Cats are one of the few creatures on Earth
that are universally accepted as "pet material'. However, you may actually be surprised at
some of the more rare and unique of the species. I'm Bob from W5L and join me as I take you
through 14 of the most rare and exotic cats. 14. Serval
Let's start off with easily one of the most exotic cats out there, the Serval. You'd be forgiven for not knowing about this
special cat, as it's from Africa. But what I told you that the Serval is actually
pretty popular in the US as a pet? What makes this particular cat so interesting
is its size and it's look. It's actually pretty tall for a cat, and because
of its look, if you saw one of these in the confines of your hometown or city, you might
think it's a cheetah. Yet, it's not. Funnily enough, the Serval is a rather docile
cat. It doesn't climb, it likes being quiet, and
it only hunts small prey. And for those wondering, no, there has been
no confirmed cases of a Serval killing a human. 13. Peterbald
Here's a unique cat that will make you do a double take. the Peterbald are a species of cat that are
found mostly in Russia, and have a trait of not having hair. So they're quite literally bald cats. Though, to be fair, not all of them are bald,
some do get hair, but they do often lose it. So, what kind of personality does a Peterbald
have? Well, it's actually quite a playful species
of cat. More than that though, it's intelligent. So while it may not look the part, it'll likely
understand you better than most cats on this list or in the world today. On a side note, this seems to resemble a cat
who was owned by a certain Dr. Evil... 12. Korat
Though cats are accepted in most cultures in the world, that doesn't mean they don't
get their fair share of superstitions attached to them. A black cat for example can be viewed as bad
luck, but also, there are good luck cats. One of which is the Korat. Why is the Korat considered lucky? Well, it's because of its rarity. To the extent that during the 14th century
they were a sign of status and honor in the Thai government. Some were even given away as gifts to foreigners
as a symbol of good faith. That's quite a gift, huh? Fast forward to today, and the Korat is still
extremely rare. Their blue coat of fur is often never seen
in the wild or in the home. Even cat shows don't get this rare species
that often. This is likely because of their more reserved
nature. They apparently don't like loud noises, which
means a city would drive them notes, and their noses are very sensitive to smells. Which would also rule a city out. So hey, if do ever see a Korat, regardless
of the circumstance, go buy a lottery ticket, because your day might just be lucky. 11. Caracals
Heading back to the exotic kinds of cats, the Caracals is one that is both stunning
to look at, and is very interesting in terms of how it acts. You see, Caracals are a type of Lynx, another
exotic cat that has been known to have some aggressive tendencies at times. Because of this, you might think that the
Caracals are the same , but you would be wrong. In fact, many look at the Caracals as having
the looks of a Lynx, but the personality of the Serval. Some even believe they are more "well-mannered"
than Servals, which is saying something. They also tend to act more like cats, as they
use hissing as communication, and are very independent. Which...to be honest, is a problem at times,
because they when they go into a playful state, they've been known to wreck just about anything
in their path. They have been known to be taken in as pets,
but these ones seem to be a bit more high-maintenance. You've been warned. 10. The Norwegian Forest Cat
Here's a cat story you might like. The Norwegian Forest Cat is a breed of cat
that is very popular in Europe. However, during World War II, this particular
cat was almost made extinct. It survived however due to the efforts of
the Norwegian Forest Cat Club. They saved the cats and then used a special
breeding program to help bring their population numbers back up to acceptable levels. Because of that, they were declared a species,
the Norwegian Forest Cat, in the 1970's. I find this particularly heartwarming because
when you think of extinct animals, rarely do you think of small cats like this one. Yet, it happens. Thankfully, it didn't happen here. If you are up for getting this cat, you can
be in for a long haul with them, as they can live up to 16 years. However, you need to make sure you take care
of them, because they have been known to get Kidney Disease and Heart Disease. 9. Serengeti
Sometimes, you're not born into the world an original, you're created, and cats have
been breed that way for a long time believe it or not. A great example of this is the Serengeti. This species is a recent addition to the cat
world, as they were "developed" in the 1990's by crossing the Bengal and Oriental Shorthair
species. Because of this, they have a look that has
been likened to the Serval, yet they're entirely different in every way. The Serengeti has been described as a "confident,
active, and graceful" cat, which sounds like a perfect cat in my mind. How about you? Add to that, the breeding technique that helped
create this particular cat has inspired others around the world. Makes you wonder what will be "developed"
next. 8. Ocelot
Ocelot's are one of the more known exotic species of cats in the world. Mainly because they're gorgeous, and people
have tried to make them pets for quite some time...with mixed results. Have you ever seen Archer? Yeah, that's a good example of how not to
raise an Ocelot. Though you can truly understand why people
would want to try and make an Ocelot into a pet. Their fur is stunning, and the way they look
at you with those eyes is something special. But, they can be a handful. For example, they don't take well to commands,
and will downright ignore you at times (cats, am I right?) Furthermore, they have a particular odor that
can be overwhelming at times. Oh, and they have a very "unique" mating call
