The Sokoke Forest Cat: a Survivor

---

     In the Sokoke Forest, which is located in East Africa, there exist a number of rare species that cannot be found anywhere else in the world, like the Sokoke bushy tailed Mongoose, the Sokoke golden-rump Elephant Shrew, and the Sokoke Scops Owls. And because of deforestation, they are all living under the threat of extinction. Unfortunately, the people there don't seem to care, so when Jeni Slater, a Kenyan farmer and horse breeder, found a very distinctive litter of feral cats on her coconut plantation, and brought them home for pets, it generated little interest with the locals.

Their coats had a blotched tabby pattern, which doesn't exist in East Africa, so Jeni was intrigued. Kenyan domestic cats had much thicker, 'cobby'-type coats. Since the locals had no interest in her cats, Jeni found herself with a growing number of them, but fortunately, the Slater family members were professional fishermen, so feeding them didn't become a burden. However, the lack of interest was doing nothing to promote this new breed. That is were Gloria Moeldrup came to the rescue. After seeing the cats and recognizing the unique makeup, behavior, and pattern of the cats, Gloria moved a breeding pair to Denmark where the cats were shown in 1985 for the first time in Copenhagen. Now two breeds of forest cats exist, the Norwegian and the Afro-Danish Sokoke. One decidedly horrifying piece of the Sokoke Forest Cat's history is that the Giriama tribe used to eat them.

Sokoke Forest Cats may look like wild cats but they truly are domestic by nature, so it doesn't require any special licenses or permits that are typically required for people keeping wild or endangered species. They have beautiful camouflaged coats with athletic, agile bodies bearing high intelligence and supreme self-confidence. No special housing is needed, and Sokoke cats bond with their human owners very well.

These cats thrive in groups and get along with other cats well, and since they are originally from the rainforest, think nothing of swimming across a stream to get to the other side. They may not particularly enjoy water, but they take it in their stride. The Sokoke Forest Cat is very sensitive to human moods and tends to reflect them. Although they exhibit no signs of aggression, if threatened, they will mark you with its teeth or claws. They are proud cats that communicate using both voice and body language.

So are you wondering if a Sokoke Forest Cat is the cat for you? Well, if you prefer a quiet, dignified cat that spends it days napping in the sun, you don't want a Sokoke. They aren't lap cats, and they don't enjoy being cuddled. But if you are looking for a loving, playful, almost dog-like cat that loves to interact and can talk to you literally for hours on end, then the Sokoke Forest Cat is for you.