Savannah Cats

A Savannah Cat is actually a hybrid between a Siamese cat and a Serval The Savannah cats name is given to the off spring of a domestic cat and several medium sized, large-eared Wild African cats. The unusual offspring became popular among breeders at the end of the 20th century, and in 2001 the I. C. A (International Cat Association) accepted it as a new registered breed. Savannahs are much more social than other breeds of cats they are often compared to dogs because of their loyalty and the fact that you can train them to walk on leashes and to do tricks.

The Bengal breeder Judee Frank crossbred a male Serval belonging to Suzi Woods and a Siamese cat to produce the first Savannah cat named Savannah on April 7, 1986. Franks’ Savannah attracted the attention of Patrick Kelly who pushes one of Savannahs kittens in 1989 Kelly was the first enthusiast who worked toward establishing a new domestic breed . He approached many Serval breeders to help to develop this new breed and finally garnered the help of breeder Joyce Sroufe to work with him in taking the steps he needed to get the breed recognized.

In 1996 Patrick Kelley and Joyce Sroufe wrote the original version of the Savannah breed standard and presented it to the I. C. A in 01 the board accepted the breed as a new type of Cat. 010 brought a significant event for the breed when the first female F1 Savannah was born and bred in the UK by Rosanne Boyle of Hotspotexotics name “Amazing Grace she was registered with the I. C. A from 06 the breed has seen significant growth throughout the UK as a result the breed of being so well received. As Savannahs are produced by crossbreeding Servals and domestic cats, each generation of Savannahs is marked with a filial number.

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For example, the cats produced directly from a Serval/domestic Cat cross are the, and they are 50% serval. F1 generation Savannahs are very difficult to produce, due to the significant difference in gestation periods between the Serval and a domestic cat and sex chromosomes. Servals can be very picky in choosing mates, and often will not mate with a domestic cat. Females of the F1-F3 generation are usually held back for breeding, with only the males being offered as pets. The reverse occurs when you reach F5-F7 generation, but to a lesser degree, with the males being held as breeding cats, and females primarily offered as pets

Physical features Savannah Cats are one of the larger breeds of cats. The Savannahs tall and skinny appearance makes it look a great deal bigger than it actually weighs. Size varies on the gender and generation male Savannahs are usually bigger and weigh more than females. Because of random factors in Savannah hybrid genetics there can be different changes in size even in one litter. The coat of a Savannah depends a lot on what breed of domestic cars is used for the cross earlier generation have some form of dark spotting on a lighter coat early breeders used words like “Wild” to describe it. sing spotted breeds such as the Bengal and Egyptian Mau for the cross will preserve the very few Savannahs that look like they did in earlier Generations. Some of the colors include (cool to warm brown, tan or gold with black or dark brown spots), silver spotted tabby (silver coat with black or dark grey spots), black (black with black spots), and black smoke (black tipped silver with black spots) in additions the Savannah can come in unusual color variations such as the classic or marble patterns or snow coloration and blue or other thinner colors from domestic sources.

Most breeders are trying to cull these unusual colors out of the gen pool by selling unusual colored cats as pets but some Savannah Breeders are interested in working with the colors to introduce them as new traits The overall look of the Savannah Cat depends greatly on generation the older generations often have a more wild look the domestic breed that is used influences the appearance as well the domestic out crosses for the Savannah breed that are permissible in the ICA are Egyptian Mau the Ociat the Oriental Shorthair and the Domestic Shorthair.

In addition some Savannah breeders are non permit able breeds such as the Bengal for size or the Maine Coon cats for size for the domestic parentage but these non permit able outcrosses can bring many unwanted genes as well Outcrosses are rarely used these days at there are now many fertile males available and as well most breeders are exclusively doing Savannah to Savannah breeding. A Savannahs wild look depends mostly on the generation of the cat.

