Are Bengals Too Mundane Now?

The New York Times recently published an article on Savannahs in New York that appears to be causing a bit of a kerfluffle. The Savannah is a cat breed that's sort of like the Bengal, as it's a hybrid of a domestic cat with a wild cat species. But the Savannah's wild parentage comes from the African Serval.

The Savannah is bigger than the Bengal, much more expensive, and not the sort of thing you want to keep in a Manhattan apartment - if for no other reason than the fact that they're illegal in New York City. The article describes owners going to great lengths to conceal their cats from neighbors who might complain to the city. It also describes what looks like a thriving black market, with people having to wait more than a year to pay $5,000 for a kitten and then being afraid to tell their friends where they live.

Now this is clearly a screwed up situation. But I'm more concerned about the impact publicity could have on public perceptions of hybrid cats. The Times notes that the Savannah is gaining in popularity on the Bengal. Says an Oklahoma Savannah breeder, "Bengals were the rage for a long time, but then people wanted something bigger."

It was hard enough gaining acceptance for the Bengal. They're still legally questionable in some places. And a Discovery Channel piece a couple months ago about rescued Bengals from a breeding operation that got out of control had people approaching Bengal owners on the street and chiding them for having such dangerous animals near their children. We don't need to start this up again with a bigger, more exotic cat.

I've nothing against Savannahs or the people who love them. But I do worry about people keeping them in inappropriate situations. If Leela weighed 35 pounds, we would not be keeping her in our townhouse, much less a postage-stamp New York apartment. And I worry about these situations - or whatever comes along after people decide the Savannah isn't big and exotic enough - causing trouble for breeds that have supposedly already cleared up those misconceptions.