Hybrid cats
Hybrids cats have increased in popularity. But it's important to understand the challenges with these cat breeds.
Hybrids can come with certain health issues and challenging behaviour traits. These traits can make them difficult to manage in your home. And, while they can vary in how tame they are, they often do not make great pets as they're still very wild.
Note
As a charity, we do not believe hybridisation between a wild cat and a domestic cat to create new breeds for the domestic pet market is morally or ethically justifiable. These cats are often challenging to keep in a domestic environment, leading to their welfare needs not being met. There are also serious welfare implications for both the wild and domestic cat used for breeding purposes. We want to see a ban on hybridisation (of any generation) and importation of hybrid cats to prevent these problems from becoming widespread. If you're thinking of getting a cat, there are many domestic cats suited to living with people, who are in need of a home.
What is a hybrid cat?
A hybrid cat is a wild cat species that has been crossed with a domestic cat. The first generation cats that are produced from this mating are called F1 hybrids. These can then be mated to other domestic cats to produce generations of F2, F3, and so on.
They are often bred to make a cat look more 'wild' but hybrid cats are mostly known for their patterns and colours. They are sometimes crossbred for their personality traits too.
Which cat breeds are hybrid?
- Chausie (a cross between a domestic cat bred and a jungle cat)
- Cheetoh (a cross between an ocicat and a Bengal cat)
- Safari cat (a cross between a domestic cat and a Geoffrey's cat)
- Savannah (a cross between a domestic cat and a serval)
- Serengeti (a cross between a domestic oriental shorthair and a Bengal cat)
- Toyger (bred to resemble a miniature tiger, but has no wild tiger genetics)
Behaviour challenges in hybrid cats
Every cat is different, but hybrid cats are much more wild than a traditional domestic cat. These wild characteristics can make it stressful for these cats to live in a home and challenging for owners.
Heightened prey drive
Like their wild counterparts, they have a very strong predatory drive and sometimes choose prey larger than the typical mice and small birds that domestic cats hunt, which can have a big impact on wildlife. This can make them unsafe to let outside.
They can become frustrated if kept inside, leading to behavioural issues, like vocalising and urine spraying to mark their territory. Frustration can also lead to aggression towards owners.
More territorial and aggressive
Hybrid cats are generally much more territorial and aggressive towards other cats. As they are also larger than domestic cats, they can cause a lot more damage in a cat fight.
Some Bengals can be problematic with other cats and are more likely to get into fights than other cats too. So, if you live in a densely cat populated area, then we would advise not getting a Bengal.
More active
The complex needs of hybrid cats are extremely difficult to meet in a domestic setting. This can negatively impact the cat, their owner, and other domestic pets and wildlife.
They are often more active physically and need additional mental stimulation too. It's often extremely difficult to meet their needs in a home because they need a bespoke environment with lots of enrichment areas. It might also be more difficult to leave them at home alone.
Health issues in hybrid cats
Like pedigree cats, hybrids are also prone to suffering certain health conditions such as:
- inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) that causes chronic diarrhoea
- hypertrophic cardiomyopathy - a type of heart disease that can cause heart failure
- tri-trichomonas foetus - a condition which causes chronic diarrhoea
- higher rates of feline infectious peritonitis
- anaemia (pyruvate-kinase deficiency)
- gingivitis and mouth lesions (most common in chausie cats)
Bengal cats
Bengal cats originated by crossing Asian leopards with domestic cats.
In most Bengals, a domestic cat was crossed with a wild cat many generations ago. However, Bengals are still highly active compared to other domestic breeds and will need lots of high level enrichment, eg hunting games and interactive play.
If you're thinking about getting a Bengal cat and can give them the care and enrichment they need to maintain their welfare, always make sure they are at least an F4 generation and have not been recently bred from an Asian leopard cat.
Read more on what type of cat would suit your family.
Health issues with Bengal cats
- They can suffer from an inherited anaemia due to a lack of pyruvate kinase, an enzyme found in red blood cells.
- These popular breeds are born with a gene that can lead to hypertrophic cardiomyopathy.
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Published
• 26 March 2025
Next review
• 27 March 2028
