Highland Lynx Information

Highland Lynx cats were developed by crossing two existing breeds--Desert Lynx cats and Jungle Curls. The primary foundation breed for Highland Lynx is the Desert Lynx*. Outcrosses to the Jungle Curls were made specifically to add the unique curled ears to the cats. Essentially, Highland Lynx are Desert Lynx with curled ears. They are strong, muscular cats which are medium in length with longer hind legs, and toes may be tufted. They are very alert, intelligent cats. Males are larger than females and slower to mature. These cats come in both long and short hair.

Above is a picture of King Odin Highland Lynx from Imperial Felines

The head is large but not round, with a full, well-developed muzzle that is almost square in appearance, with prominent whisker pads.

The curled ears are smaller than in the Desert Lynx and set wide apart, usually with feathering and tufts on the tip. Ears curl backwards at the tips. The degree of the curl may be slight or extreme, with the tip of the ear actually curling back and touching the back side of the ear. The gene which causes the ear to curl actually hardens the cartilage in the ear dwarfs the ear size. The gene for curled ears is a dominant gene.

The tail may come half way to the ground, or it may be lacking entirely, as in the Manx, or it may be any length in between.

Highland Lynx officially come in three coat patterns in all eumelanistic and melanistic colors--ebony, blue, sorrel, fawn, chocolate, lilac, red, and cream --including silvers, cameos, sepias, minks, and snows. The coat patterns are tawny (ticked), leopard (spotted), and clouded leopard. Solid colored cats, as well as cats in classic and mackerel tabby, do sometimes occur.

The leopard pattern is a spotted tabby pattern. It is marked by spots of the darker color, most prominent on the sides of the body and the belly. The spots may vary in size and shape, but should be evenly distributed. Preference is given to rosette spots which are formed by a part-circle of spots around a distinctly lighter center. Contrast with ground color may not be as distinct as in some spotted breeds . A dorsal stripe runs the length of the body to the tip of the tail. The stripe is ideally composed of spots. The markings on the face and forehead are typical tabby markings, with the underside of the body having distinct spots. Legs and tail are barred. In the sepia, mink, and snow subdivisions, it is desirable for ghost leopard spots to appear on the bodies.

The tawny pattern is a ticked tabby pattern marked by ticking on the body hair with various shades of the marking color and ground color, with the outer tipping being the darkest and the undercoat being the ground color. The body may exhibit a barely perceptible spotted pattern. The tail, legs, and face will have tabby pencilings. Necklace tracings will are also frequently seen.

The clouded leopard pattern, while derived from modifications to the classic tabby gene, is different from the classic tabby pattern, with as little bull's eye similarities possible. The pattern gives the impression of marble, preferably with a horizontal flow. Vertical stripes are undesirable. Contrast should be good, with distinct shapes and sharp edges. The belly must be spotted.

Outcrosses to either unregistered or purebred cats are permitted. However, such crosses should be carefully chosen to complement the overall type of the Highland Lynx cat.

Highland Lynx, Desert Lynx, and Mohave Bobs are part of the Desert Lynx breed group in the Rare & Exotic Feline Registry. In other words, Mohave Bobs, Highland Lynx, Desert Lynx, and Alpine Lynx may be bred together, with offspring registered as follows:

All white kittens (including straight and curled coats and straight or curled ears) are
registered as Alpine Lynx.
All non-white kittens with curled coats are registered as Mohave Bobs.
All non-white kittens with straight coats and straight ears are registered as Desert Lynx..
All non-white kittens with straight coats and curled ears are registered as Highland Lynx.

The curled ears of the Highland Lynx are caused by a dominant gene which both curls the ears and somewhat reduces the size of the ears. When these breeds are bred together, the straight-eared kittens resulting from the breeding do not carry any genes for curled ears.

Non-white kittens do not carry the gene for white color. Therefore, breeders wishing to work with Desert Lynx only would not have to worry about getting curled-eared recessive genes in Desert Lynx who have Highland Lynx in their ancestry. Breeders not wishing to work with the Alpine Lynx would not have to worry about white kittens as long as neither parent is an Alpine Lynx.

The curled coat is caused by a dominant gene. Breederes not wishing to work with Mohave Bobs do not have to worry about this as long as neither of the parents have curled coats.

These breeds are identical in body type.

*There are several breeds of cats whose origins are speculated to be intertwined with the bobcat. The most common ones are the Pixie Bob and those breeds in the Desert Lynx breed group (Desert Lynx, Highland Lynx, and Alpine Lynx). It is important to note that DNA testing on these cats has failed to show positive results for the presence of bobcat DNA, hence the reference to these cats being domestic cats.

Desert Lynx Information

Feral bobcats, Lynx rufus, inhabit most of North America, from as far south as the Florida Everglades and northern Mexico north into Canada. The bobcat is somewhat larger than domestic cat breeds. It is a powerful animal with long legs and a muscular body and is noted for its short tail. While the Desert Lynx today is a completely domestic cat*, it is bred to resemble the bobcat. Through generations of selective breeding with different breeds of domestic cats, the breed has incorporated many characteristics similar to those of the bobcat. Desert Lynx are medium in length with longer hind legs, and toes may be tufted. They are very alert, intelligent cats. Males are larger than females and slower to mature. These cats come in both long and short hair.

