Saturday, April 28, 2007
I'm in Michigan doing a medical study. One of the women here is using her study money to buy a Savanna kitten. Wikipedia. A Savanna is a cross between a serval and a domestic cat.
The cross looks like a wild cat, is bigger than a domestic cat, is smart and friendly, sort of like a dog. Right now these are rare, only a few hundred exist. The serval is a rare, not quite endangered species, of African wild cat.
The breed was started in 1980. The males are sterile to the 5th generation, but the females breed.
My concern, which I don't see addressed any where - haven't finished looking, is what are the ecological consequences when these critters go feral. Domestic cats are vicious killers and have a lot to do with the decline of many species of songbirds, although habitat loss and chemicals are bigger factors. I live with three of them, my roommates', but I don't like them and wouldn't keep a carnivorous pet, outside of the carrying capacity of the local environment.
The cross looks like a wild cat, is bigger than a domestic cat, is smart and friendly, sort of like a dog. Right now these are rare, only a few hundred exist. The serval is a rare, not quite endangered species, of African wild cat.
The breed was started in 1980. The males are sterile to the 5th generation, but the females breed.
My concern, which I don't see addressed any where - haven't finished looking, is what are the ecological consequences when these critters go feral. Domestic cats are vicious killers and have a lot to do with the decline of many species of songbirds, although habitat loss and chemicals are bigger factors. I live with three of them, my roommates', but I don't like them and wouldn't keep a carnivorous pet, outside of the carrying capacity of the local environment.
Comments:
Post a Comment
