CORONA, Calif., USA -- Scarlett's Magic
is a 18-month old F1 Savannah cat, measuring 43.43 centimetres
(17.1 inches) from shoulder to toe, which sets the new world
record holder for the tallest
cat.
The 18-month old is also thought to be the
longest, at a whopping 3.5ft from nose to the tip of her tail.
Scarlett is an F1 Savannah, a breed created
by crossing ordinary cats with African servals. Kim, who breeds
the pets, added: "This is as close to a wild cat as you can
get." "We are absolutely thrilled," says owner
Kim Draper, a Savannah breeder who also owns the Californian-based,
Savannah Cat Shoppe, with her husband Lee.
The couple are registered as Savannah breeders,
and they are owners of Bella
Gattini, meaning "beautiful kittens," a registered
cattery in Oklahoma.
"The Savannah is the most intelligent, loving
and beautiful animal companion a family could wish for."
According to Mrs Draper, Savannahs are becoming
increasingly popular in California due to their unique appearance
and learning abilities. "They are active animals, they like
to play, they like to be near their owners and family," says
Kim.
Lee and Kimberly Draper, of Rancho Cucamonga,
have opened the Savannah Cat Shoppe at the Dos Lagos shopping
center in Corona, a pet store specializing in second- to fifth-generation
Savannah cats. They are a crossbreed of the African Serval
and domesticated cats such as the Egyptian Mau and Bengal
cat.
In New York state, first- and second-generation
Savannahs cannot be owned because of their wilder traits.
Savannahs may be legally kept in California, according to
the state department of Fish and Game.
Cubs range from $5,000 to $50,000... but
the record-breaking
feline herself is not for sale.