 Above - Picture of Queen Kali Ma from Imperial Felines (desert Lynx) at 6 months age

The head is large but not round, with a full, well-developed muzzle that is almost square in appearance, with prominent whisker pads. The ears are large and set wide apart, usually with feathering and tufts on the tip. The wide set eyes are large and expressive, set at an angle, with colors ranging from gold to green, with blue eyes in the snows.

The tail may be the length of the bobcat tail, which may come half way to the ground, or it may be lacking entirely, as in the Manx, or it may be any length in between. Desert Lynx come in three coat patterns in all eumelanistic and melanistic colors--ebony, blue, sorrel, fawn, chocolate, lilac, red, and cream --including silvers, cameos, sepias, minks, and snows. The coat patterns are tawny (ticked), leopard (spotted), and clouded leopard. Solid colored cats, as well as cats in classic and mackerel tabby, do sometimes occur.

Above is another picture of Kali Ma from Imperial Felines at 6 month.

She really looks like a bobcat in this picture.

The leopard pattern is a spotted tabby pattern. It is marked by spots of the darker color, most prominent on the sides of the body and the belly. The spots may vary in size and shape, but should be evenly distributed. Preference is given to rosette spots which are formed by a part-circle of spots around a distinctly lighter center. Contrast with ground color may not be as distinct as in some spotted breeds . A dorsal stripe runs the length of the body to the tip of the tail. The stripe is ideally composed of spots. The markings on the face and forehead are typical tabby markings, with the underside of the body having distinct spots. Legs and tail are barred. In the sepia, mink, and snow subdivisions, it is desirable for ghost leopard spots to appear on the bodies.

The tawny pattern is a ticked tabby pattern marked by ticking on the body hair with various shades of the marking color and ground color, with the outer tipping being the darkest and the undercoat being the ground color. The body may exhibit a barely perceptible spotted pattern. The tail, legs, and face will have tabby pencilings. Necklace tracings will are also frequently seen.

The clouded leopard pattern, while derived from modifications to the classic tabby gene, is different from the classic tabby pattern, with as little bull's eye similarities possible. The pattern gives the impression of marble, preferably with a horizontal flow. Vertical stripes are undesirable. Contrast should be good, with distinct shapes and sharp edges. The belly must be spotted.

Outcrosses to either unregistered or purebred cats are permitted. However, such crosses should be carefully chosen to complement the overall type of the Desert Lynx cat.

Desert Lynx, Highland Lynx, Alpine Lynx, and Mohave Bobs are part of the Desert Lynx breed group in the Rare & Exotic Feline Registry. In other words, Mohave Bobs, Highland Lynx, Desert Lynx, and Alpine Lynx may be bred together, with offspring registered as follows:

All white kittens (including straight and curled coats and straight or curled ears) are registered as Alpine Lynx.
All non-white kittens with curled coats are registered as Mohave Bobs.
All non-white kittens with straight coats and straight ears are registered as Desert Lynx..
All non-white kittens with straight coats and curled ears are registered as Highland Lynx.

The curled ears of the Highland Lynx are caused by a dominant gene which both curls the ears and somewhat reduces the size of the ears. When these breeds are bred together, the straight-eared kittens resulting from the breeding do not carry any genes for curled ears.

Non-white kittens do not carry the gene for white color. Therefore, breeders wishing to work with Desert Lynx only would not have to worry about getting curled-eared recessive genes in Desert Lynx who have Highland Lynx in their ancestry. Breeders not wishing to work with the Alpine Lynx would not have to worry about white kittens as long as neither parent is an Alpine Lynx.

The curled coat is caused by a dominant gene. Breederes not wishing to work with Mohave Bobs do not have to worry about this as long as neither of the parents have curled coats.

These breeds are identical in body type.

*There are several breeds of cats whose origins are speculated to be intertwined with the bobcat. The most common ones are the Pixie Bob and those breeds in the Desert Lynx breed group (Desert Lynx, Highland Lynx, and Alpine Lynx). It is important to note that DNA testing on these cats has failed to show positve results for the presence of bobcat DNA, hence the reference to these cats being domestic cats.

Jungle Cat Information

Jungle Cat
Jungle Cat - This cat, contrary to its name, is found in a variety of habitats but typically is not a frequenter of "jungles". Like the African wildcats and domestic cats, the Jungle Cat has been mummified and placed in tombs in Ancient Egypt.

