What is a Savannah Cat?
What is A Savannah Cat?
A Savannah cat is a cross between an African Serval and a domesticated House cat. Savannahs are noted for their tall and slender body and their big ears. It is one of the newest breeds in the world and there are just a few breeders worldwide that have had achieved their goal of successfully mating a Serval to a domesticated cat. All Foundation Savannahs have an F and a number associated with it to indicate how many generations it is from its Serval ancestor.
F1 (~53% Serval)
F2 (~29% Serval)
F3 (~16% Serval) and so on.
What is a SBT Savannah?
The History of the SBT Savannahs starts here at A1 Savannahs. An SBT is also bred down from the Serval but is is at least 4 Generations removed. While many Savannahs F1 through F5 are diluted with blood of regular house cats, the SBT Savannah is a "pure" Savannah that has guaranteed only Savannahs as parents for at least 3 Generations.
The size or appearence of an SBT Savannah can be compared to an F4 or an F5 Savannah but there are several advantages to own an SBT.
SBT Savannahs are more consistent in their type. Personality and size are better forseeable and the temperament is predictable. An SBT Savannah is the perfect choice for a family with other pets and children.
How Big Does A Savannah Get?
The Size of the Savannah Cat depends very much on the size and type of their parents and also of the percentage of wild blood they have from the Serval.
The biggest cats are F1 Savannahs and males of the F2 Generations. They get about 2 and a half times bigger than regular house cats with their weight from 15 up to 28 pounds and occasionally over 30 pounds. F3 males often still considerably bigger than a regular house cat. We have produced F3 males ranging in the lower twenties with their weight but rule is 15 to 18 lean pounds.
F3 females and all cats of further generations decrease in size but keep their long legs, big ears and the wild appearance. Savannahs need up to 3 years to reach their full size.
What is a Savannah’s Temperament Like?
Savannah Cats have very loving and outgoing personalities. They are highly intelligent cats and learn quickly. Most of them love to explore the outside on a leash, or enjoy being in the house and playing Fetch. Others retrieve their toys or follow their favorite person like a little dog through the house. A Savannah expects to be a family member that is involved in every activity rather than being just a usual house pet.
They definitely love water and have surprised us often with a spontaneous visit in the running shower.
Do Savannahs Get Along Well With Other Pets or Children?
Savannahs are very adaptive cats. They get along with well-behaved and respectful children and if your current cat or dog is social, your new Savannah will most likely end up sleeping in the same bed.
Diet & Health Care
Savannahs can be fed regular good quality cat food and they receive the same shots and health care as a domestic cat. All our kittens are fully litter box trained and properly vaccinated before they go to their new owners. Please do not declaw! Declawing is inhumane and is actually an amputation to the first joint of the toe. We highly recommend against it.
How Much Does A Savannah Cost?
The price of a Savannah will vary depending on the quality of the individual cat. Following are average price ranges:
Why Are Savannahs So Expensive?
Higher percentage Savannahs are rare and very difficult to breed. It takes many years and a lot of luck to mate a Serval with a domesticated cat. Only a few breeders worldwide have had success.
Servals are wild cats with special needs in terms of their caging requirements, their diet and their health care. Caring for pure Servals and mating them to domestic cats is costly, time consuming and demanding.
| Males: | Females: |
| F1 $7,500-$22,000 | F1 $6000-$22,000 |
| F2 $4,500-$16,000 | F2 $4,500-$14,000 |
| F3 $3,000-$6,000 | F3 $3,500-$5,500 |
| F4 $1200-$3,000 | F4 $1,200-$4,500 |
| F5 $950-$6,000 | F5 $950-$3,000 |
| SBT $950-$6,000 | SBT $950-$3,000 |
