Some of the first Safaris were bred in the early 1970’s. A limited number were produced for pets and a few were produced for use in Leukemia research by Washington State University.
Some would call the Geoffroys a smaller version of the Margay or Ocelot. Coat color varies from black to silver-gray to a deep orange, depending on geographic location. They hunt for rodents, reptiles, birds and insects bothon the ground, as well as in trees. When hunting from trees they sneak up on their prey, then drop from low branches onto the prey. They are somewhat nocturnal, hunting by night and sleeping in trees by day.
In it’s native land the Geoffroys’ relationship to man runs full circle; from a companion to an aid in rodent control to an animal that is hunted for it’s meat and pelt.
The pure Geoffroys cat requires an experienced owner and the proper permits to own. Without a significant amout of daily contact the pure Geoffroys will quickly revert back to it’s wild ways. Few will remain social with more than one or two people as they mature and they should not be raised with young children.
The possible alternative to the pure Geoffroys is the Safari cat. The F1 Safari cats have turned out to be delightfully gentle creatures. They are extremely rare and difficult to produce. Breeding felines with a different number of chromosomes has proven to limit the number of Safaris that will ever be in existence. The domestic cat carries 38 chromosomes, while the Geoffroys possesses only 36 chromosomes. The positive side effect of this chromosomal difference in the F1 Safaris (50% Geoffroys/50% domestic) is that they carry an odd number of chromosomes (37) which seems to increase size dramatically. One must consider the uniqueness of an eight and a twelve pound cat producing 25 plus pound offspring.
ere at Select Exotics we are currently producing f1 50% Safaris and attempting to produce F1 75% Safaris. The F1 50% Safaris are predicted to reach upwards of 25 pounds and the F1 75% Safaris have been reported at 36 pounds. Again, there have been few Safari litters produced in the past 20 years and our predictions rely heavily on the cats produced in the 70’s. In a few years when the Safaris we have produced reach maturity we will be better able to predict mature weights.
If you are interested in purchasing a Safari kitten you may want to consider a pre-birth kitten contract. We are producing a limited number of kittens and will do our best to give those interested in owning a Safari an equal opportunity.
F2 and lower generation Safaris have been produced, yet as with breeding many hybrids, it is difficult. Select Exotics does not put a spay stipulation on Safari females. It is up to each individual that adopts one of our Safari girls to decide whether or not they want to take on the challenge of breeding. We offer DNA parentage testing with all of our F1 Safari kittens
Average prices for Safaris are as follows:
* F1 (50%) $6,000 - $8,500
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