?
Breeds with a high affection level want to give and receive a lot of attention, while less-affectionate breeds are not as interested in petting and snuggles.
0100%
90%
Activity Level
?
Breeds with high activity levels will engage more in active play and demand more space and attention.
0100%
100%
Pet-Friendly
?
How well the breed tends to get along with cats, dogs, and other pets.
0100%
80%
Kid-Friendly
?
Breeds with a higher rating in this area tend to be gentle and patient, while lower-rated breeds may feel uncomfortable with children.
0100%
90%
Sociability
?
Breeds with a higher sociability rating will want to spend time with you all day, while less-sociable breeds seldom seek out human interaction.
0100%
90%
Intelligence
?
Breeds with higher intelligence ratings are more curious, investigative, and easy to train. Less-intelligent breeds are less trainable but often laid-back and easygoing.
0100%
100%
Playfulness
?
Breeds that score higher in this area have strong hunting instincts that make them great playtime companions.
0100%
100%
Independence
?
Breeds that score higher in this area are able to spend hours alone, while less-independent breeds require plenty of attention.
0100%
40%
Vocality
?
A higher rating in this area indicates a breed prone to plenty of meowing and other vocalizations, while less-vocal breeds are happy to stay quiet.
0100%
50%
Grooming
?
Breeds with higher grooming scores require more maintenance like brushing and bathing, while lower-scored breeds are virtually maintenance-free.
0100%
10%
Personality and Temperament
Large, exotic, and active, Cheetoh cats are fun-loving individuals that crave attention from their families. They tend to get on well with everyone – other pets included!
These incredible cats have a wild appearance, even though they are eight generations removed from the wildcats that make up the breed's foundation. Don’t let that fool you though: They are dedicated lap cats, happy to curl up on the couch and enjoy some well-deserved time in front of the TV!
Cheetoh cats can weigh more than 20 pounds. They are among the largest cat breeds ever developed, and as they’re relatively new, they are also among the rarest.
Since Cheetoh cats are several generations removed from their wild ancestors, they thrive on high quality cat food and have no special dietary requirements.
These cats are not prone to shedding as their hair is extremely short. Light brushing can bring out the hair's sheen. As Cheetoh cats are large and active, your furniture will thank you for keeping their toenails trimmed. You might also wish to brush your cat's teeth on a regular basis.
Cheetoh cats love to jump, climb, run, and explore. They thrive on interactive play and they appreciate access to a tall cat tower, wall shelves, and window seats.
As hybrid cats, Cheetohs tend to enjoy robust good health. Cataracts, eye disease, sensitivity to anesthetics, and heart disease may be inherited in some cases.
History
The Cheetoh cat is a relatively new breed. Developed by Carol Dryman in 2001, Cheetoh cats were first created by crossing Bengal cats with Ocicats. The goal was to create a new cat breed with a gentle, friendly nature and a physical appearance similar to a wildcat.
Although Cheetoh cats are gaining popularity thanks to their incredible personalities and exotic good looks, they are not yet recognized by the Cat Fanciers Association or any other breed registry.
Cheetoh cats typically have green to gold eyes with a rounded shape.
Legs & Paws
The legs should be graceful and well-muscled. The hind legs are typically longer than the forelegs contributing to the Cheetoh cat's distinctive "stalking" walk.
Tail
A Cheetoh cat has a long, well-proportioned tail with a rounded tip and a slightly wider base.
The Breed Standard
Body
The body should be large, muscular, and well proportioned. Female Cheetoh cats generally weigh up to 15 pounds, while male Cheetoh cats tend to weigh up to 23 pounds.
Head
Cheetoh cats have triangular heads that are in proportion to the body.
Ears
The ears should be wide at the base with rounded tips.
Coat
The Cheetoh cat has a thick, soft, coat with a plush, velvety feel. The coat exhibits spots, rosettes, or a combination of rosettes and spots. It is very short, and is not prone to shedding.
Color
Cheetoh cat colors include black and brown spotted sienna, with variations of sorrel, tawny, golden, and mahogany; black and brown spotted tan, black spotted smoke, black spotted silver, and lynx pointed gold spotted snow.
Where to Find a Cheetoh Cat or Kitten
At Cats.com, we advocate for cat adoption versus buying from breeders.
The Cheetoh, like other purebred cats, is seldom seen in shelters and rescues.
Try out our Petfinder tool to explore cats who are either confirmed Cheetoh or resemble one.
Remember that many shelters incorrectly label moggies — non-purebred cats — as purebreds.