Zoological name: Felis chaus

Species: Considerably larger than the African wildcat, the ancestor of the domestic cats, the jungle cat was trained for hunting wildfowl in Ancient Egypt. Both species were mummified and entombed.
The anterior upper premolar is distinctly developed.
There are nine recognised subspecies:
- F. c. chaus Turkestan to Iran and Baluchistan
- F. c. affinis Kashmir to Sikkim, Yunnan and Indo-China
- F. c. fulvidina Thailand and Burma
- F. c. furax Southern Syria and Iraq
- F. c. kelaarti Sri Lanka
- F. c. kutas Bengal to the Rann of Kutch
- F. c. nilotica Egypt
- F. c. oxiana Russia
- F. c. prateri Sind, west India

Presence on the planet: Widely distributed from Lower Egypt, Israel, Jordan, Syria, Iraq, Iran and Asia Minor to Transcaucasia and north along the west coast of the Caspian sea to the lower reaches of the Volga and east through Turkmenistan, Tadzhikistan, and Kazakhstan to Chinese Turkestan, Afghanistan, Baluchistan, Nepal and south through the Indian subcontinent to Sri Lanka, and Burma, Thailand, Indo-China and Yunnan

Habitat: The species inhabits a greater range of habitats which, as well as marsh and swampland on forest margins, also includes tropical deciduous and evergreen forest. However, the jungle cat is not found in the denser tropical rain forests as its name might suggest. The jungle cat is not a particularly shy creature and can be often found close to human habitation, hunting in crop fields and plantations for small rodents. In India, it has been reported to inhabit disused buildings on the edge of human settlements.

Physical appearance: Similar in build to the Serval, the Jungle cat has long legs and a slender body. Their fur is sandy-brown, reddish or gray, and is unpatterned except for some brown striping on the legs. The ears are tall and rounded and are reddish with small lynx-like tufts on the tips. The tail is short, ringed faintly, and has a black tip. Melanistic animals have been seen. Adults weigh between 9-28 pounds, reach heights of 14-16 inches, and lengths of 28-48 inches. Like kittens of lions and cougars, which are born with spotting, these kittens are born with stripes for safe concealment, which they lose as they mature.

Diet: Jungle cats prey primarily upon small mammals, birds, reptiles and amphibians. They will hunt subterranean bandicoot rats. In Uzbekistan they seem to rely more on birds in winter and more on reptiles and insects in summer. They are known to kill porcupines and will readily take fish, frogs and snakes. They are potential predators on game birds, domestic poultry and chital fawns. Tiger kills will also be scavenged. In addition, they have been reported to eat the fruits of the Russian olive in Tadzhikistan.

Jungle CatReproduction & Offspring: The reproductive season varies regionally and mating is often accompanied by distinctive, bark like vocalisations from the male. The litter size is generally large, usually consisting of 3 -6 young and are born after a gestation period of approximately 65 days. The kittens are quite large at birth (136g) and have a daily weight gain of approximately 22g per day. Jungle cat kittens are weaned at about 15 weeks and are independent at approximately 8 - 10 months, they reach sexual maturity at around 18 months.

Conservation status: The greatest threat facing this cat is reclamation and destruction of natural wetlands. Also, they are killed by farmers because of their taste for domestic poultry, and sportsmen don’t like them because their prey base is the sportsman’s game species.

Status: CITES: Appendix II. IUCN: Not listed.

Life span: 15 years

Mummified in the tombs of Egypt!

These cats share the distinction with African wildcats Felis silvestris and domestic cats Felis catus of having been mummified and placed in tombs in ancient Egypt. They are also depicted hunting small birds and mammals in Egyptian wall paintings. There has been some speculation that jungle cats may have been involved in the ancestry of the domestic cat, but the bodies found in Egyptian tombs offer too little evidence to prove this one way or the other.

Bengal Cat Information

The Bengal is a relatively new hybrid breed of cat, which exhibits the "wild" markings (such as large spots, rosettes, and a light/white belly), and body structure reminiscent of the wild Asian Leopard Cat (Prionailurus bengalensis bengalensis). The Bengal cat has a desirable "wild" appearance with a gentle domestic cat temperament, provided it is separated by at least three generations from the original crossing between a domestic feline and an Asian Leopard Cat.


The name Bengal was derived from the taxonomic name of the Asian Leopard Cat (ALC), as shown above, and not from the more widely known Bengal tiger species, which is unrelated to the Bengal's ancestry.

Below is a picture of a Asian Leopard Cat.

Below is a picture of a Bengal.

Imperial Information

Imperial Felines is working with many different breeders to produce a new breed of cat called the "Imperial"

We will be using the Highland Lynx, Desert Lynx, Bengal and the Jungle Cat to produce a large cat with amazing markings, curled ears and poly feet.

Just imagine a cat with this
Amazing Rosette Pattern

and with Polydactyl Feet

with beautiful Curled Ears

With both Natural Long and Short tail variety

and the Size and Intelligence of a Jungle Cat!

The Journey to the "Imperial" will be a long and hard one, but the end result will be awesome. If you are interested in becoming a piece in the "Imperial" Breeding Program puzzle please contact us at Imperialfelines@gmail.com or call 863-299-0523!

Jaguarundi Information

Jaguarundis, Felis yaguarondi, inhabit most of South and Central America.  Although  not native to North America, some do live in Florida, having been introduced there in the 1940's.  They weigh from six to twenty pounds. They have short legs, long tails, and small ears.  They come in a ticked or tawny pattern, with the melanistic version being solid black.  There have been no documented matings of Jaguarundis to domestic cats, but there is some speculation that the short legs in the Jaguarundi may be caused by a similar mutation in Munchkin cats.

