Savannah (cat)

The savannah cat is a new and still fairly rare exotic cat breed that is the result of a cross between an African Serval and a domestic cat.


Physical features


Savannahs are considered one of the larger breeds of domesticated cats. Their tall and slim build gives savannahs the appearance of greater size than their actual weight. They are as tall as many breeds of domestic dogs.[1] F1 and F2 savannahs are usually the largest, due to the stronger genetic influence of the African Serval forbear. Male savannahs tend to be larger than females. On average, early generation savannahs may weigh 10 to 25 lbs. Average size is also very dependent on generation and sex, with F1 male cats usually being the largest. Later generation savannahs are usually between 8-17 lbs. Because of the random factors in savannah hybrid genetics, there can be significant variation in size, even in one litter. Some breeders report savannahs in excess of 30 pounds, with at least one breeder claiming an over 40 pound male. This size is very rare, and may in some cases be the result of a hybrid growth disorder or overfeeding.

The coat of a savannah depends a lot on the breed of cat used for the domestic cross. Early generations always have some form of dark spotting on a lighter coat, and many breeders employ "wild"-looking spotted breeds such as the Bengal and Egyptian Mau for the cross to preserve these markings in later generations. The savannah can have a tan coat with black or brownish spots, or a silver coat with dark spots, a marble (also called classic) pattern, and many other patterns and colors, although The International Cat Association (TICA) breed standard calls for black, brown spotted tabby, silver spotted tabby and black smoke types only.[2]

The overall look of an individual savannah will depend greatly on generation, with higher-percentage serval cats often having a more "wild" look. Almost all savannah breeders use a Bengal for the domestic parentage, but if a different domestic breed was used, it will affect appearance as well. A savannah's wild look is often due to the presence of many distinguishing serval characteristics. Most prominent of these include the various color markings and tall, erect ears. The bodies of savannahs are long and leggy—when a savannah is standing, their hind-end is often higher than their shoulders. The head is taller than wide, and they have a long slender neck.[3] The back of each ear has a light band borded by black stripes, which are called ocelli. The short tail has black rings, with a solid black tip that extends several inches. The eyes are blue as a kitten, and usually green as an adult. Black "tear-streak" markings run from the corner of the eyes down the sides of the nose to the whiskers, much like a cheetah's. The black tear marks help reduce glare from sunlight, which aid the savannah's vision during hunting.

Most F1 generation savannahs will possess many or all of these traits, while their presence often diminishes in later generations. Being a hybrid cat, appearance can vary far more than cat owners may be used to. Photos of different generations can be found at the Savannah Cat Club and SIMBA websites.

Reproduction and genetics

As savannahs are produced by crossbreeding servals and domestic cats, each generation of savannahs is marked with a filial number. For example, the cats produced directly from a serval/domestic cat cross are the F1 generation, and they are typically 50% serval (although if a F1 savannah is used as the domestic parent, the percentage of serval blood can jump to 75%). The F2 generation, which has a serval grandparent and is the offspring of the F1 generation, is 25% serval. The F3 generation has a serval great grandparent, and is 12.5% serval. Earlier generation savannahs are typically more expensive to purchase due to scarcity. A savannah/savannah cross may also be referred to by breeders as SVxSV (SV is the TICA code for the savannah breed), in addition to the filial number.

Being a hybrid, savannahs typically exhibit some characteristics of hybrid inviability. Because the male savannah is the heterozygous sex, they are most commonly affected, in accordance with Haldane's rule. Male savannahs are typically larger in size and sterile until the F5 generation or so, although the females are fertile from the F1 generation and on. As a result, females are usually more expensive than males, especially when sold for the explicit purpose of breeding.

