African Jungle Cats, Felis chaus, inhabit most of Asia and Northern Africa. They are tall short-haired cats with a tawny pattern and a foreshortened tail that is longer than a bobcat’s tail but does not touch the ground. It is larger and taller than a domestic cat.
Feral bobcats, Lynx rufus, inhabit most of North America, from as far south as the Florida Everglades and northern Mexico north into Canada. The bobcat is somewhat larger than domestic cat breeds. It is a powerful animal with long legs and a muscular body and is noted for its short tail.
The Jungle Lynx are bred to have characteristics of both of these feral species. Jungle Lynx are stockier than Chausies. They have thicker legs, a wider chest and back, and a slightly larger head than Chausies. These cats stand tall off the ground and have a long body.
Through generations of selective breeding with different breeds of domestic cats, the breed has incorporated many characteristics similar to those of the African Jungle Cat. Jungle Lynx are long in length with longer hind legs, and toes may be tufted. Polydactyl feet are preferred. These cats are very alert, intelligent cats. Males are larger than females and slower to mature. These cats come in both long and short hair.
The head is large but not round, with a full, well-developed muzzle that is almost square in appearance, with prominent whisker pads. The ears are large and set wide apart, usually with feathering and tufts on the tip. The wide set eyes are large and expressive, set at an angle, with colors ranging from gold to green.
The tail may be the length of a domestic cat tail or may be somewhat shorter as in other short tailed breeds. Jungle Lynx are endorsed in all non-dilute eumelanistic colors–ebony, bronze, sorrel, chocolate, and silver. The preferred coat patterns are tawny (ticked), leopard (spotted), and clouded leopard.
The leopard pattern is a spotted tabby pattern. It is marked by spots of the darker color, most prominent on the sides of the body and the belly. The spots may vary in size and shape, but should be evenly distributed. Preference is given to rosette spots which are formed by a part-circle of spots around a distinctly lighter center. Contrast with ground color may not be as distinct as in some spotted breeds . A dorsal stripe runs the length of the body to the tip of the tail. The stripe is ideally composed of spots. The markings on the face and forehead are typical tabby markings, with the underside of the body having distinct spots. Legs and tail are barred. In the sepia, mink, and snow subdivisions, it is desirable for ghost leopard spots to appear on the bodies.
The tawny pattern is a ticked tabby pattern marked by ticking on the body hair with various shades of the marking color and ground color, with the outer tipping being the darkest and the undercoat being the ground color. The body may exhibit a barely perceptible spotted pattern. The tail, legs, and face will have tabby pencilings. Necklace tracings will are also frequently seen.
The clouded leopard pattern, while derived from modifications to the classic tabby gene, is different from the classic tabby pattern, with as little bull’s eye similarities possible. The pattern gives the impression of marble, preferably with a horizontal flow. Vertical stripes are undesirable. Contrast should be good, with distinct shapes and sharp edges. The belly must be spotted.
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