The Jaguarundi Curl is bred to have a similar appearance to the Jaguarundi by outcrossing Highland Lynx cats to Munchkins or other short legged domestic cats.  In initial crosses,  the head, curled ears, and polydactyl feet of the Highland Lynx, along with the short legs and long body of the Munchkins have been incorporated into the breed.  The short tail gene of the Highland Lynx has been eliminated so that the Jaguarundi Curls have a full tail like the Jaguarundi.

The head is large but not round, with a full, well-developed muzzle that is almost square in appearance, with prominent whisker pads.

The curled ears are set wide apart, usually with  feathering and tufts on the tip.  Ears curl backwards at the tips. The degree of the curl may be slight or extreme, with the tip of the ear actually curling back and touching the back side of the ear. The gene which causes the ear to curl actually hardens the cartilage in the ear dwarfs the ear size. The gene for curled ears is a dominant gene.

The wide set eyes are large and  expressive, set at an angle, with colors ranging from gold to green, with blue eyes in the snows.

The tail is long and thick.  In the short-haired cats, the tail should be plush.  Legs are short and powerful, attached to a long muscular body.

Jaguarundi Curls come in all colors and patterns except particolors.  Preferred patterns are solid colors or tawny (ticked) coats like the wild Jaguarundis, or spotted coats.  Other patterns are sometimes occur in the breed.

The solid pattern is self explanatory.

The tawny pattern is a ticked tabby pattern marked by ticking on the body hair with various shades of the marking color and ground color, with the outer tipping being the darkest and the undercoat being the ground color. The body may exhibit a barely perceptible spotted pattern. The tail, legs, and face will have tabby pencilings. Necklace tracings will are also frequently seen.

The leopard pattern is a spotted tabby pattern. It is marked by spots of the darker color, most prominent on the sides of the body and the belly. The spots may vary in size and shape, but should be evenly distributed. Preference is given to rosette spots which are formed by a part-circle of spots around a distinctly lighter center. Contrast with ground color may not be as distinct as in some spotted breeds . A dorsal stripe runs the length of the body to the tip of the tail. The stripe is ideally composed of spots. The markings on the face and forehead are typical tabby markings, with the underside of the body having distinct spots. Legs and tail are barred. In the sepia, mink, and snow subdivisions, it is desirable for ghost leopard spots to appear on the bodies.

Jaguraundi Curls and Meerkats are part of the Jaguarundi Curl breed group in the Rare & Exotic Feline Registry. In other words, Meerkats and Jaguarundi Curls may be bred together or may be bred to cats in the Highland Lynx breed group.

All long-tailed kittens are registered as Jaguarundi Curls.  Those born with long legs or straight ears will be referred to as non-standard.

All short-tailed kittens are registered as Meerkats.  Those born with long legs will be referred to as non-standard.

Bambinos Information

Bambinos are the deliberate hybrid of long-boned shortened dwarf cats, including the Munchkin and the extremely short-coated or hairless cats including the Sphynx, the desired results being a hairless, short cat with an athletic appearance and a gentle but lively, outgoing and affectionate personality. Bambinos are intelligent, friendly cats that are agile as their size does not hamper their movements. They respond well to being handled as they are very interactive, social cats.

The perfect Bambino has a two planed head that is wedge shaped, longer than it is wide. The first plane begins behind the head and the second begins just slightly forward of the ears. The ear line is even with the corner of the eye and set well onto the top of the head. The ears do not flare out to the side of the head, but rather continue the facial line and increase the upward sweep of the head topped off with lynx tipping. The Bambino has large almond shaped eyes that are slightly slanted and wide set. A short muzzle gives a square appearance when looked down on from the top. The nose is not Roman but smooth with a gentle stop and a firm chin lining up straight with nose.

The Bambino's body has the overall appearance of strength and muscularity, and is not thin or whippy. It is well muscled with medium boning giving a stocky, very muscular overall appearance. The back is level with a slight rise in the back legs allowed but not desired. It has short, well-developed legs, having medium sized feet with well defined toes and prominent knuckles. Finishing it off is a long, slender tail that is flexible like a whip, tapering to a point with lion tuft on the end. It is graceful and slender accenting the athletic appearance of the Bambino.

The skin texture is very important to the Bambino. It has a wonderful feel of a warm supple suede - extremely soft to the touch. The coat ranges from complete hairlessness to slight down but the texture is the most important factor. The Bambino cmay come in all colors or patterns.

Bambino litters produce both short-legged and long-legged kittens. The only difference between the short and tall siblings are their leg lengths. Bambino long-legs are vital to the Bambino breeding program as they match the standard in every other way.

Mohave Bob Information

Mohave Bobs cats were developed by crossing two existing breeds--Desert Lynx cats and Selkirk Rex cats. The primary foundation breed for Mohave Bobs is the Desert Lynx. Outcrosses to the Selkirk Rexs were made specifically to add the unique curled hair to the cats. Essentially, Mohave Bobs are Desert Lynx with curled hair. They are large boned,strong, muscular cats which  are stocky yet cobby to medium in length with longer hind legs, ears and toes may be tufted. They are very alert, intelligent cats. Males are larger than females and slower to mature. These cats  come in both long and short hair.

