Are you looking for an exotic cat with the temperament of a house cat? Are you looking for a loyal companion to share the next 15-20 years with? Then you are looking in the right place. The Savannah cat is a type of hybrid cat (similar to a Bengal). The first generation (F1) is derived from crossing an African Serval with a domestic cat.
The First Savannah Cat was produced by a Bengal breeder (Judee Frank) by complete accident. She crossbred a male Serval, belonging to Suzi Woods, with a Siamese (domestic cat) to produce the outcross on April 7, 1986. They named the singleton Savannah, and thus the breed gained its name. In 1996, Patrick Kelley and Joyce Sroufe wrote the original version of the Savannah breed standards and presented it to the board of TICA. Being a fairly new breed, TICA (The International Cat Association) accepted the breed standards in 2001.
Savvannah Cats are somewhat rare, especially higher generations, as they are difficult to breed. There are many contributing factors to this which include that Servals have a longer gestation period than domestic cats by 7-10 days. This causes many earlier generations to be born prematurely. The difference between males and females can cause a lack of interest in the males to the females (as they tend to be larger and more intimidating). Higher generation Queens (F1-F3) can be picky in who they will partner with. Finally, Male Savannah Cats are only reliably fertile after the fifth generation removed from the serval. Even at this point, fertility is not a guarantee.
Regardless of all of this, every moment of being owned by a Savannah Cat is worth it. We and many others around the globe feel this is true. Having these loyal and stunning cats is what brought us to build a great line of cats.
What is a Savannah Cat?
Aurelius F7 (Stud) lounging about
and being handsome
The Savannah is referred to by its ‘F’ generation. The ‘F’ stands for ‘filial’ and refers to how many generations removed it is from the Serval. So an F1 is one generation from the Serval (has a Serval parent), an F2 is two generations removed so has a Serval grandparent, etc.
F1 (~50-75% Serval)
F2 (~25-35% Serval)
F3 (~16-20% Serval)
And you continue down as such.
The Letter coding has to do with out crossing as well.
A means that one parent is a (non-Savannah) domestic outcross
B means that both parents are Savannahs
C means that both parents and grandparents are all Savannahs
SBT means that parents, grandparents, and great-grandparents are all Savannahs.
An SBT is bred down from the Serval but it is at least 4 Generations removed. The SBT Savannah is a “pure” Savannah that has guaranteed only Savannahs as parents for at least 3 Generations. SBT stands for 'Stud Book Traditional'. Only STB cats can be shown at TICA cat shows according to TICA standards. At SBT level you have what can be known as a 'true' Savannah.
Personality and Temperment
Savannah Cats are not your typical house cat. They often bend the idea of what most people call a cat. Like their African Serval ancestors, the Savannah cat is a naturally outgoing and social cat. This outgoing nature often makes them compared to dogs, and this is especially true for their loyalty. It is possible to train Savannah Cats to walk on a leash, or even play fetch! It is easy to train a Savannah, given the time and dedication to do so. Savannah's frequently like shoulder rides or grooming their loved ones. They are known jumpers, and can be
found on any surface or the tops of open doors. Many enjoy playing in water
and it isn't uncommon to find your Savannah sitting in the shower with you!
Savannah's are fairly active and are highly intelligent. Because of this, they
require a lot of stimulation and are thus a bad choice for people who travel
often or expect a laid back pet. Savannahs want to be the center of your world,
and if you don't accept that they will force you to pay attention to them. A
bored Savannah is a destructive Savannah, similarly to a bored dog when left
alone too long.
It is extremely important, as with any new
pet, to introduce them properly into a new household. Savannah's are wonderful c companions to other pets and children. They generally enjoy the company of many breeds of dogs. However, your new Savannah should never be left alone unsupervised with children or pets to make sure that both sides understand their play boundaries.
We never advocate letting cats outside, but especially with Savannahs. . Supervised outside time on a leash or inside an enclosure is one thing, but left alone alone outside can be catastrophic. Many Savannahs have inherited the roaming instincts instincts of their Serval forefathers and cannot find their way back home. They also have a very inquisitive nature, and thus are good at getting themselves into trouble and can even get severely hurt. There is also the probability of picking up fleas, parasites, or other deadly diseases such as rabies, FIV or FLV from feral animals.
Balder F3C Snow (Pet) cuddles Boulder a Great Pyrenees Mix
Rorschach F4SBT Smoke (Pet) learning to harness walk
Breed Standards
"The overall impression of the Savannah is a tall lean graceful cat with striking dark spots and other bold markings, on a background color of any shade of brown, silver, black or black smoke. The Savannah cat is a domestic breed which closely resembles its ancestral source the African Serval, but is smaller in stature. Affectionate and outgoing, with exceptionally long neck, legs, and tall ears, as well as a medium length tail, the Savannah is both unusual and beautiful. The Savannah is also an exceptionally graceful, well-balanced cat with striking color and pattern." (TICA Savannah Standards http://tica.org/pdf/publications/standards/sv.pdf)
While this is the basics of what makes up the Savannah breed, we strive to achieve this and much more with personal socialized cats. They can live anywhere from 12-20 years. They can be any size from 5lbs to a stunning 25lbs (size is never a guarantee with Savannah Cats). The size of a Savannah Cat is often exaggerated because of how tall and lean they are.
