Caracal – a wild and extremely expensive pleasure in your home

Adding a caracal to your house is like bringing a little bit of the wild into your daily existence. For those seeking something more than your average pet, these magnificent cats, renowned for their striking appearance and large, pointed ears, are a rare and exotic option. However, that untamed beauty comes with a high price and a great deal of responsibility.

House cats are not the same as caracals. They are difficult to care for in a home setting because they still have many of their innate instincts, even though they can be trained and even show affection. It’s not easy to own a caracal because of their dietary needs and space requirements.

Carefully consider the benefits and drawbacks before bringing one of these untamed cats into your house. Caracals are an expensive luxury, both for the initial investment and for the continuous upkeep. On the other hand, they can provide an unparalleled and fulfilling experience for the appropriate individual.

Historical background

Since ancient times, caracal cats have resided in the savannas and deserts of Africa, Central Asia, the Arabian Peninsula, and the coast of the Caspian Sea. Turkey is thought to have been this animal’s ancestral home. In Turkish, the word "Caracal" means "black ears."

People in Asia and Africa have domesticated and utilized steppe caracals since ancient times.

• Paintings of caracals and bronze sculptures, as well as embalmed carcasses, have been found during excavations in Egypt. This means that caracals occupied an important place in the lives of the Egyptians.
• In China, emperors gave caracals as valuable gifts.
• In India, caracals have long been used to hunt small game.
• In Asia, this breed was used to help in hunting game.

Fascinating information Caracals entertained affluent gamblers in Iran. After being domesticated, the animals were taught to hunt birds and were put in contests based on how many birds they could catch in a jump.

The truth is that caracals are amazing jumpers; they can leap up to three meters to intercept soaring birds. You can catch up to ten pigeons at once in this manner. Whoever’s cat knocks out the most birds after a jump wins. These facts collectively demonstrate that domesticating caracals is not a recent development, having started centuries ago.

Characteristics of the caracal breed

What distinguishes caracals from other wild cats is their appearance. The first impression this exceptionally beautiful animal gives is that it looks like a cat, much like a real desert lynx. Nevertheless, the caracal breed is more morphologically similar to the puma and is unrelated to the lynx genus.

The caracal’s elongated black ears with tassels, slender body, and longer tail than a true lynx, along with several genetic distinctions, allowed for its classification into a distinct genus. The African serval is also thought to belong in the same genus as the caracal.

The breed was given a second name, "karaket," to emphasize the domesticity of cats and their orientation towards people, and to prevent confusion with wild caracals.

Breed standard

General traits of the breed representative of the caracal:

• Body: developed body of a predator – strong, muscular; males can reach 120 cm in length, females – 110 cm, the average size of a domestic animal is 70-85 cm. Weight: 10-20 kg. Tail length from 19 to 35 cm. Height at the withers from 30 to 50 cm. Females are smaller than males.
• Wool: short, soft and thick, honey-brown in color, slightly longer and lighter on the inside.
• Head: dark spots on both sides of the muzzle, black spots above the eyes and a black stripe from the eye to the nose form a uniform reddish-brown or brick-red color. Nose dark.
• Eyes: large, yellow-brown.
• Ears: large, vertically located, 4-6 cm long, with a black back and dense long tassels of hard hair.
• Limbs: long, allowing easy jumping to a height of up to 3 meters. Fore limbs longer than hind limbs. The paws have a dense brush of stiff hair, which facilitates movement on the sand in their natural habitat.
• Lifespan: In a domestic environment, a caracal lives up to 15 years.

Photos of caracals

Images of stunning breed representatives:

Health

Caracals have good health and immunity if they are well-maintained. They almost never become sick if given the right care and nourishment. These cats can, however, occasionally chew through and swallow inedible objects due to their intense curiosity.

Regular cat vaccinations are administered to caracals. At home, life expectancy is fifteen years.

Crucial! Be certain that your area has excellent veterinarians before investing in a caracal kitten. This will enable you to promptly address any concerns pertaining to your pet’s growth and well-being.

Character

A trained and well-mannered caracal is friendly and affectionate with every member of the family. He loves to play, is gregarious, and is active. One of the most crucial phases of working with a breed is socialization, which happens for both the breeder and the owner.

Caracals rarely meow; instead, they mostly express their displeasure by hissing and growling or by rumbling in a friendly manner.

The caracal is a hybrid of a cat and a dog in that it combines the curiosity and grace of the feline with the energy of a puppy. It picks up walking on a leash quite quickly. Exercise sessions can also be considered a game. Utilizing a variety of playthings is essential. Games that involve playing with a ball and a pendant deserve special attention.

Take note! It is not permitted to play with your pet with your hands or feet. The animal may hurt your limb in a fit of rage.

Features of keeping

Keeping a caracal at home presents challenges because it is still a member of the wild predatory cat species. These challenges include:

• You cannot keep this type of cat in an ordinary apartment. It needs a lot of space. Optimally – keeping in a private house with a fenced adjoining territory.
• To keep the animal outdoors, you will need to build an enclosure to the house – an extension of about 20 m2, with a fence height of 2.5 meters or more.
• The animal requires active walks and a lot of attention.
• The animal loves heat and does not tolerate cold.
• The pet will need high-quality food and care, so the maintenance costs will be high.
• It is not advisable to get a caracal if children under 5 years old live in the house.
• If there are no plans for breeding, the pet must be sterilized before reaching 8 months of age, otherwise the animal will leave marks in your house.
• It is difficult to train a caracal to use a litter box. If you succeeded, then you can proudly consider yourself an excellent trainer.

