Raas cat (also known as Madurese cat) is an

endemic Endemism is the state of a species being found in a single defined geographic location, such as an island, state, nation, country or other defined zone; organisms that are indigenous to a place are not endemic to it if they are also found els ...

breed of

domestic cat The cat (''Felis catus'') is a domestic species of small carnivorous mammal. It is the only domesticated species in the family Felidae and is commonly referred to as the domestic cat or house cat to distinguish it from the wild members of ...

from

Raas Island Raas is an Indonesian island located to the east of the larger island of Madura, East Java. The island acts as the administrative capital of the Raas district, which includes several surrounding islands. The Raas cat, an endemic domestic cat ...

Indonesia Indonesia, officially the Republic of Indonesia, is a country in Southeast Asia and Oceania between the Indian and Pacific oceans. It consists of over 17,000 islands, including Sumatra, Java, Sulawesi, and parts of Borneo and New Guine ...

.Ras Kucing Asli Indonesia
kucingkita.com. Accessed 15 August 2014.Mengenal Kucing Busok: Kucing Asli Pulau Raas
portalmadura.com. Accessed 15 August 2014.Daya Tarik Warna Buso pada Kucing Madura
www.meongers.com. Accessed 21 October 2014.Memburu Kucing Madura

Institut Pertanian Bogor IPB University (, abbreviated as IPB) is a state-run agricultural university based in the regency of Bogor, Indonesia. The institute began as an agricultural school formed by the Dutch colonial regime in the early 20th century. After independenc ...

. Accessed 21 October 2014. Raas is a pure cat breed without mixed genes from other cat breeds. It is a rare breed and has high

genetic variation Genetic variation is the difference in DNA among individuals or the differences between populations. The multiple sources of genetic variation include mutation and genetic recombination. Mutations are the ultimate sources of genetic variation, b ...

. , it is estimated that there are less than 100 Busok Raas with pure genes remaining.BREEDS ORIGINATING FROM SOUTH-EAST ASIA
messybeast.com. Accessed 13 June 2017. The Busok Raas cat has four color variations – blue, black, chocolate and lilac. The breed is registered with the

World Cat Federation The World Cat Federation (WCF) is an international association of cat clubs. It was founded in 1988 in the city of Rio de Janeiro, and continues to have a strong presence in Latin America, Western Europe, and in countries of the former USSR. It ...

(WCF), with standards for its characteristic short, curved tail. The development of the breed only occurs on Raas Island. It is protected by the local residents, who forbid the cats from leaving the island.#nationalcatday, Perjuangkan Kucing Busok Madura
tribunnews.com. Accessed 31 October 2014. Usually only

neutered Neutering, from the Latin ''neuter'' ('of neither sex'), is the removal of an animal's reproductive organ, either all of it or a considerably large part. The male-specific term is castration, while spaying is usually reserved for female animals. C ...

Busok Raas cats are allowed to be taken off the island so that the purity of the breed is maintained. The birth of blue

kitten A kitten is a juvenile cat. After being born, kittens display primary altriciality and are totally dependent on their mothers for survival. They normally do not open their eyes for seven to ten days. After about two weeks, kittens develop qu ...

s is always eagerly awaited by the local residents. These kittens will later be given to certain people as gift, such as cat lovers.

History

The origin of the Busok Raas is unknown. Most likely this cat was formed naturally. According to research by Lasley Morgan from Australia and Ronny Rachman Noor from the Faculty of Animal Husbandry at

IPB University IPB University (, abbreviated as IPB) is a state-run agricultural university based in the regency of Bogor, Indonesia. The institute began as an agricultural school formed by the Dutch colonial regime in the early 20th century. After independen ...

, blue Busok Raas come from the

korat The Korat cat ( th, โคราช, มาเลศ, สีสวาด, ) is a silver-tipped blue-grey, short-haired breed of domestic cat with a small to medium build and a low percentage of body fat. Its body is semi-cobby, and unusually h ...

race originating from

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

. It is likely to be an

Asian cat The Asian, also known as the Malayan, is a cat breed similar to the Burmese but in a range of different coat colours and patterns. Long-haired Asians of all varieties are called Tiffanies. Asians are grouped in the foreign section at cat shows. ...

because of the shape of its tail which is bent at the end. Information regarding the existence of domestic cats has attracted the attention of several cat lover clubs in Indonesia. The cat club wants the preservation of the Busok Raas cat to be maintained and for this cat to be recognized in the international cat community. Unfortunately, their breeding is deemed difficult due to local community beliefs that Busok Raas cats were only kept by nobles and

ulemas In Islam, the ''ulama'' (; ar, علماء ', singular ', "scholar", literally "the learned ones", also spelled ''ulema''; feminine: ''alimah'' ingularand ''aalimath'' lural are the guardians, transmitters, and interpreters of religious ...