The head is a large broad but not round head with ears setting low , with a broad pronounced muzzle that is almost square in appearance, with prominent whisker pads. Their chin is inline with the nose leather, noseleather being wide and inline with inside corners of the eyes, yet having a broad spacing between the eyes.

The ears are large and set wide apart, usually with  feathering and tufts on the tip.

The wide set eyes are large and expressive, with eyes being triangular in shape and holding the wild look to them, pronounced by heavy brows that give the profile of the head as having parallel  planes for the muzzle and forehead, with colors ranging from gold to green, with blue or aqua eyes in the snows.

The tail may come half way to the ground, or it may be lacking entirely, as in the Manx, or it may be any length in between, with a natural short to hock length bobtail being preferred.

Mohave Bobs officially come in three coat patterns in all eumelanistic and melanistic colors--ebony, blue, sorrel, fawn, chocolate, lilac, red, and cream --including silvers, cameos, sepias, minks, and snows. The coat patterns are tawny (ticked), leopard (spotted), and clouded leopard. Solid colored cats, as well as cats in classic and mackerel tabby, do sometimes occur.

The leopard pattern is a spotted tabby pattern. It is marked by spots of the darker color, most prominent on the sides of the body and the belly. The spots may vary in size and shape, but should be evenly distributed. Preference is given to rosette spots which are formed by a part-circle of spots around a distinctly lighter center. Contrast with ground color may not be as distinct as in some spotted breeds . A dorsal stripe runs the length of the body to the tip of the tail. The stripe is ideally composed of spots. The markings on the face and forehead are typical tabby markings, with the underside of the body having distinct spots. Legs and tail are barred. In the sepia, mink, and snow subdivisions, it is desirable for ghost leopard spots to appear on the bodies.

The tawny pattern is a ticked tabby pattern marked by ticking on the body hair with various shades of the marking color and ground color, with the outer tipping being the darkest and the undercoat being the ground color. The body may exhibit a barely perceptible spotted pattern. The tail, legs, and face will have tabby pencilings. Necklace tracings will are also frequently seen.

The clouded leopard pattern, while derived from modifications to the classic tabby gene, is different from the classic tabby pattern, with as little bull's eye similarities possible. The pattern gives the impression of marble, preferably with a horizontal flow. Vertical stripes are undesirable. Contrast should be good, with distinct shapes and sharp edges. The belly must be spotted.

Outcrosses to either unregistered or purebred cats are permitted. However, such crosses should be carefully chosen to complement the overall type of the Highland Lynx cat.

Mohave Bobs, Highland Lynx, Desert Lynx, and Alpine Lynx are part of the Desert Lynx breed group in the Rare & Exotic Feline Registry. In other words, Mohave Bobs, Highland Lynx, Desert Lynx, and Alpine Lynx may be bred together, with offspring registered as follows:

All white kittens (including straight and curled coats and straight or curled ears) are
registered as Alpine Lynx.

All non-white kittens with curled coats are registered as Mohave Bobs.

All non-white kittens with straight coats and straight ears are registered as Desert
Lynx..

All non-white kittens with straight coats and curled ears are registered as Highland
Lynx.

The curled ears of the Highland Lynx are caused by a dominant gene which both curls the ears and somewhat reduces the size of the ears.  When these breeds are bred together, the straight-eared kittens resulting from the breeding do not carry any genes for curled ears.

Non-white kittens do not carry the gene for white color.  Therefore, breeders wishing to work with Desert Lynx only would not have to worry about getting curled-eared recessive genes in Desert Lynx who have Highland Lynx in their ancestry. Breeders not wishing to work with the Alpine Lynx would not have to worry about white kittens as long as neither parent is an Alpine Lynx.

The curled coat is caused by a dominant gene.  Breederes not wishing to work with Mohave Bobs do not have to worry about this as long as neither of the parents have curled coats.

These breeds are identical in body type.

*There are several breeds of cats whose origins are speculated to be intertwined with the bobcat.  The most common ones are the Pixie Bob and those breeds in the Desert Lynx breed group (Desert Lynx, Highland Lynx, and Alpine Lynx).  It is important to note that DNA testing on these cats has failed to show positve results for the presence of bobcat DNA, hence the reference to these cats being domestic cats.

Snow-bob Information

Snow-Bobs are a very unique breed of cat  which, in fact, include certain colors of existing breeds.  Snow-Bobs are cats which exhibit the Snow or Colorpoint gene in it's several forms.  The colors may be modifications of any color in the Snow (or Colorpoint) color spectrum, in the Sepia color spectrum, or the Mink color spectrum.   The Snow or Colorpoint color is most well known in Siamese and Himalayan cats.  The Mink color is the popular color of Tonkinese cats, and the Sepia color is most commonly displayed in Burmese cats.

While all color patterns are accepted, solid points are the least desirable. The preferred patterns are leopard (spotted) and clouded leopard (marble) patterns. Snow-Bobs may come from several already existing breeds which have their heritage or foundation in feral/domestic crosses.  These include American Bobtails, American Lynx, Bengals, Chausies, Desert Lynx, Highland Lynx, Pixiebobs, and Savannahs.

