Safari vs LaPerm - Breed Comparison | MyCatBreeds

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 LaPerm cat hails from the United States of America but you’ll find him in many other countries around the world.

The cat has a dominant gene which results in the unusual curly coat of the cat. This means he is part of the rex breed. This is a term given for the naturally occurring genetic mutation that gives the cat its wavy coat.

It’s not an old cat breed this and it seems to have come about in the early 1980s for the purposes of controlling rodents. The breed founders were Linda and Richard Koehl from Oregon. They started a formal breeding program and the breed was named after their curly coat.

After the cats got the name LaPerm, it was in 2002 that they got recognition from the Cat Fanciers Association.

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 LaPerm is a medium-sized cat that can weigh anything between 3 and 7kg. They’ve got an athletic build. The legs and the neck are fairly long.

It is thought that they are more hypoallergenic than many other cats but no cat is truly hypoallergenic. The coat is the cat's most exceptional feature, with loose curls. The coat can be long or short. All colors and patterns are acceptable, with red, tabby, and tortoiseshell being more common.

There is no undercoat. The eyes of the cat are medium-sized and almond-shaped.

Temperament:

These are affectionate cats with an outgoing personality. He has a sense of humor so becomes an entertaining cat.

He gets on well with children in the home. People who have owned the cat describe him as clownish. He is playful and that means providing him with some interesting toys.

It’s an intelligent cat and learns to use his paws to open doors and tap you to take notice. He is also fairly active and will willingly retrieve small balls. He is gentle, loving, quiet, and affectionate towards his human family.

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.

The LaPerm cat is known for its loyal, loving personality. It’s a cat that thrives on being involved with its human family and can easily turn into a lap-cat.

They’re active and also intelligent, and will love you to play some games with him. He will become quite vocal when he demands your attention.

Provide him with a climbing tree as he is active and loves to climb where he can survey the room and decide which human being’s lap he has in mind.

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.

La Perms are generally healthy cats. However, any cat owner needs to recognize the signs of some of the common cat illnesses there are.

Cancer, feline immunodeficiency virus, diabetes, and heartworm are all diseases that your healthy cat can at some time succumb too.

Keep an eye on your furry friend, and if he is lethargic and no longer his happy self, get him to the vet immediately for a check-up.

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.

The LaPerm’s unusual coat is easy to care for as it isn’t a big shedder. You’d think that the curls would tangle but they don’t. You can gently comb or brush the curls once or twice a week. Just like with a human perm, you can mist the cat’s curls and comb and fluff them out with your fingers.

Cats are particularly prone to periodontal disease, so look into your cat’s mouth occasionally to see that the teeth are as they should be. Brushing the teeth can stress a cat out and make it miserable and the dry cat foods help to keep the teeth clean.

Pet groomers and the vet can check out the teeth for you and make sure they are in tip-top condition.

Make sure your cat’s eyes are clear and bright and free of discharge. Trim the nails as required – something the vet or the pet groomers can also do for you.

Provide your LaPerm with a litterbox and keep it spotlessly clean, ridding it regularly of the cat’s droppings.

Even though there are excellent commercial cat foods on the market, some cats develop finicky eating habits. Don’t start feeding your cat human foods and snacks to coax him to eat. It can cause a host of digestive problems.

Cats are carnivores and require foods high in protein to remain healthy. A veterinarian will need to examine your cat if he is refusing to eat and is losing weight.