A cat weighing about 20 pounds was found in a Marbella garden after escaping from its home in the same town, roughly 20 kilometers away. It is described as a crossbreed between a black Abyssinian and a caracal, an animal whose name blends caracal and cat in English. This hybrid is commonly referred to as karakat, a term that signals its mixed heritage and distinctive features.
Karakat is considered a lynx-like hybrid because it combines a wild African lynx ancestor, the caracal, with a graceful domestic cat and Abyssinian traits. The result is a feline with a poised bearing and striking presence that blends wild and domestic characteristics into one remarkable animal.
graceful and cunning
The mother of a karakat is an Abyssinian cat, contributing elegance and fluidity to the hybrid. In turn, the karakat inherits intelligence and a certain sly wit from its other parent, the African lynx lineage that supplies the wild-edge and alert awareness.
Karakats appear to be relatively young as a recognized category. The first known encounter between a caracal and a domestic cat occurred in 1998 at a Moscow zoo, where a cross between two felines produced a hybrid pup that carried a mix of colors and traits from both sides of the lineage. This early cross sparked debates and fascination about hybrid felines in captivity and in diverse climates.
more docile
A German publication, Der Zoologische Garten, notes in its 68th volume the birth of this new breed and the affection many people have for it. Today karakats are among the most sought-after hybrid felines in Russia and the United States, believed to be present in greater numbers worldwide because they are relatively easy to breed and highly intelligent. They are often easier to tame than pure wild caracals, which adds to their appeal for enthusiasts seeking a balance of wild look and domestic compatibility.
Nevertheless, the Moscow zoo episode is seen as an accident; caracals typically hunt smaller animals and do not seek mates outside their own species. As a result, karakats require careful, sometimes artificial, breeding programs to sustain their lineage and manage associated challenges.
Size, weight and fur
The karakat sits between its wild caracal cousins and domestic Abyssinian ancestors in size. It typically weighs around 13–14 kg and stands about 36 cm high, with total length near 140 cm when including the tail. The coat blends features from both parent lines: it tends toward dark or brown tones with tan and coppery-orange accents, accented by black stripes or bands, and a white chest and underbelly.
You can also see reminiscent traits in the caracat hybrid: a black-tipped mane at the ears, long ear tufts, a dark muzzle, big eyes, a wild, intelligent gaze, and a strong yet elegant body that blends wild grace with domestic familiarity.
Roar
First-generation hybrids, those born directly from a caracat and an Abyssinian, tend to be more energetic and spirited than later generations, where continued crossing with caracats often yields greater domestication. With each generation, karakats generally become more docile and affectionate, showing a gradual shift toward calmer, more predictable behavior.
In terms of vocalization, the proportion of caracal ancestry influences the sound. Hybrids with a higher caracal percentage tend to roar more and meow less, sometimes producing a voice that resembles a blend of a roar and a cry rather than a standard miaow.
These creatures embody a unique blend of traits, offering both the allure of a wild appearance and the potential for a shareable, domestic lifestyle that appeals to dedicated keeps of exotic cats.
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