They may come in either short or long hair, have either a short or long tail, have straight or curled ears, and may be polydactyl.  Short tails are preferred. In traditional snow, mink, or sepia cats, one of the goals has been to create obviously darker markings on the legs, head, and tail, and have lighter markings on the body.  However, the Snow-Bob breed strives to create striking markings on both the extremeties and the body of the cats, with as little contrast between the body and extremeties as possible.

Eye color is blue in the snows, aqua in the minks, and green or gold in the sepia colors.

The leopard pattern is a spotted tabby pattern. It is marked by spots of the darker color, most prominent on the sides of the body and the belly. The spots may vary in size and shape, but should be evenly distributed. Preference is given to rosette spots which are formed by a part-circle of spots around a distinctly lighter center. Contrast with ground color may not be as distinct as in some spotted breeds . A dorsal stripe runs the length of the body to the tip of the tail. The stripe is ideally composed of spots. The markings on the face and forehead are typical tabby markings, with the underside of the body having distinct spots. Legs and tail are barred. In the shorthairs, it is desirable for ghost leopard spots to appear on the bodies.

The clouded leopard pattern, while derived from modifications to the classic tabby gene, is different from the classic tabby pattern, with as little bull's eye similarities possible. The pattern gives the impression of marble, preferably with a horizontal flow. Vertical stripes are undesirable. Contrast should be good, with distinct shapes and sharp edges. The belly should be spotted.

Cats from the above-listed breeds which display the snow, mink, or sepia colors may be registered as Snow-Bobs.  Additionally, cats from these breeds may be outcrossed to other cats which are snow, mink, or sepia in color.  Due to the recessive nature of these color genes,  full color cats will never be produced when breeding snow, mink, or sepia cats together.  Snow, sepia, or mink kittens produced from full-color cats of the outlined breeds may be registered as Snow-Bobs.  In order for Snow-Bobs to have stud book status in the registry, they must be snow, sepia, or mink in color.  Kittens produced from Snow-Bobs bred to full color cats may be registered as Snow-bobs if they are snow, sepia, or mink in color.  Full color kittens who meet full registration guidelines for another breed will be registered as stud book cats of that breed. If full color kittens do not meet  full registration guidelines for another breed, they will be registered as foundation cats for that breed.  Only cats which are snow, mink, or sepia will be registered as Snow-Bobs.

Snow-Bob cats will be assigned registration codes indicating tail length (short or long tail), hair length (short or long ), ear status (straight or curled ), and whether or not they are polydactyl .  Furthermore, Snow-Bob cats which meet full registration requirements for another breed will have that breed's three letter code displayed following the other registration codes.  For exmple, a Snow-Bob out of registered Pixiebobs would display (PXB) following the other registration codes.

Asian Leopard Cat Information

The Asian Leopard Cat has the deep set very dark brown eyes.  They are more round than almond shaped.  They have a whited underside and white ocelli (spots on the back of their ears).  They share some traits with the remainder of the Asian Wild Cat populations.  Some have a rosette to the coat, although many are covered with small to medium spots.  Their pattern is very much a horizontal or angular pattern of spots or rosettes as opposed to a vertical pattern in the typical domestic cat.  Their coat is very tight to the body and Extremely soft as opposed to the Amur Leopard Cat which has a longer soft coat.  A VERY short THICK tail as exhibited by the cat in the middle pictures.

They have the small ears set as much on the side as the top of the head and very rounded at the tips and characterized as bell shaped..   They also are strongly identified by the specific profile demonstrated by most of the pictures above.  From the side you notice a very slight curve from up over the back of the neck over the back skull, flowing gently into the forehead with no break between forehead and nose bridge.  This nose bridge extends well above the eye from the side and continues to the nose leather.  There should be a deep side profile from the nose level down to the point of the chin denoting a strong  mouth and jaw and the ability to catch and kill prey effectively.

It can be found across India, China, Korea, and on islands such as Sumatra, Philippines, Taiwan, Borneo, Bali and Java.  The fur trade caused this cat to be placed on the Endangered Species list.    It is primarily nocturnal in behavior and prefer brush and forested habitats.  They are excellent swimmers and tree climbers.  They are solitary and reclusive.  They weight between 7 to 15 pounds with males being substantially larger than females.  With around 10 subspecies, there is great variety in subspecies coloration and pattern depending on habitat, climate and elevation.  The Asian Leopard Cats continue to be introduced into the Bengal Breed.  The most famous Asian Leopard Cats to be part of the Bengal Breed genetic pool are: Taro, Phantom, Centerwall, Rajah Singh and a number of others.  All Bengals can trace their origins back to one of these Asian Leopard Cats.  With the introduction of other Asian Leopard Cats into the gene pool, we will continue to see some diversity in type in the early generation cats.  Due to this, there is not a worry at this time of a small gene pool for our Bengals.

Toyger Information

The name 'Toyger' comes from the the words Toy and Tiger.

The Toyger is the result of a cross between a striped Domestic Short Hair and a Standard Bengal Tabby This resulted in a striped Cat which after many years of hard work resembles a 'mini Tiger'.

