California shining cat: description, photo, character

The California Spangled cat has a shiny, spotted coat from which it gets its name. This is a very rare breed of cat and quite exotic.

The leopard is considered one of the most famous representatives of the cat family, but this cat cannot be kept at home. But having a small pet “leopard” is entirely within your power.

Characteristics of appearance and photos

California shining cats look like miniature spotted leopards with very beautiful shiny fur. Individuals of both sexes have well-developed muscles and are quite large in size: weight up to 7-8 kg.

The spotted coat and the front legs bent almost at right angles at the elbow joints give the shining cats additional predatory grace, which is especially clearly visible in the manner of movement: the gait of these cats is very soft, creeping, as if sneaking, and the spots on the fur “play” , shimmering from the movement of muscles.

The body of these cats is flexible and slender, without excess weight. The head is medium in size, proportional, with well-developed jaws and defined cheekbones. The eyes are almond-shaped, set wide apart, copper or blue in color (only with light-colored coat), ears are round and set high. The tail is long and flexible.

The coat is silky to the touch, thick and very soft, with a characteristic shine - radiance, for which cats are called “shining”. Based on the main coat color, two varieties are distinguished:

• Snow-white or silver-white color called “snow leopard (or leopard)”, the cats are blue-eyed.
• A smoky variety called “royal radiant”. Eyes from golden yellow to dark copper.

Within these colors there are several variations with spots in colors such as:

• silver;
• anthracite;
• ginger;
• brown;
• bronze;
• blue,
• black.

The color always contains spots of various shapes that stand out well against the background of the overall color. The tail must have 1-3 rings, the tip is dark-colored. There are 3 stripes from the head to the shoulders, and one stripe is located on the neck.

Grooming and hygiene

The weekly set of procedures for caring for a leopard cat does not include anything new or complex. Like other breeds, this variety needs:

1. Clean your ears from wax and dirt, and periodically check them for ear mites.
2. Bathe your cat with special flea shampoos.
3. Carry out timely deworming. The procedure is first recommended when the pet is one and a half months old. Then it is repeated every six months. Experienced cat owners call the best drugs: “Albendazole”, “Bithionol”, “Emodepsid” and others.
4. Trim toenails as necessary.
5. Every 2-3 days, carry out a certain set of procedures to care for your animal’s litter tray. To do this, you need to empty it, wash it with hot water, then disinfect it with “Belizna” and rinse with boiling water. Don't forget to protect yourself with rubber gloves. After completing all the outside activities, wash them in a bleach solution.

Important! Eggs and larvae of helminths die only after a fifteen-minute stay in hot water, the temperature of which reaches 70 degrees Celsius. Be sure to take this fact into account when cleaning your cat litter.

. The hygiene of Californian shining cats does not include haircuts, since these animals have short hair. Caring for it can be completely left to the animal. It will wash and comb itself. But if you really can’t wait to follow fashionable trends in grooming, you can turn to pet salon experts for help. According to experts, such procedures can only take place during the molting period, when dead hair really creates discomfort for the owner and his ward.

Health characteristics and rules for buying a kitten

Cats of this breed live on average up to 14 years. They have no hereditary diseases, and strong immunity allows these four-legged animals to please their owners with excellent health until old age.

There are very few nurseries for Californian cats, and they are located in the United States. It is important to remember that the breed has not received official recognition, so the documents of the nursery and the documents for the purchased animal must be checked with special care.

A female kitten can cost more than 150 thousand rubles, a male kitten will cost a little less - 90-115 thousand. Kittens are booked in advance, and are picked up when they are already quite strong and have completely switched to feeding on their own.

A little history

The appearance of a shining Californian cat can be used to make full-fledged dramatic films. Moreover, it owes its appearance to one of the American screenwriters.

While filming on the African continent, Casey was simply dumbfounded by the cruelty with which poachers destroyed leopards. And all because of the gorgeous skins of amazing colors. Literally shocked by the cruelty he saw, he returned to his homeland and shared his impressions with his friend, anthropologist Louis Leakey.

