Savannah Cat Non-Standards
Non-standards are trait(s) that disqualify a cat from being shown and additionally have an "undesirable" trait within the said breed. These exist within all pedigree breeds. These cats can still be as valuable as a standard cat within a breeding program depending on what type of desired traits it posses verse non-desirable traits.
Should a Savannah Cat possess exceptional breed body confirmation but has a recessive non-standard pattern the cat can not be shown but can be within a breeding program. However non-standards should never be offered to or purchased by any new breeder, only a very experienced breeder should attempt using non-standards as they are likely to offer advanced breeding challenges.
Any breeder would prefer to keep the standard spotted coat but good judgment must be made on if the non-standard cat may be worthy of breeding.
Non-standard Colors
Cinnamon - Recessive
Chocolate - Recessive
Fawn - Dilute of cinnamon
Blue - Dilute of black
Lilac - Dilute of chocolate
Non-standard Traits
White patches of hair including toes
Blue or odd-colored eyes
Rosetted, Marble or Servaline (ticked) pattern
Long, curly, or no hair.
Examples
British Shorthair kittens showing full colors and their respective dilutions. Red (left); Red diluted to cream (second from left); Black (second from right); Black diluted to gray (right)
NOTE: Black (Refered to as melanistic) is a standard (correct) color in Savannah Cats.
British Shorthair kittens showing full colors and their respective dilutions. Red (left); Red diluted to cream (second from left); Black (second from right); Black diluted to gray (right)
© Nynke Van Holten | Paid for usage
Dilution Of Color
Dilution causes uneven distribution of the pigment in the fur shaft, dilution of all colors. Pigment granules in the hair shaft are clumped and unevenly distributed, producing dilution of coat colors. For example, black pigment is diluted to gray and red is diluted to cream.
Explanation of Results:
Cats with D/D genotype will be full-colored and cannot transmit this dilute variant to their offspring.
Cats with D/d genotype will be full-colored and are carriers of this dilute variant. Matings between two carriers of dilute are predicted to produce 25% dilute kittens.
Cats with d/d genotype will display dilute coat color(s) and will transmit this dilute variant to all of their offspring. Matings with other d/d genotype cats are expected to produce all dilute offspring.
Chart showing the effects of dilute on cats with eumelanin pigmentation and cats with phaeomelanin pigmentation. ©UC Davis Laboratories
Expression Of White
White lockets and larger patches should not be present on a Savannah Cat and will result in penalty within the show ring but not disqualification. It is thought that white servals maybe the result of white being expressed on the coat as illustrated in the below diagram. Although this is possibly true it is also a known fact that such serval cats have never existed in the wild and have happened a few select times due to inbreeding in captivity.
All the Serval Cats pictured below were produced by inbred bloodlines. The all white serval on the far right developed a tumor on his nose (thought to be due to the pink pigment on the nose) and it had to be removed.