The Toyger is a designer breed and currently still being developed. Breeder's are striving to give this stunning breed the true look of a mini tiger over the coming years. Many of the features proposed have never been seen in a domestic cat. Progress is slow but steady and it could be several years before the Toyger truly resembles the wild tiger although the founder is aiming at 2010. Judy Sugden says that with a few more years of breeding, her Toygers will look even more like the real thing, with ears that are shorter, smaller eyes, a bigger chin and a wider nose tip.

Toyger's are of medium size with a strong and robust torso. The tail is long and muscular and set and carried low. Toyger's coats are short, thick, plush, soft and feel extremely luxurious.

The ideal colouring for a Toyger is an orange/tan background with dark stripes like that of a Tiger. The stripes are actually long rosettes and should not be uniform like a mackerel pattern but more like long random individual stripes. The coat must be striped with no spotting. The ears small and rounded, good solid bone structure and overall balance.

The Toyger is an ongoing venture with each generation improving on the last to obtain the objective of a beautiful domestic cat with the look of the majestic wild Tiger.

The Toyger has no tiger blood in it but does possess genes passed on from the Asian Leopard cat.

PuppyKat Information

The Puppykat  is a medium to large sized domestic cat  which has a long, well-proportioned body.  It characterized by three different mutations in the ideal cat.  It has floppy (folded) ears, extra toes on the feet (polydactyl), and it has a short tail. These cats are intelligent, calm, and playful.  They adjust well to new situations and enjoy people. They can be easily trained to the leash and to fetch.

The head is medium to wide, with a strong muzzle.  Eyes are round in shape. The ears are medium in size with a light flop.  The gene for the ears comes from the Scottish Fold.  It is a well-documented fact that a folded ear cat bred to a folded ear cat will produce some kittens homozygous for the folded ear gene, which causes a painful and life-threatening condition in these kittens. Therefore, flop eared to flop eared breeding is prohibited.  Some kittens in the litter may have straight ears.  These may be registered as Puppykats.

Legs are medium in length, with no deformity in the legs.  The ideal specimen is polydactyl, with mitten feet preferred.  All types of paws are acceptable with five to seven toes in the front and four to seven toes in the back.  No double paws are allowed.  The polydactyl gene is a dominant gene, so some "normal" footed kittens will be produced in litters.  These are still registered as Puppykats.

The tail in the ideal specimen is a short tail, preferably between 1 1/2 inches and 2 1/2 inches in length.  The short tail comes from the Manx gene, which is an incompletely dominant gene.  Therefore, full-tailed kittens may be born in litters.  These are still registered as Puppykats.

Puppykats come in both long and short hair.  The coat is dense, thick, and soft.  Puppykats come in all colors and patterns, but solids, smokes, torties, calicoes, and bicolors in the tux pattern are preferred.

Even though the ideal Puppykat has flop ears, extra toes, and a short tail, kittens may be born lacking some of these characteristics.  Therefore, genetic codes will be used in the official registration numbers of Puppykats.  For example, below is the registration number for a long haired, short tailed, flop eared, polydactyl Puppycat born on Feb. 18, 2005. Note that it is the first cat born on this date to be registered.

PPK SB 02182005 001 LH ST FE PD

The registration number is broken down as follows:

PPK - the three letter breed code for Puppykat
SB - stud book registered, which means the cat meets all registration guidelines
02182005 - the birth date of the cat
001 - the first cat with that birth date to be registered
LH - long haired, as opposed to short haired (SH)
ST - short tailed, as opposed to  long tailed (LT)
FE - folded or flop eared, as opposed to straight eared (SE)
PD - polydactyl.  A cat with normal feet receives no designation.

Using the codes above, another Puppykat born on the same date might be short haired, long tailed, flop eared, and have normal feet.  It's registration number would be:

PPK SB 02182005 002 SH LT FE

Elf Cat

The Elf cat was established by a group of people trying to create a unique cat that was both hairless and had curled ears. The Elf is a visually striking cat due to both of these features. The Elf was started as a cross between a Sphynx and an American Curl. Both the Sphynx and the American Curl are allowed to be bred to domestic cats of an unrecognized breed (registered or otherwise) as are the Elf cats.

Each of the parent breeds contribute something unique to the Elf cat.  The American Curl contributes the gene for the curled ears, which is a dominant genetic mutation.  In order to have a cat born with curled ears one parent must have curled ears.  The Sphynx gives the appearance of hairlessness with its recessive hairless gene.  It is entirely possible for two coated parents to produce a hairless kitten provided they each carry one copy of the hairless gene.

The head of the Elf cat should ideally be slightly longer than it is wide with prominent cheekbones and a noticeable whisker break that shows prominent whisker pads. The skull should be slightly rounded with a flat plane in front of the ears.  The eyes of the Elf are a very distinct walnut shape, round on the bottom and oval on the top.   The eyes should be set a minimum of one eye width apart and they should be placed at a slight angle between the base of the ear and the tip of the nose.   Elf cats can have any color eyes ranging from gold to green and eyes should be blue in pointed cats.

The desired curl in an Elf is one that is at least 90 degrees and no more than 180 degrees.  The ears should be wide at the base and open.  The ears curve backwards in a smooth arc when viewed from any direction.  The ears should not have such an extreme arch that the tip of the curl touches the back of the ear. The curl is a very important characteristic in this breed as it is one of the two things that differentiate these cats from any other  recognized breed.

