The Ashera Cat-A $22,000 House Pet

There are a few companies offering the new and supposedly most exotic pet on the market. It is called the Ashera and this wild cat/domestic cat hybrid is selling for $22,000.

Supposedly this cat is the cross of an African Serval, an Asian Leopard Cat, and a domestic cat. The offspring is a very wild looking breed with beautiful colors, large visable spots or rosettes, and an overall very wild look. It's personality is supposed to be like a loving domestic cat and a loving domestic dog all rolled up into one thirty pound package.

It sounds like a great package, and at $22,000 it might just be only a few who get to find out just how wonderful it is.

Of course there has come about some questioning of the reality of this "new" breed. Many Savannah cat breeders (a cross between a domestic cat and an African Serval) say that this cat is no more then a first generation (F1) Savannah cat. F1 Savannah cats are still one of the rarest breeds of cats out there, however you can find them in many locations, from many breeders for about $8,000 to 10,000 each.

F1 Savannah's are a lovely wild looking cat of impressive size. Usually about 25 pounds with some getting to be as much as 40 pounds. They have lovely coats, a wild look, and can sometimes be seen walking on a leash with their masters. They look very much like a minature leopard or other big cat. Many find their stunning personalities to be worth the $10,000 they pay for them.

Bengal Cats-Bengal cats are created by breeding an Asian Leopard Cat (not the same thing as a leopard) with a domestic cat. After four generations both the males and females are fertile and the offspring are considered domestic animals. However, if they are bred with other exotic looking cats such as the Egyptian Mau then they have a wild look about them.

Savannah Cats-As stated earlier, Savannah cats are created by breeding an African Serval with a domestic cat. Usually this domestic cat is one with wild looks already and the resulting offspring is a huge and lovely cat.

Savannah Cats and Bengal Cats-Many Savannah cats are created by breeding a Bengal cat and a Savannah cat. This would mean that the resulting offspring would have mostly African Serval and domestic cat blood, but in the ancestry there would also be Asian Leopard Cat blood. Using this idea a Savannah cat with a bengal mother woudld then fit the qualifications of the $22,000 Ashera Cat.

It would seem that a great deal of evidence points to Savannah cats as being the true Ashera cats. With this in mind it would be best to buy directly from a breeder and optain a $10,000 version instead of a $22,000 version. It also seems like someone needs to say, "Shame on you!" to the few companies fooling people into paying more for their lovely exotic cat then what they would normally have to pay.

If you want to spend a lot of money on a beautiful exotic cat for your next pet, pick the Savannah and skip the Ashera!