Care

Everything in the caracal’s home needs to be kept tidy as though a curious puppy were living there. The truth is that these cats like to play, and when they’re done, the house looks completely different. Anything that can be identified as a toy will be sought out, chewed on, scraped, and sometimes even eaten in parts.

A young person’s education and socialization begin with games. High-quality materials ought to be used to make toys. Accept the ones suited for big dogs.

Large cats adore the water; they take advantage of any opportunity to swim.

Paws should have their claws clipped promptly. If there aren’t enough scratching posts around the house, the furniture will deteriorate considerably.

Nutrition

Nutrition deserves special consideration. Since caracals are carnivorous predatory cats that hunt small animals, their primary food should be raw meat, as was previously mentioned. The breeder’s recommendations are followed when choosing the diet.

You can give your cat premium dry food. A balanced diet is ideal. Approximately five percent of the cat’s weight should be consumed in food each day.

Take note! Feeding pork meat is strictly prohibited because pork causes Aujeszky’s disease, also known as "pseudorabies" or itchy plague. The animal dies from this disease nearly invariably. Additionally, prepared foods must be kept "off the table," along with all spices, salted goods, and smoked goods.

Walking the pet

A domestic cat requires prolonged, vigorous walking. You can use a leash when strolling down the street. It is best to outfit an aviary-style fenced area, which is an addition to the house where it is kept.

Breed card

Characteristics of the cat		Notes
General information	Exotic breed of cats. Domestication of wild caracals made it possible to obtain offspring oriented towards humans, but retaining many of the traits of their ancestors.	The high price of caracals also implies high responsibility. Keeping an unusual cat cannot be called cheap
Character	Inquisitive, mobile and very active caracal behaves like a dog. The cat loves walks and exploring the territory	Caracals hiss and growl, but do not meow like regular domestic cats
Appearance	A large cat – height at the withers – 50 cm with short honey-colored fur, characteristic dark spots on the muzzle, yellow eyes and large ears with black tassels	Domestic caracals are very similar to their wild relatives
Behavior at home	A caracal will explore and try to bite all the things available to it. There should be several scratching posts in the house so that the cat is not interested in your furniture. Toilet issue: it is better for the animal to have access to the yard of a private house; in an apartment, accustom the caracal to the litter box as early as possible	We do not recommend getting a caracal for families with small children, as well as neighboring other pets
Care	It is preferable to feed raw meat	Do not forget to freeze the meat in the freezer for 3 days to kill parasites
Health problems	Hereditary diseases have not been identified	Caracals have good immunity and rarely get sick. But it is worth finding a veterinarian in advance who agrees to monitor the health of such a large cat

How to choose a kitten

Among the top five most costly cat breeds worldwide are caracals. Typically, after finding out the answer to the query, "How much does a caracal kitten cost?" many people lose their intense passion for the breed. A kitten can cost anywhere between $10,000 and $50,000 (roughly 700,000 to 3,000,000 rubles in Russia). Advertisements on Avito that purport to be giving away or selling a caracal kitten for a low price raise questions.

Knowing the following is crucial when selecting a kitten:

• You cannot take kittens from hands, sellers often buy animals for resale from poachers or take them from zoos, so the animal will be socially unadapted, aggressive or sick.
• You cannot take an animal caught directly in the wild. Wild caracals can be aggressive and unpredictable. They can be dangerous for your children and other animals.
• The kitten must be purchased from a home cattery, not from a cattery with enclosures. Wild cats raised in enclosures are not adapted to cohabitation with people in apartments.

Crucial! If a kitten’s required documentation is missing, there could be criminal consequences. It is a known fact that certain wild species of this breed are included in the Red Book.

Feature	Description
Origin	Caracals are native to Africa, the Middle East, and parts of Asia.
Size	They are medium-sized wild cats, weighing between 20-40 pounds.
Temperament	Caracals are independent, strong-willed, and can be affectionate but are not fully domesticated.
Care	They require a special diet, regular exercise, and lots of space to roam.
Cost	Owning a caracal is expensive, with prices ranging from $10,000 to $20,000.
Legality	Laws on keeping caracals vary by country and region, so check local regulations.
Lifespan	In captivity, caracals can live up to 17 years with proper care.
Challenges	They can be destructive, need specialized care, and may pose a challenge to inexperienced pet owners.

Choosing to welcome a caracal into your house is a big choice. These wild cats are fascinating and breathtakingly beautiful, but they also have a lot of responsibilities and difficulties. They’re a unique option, but not the best one for everyone due to their wild nature, high cost, and requirement for lots of space and care.

Should you be willing to take on the challenge, you will be rewarded with a devoted and captivating friend. But it’s crucial to keep in mind that caracals are not the same as domesticated animals like dogs or cats. A unique habitat and readiness for the rigors of domesticating a wild animal are required.

Ultimately, even though a caracal can be a wonderful addition to your life, it’s important to carefully consider the advantages and disadvantages. Before committing, be sure that this "wild" experience is really what you want because they take a lot of time, energy, and money.

Although owning a caracal may seem like an exotic dream, it’s an expensive and difficult responsibility that calls for extra attention. Distinguished by their striking appearance and nimble disposition, these wild cats are not like house pets. Managing their wild tendencies, high energy, and demanding needs—not to mention the substantial cost of their maintenance—comes with owning one. The caracal is a lovely companion for those who long for something different, but it’s undoubtedly not for everyone.

Video on the topic

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