Take a look, and you just might fall in love with a non-purebred rescue cat in need.
If you want to purchase a Cheetoh, consider contacting a local breeder for more information.
Cheetoh cats tend to be large in size. A fully grown Cheetoh cat might weigh between 12-25 pounds or more and range in height anywhere from about 12"-18" inches tall.
How long do Cheetoh cats live?
The Average lifespan for Cheetoh is 10-15 years.
Do Cheetoh cats shed?
Cheetoh are short-haired cats. Therefore, they do not shed as much as long-haired cat breeds.
We adore our Cheetoh Cleopatra. She’s friendly, playful (plays fetch! ) And affectionate. Just don’t try to pick her up- ever. She’s very very pointy & It will not end well, lol. (And that’s been true since she was a kitten- she never liked being held, ever. )But if she likes you she’ll come sit on you for pets and love.
We bought two of these from the same litter (brother and sister) born in March 2021 and picked up in June 2021. They are now a year old. They are both beautiful and everyone that comes to our house mentions how exotic they look. They are very friendly even to total strangers. They have tended to be very close to me and not so much to the rest of the family. I would say they are similar in size to regular house cats and not nearly as large as what I read about them. The boy is larger than the girl. They have both been fixed. Despite what I wanted and expected regarding shedding, they shed a lot, just as much as any other cat I have ever had. They seem to require a fairly normal diet of regular cat food. Throughout the year they have both changed a lot as far as personalities with each being much more friendly at given times. The girl was much more friendly as a kitten. The boy is much more friendly at a year old. We have never had litter training issues. The boy is very vocal and talks a lot when he is bored or wants to go outside. It can be very annoying at night and sometimes wakes our kids and often wakes me. They have maybe a little more energy than most cats, but not by much. They don’t really destroy much, but have scratched up the corners of our couch even though we have supplied several scratching posts. We got two to keep each other company and I am not sure how different it would be to have just one. They are good cats, but cleaning the litter is not fun as with any cat and the boy meowing can be annoying. But by far my biggest issue is the shedding which I got them specifically because I read online that they didnt really shed.
Regarding cost, they were listed at $1250 each but since we bought two from the same breeder at the same time we got them both for $2400. We live in Utah and had to go to Idaho to get them.
Our cats also play fetch. They do not tend to like water like others I have read about. They are okay with being picked up and carried for a short amount of time but don’t love it and the longer you hold them, the more they want to get away. For whatever reason our cats refuse to ever bite or scratch humans, which is different from other cats I have had in the past. When pestered by my kids they are flight not fight. Our boy does not digest wet cat food very well and it gives him diarrhea for some reason. I guess this is how their dad was too
Hi Neil, I haven’t been able to find any breeders in the UK, but you may be able to purchase from a breeder located elsewhere. Here’s a guide to authorized breeders in the United States. You may be able to contact them and get information about breeders closer to you or their ability to transport a cat to you.
There are very few Cheetoh breeders around, but you can order from an out-of-state breeder and have the cat shipped to you. Consider contacting this breeder in Idaho.
Our little cheetoh is a big boy, probably around 20 pounds. He’s a very sociable cat and really loves hanging out with people. I’ve never seen him be aggressive towards humans ever. He has never bitten or scratched people on purpose. However, he is very aggressive towards other cats. We got him for this reason, his previous owner had other cats and he was attacking them. We’re hoping to get a dog to be his friend at home. He loves to play and has lots of energy which seems to be the norm with his breed. Very very vocal, to the point of it being an issue at night and while i work (i work at home). One odd thing is that he has no interest people food, so he’s a great helper when I cook dinner. Lots of action to keep him interested, but I don’t have to worry about the food! He does have an issue with licking plastic, but I’ve heard that a lot of cats like plastic. And, yes, I stop him when I catch it.
We bought two boys from a breeder in Lacey, WA; they were born Mar-2021, they are litter mates and we got them at age 4 months. One is a grey marble (Taro) and the other a medium brown spotted (Renji).
Taro is more stocky, has a sweet little bird chirp voice and tends to have a calm quiet personality, but also very sneaky and stubborn. He is currently over 15 lbs. He is a ‘cave cat’; not much of a climber, but loves to get into holes, boxes, under furniture, under the bed sheets, etc. He does not like to be picked up, but tolerates it for a short time. He will talk when he is hungry or wants to go outside.
