At a glance the quick version
TICA gives males 10-15 lb and females 8-12 lb; Wikipedia gives males 5-7 kg and females 4-5 kg.
Coat and looks how to spot one
short, close-lying, silky spotted coat
A tall, athletic cat built to look like a small serval, but with no wild blood. It stands upright on long legs, has a long neck flowing into the head, and carries huge round-tipped ears about as long as the head itself. The short, tight coat feels silky and is usually boldly spotted.12
Personality what they are like
Self-assured and friendly once settled, though it may be a little shy at first in a new place. Serengetis attach strongly to their people, often trailing them from room to room, and like to talk with chirps and meows inherited from their Oriental side.13
Daily activity how busy a day looks
High. Very athletic and loves heights, so it needs daily play and tall climbing spots.13
Grooming and care the hands-on bits
Low. A weekly brush keeps the short coat neat and cuts down on hairballs.3
Home where they are happiest
Tall cat trees and shelves to satisfy its love of high places.13
Company who they like around
Wants plenty of time with its family. Usually fine with other pets and with children when introduced properly and socialised early.13
The story where it all began
Conservation biologist Karen Sausman began the Serengeti in the mid-1990s at Kingsmark Cattery in California. She crossed Bengals with Oriental Shorthairs to get a domestic cat with a serval-like outline, and the breed is now found in the US, UK, Europe, Australia and Russia.123
Fun facts for the dinner table
- 1
Despite looking like a serval, the Serengeti has no serval in its ancestry.1
- 2
Its ears can be as long as its whole head.1
- 3
The breed's creator is a conservation biologist, and the cat was partly meant to raise awareness of wild cats.3
- 4
Solid black Serengetis can show faint 'ghost' spots in certain light.3
Recognised by the official bits
- TICA
- Registered; can be shown as a Preliminary New Breed1
The care rhythm Furry Diary remembers it for you
A typical home-care rhythm for a Serengeti. It is our own starting plan, not a vet's advice, and you can change every line in the app.
- Brushingevery week
- Nail trimevery 3 weeks
- Teeth brushingDaily brushing is idealevery 2 days
- Litter scoopevery day
- Litter changeevery week
- PlayDaily playevery day
- Flea, tick and worm protectionSchedule as your vet recommendsas your vet recommends
- Vet check-upSenior years usually start around age 11every year
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Where this comes from
Every breed page shows where each fact comes from. If we got something wrong, sorry, we are pet people, not a science magazine. Tell us at [email protected] and we will fix it.
- TICA: Serengeti tica.orgused for recognition, history, body, colours, weight, temperament
- Wikipedia: Serengeti cat en.wikipedia.orgused for origin, weight, coat, colours
- CatTime: Serengeti cattime.comused for lifespan, activity, grooming, social needs, fun facts
Checked 2026-09-30. Text is written in our own words from these sources.