobcats were confirmed by DNA analysis in the Moosehead region of Maine, USA. Three hybrids were identified in northeastern Minnesota. These were the first confirmed hybrids outside of captivity. Mitochondrial DNA studies showed them all to be the result of matings between female lynx and male bobcats. A male lynx-bobcat hybrid was trapped in 1998, radio-collared and released only to die of starvation. The female hybrid was fertile. In November 2003, a spotted lynxcat was observed in Illinois, 500 miles (804.7 km) from normal lynx territory but may have been an escaped hybrid pet.

The hybrids closely resembled bobcats with larger bodies and smaller feet, but had some lynx-like features: long ear tufts and an almost completely black-tipped tail. The Canadian lynx is a protected species in 14 US states constituting the southern part of its historic range, but the hybrids are not protected and are shot by hunters. Some of the odd-looking cats may be colour morphs of either bobcat or lynx rather than hybrids. This poses the danger that protected lynx are being killed.

Euro-chaus

The Euro-Chaus is a man-made hybrid between the European Wildcat
European Wildcat
The European Wildcat is a subspecies of the wildcat that inhabits forests of Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, as well as Scotland, Turkey and the Caucasus Mountains; it has been extirpated from Scandinavia, England, and Wales. Some authorities restrict F. s...

 (F. silvestris) and the Swamp Cat or Jungle Cat
Jungle Cat
The jungle cat is a medium-sized cat and considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynxes....

 (F. chaus). It should not be confused with the Euro-Chausie which is a cross between the domestic Chausie breed and a European Wildcat.

Jungle lynx

A hybrid between the Jungle Cat
Jungle Cat
The jungle cat is a medium-sized cat and considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynxes....

 and Bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...

, bred as an exotic pet (later generations include domestic genes as they may be crossed to Savannah, Egyptian Mau, Serengeti, Desert Lynx and Pixie Bob domestic breeds).

Ocelot-cougar hybrids

The cougar (Puma concolor) has 38 chromosomes, whereas the ocelot
Ocelot
The ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...

 (Leopardus pardalis) has only 36 chromosomes. Nevertheless, ocelot-cougar hybrids were reported by G Dubost & J Royere in 1993 in "Zoo Biology 12". The parents were a captive male ocelot and a captive female puma sharing an enclosure in a private collection in French Guiana
French Guiana
French Guiana is an overseas region of France, consisting of a single overseas department located on the northern Atlantic coast of South America. It has borders with two nations, Brazil to the east and south, and Suriname to the west...

. They had shared their enclosure since 1986 and had been raised together. The ocelot is one third the size of the cougar, but the pair produced four litters of hybrid offspring between 1990 and 1992 and possibly an earlier litter in 1989.

In September 1989, the 3.5 year old cougar appeared to be pregnant, but was assumed to have miscarried. In May 1990 she gave birth to 3 hybrid cubs (2 males, 1 female) which all died within a day due to lack of maternal care. In October 1990 she produced 2 cubs (1 male, 1 female) which were hand-reared, but all died between 5 and 12 days old due to lack of suitable milk formula. In 1991 3 female hybrid cubs were born, but failed to survive. In 1992, a fourth litter was born, but were eaten by the mother.

The body size of the cubs was intermediate between cougar cubs and ocelot cubs. Their spot patterns bore more resemblance to the ocelot than to the juvenile pattern of a cougar. The markings were similar to that of an ocelot but with less continuous on the back and with less pronounced throat/belly markings. The backs of their legs were darker and unspotted (a cougar-like trait) and they had ringed tails.

A subsequent cub born in French Guiana apparently survived. The adult female ocelot/cougar hybrid is shown at L'Ocelot-Puma
  • G Dubost & J Royere in 1993 in "Zoo Biology 12".


Domestic cat and hybridization

The domesticated form of the African Wildcat known as the domestic cat
Cat
The cat , also known as the domestic cat or housecat to distinguish it from other felids and felines, is a small, usually furry, domesticated, carnivorous mammal that is valued by humans for its companionship and for its ability to hunt vermin and household pests...

 (F. silvestris catus) has been hybridised with several wild Felid species. These are sometimes called Feral Domestic Hybrids. This is a misnomer because feral
Feral
A feral organism is one that has changed from being domesticated to being wild or untamed. In the case of plants it is a movement from cultivated to uncultivated or controlled to volunteer. The introduction of feral animals or plants to their non-native regions, like any introduced species, may...

refers to a domesticated Animal species which has somehow reverted to living in the wild. The correct term is artificial or domestic/wild Hybrids.

