MONTEREY SAVANNAHS
SAVANNAH CATS
Savannah cats are the hybrid descendants of an African Serval and an Egyptian Mau, Ocicat, Oriental Shorthair, or Domestic Shorthair. The Savannah currently ranks as the 4th most popular breed of The International Cat Association (TICA).
APPEARANCE
Savannahs are tall, lean, and graceful cats with striking dark spots and bold markings, often laid upon luxurious tawny, gold, orange, silver, black, or black smoke backgrounds. the cats look similar to the tall, lean, muscular Serval cat of the African plains from which they originate. Savannahs typically have exceptionally long necks, legs, and ears, as well as a medium length tail. Male Savannahs tend to be larger than females. Earlier generation Savannahs (F1, F2, or F3) can weight 20 lbs. or more and stand up to 2 feet tall. We have kittens ranging in size from normal house cat size to much larger, Serval size.
GENETICS
As Hybrids, Savannahs typically exhibit some characteristics of hybrid inviability. Because the male Savannah is the heterozygous sex, they are typically larger in size and sterile until they reach generation F4 or F5. The females tend to be fertile from generation F1+. The "F" in the title stands for "filial," and the number indicates how many generations it is from its Serval ancestor.
F1 (~53% Serval)
F2 (~29% Serval)
F3 (~16% Serval) and so on...
RARITY
Due to the significant difference in gestation periods and sex chromosomes between the Serval and a domestic cat pregnancies are often absorbed or aborted, or kittens are born prematurely. Additionally, Servals can be very picky in choosing mates, and often will not breed a domestic cat. It takes many years and a lot of luck to mate a Serval with a domesticated cat and only a few breeders in the world have had success. Servals are wild cats with special needs in terms of their caging requirements, their diet and their health care. Caring for pure Servals and mating them to domestic cats is costly, time consuming and demanding.
CHARACTERISTICS
Owners of Savannahs say that they are very impressed with the intelligence of this breed of cat. Some Savannahs can leap about 8 feet (2.5 m) high from a standing position and are known to jump up on top of doors, refrigerators and high cabinets. Many Savannah cats do not fear water, and will play or even immerse themselves in water, often joining their owners in the shower. Savannahs are commonly compared to dogs in their loyalty and tend to follow their owners around the house like a canine. They can also be trained to walk on a leash and to play fetch like our very own F4 Bullseye (follow him on Instagram!).
DIET
Savannah require a quality diet high in protein, with little grain content, just like any cat. We proudly recommend Blue Buffalo as it contains very high-quality ingredients. Your kitten will come with a welcome packet explaining your food options, which include low-carb dry cat food, quality soft cat food, and homemade recipes.
LEGAL
Savannahs are treated as domestic house cats in most states and have no special legal provisions. For more legal information click here.