The Savannah Standard
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General Description
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The Savannah is a tall lean graceful cat with striking dark spots and other bold markings. It is a domestic breed which closely resembles its ancestral source, the African Serval, but is smaller in stature. It is 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 and well balanced cat.
HISTORY
The first known Savannah was born April 7, 1986 when a female domestic cat gave birth to a kitten sired by an African Serval. This F1 (first generation hybrid cross) was the first on record. This unusual female kitten had both domestic and Serval like traits. Both the kitten and breed were named "Savannah". Patrick Kelly heard about Savannah and decided he wanted to try to develop a new breed. He persuaded a breeder, Joyce Sroufe, to join him in his efforts. Together they wrote the original TICA Breed Standard. TICA accepted the Savannah for registration in 2001. The Savannah was accepted for Championship status by TICA in 2012.BREEDING AND GENERATIONS OF THE SAVANNAH
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TRAITS
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One of the most amazing traits of the Savannah is its remarkable personality. It is a very curious, assertive cat that seeks out adventure at every opportunity. It is a very active cat, that needs a great deal of interaction on a daily basis, either with its human family or with a companion cat. It is also a very loyal cat who will bond strongly with its human family. It is not a lap cat, but will show affection on its own terms, often by greeting family members at the door, following them around the house and giving frequent headbutts. Many Savannahs love to play in water. They can easily be trained to walk on a leash with a harness, and most love to play games such as fetch.
The Savannah cat is a unique and amazing feline. Most people who own or have met Savannahs will say that they have never met a cat like them and become avid fans. The Savannah is not for everyone, but for those who seek a unique pet and lifelong companion, the Savannah fits the bill.
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PERSONALITY
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The Savannah has many traits that make it stand out. Perhaps the most obvious are the large, tall ears that are set right on top of its head. Another unique trait of the Savannah is its hooded eyes that are flat across the top. This gives it an exotic look unlike any other breed. The body on the Savannah is very long and the legs are quite long as well, creating a false image of a very large or heavy cat, but in reality, most Savannahs are just the size of a large domestic cat, and weigh less than another cat of similar size. It also has a very long neck and a short, thick tail, adding to its distinctiveness.
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BREEDING AND GENERATIONS
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Savannah generations can be very complicated. Understanding percentages of generations can be even more confusing. Savannahs are the most expensive cat breed in the world. It is an extremely difficulty cat to produce due to the significant difference in gestation periods between the serval and a domestic cat (75 days for a serval and 65 days for a domestic cat) and sex chromosomes. Many breeders have tried and failed producing F1 generation Savannahs. Many pregnancies are often absorbed, aborted, or kittens are born prematurely. It is very difficult for a female to carry an F1 offspring.
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Servals can be very fussy in choosing mates, and often will not mate with a domestic cat or savannah female. Many breeders raise the Serval in their homes, around their females to increase the chances of successful future breedings. Serval females choose their mates in the wild. F1 females also do this, and will not let many savannah males breed them. It takes a special male to breed an F1 female. Later generation Savannah males are also very expensive as Studs. Male Savannah’s are sterile from the F1 to F4 generations.
There have been a handful of fertile F4 males in the world, but not many. Most, but not all F5 and later generation males are fertile. This also led to the cost of the savannah cat being so expensive. Savannah males are sterile until the 5th generation with any reliability. F5 males are much smaller than the F1 and F2 Females, which can cause mating difficulties.
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F2 Savannah’s are expensive for two reasons. First, breeders experience an extremely high cost for the F1 Savannah female with breeding rights. Second, again the difficulty of producing the F2 kitten. In nature, male cats are bigger than the females for a reason. Higher generation females also can have silent heat cycles and are often times missed opportunities on behalf of the breeder. The higher generation females will often carry the pheromones related to the Serval, often times the male will not recognize the scent. Finding the right breeding combination can be extremely expensive and difficult for the breeder… taking years to get it right.
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HYBRID LAWS: Know the facts before getting your heart set on one of these amazing creatures. They are not legal in every city and state. THIS is one of the first questions I WILL ask you, “What city and state do you currently live in”? Here is a link that breaks the laws down state by state. I will not sell where they are banned, and will only sell the generation that is legal where they are regulated. www.hybridlaw.com
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Prior to purchasing a Savannah kitten, it is imperative to confirm that ownership of a Savannah cat is legal in your state/province, county and city before finalizing a purchase.
Savannahcatbook.com