The Savannah Cat

The Savannah Cat is a very new breed of cat that is the result of the hybridization of the African Serval with a domestic cat.  The appeal of the Savannah Cat is that it is like a smaller, more domestic version of an African Serval. Most states and municipalities consider the Savannah as a domestic breed and, as such, you may be able to own a Savannah Cat in a location where you are not able to own a Serval. The first generation Savannahs (called F-1's) will be smaller than a Serval but much larger than a domestic cat.  The spotting pattern will generally be almost identical to the Serval although the background color will vary.  The texture of the fur will also vary from the coarser coats of most Servals to the finer smooth coat of the domestic cat.  Some of the domestic breeds used to create Savannah Cats are Bengals, Serengettis, Oriental Shorthairs, Egyptian Maus, Ocicats and Chausies. With each succeeding generation of Savannahs it can be expected that the size will shrink until they will be about the size of a large domestic cat.  At least the first 3 generations of males (F-1, F-2 and F-3) can be expected to be sterile.  The females of all generations should be fertile.  Because of the experimental status of this type of breeding, you can expect quite a bit of variability in the appearance and size of the offspring.  

Due to the sterility of the first three generations of male Savannah Cats, they should be neutered.  These sterile males make excellent companions.  They will have some of the personality traits of the Serval as well as the domestic cats.  The females will usually be used in breeding programs.  The personality of the Savannah tends to be very dog-like.  They like to be in the middle of whatever is going on.  They also like to perch in high places such as on your shoulder, on top of entertainment  centers, the refrigerator and on shelves.  They like to play games with you and will usually initiate the games on their own.  Playing fetch is one of their favorites.  The F-1 Savannahs will usually get along with children as long as the children are able to understand that they should not tease, chase or pull on the cat.  The F-2 and later generations should be more tolerant of rough children.   Savannahs will get along with other cats and dogs as long as the Savannah is introduced while it is young.  

The diet for a Savannah should be a high-quality food such as Iams.  They can also be fed Mazuri Small Feline Diet.  Mazuri is a division of Purina Foods that makes feed for exotic animals and the Small Feline Diet can be ordered through a Purina Feed dealer.    You may also feed Zupreem canned food.  I find that my cats like the dry food and it has the advantage of keeping their teeth clean.  Do not skimp on their food because they need the proper nutrients to grow to full size and to have strong bones.  Brittle bones can cause a lifetime of suffering for an animal.  

The Savannah Cat seems to have a health quality called “hybrid vigor” which refers to the fact that cross breeding of different species frequently results in offspring that are very strong and disease resistant.  Although the breed is still very new it appears that they have very few health problems and have not shown any genetic abnormalities.  

Savannah Cats are very difficult to breed.  There are several factors involved in this difficulty.  The first is the that these are two different species and with a great difference in size.  Sometimes they just won’t breed.  Also the gestation period is very different and the kittens frequently are born premature or they may be miscarried.  Because of the difficulty, there are very few Savannahs that are born.  The result is that they have a price that may seem high.  However, when you consider the wonderful personality, the large size and the exotic looks, the Savannah cat is well worth the price. Their personalities are like no other domestic cat.  They are very loyal and behave much like a dog.  The prices for a F-1 male kitten start about $3500.  The F-1 females will start about $7500.  The F-2 and F-3 kittens will sell for considerably less than the F-1's.  Their prices will vary depending on the sex, generation and quality of the kitten.

Registration of Savannah Cats can be done through TICA (The International Cat Association) as  an experimental breed.  It will take some time before the Savannah Cat is recognized as a breed with some of the other cat registries such as CFA.

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