Research overview: genetics of hybrid domestic cat breeds

Several popular domestic cat breeds were created by crossing house cats with wild felid species, including the Bengal from the Asian leopard cat, the Savannah from the serval, and the Chausie from the jungle cat. This overview surveys how these hybrid breeds are produced and stabilized over successive generations, the genetic contribution of the wild ancestor that fades with backcrossing, and the role of early-generation male sterility consistent with hybrid incompatibility. It discusses the molecular tools used to verify ancestry and breed standards, the welfare and regulatory questions hybrid breeds raise, and what they illustrate about reproductive barriers between cat species.