Together they came to the conclusion that if you make people see these animals not only as fur coats and coats, but also as loyal friends, then the extermination can be stopped. As a result, it was decided to breed a special breed of cats whose fur coat would match the colors of leopards. After all, if a person has such a pet at home, he is unlikely to want to buy himself a leopard print coat.

For the planned breeding project, as many as 10 different breeds of furry furry were involved. Among them are Abyssinian, Manx, Angora, Siamese and some others. The “cherry on the cake” was an Egyptian street cat, which was also involved in the experiment.

It took as many as 11 generations and years of breeding work for the pussy of a new breed to purr in the researchers’ laps.

Character and habits

Californian cats are generally calm, friendly, have a tender affection for all family members, and love to play and be cuddled. However, they are able to respond to aggression with counter-aggression and do not tolerate being carelessly squeezed. In terms of friendliness, they are selective: they most easily find a common language with their own kind of four-legged cats, they maintain “armed neutrality” with dogs (they often openly conflict), but they perceive small rodents, birds and fish exclusively as potential prey.

The Californian cat can scratch if it is hurt, so it is unlikely to be recommended for families with small children who have not yet learned how to handle animals carefully. However, each individual has individual character traits: some cats are more docile and patient, others are more willful. California radiants behave calmly with strangers and are not afraid of them.

Among the advantages of the breed is the ability to be alone for a long time without falling into stress from melancholy. Therefore, a radiant cat is easy to keep for people who spend a lot of time at work and often travel. They also generally tolerate trips and changes in environment normally.

Californian cats love to watch what is happening in the house from a height, so they always try to climb onto cabinets. They are very curious and always take part in all events taking place in the house.

Cats of the Californian breed remain energetic, highly trainable and able to come up with new funny tricks until old age. They can learn some commands and easily get used to the rules established in the house, but it will not be possible to eradicate their strong hunting instincts: a cat released into the street tries to catch everything that moves, and often brings its prey into the house in order to thus express gratitude for the care of its to the owners.

Therefore, the owners of a cat going outside need to be prepared to find birds or rodents killed by the cat on the threshold of their home, for which it is pointless and unfair to punish the hunter, because she does it with the best intentions.

Characteristics of the Californian Shining

Wild on the outside, but kind on the inside - that's the truth about the shining Californian cat. This is an affectionate pet, friendly not only to everyone in the household, but also to strangers. To anyone who earns the trust of a California cat , she will become a faithful and loving friend. However, the cat will not follow its owner with its tail and beg for care or food. In addition, the animal is not talkative, like many Murkas, so the house will always be quiet and calm.

However, this cat cannot be called passive. He is playful and curious. If during the fuss the pet suddenly disappeared from view, most likely he occupied a convenient observation post, for example, the top shelf of a closet. It is useless to fight the shining cat’s addiction to jumping and “climbing”. In order not to conflict with your exotic furry on this issue, it is better to take care of a place for playing in advance.

Since the Californian cat is a good hunter, she also likes fun that requires the use of natural instincts. The cat will enjoy “hunting” for soft toys with rattling or ringing elements. For this reason, experts do not recommend having a shiny pet and small animals and birds at the same time. No one is immune from the fact that a cat suddenly awakens a desire to play, for example, with an unfortunate rodent. And it is unknown what this acquaintance will lead to.

When communicating with children, Californian cats are patient and forgiving. But they won’t allow themselves to be squeezed for long. A cat with a sense of self-esteem will never allow itself to be insulted - it may show aggression, but it does not remember evil.

Content

California shining cats are recommended to be walked outside (either on their own or on a harness, depending on the level of security in the local area). To feel well, these cats need to exercise a lot and gain new experiences, which is difficult to achieve if kept exclusively at home.

If it is not possible to let the cat outside, it is necessary to provide it with a large space for active games, so this breed of cat is not suitable for keeping in a small apartment. To ensure that your pet always has something to do, you need to buy him several different toys that can be rolled on the floor, thrown into the air, or carried in his teeth. A good option would be a high play complex with pillars along which you can climb to the ceiling.

California cats are clean and litter box trained easily, but prefer a litter box rather than a mesh box. They do not damage the furniture and walls of the apartment if you buy them several strong scratching posts.

