Savannah Cats
By: Madison
Opening
Savannahs originated in 1986. Savannahs are a hybrid cat which means they are a cross between the
wild Serval and the domestic house cat. Savannahs were recognized as a breed by TICA (The
International Cat Association) in 2012. They can now be shown at cat shows. Savannahs come in many
colors and patterns but the TICA approved colors for show are Brown spotted tabby, Silver spotted tabby,
Black, and Smoke.
The difference between the Savannah and Bengal
Serval
Asian Leopard Cat
Savannah
Bengal
Serval
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Servals are like a smaller version of a
cheetah.
Servals come from the grasslands of Africa.
They have tall legs and a long neck to see
over the high savanna grasses.
Servals can weigh between 20 to 40
pounds and get up to 24 inches long.
Servals have a high pitched cry.
When angry they will spit, snarl, and growl.
Servals love to climb trees and play in
water.
Serval continued
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Servals can jump up to 10-15 feet high
They are extremely good hunters with a
high degree of accuracy
They catch most of their prey by stalking it
then leaping into the air and pouncing it
Servals can hear prey that is still
underground in burrows
Female Servals have between 1-3 kittens in
the summer months
In most states Servals are illegal
F numbers
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Savannahs are classified by how far they
are from the Serval, that is the “F” number
F1 is 1 generation away from a Serval, an F2
is 2 generation away
F8 is the highest “F” number, which is only
about 2% Serval
F1’s are at least 50% Serval and some can
be up to 75% Serval
F1s bond with 1 person and normally avoid
everyone else
F1s are not lap cats and do not like being
held
F numbers
● F1s are not good with small children or strangers
● F2s are more social than F1s
● F2s may still bond with 1 person like the F1 but, most enjoy being with the
entire family
● F2s may be shy around strangers at first but will warm up to them
● F3s and later generations are extremely social with people
● F3 and later generations are recommended for family pets
Ownership
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Each state has different laws on owning a
Savannah. They are illegal to own in New
York City, Nebraska, Hawaii, Georgia and
Rhode Island. Many other states have
different requirements including having a
permit to own one, and not allowing
ownership of F1-F3s.
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In New York State it is legal to own a F5 or
higher but, in New York City it is illegal to
own any generation Savannah
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All F numbers are legal in other countries
except Australia, where the Savannah is
banned
Ownership
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Savannahs make great pets but you should do your research on them to make sure you have the
time and patience to have one in your house. A bored Savannah will get into trouble.
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They can see a regular veterinarian and do not require any special health care
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It’s important to have places for your Savannah to run, jump and climb
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Savannahs play rough and will destroy most cat toys, toys made for dogs hold up better
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Plays with one toy then gets bored after a long period of time ( things they never paid attention to will
be the new toy)
Queens, Studs, and kittens
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A Stud is a male and a Queen is a female
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F1 Queens will have F2 kittens, F2 Queens
will have F3 kittens …
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F1 and F2 Queens normally only have 1 or
2 kittens per litter making them harder to
come by and more expensive
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F3 number Queens and higher will have
more kittens per litter
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Queens of the F1 - F3 generations and
Studs of the F5 - F7 generations aren’t
typically offered as pets because they are
held for future breedings.
Tucho
Queens, Studs and kittens
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Kittens stay with their mother until they are
8-12 weeks old
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It is extremely important that kittens are
socialized with humans so they learn to
trust them
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The most important age for socialization is
between 2-14 weeks
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Unsocialized kittens become shy and
fearful of humans not making them good
pets
Mingo
Characteristics
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Savannahs are not super large cats, on
average they weigh between 10 - 18 pounds
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They often give the appearance of weighing
more than they actually do because of their
size
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They have long, lean bodies and large ears
They are exotic looking with distinctive spots
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It takes Savannahs 3 years to reach their full
grown size
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Savannahs are friendly, and have dog like
behaviors
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They have high energy levels and are not
couch potatoes
Videos
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ykGr4QPlvtY&nohtml5=False
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5cYoyuMXpjE
Characteristics
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Savannahs chirp, meow, hiss and growl to
communicate, growling and hissing does not
mean they are being aggressive
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Savannahs are very loyal to their owner, most
cats choosing “their” person
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They can be trained to walk on a leash and
play fetch
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Savannahs are highly intelligent and will learn
their owners routine, turn on water faucets,
open cabinets and doors
They drink very little water but love to play in
water. Most will get into the shower with their
owner or play in the tub
My Savannah, Nala
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Brown spotted tabby
Birthday: November 5, 2014
Enjoys: chewing phone cords, chewing
paper, playing in water, potato chips and
ice cream
Does not enjoy: Not getting her way, being
cold, being in a crate
Daily schedule: Wake up, eat, runs up and
down the stairs and pounces on
everything, take a “rest”( 5 min. nap), goes
back to playing, repeat.Very noisy
Not afraid of anything
My Savannah 10 Cat Commandments
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If I like it, it’s mine
If I saw it first, it’s mine
If it’s in my paws, it’s mine
If it looks like mine, it’s mine
If I had it a little while ago, it’s mine
If I can take it away from you, it’s mine
If there is more that one, they’re all mine
If you have something and put it down, it’s
mine
If it's mine, it’s NEVER yours
If it bores me or does not taste good … it’s
yours
Bib
http://www.rollinridgesavannahs.com/intro.htm
http://tica.org/
http://www.savannahsillustrated.com/
Thank You!