Some Background Info...
Jungle Hybrids (wild/domestic) are the result of crossing the African Jungle Cat (similar in size to a bobcat) to domestic cats. Most of our Jungle Hybrids at Lynxotics are crossed with Pixiebob. These are often called "Junglebobs" or "Jungle Lynx" among breeders. This adds size and even more wild appearance to the Pixiebob, but "Junglebobs" are not a registered breed like the Pixiebobs. Jungle Lynx are registered with the Rare and Exotic Feline Registry (REFR). We are currently only F2 generation (one grandparent is pure African Junglecat). Some males have been reaching 20lbs before 1 year of age. We cannot guarantee size on any cat no more than your parents could have said exactly how big you would get as an adult. However, this cross presents the opportunity for very large cats. They are loving and interactive, but some have very intense personalities...they don't tend to do anything half way. They need plenty of socialization and bond very strongly with their first owners. If you will not have the time to socialize one of these kittens or provide a life long home, another type of kitten would be better for you, as Junglebobs don't typically do well when they are uprooted and sent to another home as an adult, or when they are not handled and played with as a kitten. If they are well socialized, they make wonderful companions, but don't expect them not to get into any trouble around the house. They enjoy playing fetch and playing tug of war, like a puppy, and can be taught to walk on a leash. Bonding with one of these cats is a rewarding experience. To learn more about them and see more photos, you can also visit the Junglebob page and the background information page. These kittens average around $850 as pets with some going up to $1000. Features that command a higher price are; nice naturally short tail (resembling bobcat), longer eartips, nice spotted pattern, polydactyl feet and golden background. Everyone tends to want a larger cat but these things cannot be determined before the kitten leaves for it's new home. Sometimes the runt of the litter will grow to be the largest cat at maturity. Nutrition plays a vital role in their development, and the gender does as well. Males tend to get much larger than females, but there have been some very large girls produced from these crossings as well. Most Junglebobs are big eaters and do well on most high quality commercial cat foods. They do not require a raw diet, but if you have the time to prepare a raw diet, this would be ideal. I do have recipes for those of you who are interested in pursuing this avenue. Eating time is time for fingers to be away from kitty, especially if they are eating a canned or raw diet.
Savannahs are the result of crossing the African Serval ("poor man's cheetah") to domestics. They are still a very new breed registered with TICA and various domestics are being used in programs to best enhance the wild, elegant look of the serval. The Savannah is still a very rare cat and early generations are difficult to produce in many cases. Many of these gorgeous spotted cats get quite large, and are very exotic looking cats but sizes and appearances will vary with generation and domestic breeds being used in the outcross.. We have been actively working on the Savannah breed since 1998 with one short attempt back in 1993. We have seen the number of breeders increase exponentially. Many have fallen in love with the breed and want to create it and there are a few that are in it because they think they will get rich selling them, because they are expensive cats. Those breeders will not be around for the long haul. These cats are a very difficult breed to produce and not recommended for a novice breeder. Yes, they are expensive cats and it is not only because they are awesome...much more goes into their development than many will ever realize. Just getting F1s is a hard enough task (so much so that I will not even go into all the hardships that entails), but then going from there (to F2, F3 and so on) is yet another task. Males are sterile for many generations, so domestic males are used for several generations until the males become fertile (F4 to F5 generation). The females are often picky about their male mates and will often not accept who has been chosen for them as a genetic compliment. It helps if they are raised with their mates, but this is not always possible in breeding programs. Once you get a suitable mate and he's accepted, then it's time to prepare for kittens!! Many females are so protective over their kittens, that even though they love their owners, they will not allow them to handle the kittens. This means kittens have to be pulled at an early age to be bottle fed to ensure proper socialization. This means that even if you are not breeding the F1s that often require intensive care when born, that subsequent generations can still require around the clock bottle feeding. Vacations and other plans are often canceled due to bottle feeding duties. These are just a few of the MANY factors that contribute to difficulty of breeding Savannahs. Not that breeding in general isn't unpredictable at times, but the difficulty level goes up quite a bit when dealing with the Savannahs. There are some novices that have had tremendous luck, but those of us who have been around long enough can attest to the trails and tribulations of creating the Savannahs. So, either we just love the SAvannahs or we're crazy...or maybe a little of both. LOL For more information about the Savannah, check out our Savannah page. Savannahs start around $1500 as pets for F4 generation. Typically the more closely related to the serval, the more the kitten is going to cost. Quality and generation play a large role in pricing.
