If you like the idea of having a pet cat, then there are many breeds and types that you could focus on. Cats come in all shapes, sizes, and personality types. Some are full of life and charisma, others are more docile and sedate. The challenge for many people when it comes to finding a good pet is to pick the breed that they can find a meaningful attachment to. With that in mind, one breed that you might have looked into is the Caracal cat.
These cat breeds have become increasingly popular with people looking for something a little bit different. These large wild cats hail from various parts of Africa and Asia. They are commonly found in more dry and arid areas. This makes them especially common across the Middle East. Warmer and drier parts of India and Pakistan tend to attract caracal cats, too.
For some, they look like amazing pets – truly majestic. For others, they could become an expensive nightmare that they soon regret. So, what is the truth? Often, somewhere in-between. Let us look at more about the caracal cat today.
What is the caracal cat?
As mentioned, these are very specific types of large cat. They make the normal house cat look tiny, and can even be slightly intimidating to children. Their particular size and bulk mean they stand out in a crow and can be very commonly seen from afar. One thing to note is they have very sleek bodies and tend to have a red-gold coat color. To someone in the distance, these could easily be mistaken for tigers or lions.
Their long ears are very noticeable, too, and they tend to stand up most of the time. The caracal cat also has a long set of legs, so they can cover quite comical distances without really having to move too much. The name itself stems from their large, black ears: caracal is a derivative of the Turkish word Karakulak. This means ‘black ear’ in Turkish.
Can you keep a caracal cat as a pet?
Given they are wild animals, it is not something we would ever recommend. Keeping caracal cats as pets is not really going to give them a happy and/or positive quality of life. Most of the time, they need very particular care and attention. Typical pet owners will be unwilling or incapable of providing them with what they need.
Unless you really go to the effort of training, feeding, and providing for a caracal cat, they make poor pets. They need masses of space, huge amounts of food, and incredible levels of independence. Add in their size and power makes them quite dangerous to other pets in the local area, and they do not typically make good pets.
If you are going to think about owning one as a pet, you first need to look into legality. Not everywhere in the USA would permit such a pet in the first place. If you are not permitted by your local area to have one, then that is it really. They are simply too large and too distinct from other cat breeds to be able to hide or disguise.
It is, though, legal to keep caracal cats in some parts of the USA. You should check the local laws first before you really decide on what you want to do. If you do determine that a caracal cat is right for you, the below should offer you some very useful details. So, what do you need to know?
Things to know about caracal cats
They are immensely powerful
So, the first thing to note is that these cats put your typical cat to shame in terms of raw power. They can reach as long as 3ft in length and can weigh as much as 40lbs at their full power. This means they carry a lot of bulk and power for an animal. Many pet owners might find them quite hard to manage and intimidate. And unlike other pets, they can be hard to discipline.
Put simply, they might feel comfortable ‘taking over’ from you down the line so they do not always have that fear/respect for their owner. They are used to being self-sufficient and handling things on their own. So, unless you give the caracal cat what it needs, it can become quite physically intimidating. Albeit not always by meaning it – still, their power is to be respected.
They can leap like athletes
The first time you see one of your caracal cats jump into the air, you will wish you had a camera. They have the natural spring and jumping capacity of a basketball player – if not even more impressive. Indeed, if a bird flies low enough to the ground a caracal cat could leap into the air, catch them, and play with its food.
They have immense physical power and great agility. You could see them climb a tree very easily, ready to pounce on the first poor animal that happens to fly close enough to get turned into dinner.
Their speed and their pace should be something that you appreciate. They are fast, agile cats that can bounce high up into the air. Again, this is another reason why they make challenging house pets; they have the speed, power, and bounce to make life a real challenge.
They tend to live alone
One thing to really keep in mind here is that the caracal cat is not something that lives in pairs. For the mating season, they will obviously have a mate. Outside of this, though, they go it alone and thus they will hunt and fight alone. Their natural athleticism means they can easily get the drop on unsuspecting prey and catch them easily.
They also can dig very strongly, so they can burrow into the ground to find moles, mice, and other rodents. So, you should not expect that your caracal cat is going to be too happy about your presence. They will probably tolerate you enough if you feed them, but they will not be like other cats.
Keep this in mind, then, as they can become very solitary outside of mating season. And without a mate to keep them happy, the mating season can become problematic, to say the least.
They eat lots of smaller prey
The caracal cat can easily capture everything from small rodents and birds to rabbits and even things like antelopes. However, they are smart enough to avoid physical fighting with larger animals. So, while you would need to keep a very close eye on your caracal cat going for family birds and rodents, they will not go for things like cows and other larger animals.
This is a challenge for many pet owners who have a variety, though. Anything the size of a bird or a rodent will, in the eyes of the caracal cats, be fair game. Try to keep that in mind as they do not really mind annoying you too much – if they want something, they will tend to try and take it. And usually, this means with rapid force and utter precision.
They can attack humans – but only in rare circumstances
As noted, your typical caracal cat knows what it can and cannot beat. They will not charge a human unless you leave it no other choice. Corner one, though, and they will leap for you. If it can find a way around you, though, they will. Human attacks by caracal cats are very rare and often come from a human pushing the cat to its absolute limit in terms of fear.
They are animals that should be left in the wild unless given extremely particular and specific care from a very young age. Most of the time, they are not going to settle well in a human environment. They are also very expensive to look after, with their massive food budgets being eye-watering. Add in the cost of at least $2,000 to get one in your home, and you need to be prepared to spend both upfront and down the line.
They also need things like transport cages – large ones – and lots of tools and toys to keep them satisfied. For that reason, many might find that owning a caracal cat is simply not going to be viable for them for various reasons.
Is owning a caracal cat right for you?
The main thing to note, then, is that they are not easy to look after. They are suspicious of everyone, they can be quite powerful, and they have very little room for discipline. Their natural size and power paired with their intelligence and solitary nature mean the caracal cat is not a natural choice of pet for many.
Sure, you could look after one. If you can give it seven days per week care, you can afford its massive food bill, and will probably need to be de-clawed. There is, therefore, a massive compromise needed for both of you. Unless you are absolutely determined to have a caracal cat, you might find other more natural choices for a pet.