Mary Allen
The beautiful Savannah was created by mating a serval with a domestic cat. Since the Savannah still has a large part of the wild animal in it, the breed of a domestic cat is quite controversial. In our breed portrait, you will learn everything about the origin, attitude, and requirements of the Savannah.
With its wild cat-like appearance, the Savannah is attracting more and more cat owners who would also like to give this beauty a suitable home. Ambitious breeders keep trying to cross wild cats with domestic cats in order to combine the fascinating appearance of the wild cat with the loving character of a domestic cat. This has been achieved with the Savannah.
The Appearance Of The Savannah
The aim of breeding the Savannah is a cat that should resemble its wild ancestor, the serval (leptailurus serval), but with a temperament suitable for the living room. The overall look of the Savannah is that of a tall, slender, graceful cat with prominent large dark spots on a contrasting background. Savannah cats have an elongated, slender yet muscular body that rests on high legs. The neck is long, and the head is rather small in relation to the body. All eye colors are allowed. A darker tear pattern below the eye is typical, giving the cat an exotic appearance. The extremely large ears, which are placed high on the head and ideally have a light thumbprint on the back of the ear, also called wild spot or ocelli, are striking. The tail of the Savannah Cat should be as short as possible and should not reach further than the cat’s hock.
The Temperament Of The Savannah
The Savannah is a very spirited, active, and confident breed. In order to be happy, she needs a generous living environment and a lot of employment. Many Savannahs like to fetch, they form a close bond with their human, but this should not tempt you to want to keep them individually. At least one temperamental second cat is a must so that the intelligent and social cats don’t get bored. Savannahs need exercise and love to jump and climb. Therefore, Savannahs absolutely need a large, stable scratching post.
Savannahs usually have a fondness for water, which is unusual for cats. Almost all Savannahs do that with their paws in the water. An indoor fountain for drinking and playing makes a perfect gift for the Savannah. Some specimens accompany their people in the shower or even pay a visit to the bathtub.
Some Savannahs, when pleased, put up the fur on their backs and tails, much like the serval does. The ears remain in the normal, forward-facing position. The first two generations hiss much more often than the average domestic cat, but that is usually not meant at all, but simply a sign of excitement, which can also be caused by joy. If the Savannah greets a fellow cat or a person who is particularly familiar to her, this is often done with intensive “sharing of the head”. If humans don’t give the cat the attention they think it deserves, many Savannahs use a little love bite to get them back into the spotlight.
Husbandry And Care Of The Savannah
Savannah is not just Savannah. Depending on the generation, Savannahs have different needs when it comes to keeping them. An F1 or F2 absolutely needs an outdoor enclosure for the generously dimensioned living space to be happy. From the F3 it is possible to keep them in the not too small apartment with a secured balcony or terrace. From the F5 there is actually no difference compared to keeping a temperamental another breed of cat. Many Savannahs are happy about a regular leash walk with their human and enjoy this “little freedom”. However, Savannah cats are completely unsuitable for uncontrolled free-roaming, as they have a strong hunting instinct. This should also be considered if you house small rodents, birds, or fish in the home. “Savannah-free” premises must be created for these animals that fall into the prey scheme.
With dogs other cats and also with children there are no problems. In terms of nutrition, the first generations of the Savannah are particularly demanding. They should be fed raw food and fresh kill. Ask your breeder about this, and he will advise you accordingly. Due to the size, jumping power, and activity of the Savannah, climbing options must be particularly large and stable. Pets of both sexes should be castrated between the 6th and 8th months of life so that unwanted marking behavior does not occur.
Grooming the Savannah is quite easy. Occasional brushing and stroking of the loose hair by hand makes grooming easier for the Savannah, especially during the change of coat.
The Generations Of The Savannah
There are different branch generations of the Savannah:
- Filial generation 1 (F1) = direct descendants of the parent generation: serval and (domestic) cat
wild blood percentage 50%
- Branch generation 2 (F2) = grandson generation of direct mating with a Serval
Wild blood percentage 25%
- Branch generation 3 (F3) = great-grandchild generation of direct mating with a Serval
Wild blood percentage 12.5%
- Branch generation 4 (F4) = great-great-grandson generation of direct mating with a serval
Wild blood percentage 6.25%
- Branch generation 5 (F5) = great-great-great-grandson generation of direct mating with a serval
Wild blood percentage 3%
In Germany, special housing conditions apply to the keeping of the F1 to the F4 generation and the keeping must be reported.
Typical Diseases Of The Savannah
So far, the Savannah has been considered a very healthy and agile cat breed, which is probably due to the really large gene pool and the inclusion of the serval. Diseases typical of the breed are not known to date. When vaccinating, you should make sure that only inactivated vaccines are used, especially in the early generations. Live vaccines or modified live vaccines are taboo. If in doubt, before treating the cat, ask your breeder which preparations have proven to be compatible with Savannah.
Origin And History Of The Savannah
As early as 1980, Judy Frank in the USA successfully mated a serval with a Siamese cat; According to sources, the beautiful result was called “Surprise”. Some others claim that she already bore the name “Savannah” and was passed on to other hands. Joyce Sroufe of A1-Savannahs really got the breed going, having accomplished several times what you wouldn’t think possible given the size difference between a domestic cat and a serval. The first F1 generations were born and everyone who saw such a jewel was delighted. Comrades were quickly found in America and Canada who supported the breeding program and founded new lines with other servals. After the Serval’s original habitat, the breed was named “Savannah”. As an outcross (necessary because of the sterility of the tomcats in the first generations – Savannah tomcats are usually only fertile from the F5) for the Savannah, the most diverse breeds were and are used, Bengal, but also Egyptian Mau, Ocicat, Oriental Shorthair, Serengetis, domestic cats and even Maine Coon have already been incorporated into the breed.
However, only the outcross breeds Egyptian Mau, Ocicat, Oriental Shorthair, and “Domestic Shorthair” are allowed by the TICA. Outcrosses are now only necessary in exceptional cases. Savannah females are mated with Savannah males in order to obtain optically as types young animals as possible. Since 2007 there are already the first SBT registered Savannahs, which means that these cats have only Savannah ancestors in the first four generations. Overall, the Savannah is still a very young breed, but it has already found fans and breeders around the world. Only Australia and New Zealand have Savannah entry bans.