Sokoke

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Sokoke
Sokoke, neutered male
Alternative names
Khadzonzos
Country of origin
Kenya
Breed standard
FIFe	: standard
CCA	: standard

The Sokoke is a breed of cat. The original name of the breed was Khadzonzos. This name was given to the cat by the local people, the Giriama tribe, who had known of the cat for a considerable time. It is speculated that this breed of cat had been around for possibly centuries before the intervention of the West. "Khadzonzo" means "look like tree bark" in the language of the Giriama people and it is plain to see why. The coat of this cat is a modified tabby (a marbled appearance much like the marbled Bengal), which looks like tree bark.

The Khadzonzos cats were discovered in the Arabuko-Sokoke forest, on the Kenyan coast, by Jeni Slater in 1978. Gloria Moeldrop, a friend of Slater's, brought some of the cats home with her to Denmark to breed because Jeni Slater feared for the survival of the cat in Kenya. In 1990, she imported more cats from Kenya to strengthen the breeding stock. The cats were first shown in Copenhagen in 1984. The breed was officially recognized by the FIFe in 1993, with the name changed to Sokoke, after where they came from.

There has been some speculation as to whether this is a domestic cat or a descendant of a wild cat that has domesticated itself. DNA testing has confirmed no wild genes however. The Sokoke appears to have been a feral domestic cat.

Sokokes have blotched tabby coats in shades of brown, with amber to light green eyes. The center of the patterns are hollow looking due to the agouti gene producing a "salt and pepper" look. Their coats are short and coarse, with little to no undercoat. Accordingly they have felt the cold when exported to Denmark. Their bodies are long and thin, with long legs. The back legs should be longer than the front legs, similar to an ocelot. Sokokes are very active and enjoy climbing and "talking" to their people.

They are healthy cats although they did suffer illness initially apparently after being exported to Denmark. This breed is now bred in Denmark, Norway, USA and Canada.

For more on Sokokes and pictures see "The Cats of Lamu", Couffer, Jack and Mike: New York. The Lyons Press c 1998. ISBN 1-85410-568-X