Genetta
The Genetta was created in the United States from 2006 by Shannon Kiefer, with the aim of producing a domestic cat resembling a genet — the slender, spotted, long-tailed African carnivore.
Its foundation is Munchkin crossed with Bengal, Savannah and domestic shorthairs, so it is short-legged with a spotted or marbled coat.
It weighs 2.5 to 4.5 kilograms. It is a developing breed, registered by TICA as experimental, and remains rare. There is no genet ancestry in it at all — the resemblance is entirely selective breeding of domestic cats, which is worth stating clearly, because the name and the marketing invite the opposite assumption.
2 genetta photos, newest first
Living with a genetta
There is no genet in a Genetta. It is a domestic cat bred to look like one, and it needs nothing exotic — the name is the only wild thing about it.
Ask for the Bengal-line DNA tests: progressive retinal atrophy (PRA-b) and pyruvate kinase deficiency both have straightforward tests and both appear in Bengal ancestry.
Short legs mean low-sided litter trays, steps to any perch, and everything essential within reach.
Bengal and Savannah ancestry usually brings energy. Expect an active, climbing, busy cat that needs real play and vertical space it can actually reach — which, with short legs, means stepped rather than tall.
A rare experimental breed with a small gene pool. Choose a breeder who discusses health testing without being pushed.
General guidance, not veterinary advice. Individual cats vary, and anything about a specific animal is a question for a vet who has seen it.
Worth reading alongside this
More cats by breed
Every cat breed somebody has posted a photo of.