Renji has a slimmer build, and weighs about 13.5 lbs currently. He is very athletic, climbs trees (really tall ones) like greased lightning, balances in stair rails, jumps on top of open doors, opens the doors to go outside if they are not securely latched, opens cabinets doors and drawers, plays like a maniac, etc. When he is bored, and we just cannot play with him, he finds something to entertain himself. He has a Siamese’s voice and is very talkative; my wife has lengthy conversations with him. He also has a touchy tummy; wet food gives him the ‘runs’.
Sometimes, games of chase ensue, actually daily, and it sounds like we have small horses running through the house.
We feed them Dr. Elsey’s and Royal Canin Sensitive Digestion dry cat food in various flavors. They do like an occasional nibble of bacon, ham and turkey lunch meat, but that’s about it for people food; offered ’em fresh salmon…no thanks.
Toys… don’t’ waste your money on fancy stuff, try string, sticks, boba straws, balls and long grass stems.
They tolerate manicures if you start them young.
They get along with our little female stray rescue (she tolerates them). They try to play with our neighbors dogs, and don’t seem to understand why the dogs are barking at them so. (isn’t everybody our friend?)
They do shed, esp. during the summer. But, so does their adopted sister (worse), so weekly vacuuming is the order around our house.
We let them out in the yard for an hour or two each day, if it’s not too cold and rainy. We put blue and pink harnesses on them so we can spot them in the garden; without the color, they blend right in and disappear. They have never bitten or scratched in anger, just gentle play-bites, but you gotta be careful of the claws when playing as they can get a bit aggressive when going for a stick or whatever you are holding in your hand, Renji especially,
Taro is very sensitive and knows when one of us is emotionally upset or not feeling well. He will come sit with you.
These are very intelligent, high energy cats and will keep you entertained. They know there names, they will come when called, (unless its’ time to go in from the yard), they understand ‘no’.
They really do have dog-like qualities.
They are really adorable rascals; like having small children again. Great family members.
We decided about 4 years ago to purchase a Cheetoh kitten. Best decision we could have made! We now have 15 of them and wouldn’t trade them for anything! They have a huge enclosed outdoor patio that is their hangout. They love laying in the sun! They are the best family addition you could possibly ask for. Ours are very high energy, playful and extremely spoiled. Each personality is so unique and fun. These are very smart cats and super inquisitive.
We did have ours spayed and neutered as we did not intend to breed any of them.
The pricing has increased from $1500-$3000
Thanks for mentioning this, Kimberly!
IMO, these cats are worth every cent. My buddy was more of a companion than a pet. He’s since passed, but he left behind many fond memories.
I LOVE these cats I think I might get one some day…
We adore our Cheetoh Cleopatra. She’s friendly, playful (plays fetch! ) And affectionate. Just don’t try to pick her up- ever. She’s very very pointy & It will not end well, lol. (And that’s been true since she was a kitten- she never liked being held, ever. )But if she likes you she’ll come sit on you for pets and love.
aw that’s so sweet! I love her name too!
We bought two of these from the same litter (brother and sister) born in March 2021 and picked up in June 2021. They are now a year old. They are both beautiful and everyone that comes to our house mentions how exotic they look. They are very friendly even to total strangers. They have tended to be very close to me and not so much to the rest of the family. I would say they are similar in size to regular house cats and not nearly as large as what I read about them. The boy is larger than the girl. They have both been fixed. Despite what I wanted and expected regarding shedding, they shed a lot, just as much as any other cat I have ever had. They seem to require a fairly normal diet of regular cat food. Throughout the year they have both changed a lot as far as personalities with each being much more friendly at given times. The girl was much more friendly as a kitten. The boy is much more friendly at a year old. We have never had litter training issues. The boy is very vocal and talks a lot when he is bored or wants to go outside. It can be very annoying at night and sometimes wakes our kids and often wakes me. They have maybe a little more energy than most cats, but not by much. They don’t really destroy much, but have scratched up the corners of our couch even though we have supplied several scratching posts. We got two to keep each other company and I am not sure how different it would be to have just one. They are good cats, but cleaning the litter is not fun as with any cat and the boy meowing can be annoying. But by far my biggest issue is the shedding which I got them specifically because I read online that they didnt really shed.
Regarding cost, they were listed at $1250 each but since we bought two from the same breeder at the same time we got them both for $2400. We live in Utah and had to go to Idaho to get them.
