In order to imitate wild cats like the ocelot and leopard, the Spangled Cat was developed in the 1980s. The Bengal and Ocicat have now eclipsed the breed, which was once pricey because of its scarcity.
Characteristics of the body
This cat first has the appearance of a little leopard. In fact, the California Spangled Cat moves like a predator on the prowl thanks to its long, cylindrical form. These leopard-like spots, which are frequently in the form of blocks, are most noticeable when they contrast with the color of the coat's background.
Characteristics and temperament
Despite having a wild appearance, the California Spangled Cat is vivacious, active, and simple to tame. It will give its owner all of its love in return because it is intelligent and affectionate, but it will also plot to acquire what it wants.
The California Spangled Cat is an acrobatic high jumper and a natural athlete. Therefore, it would be wise to store fragile items in a secure location. The cat also enjoys hunting and is captivated by moving objects.
Background and Prior Events
The breed is reported with having been established by Los Angeles-based scientist and screenwriter Paul Casey. Casey was inspired to design a cat with a wild appearance by a chat he had with the late anthropologist Dr. Louis Leakey. Casey was determined to produce a cat with a wild appearance.
In 1971, Casey was surprised to find that one of the last leopards in the region had been killed by poachers while he was working at the Olduvai digs in Africa. Casey and Leakey hypothesized that people would be more inclined to protect the wild animal if they had a domestic cat that looked like a miniature leopard.
Using a methodical approach, Casey created an 11-generation blueprint in the early 1970s, starting with a female Traditional Siamese (also known as the Old Style or Applehead) and a long-haired, spotted silver Angora. This mating produced a male silver creature with block-shaped spots. To complete the basic lineage, Casey added British Shorthair, American Shorthair, spotted-brown tabby Manx, and Abyssinian. Planned introductions of each breed were made, and computerized records of mating outcomes were kept. To create a wild appearance, street cats from Egypt and Malaysia were included in the last generation.
Casey finally developed the required appearance by 1985, and a select group of cat enthusiasts praised her right away. The California Spangled Cat Association (CSCA), which Casey eventually founded, was created to safeguard all endangered wild cats and to publicize the Spangled Cat. Through a promotional effort with the Neiman Marcus Christmas catalog in 1986, Casey made the Spangled Cat widely known. He then sold them for $1,400 each. The catalog also had coats made from fox, beaver, and ermine, which would prompt objections from animal groups.
Despite the PR crisis, the new cat quickly became in high demand, especially since there was a huge gap between supply and demand. Media outlets seized every chance to speak with potential owners. Casey was able to promote his conservationist message thanks to the sudden fame, but it drastically reduced his stock.
There are only about 200 California Spangled Cats left in existence today, despite the fact that breeders from all over the world are working hard to increase their popularity. Additionally, it has demonstrated greater success outside of its place of origin.
The breed has been granted New Breed and Color status by The International Cat Association (TICA) and American Cat Association (ACA), and is steadily working toward achieving Championship Status.
Two International Grand Champions of the breed currently reside in Europe. And at the summer competition in Paris in 1994, a Grand Champion Spangled named Lassik took up the Best of Show award.