My Story

F1Hybrids Savannahs is located just outside Knoxville, Tennessee. My name is Michelle, I am a TICA registered breeder of top quality Savannahs. My Cattery "F1hybrids" has been TICA registered since 2006. TICA is the world's largest genetic registry of pedigreed cats.

My family farm is part of the green belt in the foothills of the Great Smoky Mountains. Just a short distance from the famous Pigeon Forge, Dollywood, BlackBerry Farm, and Cades Cove.

All kittens are raised in my home, underfoot. The main kitten area is an entire 2,000 sqft area in the house. Which is a cat’s paradise full of toys/trees/etc. It is organized chaos that is always clean and well maintained.

Kittens are allowed throughout our entire house, the main kitten area is for learning to use the litter-box and also being in a safe area at night. When raising my kittens we apply what we call a "Kitten Development Program" that is based off; Puppy Culture by Jane Messineo Lindquist (Killion).

From 2004 to 2011 I worked with all generations of Savannah Cat, some of which have gone on to further other programs around the world.

In 2011 fortune shined down upon me and blessed me with my first foundation F1 Savannah Cats. By even greater luck the pairing was produced by an F2 Savannah Cat to Serval Cat, which is a very rare and difficult cross.

Experienced in raising all generations I made the decision that lower generations were not advanced enough at that time to provide the type of cat desired by pet owners.

So in 2011, I turned my focus to higher generations, with the goal of breeding SV to SV to get exceptional lower generations. While breeding toward SBT might sound straightforward many Savannahs do not reproduce for various factor including just being stubborn (Not joking… although laughable).

In 2021 I committed to building my dream cattery. A very expensive endeavor. It is ridiculously over the top in the best ways possible. It was completely custom-designed after years of experience working with exotics. We had special wire mesh ordered so that no small bird, rodent, or reptile can enter.

It’s truly a dream come true after saving/planning for so long. It is also extremely secluded, which makes it stress-free for the cats. Client state that my cattery looks a professional zoo.

Breed Development can not happen properly without the strong relationships forged by breeders working together. I would like to thank the breeders who have worked with me over the years.

I wish to thank my wonderful friend Meryl B. Peek, an AKC Breeder Of Merit and a preservation breeder of Cavalier King Charles Spaniels. She owned Ivory Coast Savannahs (Retired). Ivory coast can be found in many pedigrees as she worked hard producing many foundation cats. Her work early on in developing fertile lower generations should not be forgotten. I am grateful that Ivory Coast Savannahs entrusted me with most of her program when she retired.

I owe many thanks to my dearest friend, Sue Armstrong of Amara Savannahs. Sue Armstrong has been around from the start of Savannah Cats and Bengal Cats (Over 25 years of experience with cats, 40 years total in raising animals). Her efforts produced cats that have helped shape both breeds. Together we produced many F1s of various percentages.

This was never an easy task but it did cement our relationship forever. Many a long night was spent at the incubator rearing fragile kittens. In 2021 we said goodbye to Falkor The Serval, the father to many of our F1s. I also have some Maine Coons planned 2021.

Combined my husband and I have over 40 years of animal husbandry experience. We have worked with other equine professionals in our area which has resulted in working on horses at the University of Tennessee College of Veterinary Medicine, Dolly Parton's Dixie Stampede, and Blackberry Farm. My husband blacksmith website.

A Breeders Life

By: Author Unknown

~ Posted In dedication to my lifelong friend & mentor ~

Savannah Cat Breeder (with a capital B) is one who thirsts for knowledge and never really knows it all, one who wrestles with decisions of conscience, convenience, and commitment. One that shares this knowledge and guides those interested. A Breeder is one who sacrifices personal interests, finances, time, friendships, fancy furniture, and deep pile carpeting! She gives up the dreams of a long luxurious cruise in favor of turning that all-important litter into this year’s vacation.

The Breeder goes without sleep in hours spent planning a breeding or watching anxiously over the birth process, and afterward, over every little wiggle or cry. The Breeder skips dinner parties because that litter is due or the babies have to be fed at eight. She disregards birth fluids and puts mouth to mouth, to save a gasping newborn, literally blowing life into a tiny helpless creature that may be the culmination of a lifetime of dreams.

You will find the Breeder’s lap is a marvelous place where Savannah Kittens of proud and noble heritage often snooze. A Breeder’s hands are strong and firm and often soiled, but ever so gentle and sensitive to the thrusts of a kittens wet nose. The Savannah Cat Breeders back and knees are usually arthritic from bending and sitting with the mother due but are strong enough to guide that new little kitten to maturity.

Sometimes a Breeder’s shoulders are heaped with responsibility, but they’re wide enough to support the weight of a thousand defeats and frustrations. A Breeder’s arms are always able to wield a mop, support an armful of kittens, or lend a helping hand to a newcomer. The Breeder’s ears are wondrous things, sometimes red (from being talked about), or strangely shaped (from being pressed against a phone receiver). Often deaf to criticism, yet always fine-tuned to the cry of an anxious kitten.

Your Savannah Cat Breeder’s brain is foggy on faces, but can recall pedigrees faster than an IBM computer. The Breeder’s heart is often broken, but it beats strongly with hope everlasting……and it’s always in the right place!

Oh, yes, there are breeders, and then, there are Breeders!!!

Impossible

By: Muhammad Ali

“Impossible is just a big word thrown around by small men who find it easier to live in the world they’ve been given than to explore the power they have to change it. Impossible is not a fact. It’s an opinion. Impossible is not a declaration. It’s a dare. Impossible is potential. Impossible is temporary. Impossible is nothing.”