Our cats also play fetch. They do not tend to like water like others I have read about. They are okay with being picked up and carried for a short amount of time but don’t love it and the longer you hold them, the more they want to get away. For whatever reason our cats refuse to ever bite or scratch humans, which is different from other cats I have had in the past. When pestered by my kids they are flight not fight. Our boy does not digest wet cat food very well and it gives him diarrhea for some reason. I guess this is how their dad was too
Can you buy them in the UK ??? as can’t seem to find a breader hear
Hi Neil, I haven’t been able to find any breeders in the UK, but you may be able to purchase from a breeder located elsewhere. Here’s a guide to authorized breeders in the United States. You may be able to contact them and get information about breeders closer to you or their ability to transport a cat to you.
Are they’re Cheetoh breeders near Sacramento Ca.?
There are very few Cheetoh breeders around, but you can order from an out-of-state breeder and have the cat shipped to you. Consider contacting this breeder in Idaho.
Our little cheetoh is a big boy, probably around 20 pounds. He’s a very sociable cat and really loves hanging out with people. I’ve never seen him be aggressive towards humans ever. He has never bitten or scratched people on purpose. However, he is very aggressive towards other cats. We got him for this reason, his previous owner had other cats and he was attacking them. We’re hoping to get a dog to be his friend at home. He loves to play and has lots of energy which seems to be the norm with his breed. Very very vocal, to the point of it being an issue at night and while i work (i work at home). One odd thing is that he has no interest people food, so he’s a great helper when I cook dinner. Lots of action to keep him interested, but I don’t have to worry about the food! He does have an issue with licking plastic, but I’ve heard that a lot of cats like plastic. And, yes, I stop him when I catch it.
We bought two boys from a breeder in Lacey, WA; they were born Mar-2021, they are litter mates and we got them at age 4 months. One is a grey marble (Taro) and the other a medium brown spotted (Renji).
Taro is more stocky, has a sweet little bird chirp voice and tends to have a calm quiet personality, but also very sneaky and stubborn. He is currently over 15 lbs. He is a ‘cave cat’; not much of a climber, but loves to get into holes, boxes, under furniture, under the bed sheets, etc. He does not like to be picked up, but tolerates it for a short time. He will talk when he is hungry or wants to go outside.
Renji has a slimmer build, and weighs about 13.5 lbs currently. He is very athletic, climbs trees (really tall ones) like greased lightning, balances in stair rails, jumps on top of open doors, opens the doors to go outside if they are not securely latched, opens cabinets doors and drawers, plays like a maniac, etc. When he is bored, and we just cannot play with him, he finds something to entertain himself. He has a Siamese’s voice and is very talkative; my wife has lengthy conversations with him. He also has a touchy tummy; wet food gives him the ‘runs’.
Sometimes, games of chase ensue, actually daily, and it sounds like we have small horses running through the house.
We feed them Dr. Elsey’s and Royal Canin Sensitive Digestion dry cat food in various flavors. They do like an occasional nibble of bacon, ham and turkey lunch meat, but that’s about it for people food; offered ’em fresh salmon…no thanks.
Toys… don’t’ waste your money on fancy stuff, try string, sticks, boba straws, balls and long grass stems.
They tolerate manicures if you start them young.
They get along with our little female stray rescue (she tolerates them). They try to play with our neighbors dogs, and don’t seem to understand why the dogs are barking at them so. (isn’t everybody our friend?)
They do shed, esp. during the summer. But, so does their adopted sister (worse), so weekly vacuuming is the order around our house.
We let them out in the yard for an hour or two each day, if it’s not too cold and rainy. We put blue and pink harnesses on them so we can spot them in the garden; without the color, they blend right in and disappear. They have never bitten or scratched in anger, just gentle play-bites, but you gotta be careful of the claws when playing as they can get a bit aggressive when going for a stick or whatever you are holding in your hand, Renji especially,
Taro is very sensitive and knows when one of us is emotionally upset or not feeling well. He will come sit with you.
These are very intelligent, high energy cats and will keep you entertained. They know there names, they will come when called, (unless its’ time to go in from the yard), they understand ‘no’.
They really do have dog-like qualities.
They are really adorable rascals; like having small children again. Great family members.
Thank you for sharing these wonderful insights! Appreciate you sharing.
We decided about 4 years ago to purchase a Cheetoh kitten. Best decision we could have made! We now have 15 of them and wouldn’t trade them for anything! They have a huge enclosed outdoor patio that is their hangout. They love laying in the sun! They are the best family addition you could possibly ask for. Ours are very high energy, playful and extremely spoiled. Each personality is so unique and fun. These are very smart cats and super inquisitive.
We did have ours spayed and neutered as we did not intend to breed any of them.
Wow! Fifteen Cheetoh cats?! Amazing! Your outdoor patio sounds wonderful, and you must have some very happy cats. Thank you so much for sharing.