The body of Savannahs are long and leggy when a Savannah is standing, their hind end is often higher than they’re neck the back of their ears have a central light band bordered by the black, dark gray or brown giving an eye like effect the short tail has black rings with a solid black tip the eyes are blue as a kitten and may be green brown gold or blended shad as an adult. The eyes have a boomerang shape with a hooded brow to protect from harsh sunlight. The Savannah cats behavior Savannahs are commonly compared to dogs in their loyalty, and they will follow their owners around the house like a canine.

They can also be trained to walk on a leash, and even fetch. Some Savannahs are reported to be very social and friendly with new people and with other cats and dogs, while others may run and hide or revert to hissing and growling when seeing a stranger. Exposure to other people and pets is most likely the key factor in sociability as the Savannah kitten grows up. Owners of Savannahs say that they are very impressed with the animal intelligence of this breed of cat. An often-noted trait of the Savannah is its jumping ability. Savannahs are known to jump up on top of doors, refrigerators and high cabinets.

Some Savannahs can leap about 8 feet (2. 5 m) high from a standing position. Savannahs are very inquisitive, and have been known to get into all sorts of things. They often learn how to open doors and cupboards, and owners of a Savannah will likely need to take special precautions to prevent the cat from getting into things. Many Savannah cats do not fear water, and will play or even immerse themselves in water. Some owners even shower with their Savannah cats. Presenting a water bowl to a Savannah may also prove a challenge, as some will promptly begin to "bat" all the water out of the bowl until it is empty, using their front paws.

Another quirk Savannahs have is to fluff out the base of their tail in a greeting gesture. This is not to be confused with the fluffing of fur along the back and full length of the tail in fear. Savannahs will also often flick or wag their tails in excitement or pleasure. Vocally, Savannahs may either chirp like their Serval fathers, meow like their domestic mothers, or do both, sometimes producing sounds which are a mixture of the two. Chirping is observed more often in earlier generations. Savannahs may also "hiss"—a Serval-like hiss quite different from a domestic cat's hiss, sounding more like a very loud snake.

It can be alarming to humans not acquainted to such a sound coming from a cat. Health considerations Different individuals contain different amounts of Serval and of varied domestic cat breeds, and there are currently no established Savannah breed-specific health issues. Some veterinarians have noted that Servals have smaller livers relative to their body size than domestic cats, and some Savannahs inherit this. For this reason, care is advised in prescribing some medications. Lower doses per weight of the cat may be necessary.

In addition, the blood values of Savannahs may vary from the typical domestic cat, due to the serval genes. There is anecdotal evidence, though no completed scientific studies, that Savannahs and other domestic hybrids (such as Bengals) do not respond well to anesthesia containing Ketamine Many Savannah breeders request in their contracts that Ketamine not be used for surgeries] Some (but not all) Savannah breeders believe strongly that modified live vaccines should not be used on Savannahs, that only killed virus vaccines should be used.

Others are the complete opposite, having had poor reactions to killed vaccines, and no vaccine reaction (lethargy, illness, etc. ) to the modified live vaccines. This, also, has not been studied, and opinions vary widely from breeder to breeder Some breeders state that Savannah cats have no known special care or food requirements, while others recommend a very high quality diet with no grains or by-products. Some recommend a partial or complete raw feeding/raw food diet with at least 32% protein and no by-products.

Some Savannah breeders recommend calcium and other supplements, especially for growing cats and earlier generations. Others consider it unnecessary, or even harmful. Most Savannah breeders agree that Savannahs have a need for more taurine than the average domestic cat, and therefore recommend taurine supplement which can be added to any food type. Laws and Regulations Laws governing ownership of Savannah cats in the United States vary according to state. The majority of states follow the code set by the United States Department of Agriculture, which defines wild or domesticated hybrid crosses as domesticated.

Some states have set more restrictive laws on hybrid cat ownership, including Hawaii, Massachusetts, and Georgia. Some cities may have laws that differ from the state. For example, Savannahs more than five generations from the serval are allowed to be owned in New York state, but not in the city of New York. [9] The Australian Federal government has banned the importation into Australia of the Savannah cat, as the larger cats could potentially threaten species of the country's native wildlife not threatened by smaller domestic cats.

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