Confirmed domestic Cat/ Felid Hybrids

Some pairings have given rise to more than one breed developed under different registries and bred to different standards for appearance and different percentages of wild felid genes. They are therefore different breeds, not synonyms.
  • Bengal
    Bengal (cat)
    The Bengal is a relatively new hybrid breed of cat, formed by the cross of a domestic feline and an Asian Leopard Cat .Bengal cats have "wild-looking" markings, such as large spots, rosettes, and a light/white belly, and a body structure reminiscent of the Asian Leopard Cat...

     : domestic Cat / Asian Leopard Cat
    Leopard Cat
    The leopard cat is a small wild cat of South and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern by IUCN as it is widely distributed but threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range...

     (Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis)
  • Bristol (cat) : domestic Cat / Margay
    Margay
    The Margay is a spotted cat native to Middle and South America. Named for Prince Maximilian of Wied-Neuwied, it is a solitary and nocturnal animal that prefers remote sections of the rainforest. Although it was once believed to be vulnerable to extinction, the IUCN now lists it as "Near Threatened"...

     (Leopardus wiedii)
  • Chausie
    Chausie
    A Chausie is a hybrid of the domestic cat and the Jungle Cat . Despite their wild appearance, they are domestic.- Breeding history :...

     : domestic Cat / Jungle Cat
    Jungle Cat
    The jungle cat is a medium-sized cat and considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynxes....

     aka Swamp Cat (Felis chaus)
  • Stone Cougar : domestic Cat / Jungle Cat
    Jungle Cat
    The jungle cat is a medium-sized cat and considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynxes....

     aka Swamp Cat (Felis chaus)
  • Cheetoh
    Cheetoh
    -Origin:The Cheetoh cat breed is derived from crossings between specific Bengal cat and Ocicat bloodlines. Being a new breed, it is rare.-Appearance:...

     : Bengal
    Bengal (cat)
    The Bengal is a relatively new hybrid breed of cat, formed by the cross of a domestic feline and an Asian Leopard Cat .Bengal cats have "wild-looking" markings, such as large spots, rosettes, and a light/white belly, and a body structure reminiscent of the Asian Leopard Cat...

     / Ocicat
    Ocicat
    The Ocicat is an all-domestic breed of cat which resembles a 'wild' cat but has no wild blood. The breed is unusual in that it is spotted like a wild cat but has the temperament of a domestic animal. It is named for its resemblance to the ocelot....

  • Jungle-Bob : Pixie-bob
    Pixie-Bob
    The Pixie-bob is a breed of housecat. The breed was claimed by breed founder Carol Ann Brewer to be the progeny of naturally occurring bobcat hybrids; While some DNA tested Pixiebobs showed wild markers, few if any contributed to breeding programs...

     / Jungle Cat
    Jungle Cat
    The jungle cat is a medium-sized cat and considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynxes....

     aka Swamp Cat (F. Chaus)
  • Jungle-Curl : Hemingway Curl (polydactyl x American Curl) / Jungle Cat
    Jungle Cat
    The jungle cat is a medium-sized cat and considered the largest remaining species of the wild cat genus Felis. The species is also called the swamp lynx but is not closely related to the lynxes....

     aka Swamp Cat (Felis chaus)
  • Machbagral and/or Viverral : domestic Cat / Fishing Cat
    Fishing Cat
    The Fishing Cat is a medium-sized wild cat of South and Southeast Asia. In 2008, the IUCN classified the fishing cat as endangered since they are concentrated primarily in wetland habitats, which are increasingly being settled, degraded and converted...

     (Prionailurus viverrinus)
  • Pantherette : Pixie-bob
    Pixie-Bob
    The Pixie-bob is a breed of housecat. The breed was claimed by breed founder Carol Ann Brewer to be the progeny of naturally occurring bobcat hybrids; While some DNA tested Pixiebobs showed wild markers, few if any contributed to breeding programs...

     / Asian Leopard Cat
    Leopard Cat
    The leopard cat is a small wild cat of South and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern by IUCN as it is widely distributed but threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range...

     (Prionailurus bengalensis)
  • Punjabi (cat) : domestic Cat /Indian Desert-Cat (a variety of Asiatic Wildcat
    Asiatic Wildcat
    The Asiatic wildcat is a wildcat subspecies that occurs from the eastern Caspian into western India, and north to Kazakhstan, and into western China and southern Mongolia...

    ) (Felis s. ornata)
  • Safari (cat) : domestic Cat / Geoffroy's Cat
    Geoffroy's Cat
    Geoffroy's Cat is a wild cat in the southern and central regions of South America. It is about the size of a domestic cat. While the species is relatively common in many areas, it is considered to be "Near Threatened" by IUCN because of concern over land-use changes in the regions where it lives...

     (Leopardus geoffroyii)
  • Savannah
    Savannah (cat)
    The Savannah is a domestic hybrid cat breed. It is a cross between a serval and a domestic cat. -History:...