Diseases

California shining cats boast excellent health. What’s even surprising is that it’s worth remembering how weak artificially bred breeds are and how many ailments plague them.

However, you still need to monitor his well-being!

Has your pet become unusually lethargic and sleeps a lot? Does he have prolonged diarrhea or constipation? Are there traces of blood in the stool? Does your cat vomit 2 or more times a day? Does he refuse food and water and hide in a dark corner? Does your mouth smell bad? Take your animal to the vet immediately!

Worms appear frequently in cats. First of all, this applies to animals walking outside the home. However, sources of infection can be water, meat, fleas, or your own shoes. Infection of kittens in the womb is also a common occurrence. When infected with worms, a cat begins to lose weight and become frail, its fur becomes dull, and its appetite disappears. Without treatment, worms can kill your pet. The doctor will prescribe the medications, but in the future you will need to regularly carry out deworming several times a year.

Vaccinations are another preventive measure that is dangerous to neglect. Rabies, calcivirus, chlamydia, rhinotracheitis and other viral and bacterial diseases can be avoided by vaccinating your pet on a schedule.

Expert opinion

Dusheba Vera Ivanovna

In 2010, she graduated from the Moscow State Academy of Veterinary Medicine named after K.I. Scriabin with honors, specializing in veterinary medicine. I regularly attend veterinary conferences, congresses, and webinars.

Kittens are born with “passive immunity”: it is given to the babies by the mother’s antibodies, entering the body along with colostrum. However, the protection period is short - 9-12 weeks. After which children should be vaccinated. The first vaccination is against panleukopenia and viral respiratory infections. At 12 weeks they give an injection against rabies, 2-4 weeks after - a second booster vaccination against viral respiratory infections. Vaccinations are repeated every year.

Additional vaccinations - against ringworm, chlamydia, infectious peritonitis - are also given at the request of the animal owner. Proven preparations: Nobivac Triket, Nobivac Forcat, Quadricat, Multifel-4, Fel-o-vax, Nobivac Rabies, Microderm.

Nutrition

California cats have a good appetite, but they do not suffer from excess weight due to their high activity. High-calorie dry and canned food of super premium and holistic class, as well as nutritious natural food with a high content of animal protein, are suitable for feeding animals of this breed.

Suitable natural products:

• Approximately 70% of the diet should be premium poultry, game, rabbit, beef, lamb;
• A useful additive is offal, fermented milk products without sugar and boiled eggs;
• Boiled sea fish without bones – once a week;
• Cereals – rice, buckwheat and pearl barley in meat porridges, no more than 30%;
• A small amount of stewed and raw vegetables, sprouted grass (oats, wheat).

The diet is based on the cat’s activity and age. The highest calorie food should be during the period of active growth, and for old and inactive animals it is necessary to prepare a lighter diet. When feeding naturally, it is advisable to give cats multivitamin supplements or treats with biotin to maintain a beautiful coat.

Training and intelligence

Like any predator, the Californian mini-leopard has a sophisticated mind, observation, resourcefulness and dexterity. It is easy to socialize such a pet and instill in it the necessary skills. Moreover, aggressiveness and cruelty are alien to him. When you bring a small kitten into your home, try not to leave it without attention and affection. But don't be annoying. When he gets used to the new environment a little, show him a place for feeding, toileting and spending the night.

It is important in the first 2-4 days to monitor how the pet copes with the task on its own. At first, he will need to be placed in a litter tray. And in order for the cat to remember this place well, experts advise initially to play with the fluffy nearby and be sure to encourage all the correct actions of the animal with affection or a piece of his favorite treat.

Important! When training, never punish animals using physical force or cruelty. It is important that the cat always feels your love, affection and persistence. Otherwise, he will not understand why he is being punished, and he will begin to fear the owner.

All mistakes in the behavior of the furry household will have to be corrected by repetition, for which you need to be patient in advance. Be prepared that mini leopards cannot sit still for a minute. Don't think that this is how they draw your attention to themselves. They don’t need excessive spoiling and care at all. But active games come in very handy. Teach your four-legged friend to the different tones with which you pronounce certain commands.

