The barns at Touchstone Farm are well protected by Ceres and Ajax, our farm cats.  While all farms need a cat or two, we thought we'd employ something a bit more exotic than your average barn cat.  We wanted large, wild-looking cats that look like they may have just wandered in from the forest or jungle, but were friendly and affectionate to us and our visitors.  We think we've found the perfect mix.  They are expert hunters that keep the barns free from rats and mice, and they're also fun companions who are happy to tag along to help with farm chores, go fishing in the pond, or just hang out. 

Ceres is an 2nd generation (F2) hybrid between a domestic cat (Pixie Bob) and a wild Jungle Cat (Felis chaus).  Her grandson Ajax has some additional American bobtail and Asian Leopard cat (Felis bengalis) in his background.     Both cats exhibit traits that are different from ordinary domestic cats.  Their wild ancestry and wild-looking spotted coats belie their gentle intelligence and playful nature.  Aside from being much larger and more muscular than the average domestic cat, they have several "dog-like" characteristics such as playing fetch, love of water, and complete devotion to their favorite humans.  They're usually found trotting behind farm visitors.