. Ini Dia Kucing Busok Khas Pulau Raas Indonesia, Mata Tajam dan Berwibawa

Tribunnews.com Tribun Network is a newspaper chain in Indonesia owned by Kompas Gramedia. Currently the group has owned 22 local newspapers, which are spread across 24 cities and regencies in Indonesia, and a national newspaper. Tribun Network also maintain i ...

. Accessed 8 October 2017. However, several Busok Raas cats have been taken outside of Madura and can be found in

Bandung Bandung ( su, ᮘᮔ᮪ᮓᮥᮀ, Bandung, ; ) is the capital city of the Indonesian province of West Java. It has a population of 2,452,943 within its city limits according to the official estimates as at mid 2021, making it the fourth mos ...

Bogor Bogor ( su, , nl, Buitenzorg) is a city in the West Java province, Indonesia. Located around south of the national capital of Jakarta, Bogor is the 6th largest city in the Jakarta metropolitan area and the 14th overall nationwide.Sumenep Gelar 39 Agenda Wisata di 2018, Catat Tanggalnya
VIVA.co.id. Accessed 26 December 2017. and one in

Semarang Semarang ( jv, ꦏꦸꦛꦯꦼꦩꦫꦁ , Pegon: سماراڠ) is the capital and largest city of Central Java province in Indonesia. It was a major port during the Dutch colonial era, and is still an important regional center and port today. ...

Characteristics

The Busok Raas has similar physical characteristics to

leopard The leopard (''Panthera pardus'') is one of the five extant species in the genus '' Panthera'', a member of the cat family, Felidae. It occurs in a wide range in sub-Saharan Africa, in some parts of Western and Central Asia, Southern Russia ...

s and

jungle cat The jungle cat (''Felis chaus''), also called reed cat, swamp cat and jungle lynx, is a medium-sized cat native to the Middle East, the Caucasus, South and Southeast Asia and southern China. It inhabits foremost wetlands like swamps, litto ...

s. They have a graceful appearance and are medium in size but larger than other cat breeds. Their face is triangular and slightly square with a slightly sharp chin. Their ears stand straight forward,Raas, Kucing Para Bangsawan dan Ulama Madura
VIVA.co.id. Accessed 13 June 2017. and are long and pointed. They have a long tail with most of the tip bent.Raas, Kucing Asli Indonesia Dari Madura
meowmagz.com. Accessed 13 June 2017. Eyes are dark green and usually blue in cats with dark brown with an oval shape and not too wide. Coklat1

Their fur is short, fine and soft in solid patterns, two colors,Kucing Raas, Kucing Busok dan Kucing Kecubung
kucingraas.co.id. Accessed 8 April 2017. and color dots, in blue (grey) and cinnamon (dark brown). The blue color can be present in a solid and two-color pattern with blue fur found on most of the body and white on the chest and stomach with unclear boundaries. Meanwhile, cinnamon color can be present in a solid pattern or color dots. Cats with a blue color are known as Busok cat, while those with a cinnamon color are known as Amethyst cat. The amethyst cat is the type that appear most rarely and is classified as a recessive color. However new black and lilac variations have emerged.

Personality

Wild Busok Raas cats are afraid of humans and are difficult to adapt to. The Busok Raas cat has a more family-friendly character after breeding and refining until reaches the 4th generation (F4). This cat really appreciates those who care for it. They are quiet, very shy and guarded, but over time, once they are used to their new environment they adapt and become very friendly.Kucing Busok, Ras Asli dari Pulau Raas Madura Indonesia
Hewanee.com. Accessed 9 February 2022. Some become spoiled house cats. The

weaning Weaning is the process of gradually introducing an infant human or another mammal to what will be its adult diet while withdrawing the supply of its mother's milk. The process takes place only in mammals, as only mammals produce milk. The infa ...

period of kittens is marked very clearly, and at the age of 3 months he will do so until he is able to give birth a maximum of three times in one year. In certain situations, it is best to breed them when their body condition returns, looking muscular and fat so that during the next pregnancy the kittens and mother will be in prime condition.

References

{{reflist Natural cat breeds Rare cat breeds East Java

History

Characteristics

Personality

See also

References