Safari vs Don Sphynx - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

Of Rusian origin, the Don Sphynx is an interesting looking, hairless breed. The cat came about in 1987 when a hairless cat was seen in Rostov-on-Don, a Russian city.

Cat breeder Elena Kovaleva rescued the kitten and it was at about 4 months of age that the kitten began to lose its hair. Later it was mated with a local tomcat and produced kittens which became the founding stock of the Donskoy breed.

The cat breed was recognized by the World Cat Federation in 1997 as well as the International Cat Association later on in 2005.

The Safari Cat, hailing from the USA, is one of the rarest breeds of cats. There are only about 70 of these cats registered at the International Cat Association.

The Safari cat is a mix of a moggy and Geoffroy's cat. At first, the cat was used for research purposes by Washington State University but then cat breeders took over the development of the breed.

The name ‘Safari’ was chosen because of its wild look.

The Don Sphynx is a medium-sized cat known for its large ears and its long, webbed toes.

Their weight can be anything from 3 to 6 kg It’s a hairless cat but has different skin types that come in different shades – Flock, Rubber Bald, Velour and Brush.

The cat has this dominant hair loss gene that causes the coat they have at birth to thin and fall out. In fact, on close inspection, you’ll find that the cat isn’t entirely hairless but has a very fine layer of fuzz. The skin can be oily and the cat requires bathing fairly regularly.

These particular cats are also more susceptible to the cold and to sunburn. The legs of this cat are long and slender and they have a bit of a bow-legged appearance to them, but this is because of the barrel chest. The tail is long and hard.

Temperament:

These rare cats make excellent pets because they have all the characteristics needed that make them companionable. They are loving, companionable and playful. These are also intelligent, exploring cats which means you’ll need to provide them with games and toys that can keep them occupied.

They’re good with children and other pets and are even good for first-time cat owners. Breeders of these cats will tell you that they are even-tempered and amicable. They are gentle towards children and other pets.

Most of the time the cat has a calm demeanor but is highly sociable. As an entertainer too – he will do anything to get a laugh out of his human family.

The hybrid Safari cat is a medium to large-sized cat that at first weighed in the region of 15kg, but the cat now weighs roughly 11kg.

Its body is much like that of the wild parent, the Geoffroy – muscular and compact. The ears aren’t particularly large and are smallish, rounded ears with a fairly broad head.

It has a typical wild cat look and is a spotted or rosetted cat breed. Below the spots, the coat is a silvery grey shade.

The coat which is short actually comes in a variety of colors that come from both cat breeds. The eyes of this cat are either yellow or green. The Safari cat certainly has a wild cat appearance, because of the cross-breeding. This is a rare cat and because of this, there is no breed standard for it.

They can live to be between 17 and 20 years of age.

Temperament:

Even though one of the parent breeds is a wild cat, the Safari cat is described as an easy-going cat that can make a good pet.

The cat is very intelligent and playful and will enjoy swimming and climbing. It is for this purpose that he needs to have quite a large outside enclosure with a pool of sorts so that he can paddle.

There isn’t much information on their interaction with children and other pets in the home. While they are quite likely to make good pets where there are children, there would have to be supervision where there are small children. During play, these cats can bit. It would be extremely important to teach children to respect any animal and to be gentle and kind to them.

The sphynx cat is an energetic feline that absolutely loves the attention of its human owners. In fact, he will even be willing to show off to get some kind of reaction from his humans.

This is certainly a cat that has a sense of humor. They’re friendly, loving cats who like to even follow you around the house to be where you are. They are loving and loyal, curious, intelligent and active.

It’s a hardy breed and you won’t have many health issues to contend with. We know that they are prone to skin conditions and periodontal disease so watch out for these with this amazing, but unusual looking cat.

As a hybrid cat, your Safari is interesting alright, but unfortunately, you can’t ever be 100% sure of a hybrid cat. It needs careful consideration before you bring one into your home.

Apart from coming into the home from time to time, hybrid cats need an outside enclosure too that is securely fenced and gated and with a roof.

You made a decision to buy a cat with a wild side. It may live up to all your expectations but it may not either.

When you do research you find that the biggest number of behavioral complaints from owners of hybrid cats are about aggression issues and the refusal to use a litter box when indoors.

There is still a raging debate going on as to whether hybrids make suitable pets, but when you bring any animal into your home, as a responsible adult it is your job to provide well for it to ensure its happiness.

Hairless cats are prone to teeth and gum issues, and every Don Sphynx owner needs to regularly check their cat’s teeth as bad teeth can cause a lot of problems with health as well as discomfort with the teeth.

This cat breed is also fairly prone to skin problems. You will need to watch him for rashes and fungal infections. Remember, that this strange-looking cat also needs vaccinations and de-worming as well as regular veterinary health checks.

The Safari cat isn’t a particularly well-known breed so there isn’t much information on their health. They can suffer from the same illnesses as non-hybrid domestic cats.

Certain hybrid breeds, such as the Safari, can sometimes have issues with reproduction as some cats are infertile. Domestic cats and wild cats have a different number of chromosomes and this results in reproductive problems, and stillbirths are quite common.

In spite of this being a hairless cat, it still requires frequent grooming, and yet you have to be careful that you don’t allow the cat to be bathed too often either.

Have your cat spayed or neutered to avoid kittens that you don’t want. This is beneficial for the cat’s health.

This is a unique cat and when it comes to food, if you can afford it, go for the very best food there is. Good food contributes to good health and this cat is a carnivore and requires food high in meat protein.

Of course, it requires other nutrients and the best commercially manufactured cat foods will have a list of ingredients in them that are important to your cat’s health.

Of course, with diet, there are other important considerations to think about and one of these is the right quantity of food to maintain the cat’s ideal weight. Too much weight gain can put pressure on the cat’s joints and contribute to health problems.

It is recommended that you brush this cat each week. He isn’t a big shedder but the brushing once a week keeps the fur in good condition, removing loose hairs and dust.

A high protein diet is imperative. Cats are carnivores and a meat diet is imperative. You can speak to your vet or a cat expert about feeding your Safari cat. Certainly, they need to be fed high-quality cat food. These foods are available in wet and dry form.

He will definitely need some raw meat. Make sure you understand the ingredients in some low- quality cat foods as corn for cats can be a problem for them, hard to digest and it could cause intestinal problems.