The Sokoke is an extremely rare breed, and the only confirmed African landrace cat breed. Hailing from Arabuko Sokoke National Forest on the coast of Kenya, the Sokoke (known locally as the khadzonzo) is a slender cat with a unique coat. Naturally developed as jungle camouflage, the Sokoke’s coat is a modified form of classic tabby where the blotches on the body show heavy agouti ticking and tipping, blending into the background colour and forming an almost Clouded Leopard-like blotching. The cats themselves are friendly and active, easily bonding to people and families. They are genetically quite separated from other cat breeds, and may be at greater risk due to low immune exposure to common feline illnesses.

The breed remains ultra-rare worldwide, with known breeders existing only in Europe. FIFe and GCCF accept them in championship, while TICA and CCA have both paused their acceptance process due to low registration numbers. Unlike many landrace cat breeds, the Sokoke still actively seeks out African imports, with the original group being imported to Denmark in 1983 and the most recent in 2001.

Type & judging remarks
Long, thin, and slender. Hind legs are well-angled and significantly longer than the front legs. The high rear is typical of the breed. Well-developed, prominent chest. Body pattern should resemble “wood grain”.