Care

It is enough to comb California cats once every 1-2 weeks, and during the spring and autumn molting period - 3 times a week. Massage combs, furminators and rubber brushes for short-haired breeds are suitable for this. There is no need to wash cats unnecessarily; it is enough to do this 1-2 times a year, unless the animal has soiled itself in something difficult to clean. For a cat going outside, you can buy shampoo for the paws and wash this particular part of the body after a walk.

Eyes and ears should be wiped with cotton pads or a soft, clean cloth about once a week using zoo lotions, chamomile infusion or regular boiled water. Teeth should be brushed with special toothpastes and brushes for animals 1-2 times a week. The claws of a cat of this breed usually grind down well on their own, but if this does not happen, the tips of the claws need to be carefully shortened once every 3 weeks.

History of origin

You can make a whole film about how the Californian shining cat breed came to be, with elements of drama and an unpredictable but good ending. Be that as it may, Hollywood screenwriter Paul Casey this time decided not to write and film, but to act. The history of the California Radiant breed began in 1971

While filming on the African continent in the early 70s, Paul became interested in the wildlife and animals living there. He was shocked that at the same time poachers were operating there and actively exterminating leopards. This left such an imprint on his consciousness that upon returning to California, he immediately shared his thoughts with Louis Leakey (an anthropologist he knew).

Features of mating and the course of pregnancy

You need to seriously deal with the issues of the offspring of your purebred ward after the second heat. This is when veterinarians advise planning the cat’s first mating. After all, the female’s reproductive system reaches maturity after 10 months. It is important to consult a veterinarian before mating and make sure your four-legged pet is sexually mature. There is no need to delay this matter. Experts say that the first mating should occur before the radiant cat reaches one and a half years of age.

If the meeting between cat and cat is successful, you will be able to find out about subsequent pregnancy in a month by the following signs:

• the ward becomes affectionate and calm;
• sleeps and eats more;
• plays less;
• nipples swell and turn pink.

A cat's pregnancy lasts 67 days. It is important that pets give birth in their natural habitat, since there is a high risk of infection outside. Pregnant cats should be kept separately from other pets. During this period, they should not be given anthelmintic drugs, nor should they use flea shampoos.
Therefore, take care of all preventive measures against parasites in advance. Cat owners should pay special attention to the nutrition of a cat that is bearing offspring. It should be balanced and rich in vitamins and minerals. Important! Pregnant cats should not be allowed to climb high places. During this period, they become very clumsy and can get injured, which can lead to the loss of offspring.

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Before giving birth, the cat becomes restless and begins to nest. The owner must help her prepare a comfortable nest. Ideally, this could be a cardboard box with paper or rags. Never use napkins, as thin sheets can stick to the kittens, causing the mother to refuse to lick and feed them. It is better to set up a corner for childbirth in a cozy place where there are no drafts or prying eyes. At the slightest sign of weakness, fever, or refusal to eat the animal, you should immediately seek help from a veterinarian.
Find out how to recognize the sex of a kitten, how to feed it correctly, and how to raise it correctly.

How to choose a kitten

When choosing a kitten, a potential owner will face a number of difficulties. Firstly, it is almost impossible to acquire a spotted friend in Russia. Nurseries exist in the USA and Europe. Secondly, the Californian Shining is considered one of the rarest and most expensive breeds. How much can rare kittens cost? The average price varies from 120,000 to 200,000 rubles. It is best to turn to American breeders. It is recommended to reserve a kitten in advance. There is a fee for booking.

The nursery must first be checked for reliability. A conscientious breeder is obliged to provide complete information about the kitten’s pedigree. When acquiring a new friend, the owner receives a package of documents for the animal. Metrics and veterinary passport.

Your choice should be on an energetic and curious baby. Healthy kittens have shiny fur. Pay attention to characteristic spots. Clear outlines. Rectangular or round shape. Triangular or square shapes of spots are possible. There should be stripes on the face, chest, hind legs and tail. In these places, spots are unacceptable for a purebred kitten.