Seychellois Cat: Info, Facts, Care & More (With Pictures)

The Seychellois are unique-looking and rare felines with many similar traits and characteristics to Siamese cats, and both are from the Oriental group. This cat breed originated in the 1980s when breeder Patricia Turner from the Scintilia cattery in the United Kingdom decided to try recreating the coat patterns from cats in Seychelles she had heard about.

The Seychellois have a long, soft coat with a playful, affectionate, and intelligent temperament. They are a very outgoing and people-orientated breed that can quickly bond with their owners and make a great companion for families with children and other cats.

The Seychellois cat can easily be identified by their white and brown patches and blue eyes because they carry the piebald gene. Their slender bodies make them look elegant and their coats are divided into three sub-types depending on the degree of the white patches from their piebald genes.

Seychellois Kittens

Seychellois kittens can be handful, because they have strong personalities. They are outgoing and enjoy human company. You will experience their fun and playful nature even into their adulthood. They can sometimes become bored so make sure you can offer them enough mental stimulation.

When you bring a Seychellois kitten into your home, prepare comfy bed, toys, treats, and high-quality kitten food so they feel comfortable and taken care of. Keep reading their full care guide to learn what type of exercise, grooming, and diet they need to grow into happy and healthy cats.

3 Little-Known Facts About Seychellois Cats

1. A Mix Between Two Bicolor Cats

The Seychellois cat is a mixture of the bicolored Persian Siamese and other Oriental cat breeds. This resulted in a cat that has a white body and brown patches with clear blue eyes.

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2. Seychellois Cats Are Graded

This cat is divided into three sub-types (septieme, huitieme, and Neuvieme) and the white gene variation is graded from 1 which is a solid black coloration to 10, a solid white color. The degree of the white is graded as a 7, 8, or 9.

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3. A Rare Cat Breed

The Seychellois cat breed was created by Patricia Turner who wanted to create a new breed with a white patterned coat variation after seeing travel journals of explorers of cats sighed in the Seychelles islands. They are now a registered breed and are considered to be unique and rare.

Temperament & Intelligence of the Seychellois Cat

Are These Cats Good for Families? 👪

Seychellois cats are an excellent choice for families. This cat’s gentle and affectionate temperament makes them great with children and very family-orientated. They are highly social cats that enjoy spending time with their owners, so if you plan to add a Seychellois cat to your family, it is important to make sure that you can spend enough time with your cat to fulfill their socialization requirements.

Does This Breed Get Along with Other Pets?

The Seychellois can be socialized with other pets like calm-natured cats and small dogs. They can get along well with other pets that they have been socialized from a young age. They generally have a social nature, but they can get jealous of other pets that you spend more time with since they love to be close to their owners at all times. They might not be the best for a multi-cat household since they are not as independent as other cat breeds, causing them to feel left out if they have to compete for your attention and their resources with lots of other cats in the same household.

Things to Know When Owning a Seychellois Cat

Food & Diet Requirements 🐡

Like all cats, the Seychellois cat requires a protein-rich diet. Their diet should be balanced and contain all the vitamins and minerals they need to stay healthy and maintain a good immune system and weight throughout their life. It is a good idea to start your Seychellois kitten on a high-quality protein food specifically formulated for kittens.

This will provide them with the right amount of minerals and nutrition they need to grow and develop properly. After they have reached one year of age and become an adult, they will need a high-quality adult formula. They can be fed both wet and dry food.

Exercise 🐈

Seychellois cats are quite active throughout their lifetime, and their slender and muscular bodies make them agile climbers. They enjoy exploring in a secure environment and playing with a range of toys to help keep them entertained and stimulated to prevent boredom-based behaviors.

If your Seychellois cat isn’t provided with enough toys and things to climb such as a cat tree, they may begin using your furniture as a toy, which can lead to undesirable behaviors because they are bored. Interactive toys can also help keep your Seychellois busy while you away during the day.

Training 🧶

The intelligent and loyal nature of the Seychellois cat makes them able to be trained quite well from a young age. They can easily be litterbox trained and will rarely leave accidents around the house unless there is something wrong with their litterbox—such as a dirty litterbox that needs to be cleaned. They can also be trained to live peacefully amongst other pets and stop unwanted behaviors such as furniture scratching.

Grooming ✂️

These cats have a low-grooming requirement, and their coat is easy to maintain. Since the Seychellois are related to the Siamese cat and other Oriental cat breeds, they are considered to be hypoallergenic. They do not shed much hair like other cats, and their fine, silky coats only require a weekly brush and a wash every couple of months. The main grooming requirements with the Seychellois cat is that they will need their nails trimmed when they get too long, and their mouths will need to be wiped with a pet-safe wipe after they eat wet foods, as the white fur on their faces shows dirt easily.

Health and Conditions 🏥

Since the Seychellois are such a new breed, not much is known about the possible genetic health issues they may face. That said, there are some conclusions we can draw from their parent breeds that may indicate some possible health conditions.

Male vs Female

There are few visual differences between a male and female Seychellois cat as they both have desirable traits. The main difference you may notice is in their personalities. Male Seychellois cats can be more playful and attention-seeking with more desire to roam around and seek companionship whereas the female Seychellois cat can be more reserved and independent. Both males and females are equally well-manners, social, and intelligent.

In terms of appearance, the male Seychellois cat can be slightly larger than females and have a slenderer appearance than females which are characteristically rounder.

Final Thoughts

Overall, the Seychellois are attractive cats that are somewhat rare and have a similar personality to Oriental cat breeds. Their loyal, affectionate, and social nature makes them great family-orientated pets with low-grooming requirements. They can get along with other friendly cats and dogs in the household and make a great loving companion for children.

They do require you to spend enough time with them to meet their social needs because they are highly affectionate. The Seychellois can make a great addition to your family, and you will love their rare appearance and desirable temperament.

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Featured Image Credit: Jaroslaw Kurek, Shutterstock