Looking for that perfect Christmas gift for the pet lover who thought they had everything? How about a designer cat? While you shouldn't buy anyone an animal as a gift, in a world where it seems like science can do almost anything and money can buy you almost everything, a U.S. firm has begun turning out felines that look like leopards and act more like dogs.
A company known as
Lifestyle Pets is behind this bizarre cross breeding. And while some may find the concept disturbing, it's definitely profitable. The result of all their mixing and matching is the Ashera, a combination of an
African Serval - a medium-sized wildcat - an Asian leopard wildcat, and a domesticated house cat, which the firm refuses to identify.
It can weigh in at 30 pounds, is said to be much more sociable than normal felines, can be taught to open doors and can walk on a leash. "It's exotic, but under the skin it's a domestic house cat, very easy to take care of and extremely friendly," explains founder Simon Brodie. "They're more dog-like than anything."
Brodie believes his firm is fulfilling a real need. "Everybody has thought at one time, 'wouldn't it be great to have a leopard at home, or a tiger?'" he explains in a statement that's certainly open to question. "Obviously you can't and this is about the nearest thing to it."
But getting your claws on one of these designer animals isn't cheap. They cost $22,000 each, unless you want the non-allergenic kind. Then the fee skyrockets to $28,000. Brodie refuses to reveal exactly how he engineers them, insisting that's the key to his company's survival. "Anybody can throw the ingredients in, but unless you know what ingredients are the best ingredients in the best percentages, you're not going to produce the same final product," he reveals.
So far, he's sold about a hundred of the exotic animals, mostly to deep-pocketed clients in China and Russia. And he notes his business isn't totally unique. There are other cross breeds of cats on the market ranging from the "Toyger", a mix of a Bengal tiger and a house cat, to the "Chausie", which combines jungle and domesticated felines.
For now, Brodie is content to ignore any questions about the ethics of his business and whether there's really a need for playing with Mother Nature's handiwork. But he does concede it's an animal that only a high earning clientele will likely consider. "Is it a status symbol?" he asks rhetorically. "I guess to an extent it is. But so are million dollar racehorses."
Find out more about this curious cat here.