Mokave Jag Cats

Mokave Jag Cats are really smart, super fast, agile as monkeys, and irresistibly affectionate! They have a wild "jungle" look yet make wonderful family companions. Jag Cats are selectively bred to resemble miniature Jaguars and have many exotic features such as larger, heavier bodies; slanted profiles with strong jaws; broad noses and muzzles; huge paws; and thick tails. Most Jag Cats have golden-brown coats with dark spots, two-toned rosettes, or a tri-colored marbled pattern. Jag Cats also can have black spots on a black coat. Snow Jags are white with spots or rosettes.

Mokave Jag Cats originated from a blend of bobcat, Jungle Cat and Asian Leopard Cat genes. Each hybrid generation was carefully bred to ensure a pet-like temperament while retaining as much of the wild look, size, and intelligence as possible. For more than a decade I observed and selected one or two kittens out of each litter that best represented the gene type necessary to enhance this extremely rare Jag Cat breed.

It takes a long time to evolve a completely new breed, but each generation I produce reflect more of these exotic yet gentle qualities. I have used a lot of genetic material from a wide variety of felines to produce the Jag Cats you see today on my website. My breeding program is still a work-in-progress and will continue to be so until I feel I have captured the essence of a true Mokave Jag Cat.

Shown below are photos of two of the wild cats whose offspring helped to create my Mokave Jag Cats.

Asian Leopard Cat

One of the ancestors of my Mokave Jag Cats

African Jungle Cat

Another ancestor of my Mokave Jag Cats

In 2006 I had planned to develop a second new breed called Mokave Lynx Cats, modeled after the beautiful and endangered Red Iberian Lynx. After much deliberation, however, I decided to merge the lynx-like features I had developed in some of my cats into my Jag Cat line to produce one truly unique cat look... basically, the head of a lynx on the body of a jaguar!

Please note that it is genetically impossible to breed a domestic or small-wildcat hybrid into the size and weight of an actual jaguar or leopard because smaller felines do not carry the gene for gigantism. However, it is possible to emulate the features of these magnificent animals. Shown below are photos of Mokave Jag Cats compared to photos of jaguars, lynx, and bobcats.

Jaguar To Jag Cat Comparison #1

Jaguar To Jag Cat Comparison #2

Iberian Lynx To Jag Cat Comparison #1

Bobcat/Lynx To Jag Cat Comparison #2

Email Inquiry

"I love your website and am interested in purchasing a kitten from you. Originally, I wanted to get an Ocelot, but after a lot of research, I realized that it was not such a great idea. But I love the leopard-style markings... Your Jag Cat seems to be just the answer."

Brent S.

Jag Cat Coat Colors

Mokave Jag Cats come in a range of colors: golden brown, chocoloate, cinnamon, black, blue (rare) and snow (rare). In addition, a Jag Cat's coat color can change over time as it grows.

Color Example #1

These photos show Jazzi's color transistion from 3 weeks of age to 5 months.
Jazzi coat later darkened to a gorgeous mahogany.

Color Example #2

Kalihari went from a little ugly duckling to a BIG black swan!
These photos were taken from when she was nine weeks old to one year old.

Color Example #3

Here's my strangest example.
Ziggy at one week to six months -- look at how his coat kept changing colors!

Color Example #4

Lava went from a deep black with black spots to a gorgeous copper with mostly black spots!
These photos were taken from when she was 1, 2 and 6 months old.

Mokave Snow Jags

Mokave Snow Jags are a rare white color, just as snow leopards are more rare than regular leopards. I produce two types of snow cats: Snow Mink and Seal Lynx Point. These terms refer to the color of the kitten's coat - not the breed.

NOTE: Mokave Snows are not albinos and have none of the hearing problems often associated with domestic white cats.

Seal Mink
Creamy white coat. Pattern visible at birth and darkens over time. Gold, green or aqua eyes.

Seal Lynx Point
Solid white coat. Can take 12 months for pattern to emerge and darken. Blue eyes.

Jag Cat Eye Colors

All kittens are born with blue eyes. The eyes of domestic kittens change to their permanent color after a couple of months. Mokave cats are unusual in that their eye color can continue to change as they become adults. Typically, Jag Cat have bright gold or emerald green eyes. Snow Jags can have blue, gold or aqua eyes.

Eye Color Examples

Green Eyes

Gold Eyes

Blue Eyes

Eye Color Development in a Mokave Cat

Typical Blue-Eyed Kitten

Brown-Eyed Young "Kyra"

Gold-Eyed Adult "Kyra"

Jag Cat Spot Patterns

Mokave Jag Cats come in a variety of coat patterns, ranging from a slightly ticked and muted forest pattern to highly contrasted jungle rosettes! Sometimes the coat pattern of a Mokave cat will alter as it matures. It's common for the spots to grow larger and often develop rosettes (two-toned spots). However, with Mokave cats the spots can also get darker or almost disappear, according to the changing seasons.

Pattern Examples

Jag Cat Size

Mokave cats are some of the largest felines available as family pets. Compare Mokave kittens to domestic kittens and you'll see some major differences. For example, my kittens don't even really start to grow until they are five months old. Then they have growth spurts every month or so for the first year, every three or four months in their second year, and every six months or so in their third year. Mokave cats are solid muscle - not fat - and usually look much heavier than they actually are.

PLEASE NOTE: I CANNOT GUARANTEE SIZE!

Here are some average ranges for both housecats and Mokave cats:

TYPE       Housecat      Mokave Cat

SOCIALIZED      8–10 weeks     12–16 weeks

MATURITY     12–18 mos      3.5–4 years

WEIGHT     5–12 lbs.     12–28 lbs.

LENGTH w/TAIL    26–29 inches     27–37 inches

LIFE SPAN      12–17 years       17–20 years

Mokave Jag Cats are a new cat breed whose size and features are not yet predictable from litter to litter. As shown below, some of my largest adults looked tiny when they were kittens.

Size Example #1

5 Weeks

5 Months

10 Months

Mokave's Snow King Ashanti was a normal-sized kitten but grew to be a BIG boy.
This gentle giant weighed 16.8 pounds when he was only 10 months old!

Size Example #2

3 Weeks

6 Months

F2 Savannah -- Mokave's Phoenix

Mokave's King Phoenix was the smallest kitten born in 2006. He turned out to be one of the biggest cats in my cattery!
Compare his size to his companion, an F2 Savannah (on right).

Size Example #3

Kitten Yuma

8 Months

15 Months

Mokave's King Yuma was a big friendly kitten that turned into a big friendly cat.
His Pet Parents tell me he weighs 27 pounds now!

Size Example #4

5 Months

30 Months

36 Months

Aristacat was a normal sized kittten but he grew to be 28 pounds of monster kitty!
His photo was displayed in a newspaper article about an Animal Planet Expo.

Size Example #5

Kitten Dakarai

22 Pounds

28 Pounds

Dakarai's Pet Parents tell me, "Dakarai looks HUGE when 6' 4" James or I hold him,
but when someone 5' 7" or so holds him, he looks like a baby tiger!"