USA: Designer exotic cats are catching on with the jet set crowd who are willing to pay big money to own the domestic "wild" breed
Record ID:
231037
USA: Designer exotic cats are catching on with the jet set crowd who are willing to pay big money to own the domestic "wild" breed
- Title: USA: Designer exotic cats are catching on with the jet set crowd who are willing to pay big money to own the domestic "wild" breed
- Date: 4th December 2007
- Summary: (L!3) SAN DIEGO, CALIFORNIA, UNITED STATES (RECENT) (REUTERS) KITTEN LAYING ON SOFA WITH LIFESTYLE PETS SPOKESPERSON ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ OF LIFESTYLE PETS, ON THE DEMAND FOR THE ASHERA CATS, SAYING: "About 50 of them sell in about a year. They go for around 22,000 dollars (USD) to 28,000 dollars, depending on what type of Ashera cat you want. "It's very popular in the metropolitan areas, like New York, London and Los Angeles. They love having these type of cats. They're able to afford it, like movie stars, directors and people who live in New York, LA and London. They definitely find it worthwhile to buy a beautiful cat like this one." ASHERA KITTEN ON THE FLOOR (SOUNDBITE) (English) ALEXIS RODRIGUEZ OF LIFESTYLE PETS, ON THE DEVELOPMENT OF THE CAT, SAYING: "He really fell in love with these two different breeds and he really felt that they would be a good match. So, the African Serval and Asian Leopard, he really enjoyed the Asian Leopard because of the way it looked with the stripes and the African Serval because of the domestic."
- Embargoed: 19th December 2007 12:00
- Keywords:
- Location: Usa
- Country: USA
- Topics: Light / Amusing / Unusual / Quirky
- Reuters ID: LVA14YMIRWJPRBE7EAKA2IUS5M86
- Story Text: The Ashera is a hybrid, but the designer kitty is by no means economical. In fact, the cats are the next big thing for those with an unlimited income and a willingness to spend it. The Ashera, developed by Lifestyle Pets of California, is known as the world's most exotic domestic breed with a price tag of over 22,000 dollars (USD).
Jo Cachia, of San Juan Capistrano, California, California, won her Ashera kitten at a charity auction. She told Reuters that after a brief adjustment period, she and her family quickly fell in love with the "big cat's" striking looks.
"Obviously, physically, he looks a lot different than a normal cat," explained Cachia. "I think personality-wise, he's a little more rambunctious and assertive and aggressive than our other cats. Our other cats are twice the size and he chases them around like he's a leopard."
This would make sense, since Lifestyle Pets actually hired a team of scientists to help develop the Ashera. The breed is part African Serval, part Asian leopard and part U.S. house cat. The end result is a domestic "leopard" that can reach up to 40 pounds when fully grown, with an average lifespan of 25 years. Despite its size and wild lineage, the company says the Ashera is friendly, outgoing and not cheap.
"About 50 of them sell in about a year," explained Lifestyle Pets spokesperson Alexis Rodriguez. "They go for around 22,000 dollars (USD) to 28,000 dollars (13,000-19,000 euros), depending on what type of Ashera cat you want."
Lifestyle Pets say demand for the exotic cats are high and that there is a year long waiting list for a new kitten. - Copyright Holder: REUTERS
- Copyright Notice: (c) Copyright Thomson Reuters 2011. Open For Restrictions - http://about.reuters.com/fulllegal.asp
- Usage Terms/Restrictions: None