that will likely terrify you. Thankfully, depending on how you look at it,
Ocelots are very hard to obtain nowadays. Maybe people have started to wise up? 7. Ragamuffin
While this may have an odd name, the Ragamuffin is surprising unique in terms of other cats. This particular breed was only recognized
in 2003, but has taken the cat world by storm since then. It's a mix of specials including the Ragdoll
and certain breeds of street cat, but when you look and touch its fur and see its eyes,
it's clear how special it is. The Ragamuffin's further is almost unnaturally
soft. Even being compared to rabbits. And for those of you who know how hard it
is to keep a cats' hair from not clumping, that's honestly not an issue with the Ragamuffin. So it's honestly a cat you don't have to do
much maintenance on. Cool huh? As if that wasn't enough, the Ragamuffin is
actually pretty large for a domestic cat. it has heavy bones because of it, which adds
to its strength. 6. Geoffroy's Cat
From a rather big domestic cat to a very small exotic one, let's talk about Geoffroy's Cat. No, this isn't a cat owned by a specific person,
but a whole species, and one that measure in as one of the smallest cats on Earth, to
the extent that when they're fully grown they only weight at max eight pounds. Yet, Geoffroy's Cats are survivors. They were born in South America, and are so
well adapted that the heat nor the cold will affect them. That's pretty neat. People have an odd fascination with this breed
of cat. They apparently use it to breed a form of
Safari Cat, and some have tried to make it a pet. Because of this, getting one is extremely
hard, as their entire species are regulated when it comes to trading for them or trying
to obtain them. Though known to be sky, they can attack when
nervous or threatened. They also prefer the quiet life, which is
likely why South America suits them so well. 5. California Spangled
Developed in the US at the "urging" of anthropologist Louis Leaky, the California Spangled is now
one of the rarest cats in the world today. Proving that even cat breeds can go out of
style. As you can see, the California Spangled was
made to resemble the cats of Africa. And you have to admit, they did a really good
job. As it looks like a Leopard, among other things
of course. Sadly, the desire for such cats also breed
the Bengal and the Ocicat, which made the popularity of the California Spangled take
a nosedive. Thus why it's so rare. 4. British Shorthair
It's well known that cats live long lives, and have been around for a VERY long time. But this species is one of the oldest known
cat breeds ever, the British Shorthair. This cat is so revered in the UK that it's
inspired many things, not the least of which was the look of the Cheshire Cat in Alice
in Wonderland. Plus, it's the most pedigreed breed in the
country. To be honest, it's not hard to see why people
are attracted to it. It's big, those copper eyes are both piercing
and intimidating (in a good way of course), and it has several different fur color possibilities. Though its most famous fur is its blue-gray
combination. Thankfully, unlikely the Cheshire cat it inspired,
this one doesn't vanish...or talk...that I know of. 3. Turkish Van
This one deserves a special spot on my list because of its unique fur and personality. Anyone who's raised a cat knows that though
they drink water, they don't bathe in it, right? And only jungle cats will swim in water, right? Wrong! Meet, the Turkish. This cat is affectionately named the "swimming
cat" because it really likes to swim! Why? Well, it's probably because its fur is water-resistant. Which I honestly didn't know was possible
for a cat! Its fur is so special it doesn't even mat. The history of the Turkish Van is also pretty
interesting. They were originally found in the 1800's in
Turkey, hence the name. And then later on were brought over to the
UK. Yet, they weren't brought to the US until
80's. What's more, because of the Turks love for
the cat, they made it hard to import for breeding purposes. Despite that, if you are able to get one,
you'll have a very fun companion. 2. Egyptian Mau
Another cat that looks like a jungle cat, the Egyptian Mau is unique because its spots
are actually natural to it. No breeding or development required. But that's only the start of what makes this
cat so special. This is one of the fastest breeds of domestic
cats out there. In fact, it's been clocked at going 30MPH! That's a fast cat, good luck catching one
of them. But wait, there's more! The Egyptian Mau has been documented as having
a very "musical' sounding voice, which is a big plus for cat owners who don't want to
hear an annoying "meow" every 5 seconds (I'm speaking from experience on this one.) Also, they have a very kind and gentle personality,
making the Egyptian Mau a must have pet if you can get one. Which, sadly, brings me to the fact that there
are only 7000 of these cats registered at this time. So they are a very rare breed. 1. Bombay
If you have been paying attention, you'll have noticed that people really want miniaturized
versions of wild big cats like Lynxs, bobcats, jaguars, lions, etc. Another cat that people have apparently wanted
to "miniaturize" is the panther. And because of that, the Bombay was breed. These cats are rare, yet they really do look
like a small version of a panther, but without the aggressive nature. The Bombay can even be leash-trained if you
can believe it, proving that it's a very kind and docile breed. It's kind to other pets, it's kind to people,
and those eyes just lure people to it. Needless to say, this is one special cat. Thanks for watching! Have you ever seen or heard of some of these
cats? Do you want one of them now that we've shown
them to you? Let us know in the comments! Be sure to subscribe and see you next time
on W5L!!
There is a Turkish van that has been visiting my house for the past few days and my mom and I really want to adopt it so my grandmother posted on Facebook asking if it belongs to anyone and if nobody claims it than we might adopt it