Serengeti vs Ginger Tabby - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

All ginger cats are tabbies – they have spots and stripes on their coat. The tabby pattern is a common wild type, and it is believed that medieval cats were tabbies.

Most paintings and medieval manuscripts show them to be tabbies. Many people believe that these ginger cats come from a particular breed but this isn’t the case.

Ginger Cat Appreciation Day takes place in September. These cats, known as Orange Tabby Cats are very popular and they can actually have a yellow-, orange or red fur.

This is a cat breed that was deliberately bred to resemble the Serval cat. It was developed by crossing a Bengal cat and an Oriental Shorthair.

The cat was developed by biologist Karen Sausman in California in 1994. The breed is still under development.

The idea with this hybrid cat was to produce new domestic cat breed that would look like a wild cat but not have the wild characteristics.

The cat is recognized by TICA – The International Cat Association.

Ginger cats have different patterns to the short or long silky coats – mackerel or striped, spotted, patched, ticked, and classic.

In fact the Ginger Tabby isn’t referring to a specific cat breed but rather a distinct color pattern. These cats get their ginger coloring from the pigment pheomelamin, the pigment red-headed humans also have.

The Ginger Tabby can range in size so generally they’re between 3 -6kg in weight. It also seems that a higher number of ginger or orange tabbies are male, put down to genetics. The eyes of the cat can be green, gold or copper.

Temperament:

The Ginger Tabby just loves being around his human family and to show his pleasure, you’ll hear loud purring.

They are affectionate cats and aren’t afraid to show you. These cats have a reputation for being friendly but you also have to bear in mind that a cat’s personality depends on their early socialization with people and other cats.

The Ginger Tabby is an independent, bold, courageous cat with a feisty nature.

These are spotted cats with long legs and large, round-tipped ears. The neck is long and the body lithe, lean, and muscular.

They are medium to large in size and can weigh up to 7 or 8kg. The coat is tan and cream with silver or grey coloring as well as black spots and stripes. Some Serengetis appear to be black but on closer look, you see that they have what is known as ‘ghost spotting’ – a black-spotted pattern that can scarcely be seen.

You may even think you are looking at a black panther. The coat is short, silky, smooth, and sleek. The eyes of the cat are round and are usually amber or gold.

Temperament:

The Serengeti is a friendly, social, and confident cat that is quite capable of forming a strong attachment to its human family. It is a loving, loyal cat. The cat can become bored and will need plenty of puzzle toys to keep his mind and body physically active.

You will need to provide him with a scratching post too as he is a lively, energetic cat. This isn’t only an indoor cat. Cats like the Serengeti will need an outdoor enclosure and the Serengeti cat will need branches and perches to leap up onto.

He is an active cat and can become bored if left indoors. They are capable of making a good family pet and are vocal too – telling you all sorts of things.

The link between personality and hair color is a talking point among humans, and so it is with cats.

The Ginger Tabby, with its marmalade shade coat is feisty, playful, bold, courageous, and interesting.

Certainly, when you bring this cat into your home, not only are you going to have a beautiful cat but one that is full of character and charm.

The Serengeti is both a friendly and affectionate cat even though he is a bit shy and overwhelmed in new surroundings.

He is a cat that talks quite a bit and if he is happy and content he enjoys 'chatting' to you about his day.

He is able to get on well with children in the home as well as with other pets. He is an athletic cat and just loves to climb, and this is why he will certainly need an outdoor enclosure as he loves to dart around madly from time to time, and doing that in your home could be quite dangerous.

He is capable of being a loving cat breed and can form a strong bond with his human family.

Guard your ginger tabby against eating too much and guard against a diet that is nutritionally inadequate as this contributes to poor health.

Cats are carnivores and live on meat but you can speak to your vet about giving your cat the chance of a long life by feeding him proper amounts of a healthy diet.

Make sure he also gets plenty of exercise. Offer him things to climb on, such as an indoor climbing tree so that he can exercise when you’re not there. This is important for helping him stay physically and mentally fit.

Vaccines

All cats are susceptible to bacterial and viral infections. Deadly diseases like this are preventable through vaccination. Vaccines offer protection from other dangerous diseases like feline leukemia virus.

Parasites

All kinds of parasites – internal and external can invade your cat and make him miserable and sick and a trip to the vet is imperative.

Hybrid Cats such as the Serengeti are a combination of a wild breed and a domestic breed. With good care he can live to be up to 15 years of age and possibly longer.

Hybrid cats are always controversial because people who have owned them have got both good and bad to say about them. They have some behavioral issues and many of them have an aggressive side, they’re aloof and they refuse to use a litter box. The cat can’t be blamed though because they have that wild side.

They also come with some health issues such as premature birth, miscarriage, diarrhea, and irritable bowel disease. You may just find yourself more often at the vet than you’d like.

You will need to ensure that your Serengeti gets all his vaccines and de-worming treatments.

Have your Ginger Tabby cat spayed or neutered. In females, the ovaries and uterus are removed and in males the testicles are surgically removed.

This common op has health benefits and decreases the likelihood of certain types of cancers in your pet. Very importantly it eliminates the possibility of your pet becoming pregnant or the male cat getting out and fathering unwanted litters. The world has too many unwanted kittens and cats as it is.

Grooming:

Brushing your Tabby cat will help with shedding. If you brush your Tabby once a week, you’ll remove all those loose hairs that gives your cat an ungroomed look. Cats shed more in Spring and Autumn and then you may want to increase your brushing to twice a week. Bear in mind that if your cat has shedding which is abnormal it could well be a nutritional thing. Diet is everything. He may not be getting the right mix of ingredients. Speak to your vet as your Tabby may be requiring more of certain vitamins in his diet.

Clip your cat’s nails and make a point of checking inside his mouth for bad teeth and inside his ears for wax and dirt buildup.

Your Ginger Tabby will need food and water bowls, litter box, sleeping place, collar, and toys as well as a carrier box for when he needs to get to the vet.

Grooming is easy for the Serengeti as it is a short-haired cat and will require a brush just once a week. Trimming the claws will also be necessary.

A cat such as the Serengeti has been developed by crossing the domestic cat with a wild breed. This means that there will be concerns with the temperament and behavior of these cats in a home setting. Apart from being allowed indoors, they will need an outside enclosure.

Having a wild side, while every cat is a carnivore, these cats are even more so. Their diet has to be strictly protein – meat. Wild cats would have a diet made up of birds and lizards. You want to avoid commercial cat foods that are of lower quality and have less meat in and more carbohydrates. This just spells ill health for your cat. Cats also need some fresh raw meat in their diets.

It is important to keep up your Serengeti's veterinary checkups to make sure there aren’t any health concerns.