     : domestic Cat (including Bengal
    Bengal (cat)
    The Bengal is a relatively new hybrid breed of cat, formed by the cross of a domestic feline and an Asian Leopard Cat .Bengal cats have "wild-looking" markings, such as large spots, rosettes, and a light/white belly, and a body structure reminiscent of the Asian Leopard Cat...

    ) / Serval
    Serval
    The serval , Leptailurus serval or Caracal serval, known in Afrikaans as Tierboskat, "tiger-forest-cat", is a medium-sized African wild cat. DNA studies have shown that the serval is closely related to the African golden cat and the caracal...

     (Leptailurus serval)
  • Serengeti
    Serengeti cat
    The Serengeti cat was first developed by crossing a Bengal cat and an Oriental Shorthair cat. Recognized and registered by The International Cat Association, no other first generation crosses can be registered as Serengeti . From the Bengal / Oriental cross comes your first foundation Serengeti...

     : Bengal
    Bengal (cat)
    The Bengal is a relatively new hybrid breed of cat, formed by the cross of a domestic feline and an Asian Leopard Cat .Bengal cats have "wild-looking" markings, such as large spots, rosettes, and a light/white belly, and a body structure reminiscent of the Asian Leopard Cat...

     / Oriental Shorthair
    Oriental Shorthair
    The Siamese cat was imported to Britain from Siam in the later half of the 1800s. According to reports, both pointed and solid colors were imported. The gene that causes the color to be restricted to the points is a recessive gene, therefore the general population of the cats of Siam were largely...

     (solid-coloured Siamese)
  • Toyger
    Toyger
    The toyger is a breed of cat, the result of breeding domestic shorthaired tabbies to make them resemble a "toy tiger," as its striped coat is reminiscent of the tiger's. The breed's creator, Judy Sudgen, has stated that the breed was developed in order to inspire people to care about the...

     : domestic Cat / Bengal
    Bengal (cat)
    The Bengal is a relatively new hybrid breed of cat, formed by the cross of a domestic feline and an Asian Leopard Cat .Bengal cats have "wild-looking" markings, such as large spots, rosettes, and a light/white belly, and a body structure reminiscent of the Asian Leopard Cat...

  • Ussuri (cat)
    Ussuri (cat)
    The Ussuri is a rare natural breed of cat that originates from the region of the Amur River, Russia. It is reputed to be derived from natural hybrids with small wild cats known as "Amur Forest Cats" and "Amur Leopard Cats"...

    : domestic Cat / Amur Asian Leopard Cat
    Leopard Cat
    The leopard cat is a small wild cat of South and East Asia. Since 2002 it has been listed as Least Concern by IUCN as it is widely distributed but threatened by habitat loss and hunting in parts of its range...

     (Prionailurus b. euptailura)
  • Domestic Cat / Caracal
    Caracal
    The caracal is a fiercely territorial medium-sized cat ranging over Western Asia, South Asia and Africa.The word caracal comes from the Turkish word "karakulak", meaning "black ear". In North India and Pakistan, the caracal is locally known as syahgosh or shyahgosh, which is a Persian term...

     (accidental, Moscow Zoo, 1998)
  • Domestic Cat / Oncilla (Little Spotted Cat/Tiger Cat)
  • Domestic Cat / Black-footed Cat
    Black-footed Cat
    The black-footed cat is the smallest African cat, and is endemic in the south west arid zone of the southern African subregion. It is one of the lesser studied African carnivores, and has been listed as Vulnerable by IUCN since 2002....

     (F. nigripes)
  • Domestic Cat / Rusty-spotted Cat
    Rusty-spotted Cat
    The Rusty-spotted Cat is the cat family's smallest member and found only in India and Sri Lanka. It has been listed as Vulnerable by IUCN in 2002 as the total effective population size is below 10,000 mature individuals, with a declining trend due to habitat loss, and no subpopulation containing...

     (Prionailurus rubiginosus) (wild occurring Hybrids, India)

Hybrid breed / wild Felid

  • Afro-Chausie (proposed name) : Chausie
    Chausie
    A Chausie is a hybrid of the domestic cat and the Jungle Cat . Despite their wild appearance, they are domestic.- Breeding history :...

     / African Wildcat (F. s. lybica)
  • Euro-Chausie : Chausie
    Chausie
    A Chausie is a hybrid of the domestic cat and the Jungle Cat . Despite their wild appearance, they are domestic.- Breeding history :...

     / European Wildcat
    European Wildcat
    The European Wildcat is a subspecies of the wildcat that inhabits forests of Western, Central, Eastern and Southern Europe, as well as Scotland, Turkey and the Caucasus Mountains; it has been extirpated from Scandinavia, England, and Wales. Some authorities restrict F. s...

