BG Savannah’s

A little about Savannah cats:

Savannah cats are one of the world’s rarest hybrid cats. They are a combination of an

African Serval and a domesticated house cat. Savannahs are most recognized for their

long legs, long slender bodies, large ears, and of course their cheetah-like spots. Their

coat also resembles that of a wild cat that you would see on an African Savannah.

People unfamiliar with Savannah cats, often mistake them for a small cheetah or other

wild cat.

The first Savannah produced was by a Bengal breeder, Jude Frank. She crossbred a

male serval, belonging to Suzy Woods, with a Siamese (domestic cat), to produce the

first Savannah ct on April 7, 1986. Ten years later in 1996, Patrick Kelley and Joyce

Sroufe wrote the first Savannah cat breed standard and presented it to the board of the

International Cat Association. In 2001, the board accepted the breed for registration.

Details:

Size:

Savannahs today come in many different sizes, ranging from 10-30 pounds. Size is very

dependent on generation and sex, with F1 hybrid cats usually being the largest. The F1

and F2 generations are usually the largest, due to the stronger genetic influence of the

African serval ancestor. Males tend to be larger than females.

Colors:

Savannahs come in a variety of colors. The spots on Savannah cats can vary, some

being round, and others taking on an oval shape. The original SBT (brown spotted

tabby) comes in two shades, warm golden or cool tones with black spots. The silvers,

SST (silver spotted tabby) are almost white or light gray, with black spots. There are

also melanistic (black with black spots) which look almost like a black panther. The

classic Savannah is marble with a swirl pattern.

Life Expectancy:

On average, Savannah cats can live between 12-15 years, but there are many accounts

of them living into their 20’s. The lifespan of a Savannah may be determined by many

factors, including diet, exercise, living environment, and potential pre-existing health

conditions.

SBT

SBT stands for Stud Book Traditional. An SBT is also bred down from the Serval, but it is

at least 4 generations removed. While many Savannahs F1 through F5 are diluted with

the blood of domestic house cats. The SBT Savannah is a “pure” Savannah that has

guaranteed only Savannahs as parents for at least 3 generations.

SBTs are the only type of Savannah recognized by the International Cat Association for

competitions. SBTs are generally larger than non-SBT kittens who are generally closer to

Servals.

F Generations:

Since Savannahs are produced by crossbreeding servals and domestic cats, each

generation of Savannahs is referred to by its “F” generation. The “F” stands for filial and

has a number associated with it to indicate how many generations it is from its serval

ancestor. For example, the cats produced directly from a serval and a domestic cat are

termed F1. An F1 kitten would be the first generation removed from the African Serval.

Thus:

F1~57% Serval. One parent will be a Serval

F2~35% Serval. One grandparent will be a Serval.

F3~21% Serval. One great-grandparent will be a Serval

F4~16% Serval. One great-great-grandparent will be a Serval

F5~11% Serval. One great-great-great grandparent will be a Serval.