Savannah
The Savannah is an hybrid cat. It’s the result of a cross between the Serval, an African wild cat, and a domestic cat. Breeders have been working on this breed for many years now. The first one to create a Savannah was Judee Frank in the 1980’s.
It’s only in the 1990’s that the first Savannahs were registered with The International Cat Association (TICA) by, amongst others, Joyce Sroufe. Since then, breeders have united their efforts to produce Savannahs that meet the highest standards possible.
The Savannah is a cat that has kept the physical characteristics of the Serval, while inheriting the temperament and behavior of the domestic cat.
Serval
Here is a brief description of the Serval in order to better understand the origins of the Savannah.
The Serval is an average height wild cat living in the African savanna. It can weight up to 50 pounds. This feline has a long slim body with black spots. It has long legs and a short tail, relative to it’s body. The head is taller than wide and sitting on a slender neck. Large ears are perched high on the head and have what is called ocelli. These marks are resembling a pair of eyes which serve to distract would-be predators by making them believe they’re facing the Serval and protecting its vital organs by the same token.
The Serval will eat small rodents and birds. It mates only once or twice a year. For the longest time, some African tribes have kept the Serval in captivity, as a pet. It’s one of the few felines to have adapted to this type of lifestyle.
Savannah
The Savannah is a long and slender cat, high off the ground. Its legs are slim and slightly longer at the rear, which allows the Savannah to jump more easily. It has a small head on which sit two large and rounded ears. On some Savannahs, we can see ocelli on the back of their ears. The color of his coat may vary from a light golden to a silvery tone or even be totally black. Its fur is short and soft, with black spots. These spots must be equally present on the body and legs. The general look of the Savannah must resembles the Serval.
Depending on its generation, the Savannah is one of the largest domestic cats. A male can weight between 15 and 20lbs. The female, usually a little less, depending on its generation.
The Savannah can be described as friendly, assertive and curious. It’s a very active cat that enjoys playing, running and jumping. If exposed to people and other pets early on, the Savannah will enjoy the company of its owners and will socialize very quickly with newcomers. The Savannah requires the same type of care as with other cats in terms of food, veterinarian and maintenance.
Click here to read the CCA Savannah Standard
Because the Savannah is a cross between a wild cat and a domestic one, we typically refer to generations to establish the distance from the cat to its ancestor, the Serval. We use the letter « F »to establish its filial number.
- F1 = 1st generation, one Serval parent (> 50% Serval)
- F2 = 2nd generation, one Serval grand-parent (> 25% Serval)
- F3 = 3rd generation, one Serval great grand-parent (> 12% Serval)
- F4 = 4th generation (> 6% Serval)
- F5 = 5th generation (< 5% Serval)
Following the « F », refering to the number of generations away from the serval, you will find a letter that refers to the cat hybridazation code.
Here is the explanation of these important codes:
- A: This Savannah has 1 parent who is not a Savannah;
- B: This Savannah has 2 parents Savannah;
- C: This Savannah has 2 parents Savannah and 4 grandparents Savannah;
- SBT: This Savannah has 2 parents Savannah, 4 grandparents Savannah and 8 great grand-parents Savannah! It is the most advanced status of the breed.
The more generations of Savannahs you find in a Savannah pedigree, the more this specimen is a pure Savannah.
Here is an example: F3B In this case, the F3 indicates that this Savannah has a serval as a great grandparent and the B, tells us that his 2 parents are Savannahs.
Whatever the generation and the hybridazation code are, breeders always need to keep the best specimenss in order to reproduce and reinforce the desired characteristics expected by the breed’s standards.
It is also important to know that Savannah males are sterile until the 5th generation. Savannahs aren’t the easiest cats to breed. The cross between the Serval and the domestic cat requires a lot of time, patience and post-natal care since the gestation time is different for both species. In addition, their size is very different and there’s no guarantee they’re even compatible! Next, we need to find a fertile male capable of mating a female sometimes several times larger than him. All these factors explain why the Savannah breed is rare and costly… But resulting in such a wonderful cat!
