Sokoke Cats

Sokoke cats are a naturally-occurring cat breed originally from Kenya’s Sokoke Arabuke forest. This cat breed is sometimes referred to as the African shorthair cat. They were imported to Europe in the 1980’s. The first Sokoke kittens in Europe seemed to be susceptible to infections, but they are now considered a sturdy, generally healthy cat.

The Sokoke cat has not been recognized by the Cat Fanciers’ Association (CFA) of the United States. Sokokes are one of the cat breeds in the shorthair and Somali category of the Federation International Feline (FIFe). The Sokoke cat breed is also one of the preliminary new cat breeds of The International Cat Association (TICA).

The body type of Sokoke cats is medium-sized and slender, however they should not be so slender and elongated like the oriental body type. Though they have a slender build, they are muscular, especially in the neck and shoulder region. Male Sokoke cats are significantly larger that the females.
Their heads are somewhat small. The top of the head is much flatter than the heads of many cat breeds. Sokoke cats have moderately large ears with slightly rounded tips. The eyes of Sokoke cats are moderately large and similar to almond shape. The outer corners of the eyes are slanted towards the ears. The eye color can be amber to light green. The noses are medium in length and wide with an abrupt end.

The only acceptable coat color for Sokokes is brown, modified classic tabby. The Sokoke cat’s coat is very short and lies close to the skin. The texture of the hair is almost hard, not silky or soft like many cat breeds. The hair has ticking, which is the presence of bands of color. The color of the coat can be any shade of brown.

These African shorthair cats tend to develop strong social bonds with their owners. Though they are affectionate, they also have an independent nature. These athletic cats can be quite active. Sokoke cats can be talkative, but they are described as having peaceful personalities. They sometimes use their voices to express possessiveness over their human and feline companions. Sokokes generally get along well with other cats in the household. They are considered intelligent and seem to understand their owners.