Temperament

Savannahs have been described as friendly, assertive, active, and interested in dogs and children.[4] They are commonly compared to dogs in their loyalty, and they will follow their owners around the house like a canine. They can also be trained to walk on a leash like a dog, and even fetch.[5]

Savannahs often greet people with head-butts, or an unexpected pounce. Some savannahs are reported as being very social and friendly with other cats and dogs, while others may run and hide or revert to hissing and growling when seeing a stranger. Exposure to other people and pets is most likely the key factor in sociability as the savannah kitten grows up.

Owners of savannahs say that they are very impressed with the intelligence of this breed of cat.[citation needed] An often noted trait of the Savannah is its jumping ability. Savannahs are known to jump up on top of doors, refrigerators and high cabinets. Savannahs have been known to get into all sorts of things; they often learn how to open doors and cupboards, and anyone buying a savannah will likely need to take special precautions to prevent the cat from getting into things.

Water isn't a fear of the savannah cat; many will play or even immerse themselves in water.[4] Presenting a water bowl to a savannah may also prove a challenge, as some will promptly begin to "bat" all the water out of the bowl until it is empty, using their front paws.

Vocally, savannahs may either chirp like their serval father, meow like their domestic mother, or do both, sometimes producing sounds which are a mixture of the two. Chirping, when present, is usually observed more often in earlier generations. Savannahs may also "hiss"—a serval-like hiss is quite different from a domestic cat's hiss, sounding more like a very loud snake hiss, and can be alarming to humans not acquainted to such a sound coming from a cat. Hissing, and even aggressive behavior which involves hissing, is usually more frequent in F1 or occasionally F2 generations, and may subside or disappear as the cat is socialized.

Health considerations

Because the breed is an emerging one and different individuals contain different amounts of serval and of other domestic cat breeds, if there are particular health issues that will be common in the Savannah breed, they are not yet known.

Savannah cats have no known special care or food requirements.

Savannah cats do not require a special diet, although some breeders and owners recommend premium cat foods. Others recommend a partial or complete raw food diet,[6] with at least 32% protein and no by-products. Some will also recommend a calcium supplement, while others consider it unnecessary, or even harmful.[3] Issues of savannah diet are not without controversy, and again, it is best to seek the advice of a veterinarian or exotic cat specialist before feeding a Savannah cat any non-standard diet.

Ownership laws

Laws governing ownership of savannah cats in the United States vary according to state. Most notably, hybrid cats—defined as a domestic to wild cross—such as the savannah are illegal to own as pets in the state of New York as of 2005.[7] The majority of states, however, follow federal and USDA code, which define wild to domestic crosses as domestic.

Other states known to have laws restricting hybrid cat ownership include but are not necessarily limited to: HI, MA and GA. Savannahs more than 5 generations from the serval are allowed to be owned in NY state, but not in the city of New York.

History

Bengal breeder Judee Frank managed to crossbreed a serval and domestic cat, producing the first savannah (named Savannah) on April 7, 1986.[8]Judee Frank’s Savannah attracted the interest of Patrick Kelley, who had been interested in exotic looking domestic cats for many years and purchased one of Savannah's kittens in 1989. Patrick Kelley’s enthusiasm and vision for establishing a new domestic breed based on the serval / domestic cat cross prompted him to research what steps would be needed to be recognized and accepted by an official feline registry. Armed with that information, obtained from Leslie Bowers at TICA , Patrick approached numerous breeders of servals and encouraged them to attempt the development of this new breed. Initially, no breeders were interested. [9]But Patrick persisted and finally convinced one breeder, Joyce Sroufe, to join him in founding the savannah breed.[10]

In 1996, Patrick Kelley and Joyce Sroufe wrote the original version of the savannah breed standard, and presented it to the TICA board. However, in that same year, TICA had placed a moratorium on new breeds. It was not until 2000, that the standard, with input from other breeders, was accepted by TICA in a narrow 7-to-6 vote. At that same time, the Savannah International Member & Breeder Association (SIMBA) was formed, and reported just over 100 registered savannahs.[3] As of 2001, the population of savannahs was estimated to be over 200.