1. What is the difference between a Savannah and a serval?

The African serval is a wild cat with an unpredictable temperament, is hyperactive and on reaching maturity can become very solitary, limiting interactions even with their human families. servals are larger than Savannahs and require special diets, large amounts of living space and specialized vet care. They also require large amounts of your time in order to maintain the bond developed as kittens. They are not safe around small children and other animals. Many States/Counties/Cities have laws prohibiting the ownership of these cats.

The Savannah is a hybrid of the African serval and a domestic cat. While strongly resembling the African serval in looks and personality, they are bred to maintain the more reliable domestic temperament, taking the best of both breeds. They are larger than most domestic cats, active, intelligent and form strong bonds with their families. The Savannah is classified as a domestic cats by both the USDA and The International Cat Association. They do not need specialized care or diet.

2. Are Savannahs wild and dangerous?

Many people define "wild" as unpredictable, aggressive and dangerous. This is not true. The African serval is one of the most "tamable" of the exotic cats and is one of the most common wild cats kept in the domestic setting not just today, but as far back as ancient Egypt. By crossing the serval with the domestic cat we get a high energy, interactive companion that makes a wonderful loving pet. It is important to note however, that the F1's will have more serval traits making them more intense, energetic and independent than the F2's and successive generations.

3. What does F1, F2, F3 mean?

"F" stands for Filial ("the sequence of generations following the parental generation" Webster's dictionary) and the numbers indicate how many generations removed from the serval parent. See "Reproduction and Genetics" on the Savannah page for further details. How big are Savannahs? Some breeders claim to produce Savannah's that reach 30# but this is rare. Savannah size varies depending on how many generations removed from the serval they are, although F2 males can be, surprisingly, larger than an F1 male. As a general rule, F1s range between 15-25 pounds when full grown and each subsequent generation decreases in size until reaching the fourth or fifth generation which are similar in size to a normal housecat. Males can be larger than the females of the same generation.

4. Why are Savannahs so expensive?

Breeding a serval to a domestic cat, according to some genetic experts, "is impossible" - until it occurred - now it "should be impossible". The serval frequently has no interest in the domestic cat and will sometimes attack her rather than mate with her. Chromosomal differences between the serval and domestic cat can result in miscarriages, still births and litter absorption as well as sterile males to the 4th or 5th generation. Also, the domestic cats gestation period can be up to 10 days shorter than the serval resulting in premature birth and low survival rates without round the clock care and life support. Developing this breed took an incredible amount of time, money and heartache, but the result is spectacular. The numbers of F1 Savannah's are growing, but still small. Until there is a much larger gene pool and more breeders producing F1's who can be bred back to a willing and cooperative serval, improving the chances of kitten survival (eliminating the premature births), prices will remain high for the early generations.

Later generations, such as the F4s and F5s are a different situation. Being mainly domestic they are just as easy to produce and raise as the average housecat and usually priced in the same range as other purebred breeds.

5. Is the Savannah a lap cat?

No! Savannahs are very affectionate and always nearby but do not like to be picked up or held, although they will put up with it briefly. They do give head butts, enjoy jumping onto your shoulders or curling up beside you.

6. Do I have to fix my cat?

As your Savannah matures, even the sterile males, they will start to spray and mark their territory. If you want to prevent spraying, both female and male must be fixed at an early age.

7. Do Savannahs need a raw meat diet?

No, Savannah breeders recommend a high quality diet but it doesn't have to be raw meat. Many breeders do feed a raw meat diet, but so do many other domestic cat breeders. Most breeders will have acclimated the kittens to a high quality commercial cat food. Ask your breeder for dietary recommendations and do not make sudden changes.

8. Do I need a permit to own a Savannah?

The majority of states follow federal and USDA code, which define wild/domesticated hybrid crosses as domestic, which means a Savannah of any generation is legal in those states. However, some states, counties and cities have more restrictive laws. Please check your local laws before purchasing a Savannah.



9. Are Savannahs safe around Small Children or Pets?

Savannahs are no different from any high energy domestic cat and bond well with both children and other cats and dogs. Small children should be supervised around any dog or cat for the protection of all.

10. Do all Savannahs love water?

Servals frequently hunt in streams for small fish and frogs and pass this tendency on to many of their Savannah offspring, but not all. It does however seem that a lot of Savannahs are comfortable with water in a way that most domestic cats are not.

11. What colors/patterns do Savannahs come in?

Acceptable colors include Brown Spotted Tabby, Silver Spotted Tabby, Black and Black Smoke. Savannahs are also produced in other colors and some feature classic (marbled) patterning instead of spots. Kittens with non-standard colors and patterns may be registered with TICA but not shown.

12. Do Savannahs need a special veterinarian?

No. Some breeders state that Savannahs must receive only killed vaccines, no ketamine anesthetic, etc, etc., and many people assume that a veterinarian who treats exotic cats is going to understand a Savannah better. In reality, many domestic cat breeders also advocate only killed vaccines and to avoid ketamine as an anesthetic. The only difference between the average domestic and a Savannah is that the Savannah looks "wild".

13. Are Savannahs destructive?

Savannahs are not only high energy but also very curious and intelligent, making it important to train them at a young age. Never let your kitten adopt behavior, no matter how cute, that you would find unacceptable in an adult cat. Once they have learned where they can go, climb and what it's OK to play with, they are well behaved housecats.

14. Do they really learn to open doors and cupboards?

Savannahs are very intelligent and frequently learn by watching what you do and how you do it. Not all Savannahs will learn to open a door, but the early generations especially, seem to manage lever handles, drawers, bi-fold doors and flushing the toilet.

15. Can they be leash trained?

Yes, most Savannahs enjoy walks and are easily leash trained. We recommend using a "walking jacket" to prevent their escape in case they become startled. Their long sleek body structure allows them to easily slip out of the normal cat harnesses.

16. They hiss a lot, are they mean?

No, they are not mean but very loving and affectionate. They do "talk" a lot, anything from chirps to meows to hisses and growls. The serval hisses frequently but it is part of their "talking" not usually a warning. The early generation Savannahs may also hiss.