Facts and Information

Serval Cat

The African Serval (Leptailurus Serval) is a medium sized, spotted wild cat out of Africa. At maturity they range between 25 and 50 pounds, standing an average of 20 inches at the shoulder. Servals inhabit wetlands and grassy savannahs, their prey consist of birds, rodents, frogs and small animals. Servals are tall cats with tawny background coats and large black spots, long legs and a shorter ringed tail. Servals are recognized for their tall ears set close together on the top of the head.

Servals are more outgoing and friendly than many wild cats. They love interaction with humans and bond closely with their owners. Servals are very athletic cats and need large
outside enclosures to be happy. Servals should not be kept indoors as pets.

Savannah Cat

A Savannah cat is a new breed developed by dedicated breeders to replicate the wild
African Serval. The first Savannah was born in the early 1980s by the result of an accidental breeding of an African Serval and a domestic female. The kitten, an F1 female
was named Savannah, by her breeder Judee Frank.

In 1994 Joyce Sroufe, who is the founder of the Savannah Cat, produced her first litter of
Savannah kittens. Her dream was to produce a large spotted cat with movie star looks and the personality of a loving companion. In her wildest dreams I doubt if she realized then what lay ahead for her beloved Savannah Cat.

In the beginning a handful of foundation breeders joined Joyce in the advancement of
Savannahs. Patrick Kelly of www.savannahcat.com organized the first web site and banned the breeders together. These breeders excitedly worked to create the first Savannah Breed Standard in 1996. TICA (The International Cat Association) accepted Savannahs for domestic registration in 2001. The goal for the Savannah breed is to achieve “Championship” status, which should be in the near future.

What does the terminology mean?

F1= First Generation, the kitten has an African Serval as a parent.
F2= Second Generation, the kitten has an African Serval as a Grandparent.
F3= Third Generation, the kitten has an African Serval as a Great-Grandparent.
(and so on)

Female Savannahs are fertile while males are sterile until the fifth generation.
The ideal mating for females is an F5male however there are outcrosses, which are acceptable. Some of the outcrosses used to developed the breed were Bengals, Oriental
Shorthairs, Ocicats and Serengetis.

F1 kittens are rare and expensive. Due to the variances in gestation between the African Serval and domestic cat, first generation Savannah kittens are sometimes born premature and require round the clock care.

Size

Many people are drawn to the fact that Savannahs are one of the largest domestic cats available as pets. Although size and weight are greatly influenced by diet and care, a mature full-grown male F1 Savannah averages about 25 pounds. Tall and elegant Savannahs always make a striking appearance when they enter a room.

Health and Vaccinations

Savannahs are robust cats with few health problems. Veterinarians have referred to them as having “the hybrid glow”. They receive the same vaccinations as domestics. Our kittens are vaccinated and wormed before leaving for their new homes. FeLv / FIP testing along with a well kitten health certificate are provided at time of delivery.

Litter Habits

Our kittens are litter trained when they leave us. We recommend keeping young kittens confined to smaller areas of the home until they are better familiarized with their new surroundings. Young kittens have a short attention span and shouldn’t have to look for a litter box. It is a good idea to keep a litter box in each room the kitten has access to.
In a few short weeks the kitten will be better able to seek out his litter box.

Savannahs Cats as a whole are known for good litter box habits.

All cats have the potential to spray at any time during their lives. Normally a neutered or spade cat won’t spray. Some cats can react negatively to circumstances such as, another adult feline coming into the home, a move to new surroundings or separation from family members.

Savannahs, Children and Other Pets

Savannahs thrive in homes where they are treated as family members. New owners must be aware that when they bring home a new Savannah kitten they will be committing to a special creature that needs lots of attention. Savannahs do exceptionally well in homes that have other pets. High percentage Savannah kittens need feline companions to play with. Kittens wrestle and frolic during a large portion of their waking hours. Although Savannahs love to play with all animals they can be overwhelming to older pets.

We hope you have enjoyed our information page. We plan on adding more topics so check back soon.