 The
California Spangled Cat is a breed of cat. They were bred to
resemble spotted wildcats, like the endangered species ocelot and
leopard. They are a rare breed, and usually expensive, priced
between $800 to $2,500. They were originally bred in the 1980s.
Inspired by the poaching death of a leopard, the anthropologist
Louis Leakey, motivated Paul Casey to breed a domestic cat
resembling a small leopard, and that this would emphasize how
important it is to preserve the leopard.
California Spangled Cats are a crossbreed of many strains of cat.
Despite their wild appearance, they are completely domestic.
Profile
The California spangled cat is a spotted feline with the look of the
wild and the heart of a domestic. Specifically bred to resemble
spotted wildcats such as the ocelot and leopard, the spangled cat
was created to make a statement about the plight of the world’s
dwindling wildcats. Ironically, the spangled cat is one of the most
rare of cat breeds. Nevertheless, the spangled has a small but
dedicated following with people who love the breed’s active
personality and exotic looks.
History and Origin
A conversation with the late anthropologist Louis Leakey inspired
Paul Casey, animal advocate and writer, to undertake the creation of
the spangled cat. When working on a writing project in Africa in
1971, Casey visited the famous Olduvai Gorge where years before
Louis and Mary Leakey had discovered fossils of a new hominid
species. While there, Casey was shocked to hear that one of the last
breeding leopards in that territory had just been killed by
poachers. In their later conversation in California, Casey and Dr.
Leakey explored the idea that if people had a domestic cat that
looked like a mini-leopard, they would have a concrete reason to
relate to the conservation problem. In other words, people wouldn’t
want to wear fur coats that looked a lot like their beloved house
pets.
The idea stuck with Casey and in the mid-1970s he drew up an
11-generation blueprint for his lap-sized leopard, using traditional
Siamese, Angoras, British shorthairs, American shorthair, Manx, and
Abyssinians. These breeds gave Casey the core bloodline and each was
introduced in a precise order to provide a specific characteristic
to the breed. No wildcats were used in the breeding program. After
he developed the core line, Casey added a spotted street cat from
Egypt that possessed the feral, primitive look he wanted: a domed
forehead, heavy musculature, wide-set eyes and ears, and
well-defined whisker pads. And, of course, spots. This Egyptian cat,
Casey claims, is a descendant of the original spotted cat worshiped
in ancient Egypt. He also found that the Egyptian cat had a
wonderful, social temperament, a bonus for the breed. Lastly, Casey
added a shorthaired, spotted Malayan domestic cat that added
musculature and a short, soft, velvety coat.
By 1985 Casey had the look he wanted for the spangled cat. He
gathered a small group of breeders to help promote and propagate the
breed, and formed the California Spangled Cat Association (now
called CSCA International), not only to further the spangled cat but
to promote protection of wildcats as well.
To gain national attention for the spangled cat, Casey introduced
the cat-loving public to his creation through an advertising
campaign in the 1986 Neiman-Marcus Christmas catalog. The cats were
featured in a two-page spread as “his and hers” gifts priced at
$1400 each. The promotion was controversial, particularly so since
the same catalog featured fox, beaver, mink, coyote and ermine fur
coats. This advertising strategy managed to anger just about
everyone, from the animal-rights people, who were against deliberate
breeding of domestic cats, to the cat fanciers, who felt that the
three spotted breeds already accepted were plenty. Even the
Neiman-Marcus folks were mad; they weren’t pleased that Casey was
speaking out against wearing furs.
However, it’s rightly said that there’s no such thing as bad
publicity, because the advertising and the controversy brought the
spangled cat exposure it otherwise never would have had.
Neiman-Marcus received hundreds of inquiries about the cats, and
took many more orders than Casey could fill. The demand for the cats
depleted his stock, which slowed the breed’s development.
Today, numbers are still small and acceptance in most of the cat
associations has eluded the California spangled cat. However, a
small, devoted group of breeders and fanciers are working with the
breed and continuing their conservation efforts. Members of the
California Spangled Cat Association think of these cats as little
ambassadors for their wild cousins.
Appearance
The California spangled cat truly resembles a little leopard with
the dynamic spots, low-slung hunter-like gait, and long, lean,
muscular body. The forelegs are carried at a nearly 90-degree angle
at the elbow, allowing the body to ride low, heightening the wildcat
effect. Overall, the spangled creates the illusion of a much larger
cat.
The face is expressive with wide, well-contoured, sculpted
cheekbones, well-developed whisker pads, and a strong chin and jaw.
The muzzle is broad, medium length and well-developed. Medium-sized,
rounded ears set high on the head and well back from the face add to
the wild look. The almond-shaped eyes are set well apart and slope
gently.
However, the spots set the breed apart. The short coat shows off the
pattern nicely. Blocked or rounded spots are preferred. Round,
square, oval or triangular shapes are permissible, while crescent,
eyelet, or fish scale markings are considered faults. Tabby-like
barring may be present on the head, chest, and legs, but the body is
unmistakably spotted. The spots may be grouped into rosette
patterns.
Because of the diversity of colors used in the breed’s creation, the
spangled cat comes in a wide palette of spotted colors: silver,
bronze, gold, red, blue, brown, black and charcoal. The spots
themselves are dark, well-defined, and sharply contrasted to the
background color.
Two other varieties exist as well – the snow leopard and the king
spangled. The snow leopard resembles the central Asian great cat by
that name. A light background, vivid spots, and blue eyes give this
variety a particularly dramatic look. Born white, the snow leopard
develops markings as she matures. The king spangled resembles the
endangered king cheetah. At birth, the king spangled is completely
black except for the face, legs and underbelly. In adulthood,
strap-like segments and rows of diamond-shaped markings join at the
cat’s sides. The face shows pale tear-stain markings which extend
from the inner corner of the eye down to the outer edge of the mouth
|