Elf cats can come in any color or pattern that is genetically possible, a wide range of colors can occur in the same litter.  Some Elf cats will even be coated although the desire is to breed towards producing only hairless kittens.  The texture of the coat in an elf can range from the feeling of a soft chamois to the feel of baby smooth skin.  It is entirely acceptable for the Elf to have hair on its feet, ears, nose, tail, and scrotum.  Smooth down like fur is also acceptable on the body of the Elf as long as it does not detract from the appearance of hairlessness.  Coated Elf cats will be referred to as non-standard Elf’s.

The Elf is a medium to large size cat that has sturdy musculature and boning.  The Elf should also appear as though it just finished a meal, which comes from the Sphynx ancestry.  The Elf cat is a cat that has an impeccable personality and adores attention.  This is a cat that thrives on being the center of one’s life and in the middle of everything.  They are not suited to the outdoors and are very rare at this time.  Since Elf cats inherit two separate genetic mutations it can sometimes be two or even more generations before a hairless Elf will be born.

Serval Information

The serval is one of seven species of small to medium-sized African cats. It has a slender build with long legs.  Its back legs are longer than its front legs.  It has a small head, large erect rounded ears and a long neck.

Its coat is yellowish tan with black spots, bands and stripes. The tails has black rings and its underside is white or light tan.  The pattern of every serval's coat is different.

A serval weighs between  29 and 41 pounds (13.5 - 19kg).  It's body length is 27 -39 inches (70 - 100cm) with an added tail length of about 13 - 17 inches (35 - 40 cm). The height at the shoulder is about 23 inches (60cm). Males are slightly larger than females. Servals are known as good climbers. Except for the shortness of the tail, there is a physical resemblance to the cheetah.

Servals are found in many parts of Africa, but not in the equatorial jungles or the Sahara. It is most commonly found in East African savannas, usually near water. They prefer areas of scrub bush, tall grass and dry reed beds that are near streams. They will not be found hunting in an open dry savanna where there is inadequate cover. They have also adapted to higher altitudes in Kenya. Black servals can be found in Kenya's high country provided there is a source of water near by.

Junglebob Information

Junglebobs have been bred since the early 1990's.  With the advent of the Pixiebob and Chausie breeds, many breeders opted to take alternative directions with their programs.  Some exclusively bred Pixiebobs with no Jungle Cat in them; some bred Pixiebobs with Jungle Cat in them but not documented as such, and some bred Chausies, which had no extra toes, no short tails, and no spots.  The Junglebob breed is a medium to large feral/domestic hybrid, with no feral cats other than the African Jungle Cat accepted as an outcross.  The breed unites many traits of the Pixiebob and Chausie, as well as bringing in influences from other spotted breeds such as the Bengal.

The goal of the Junglebob is to create a jungle cat hybrid with a spotted pattern, either a larbe bold spotting or smaller ticked spotting.  The leopard spotted coat comes in all shades of brown tabby (gold, bronze, and brown, with black to brown spots).  It also comes in other eumelanistic colors, including silver, snow, and sepia leopard spotting.  Solids are not desired.

The cats should have a thick pronounced muzzle and a lion-type look (more so in males rather than females).  Eyes should be hooded, and ears are medium to large and placed high on the head.  Ocelli on the backs of the ears are desired, as are eartips.  Males should be heavily muscled and are typically larger than females.  Males and females should have substantial boning and long legs and bodies.  Hind legs should be slightly longer than the front legs.

The Junglebobs are bred to have short tails (absence of tail is not desirable), with 2.5" to 6" length being the most desired range on an adult.  The short tailed gene is a dominant gene, and therefore one parent must have ashort tail in order for kittens to be born with short tails.  The polydactyl trait (extra toes) is strongly desired with all expressions of the gene being accepted.  It is a dominant gene, so one of the parents must exhibit the trait in order to produce polydactyl kittens.

Short coats as well as long coats are accepted.  The long hair version is more medium in length with long hairs around the face, belly, hocks, and tail, with longer ear tips and furnishings.  This gives the cat a lynx type look.  The longhair gene is recessive, so both parents must carry this gene in order for kittens to be born with long hair.

Accepted outcrosses are the Jungle Cat, Pixiebob, Chausie, Bengal, Highland Lynx, Desert Lynx, Snow Bob, American Bobtail, Maine Coon, Siberian, and Savannah.

The Junglebob is typically an aggressive eater, very interactive with people, and bonds very strongly with its owners.  They are intense at times, playing rough games of tug of war.  They may growl like a puppy, and can be intensely affectionate as well.  Some are secure and confident with everyone they encounter, while others may be shy, choosing to hide from strangers.  They are intelligent cats, and they may learn to open drawers, doors, or cabinets.  They are easily taught to fetch, and many are successfully taught to walk on leashes.

Males are typically sterile for the first three to four generations.  Some males have wxhibited fertility as early as the F2 generation, but they are often only temporarily fertile.  Once fertile males are created, outcrossing back to a pure domesitc breed is discouraged in an effort to maintain the feral appearance.