Sokoke kat

Sokoke kattehoved tæt på en grå baggrund

Sokoke kattehoved og forben på en grå baggrund

History

The Sokoke cat is a naturally occurring breed native to the Arabuko-Sokoke Forest, in Kenya. The Giriama tribe were the first people to discover and live with these cats and named them Kadzonzo. Jeni Slater, a wildlife artist, living on a coconut plantation in Kenya discovered these cats when she found a litter of kittens. She bought these kittens to her house and raised them. She realised they were very unique cats and began to feed cats from the forest and breed them.

In 1984 Slater feared for the survival of this breed and enlisted the help of her Danish friend Gloria Moldrup. Moldrup took a breeding pair back to Denmark to try and establish a breeding programme. The first litter was born in 1985 and in 1990 Gloria imported three more cats to widen the gene pool and keep the breed healthy. The breed gained recognition in 1993. The breed continued to be strengthened due to Jeannie Knocker, who lived in Kenya. Knocker penned in the native Sokoke cats and exported the kittens to Europe and America. The Sokoke is a very rare breed and breeders are working hard to develop this special breed.

Behaviour

The Sokoke is a very active cat that loves to climb trees and all you furniture. They are very good and jumping and are quick so need lots of space to expend their energy. The Sokoke cat is known for forming very strong bonds with their owners or other cats, which can make rehoming harder as they take longer to adjust to new surroundings. This is a vocal breed who will engage in chatter with their owners and other pets.