2009-09-21 21:39:01 -

She’s cuddled with the stars at the MTV Video Music Awards and hob-knobbed with many of the Southland’s rich and famous at the Playboy Mansion. On Monday, Scarlett’s Magic became a celebrity in her own right: holder of the Guinness World Record for the tallest pet cat on the planet.

Scarlett’s Magic is an F1 Savannah Cat, a unique, intelligent and loving domesticated cat with the look of a wild plains hunter and the docile nature of a family’s most loyal pet. A cross between an African Serval and a domesticated breed, Savannah cats can be walked on a leash, learn how to fetch and often enjoy playing in water. They’re also the closest you can get to owning a wild

cat in California without breaking any laws.

Officials at The Guinness Book of World Records™ confirmed that Scarlett’s Magic – who stands “shoulder to toe” at an incredible 43.43 centimeters (17.1 inches) high – is the tallest domestic cat in the world. Results on a second nomination as the longest (tip of the nose to tip of the tail) domestic cat on Earth are still pending.

“We are absolutely thrilled,” said Savannah Cat Shoppe owner Kim Draper, who opened the store this month with her husband, Lee, at The Promenade Shops at Dos Lagos in Corona, Calif.

Like Scarlett’s Magic, the store itself is a one-of-a-kind – believed to be the only retail outlet in the world that solely specializes in the highly coveted Savannah Cat.

Members of the public are encouraged to stop by to view the cats, which include Scarlett, the sleek 18-month-old show cat with a beige coat and dramatic auburn and black spots. She is not for sale, but other cats and kittens at the shop are.

Savannah Cats are a mix of a domesticated cat and an African Serval.

Savannah Cat breeders Kim and Lee Draper, owners of Bella Gattini Cattery, opened The Savannah Cat Shoppe to help build awareness of the breed. They are the sole suppliers of cats to the store, and do not cage the animals but let them roam freely and play inside a glass-enclosed room.

“The store is the amazing result of our dedication to the Savannah breed, and our heartfelt dream to further knowledge about them,” said Kim Draper.

The Savannah Cat Shoppe is located at 2795 Cabot Drive, Suite 180, at Dos Lagos in Corona. For information, visit www.savannahcatshoppe.com : or www.bellagattini.com : call 800-881-0006.



Savannah Cat ShoppeKimberly or Lee Draper, 800-881-0006orDeniene
Husted, Media Coordinator714-423-9753