Sokoke Cat Picture

A rare Sokoke cat picture by Helmi Flick. There were ten adult breeding cats in the USA in 2008. That makes this one of the rarest purebred cats on the planet. Helmi took a great picture. The choice of background is perfect as it emphasises the glorious "bulls-eye" tabby pattern, plum in the middle of the body. The head of this cat breed reminds me of the Bengal, quite small like the wild leopard cat. It certainly has a wild look. However, this is a purely, 100%, domestic cat. It is not a wildcat hybrid. That is what I have been told. I found the origin and history of this breed interesting and exotic and to be perfectly honest, I don't believe it! I know that sounds a bit brash and harsh but that is what I feel about the history, which is that stray/domestic/feral hybrid cats from the east of Kenya where discovered in the late 1970s and then exported to America, where they were refined through selective breeding. This purebred cat is named after the Sokoke Forest in Kenya (see map - you can zoom back). Read more....