     (F. s. silvestris)
  • Scottie-Chausie (proposed name) : Chausie
    Chausie
    A Chausie is a hybrid of the domestic cat and the Jungle Cat . Despite their wild appearance, they are domestic.- Breeding history :...

     / Scottish Wildcat (F. s. grampia)

Attempted or unconfirmed Hybrids

  • Mandalan Jaguar (proposed name) : Domestic Cat / Jaguarundi
    Jaguarundi
    The jaguarundi is a small-sized wild cat native to Central and South America. In 2002, the IUCN classified the jaguarundi as Least Concern as it is likely that no conservation units, with the probable exception of the mega-reserves of the Amazon basin could sustain long-term viable populations. It...

     (Puma yagouaroundi)
  • Domestic Cat / Canada Lynx
    Canada Lynx
    The Canada lynx or Canadian lynx is a North American mammal of the cat family, Felidae. It is a close relative of the Eurasian Lynx . Some authorities regard both as conspecific. However, in some characteristics the Canada lynx is more like the bobcat than the Eurasian Lynx...

     (Lynx canadensis)
  • Domestic Cat / Bobcat
    Bobcat
    The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...

     (Lynx rufus) There are reports of bobcats breeding with domestic cats, but such matings are rarely successful.
  • Domestic Cat / Pallas Cat
    Pallas Cat
    Pallas's cat , also called Manul, is a small wild cat named after German naturalist Peter Simon Pallas, who first described the species in 1776....

     (Otocolobus manul)


Domestic Cats have not been hybridized with Ocelots. Offspring of Ocelot female (offspring born August 2007), believed to be sired by domestic Bengal male, await genetic analysis.

The Jaguarundi Curl is not a Jaguarundi hybrid. It is a short-legged domestic breed developed from REFR's Highland Lynx breed.

Ocecat/ocicat

The Ocecat or Ocicat
Ocicat
The Ocicat is an all-domestic breed of cat which resembles a 'wild' cat but has no wild blood. The breed is unusual in that it is spotted like a wild cat but has the temperament of a domestic animal. It is named for its resemblance to the ocelot....

is not a hybrid between domestic cat and Ocelot
Ocelot
The ocelot , pronounced /ˈɒsəˌlɒt/, also known as the dwarf leopard or McKenney's wildcat is a wild cat distributed over South and Central America and Mexico, but has been reported as far north as Texas and in Trinidad, in the Caribbean...

. It is derived from Siamese and Abyssinian domestic breeds of cat and gets its name from its markings which resemble the spotted markings of an Ocelot.

American lynx, desert lynx, alpine lynx and highland lynx

The Desert Lynx and American Lynx breeds were originally claimed as bobcat
Bobcat
The bobcat is a North American mammal of the cat family Felidae, appearing during the Irvingtonian stage of around 1.8 million years ago . With twelve recognized subspecies, it ranges from southern Canada to northern Mexico, including most of the continental United States...

 hybrids with around 12.5% wild genes. In spite of their bobcatty appearance, DNA testing failed to detect Bobcat marker genes and these cats are now considered wholly domestic for the purposes of ownership, cat fancy registration, import and export. This parallels the case of the PixeBob in that foundation cats in the breed were speculated to be bobcat-domestic cat hybrids. The "Lynx" breed group expanded with the derivative Alpine Lynx and Highland Lynx breeds.

See also

  • Caraval
    Caraval
    The Caraval is the cross between a male caracal and a female serval. They have a spotted pattern similar to the Serval, but on a darker background. These are bred for the pet market....

  • Jaglion
  • Jagulep
  • Leopon
    Leopon
    A leopon is a hybrid resulting from the crossing of a male leopard with a lioness. The head of the animal is similar to that of a lion while the rest of the body carries similarities to leopards. These hybrids are produced in captivity and are unlikely to occur in the wild.The first documented...

  • Liger
    Liger
    The liger is a hybrid cross between a male lion and a tigress . Thus, it has parents with the same genus but of different species. It is distinct from the similar hybrid tiglon. It is the largest of all known cats and extant felines.Ligers enjoy swimming, which is a characteristic of tigers, and...

  • Panthera hybrid
    Panthera hybrid
    The four living species of Panthera genus may produce a number of hybrid crosses...

  • Pumapard
    Pumapard
    A pumapard is a hybrid of a Puma and a Leopard. Both male puma with female leopard and male leopard with female puma pairings have produced offspring...

  • Servical
  • Tigon
    Tigon
    Tigon may refer to:*Tiglon, a hybrid between a tiger and a lioness*Tigon British Film Productions, a British film production and distribution company*Tigon Studios, a video game production company...


External links and online references

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