Sokoke basic information

The Sokoke is a breed of cat. The original name of the breed was Khadzonzos. The Khadzonzos cats were discovered in the Sokoke-Arabuke 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. In 1990, she imported more cats from Kenya to strengthen the breeding stock. The cats were first shown in Copenhagen in 1995. The breed was officially recognized by the FIFe in 1993, with the name changed to Sokoke, after where they came from.

Sokokes have blotched tabby coats in shades of brown, with amber to light green eyes. Their coats are short and coarse, with little to no undercoat. 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.

The appearance of the Sokoke immediately strikes a cord that they are from Kenya. The qualities they retain from the wild are their super efficient ears and slanted almond-shaped eyes in various shades of amber to light green. Moderately sized, their unique and attractive African tabby pattern varies from a warm light brown to an almost black chestnut brown. They resemble an ocelot. The quality of their coat, one of their most unique features, is: shiny, extremely short, elastic, silky, and without any undercoat. The Sokoke's elegant body and impressive stance evoke an air of stately self-confidence. A silhouette of a Sokoke's proud stature reveals: a strong chin, an almost straight medium nose, well defined cheekbones, ears upright in an alert listening position, and a slender body set off by slightly longer hind legs, and a long, thin whip-like tail. Their agile and athletic build is based on the special characteristic of their hard muscular bodies. Because of their extremely short coat every muscle can be seen. In motion, their movement pattern can be compared with that of a cheetah.